NCUK tours Asia!
In November 2022, NCUK staff were delighted to travel to a number of Study Centres across the Asia region to participate in a number of exciting events, allowing them to meet staff, students and other distinguished guests to share news about NCUK and introduce our qualifications to many for the first time.
Students speaking with staff at Tenby Schools Setia Eco Park
Starting in Malaysia, representatives from NCUK including Chief Executive Officer, Stuart Smith, Maria McKenna (Global Development Director), David Hodgson (Associate Director – Asia Pacific), Adrian Ting (Associate Director for New Business), Raymond Martin (Academic Services Manager, Asia Pacific) and Harjinder Kaur (Academic Support and Development Officer, Asia) all visited Tenby Schools Setia Eco Park to meet with staff, students and parents to speak about NCUK and the options for students who choose to study the International Foundation Year qualification.
As part of this visit, NCUK’s Chief Executive Officer, Stuart Smith provided insights about the NCUK International Foundation Year to prospective students and parents and the benefits of completing the qualification whilst Mr Iain Sallis (ISP Managing Director) offered further information about the benefits of studying the qualification at Tenby Schools. Following these presentations, 40 SPM students who received fantastic results in their trial examinations were presented with offer letters to begin studying the NCUK International Foundation Year from April 2023.
We’re excited to offer the NCUK International Foundation Year at Tenby Schools Setia Eco Park which will help our students get to their university of choice. It was also a privilege to have CEO of NCUK, Stuart Smith as well as other NCUK representatives meet with our parents and students to talk about the qualification. With our dedicated teachers and support from NCUK, we’re sure that students will benefit from this great opportunity.
Jeff Ison, Campus Principal at Tenby Schools Setia Eco Park
Jeff Ison, Campus Principal (pictured far left) with staff from NCUK and Tenby Schools Setia Eco Park
NCUK staff later joined the senior leadership team at Asia Pacific Schools, also located in Malaysia, for their launch and university fair event which saw 60+ attendees take part in the day’s activities.
Maria McKenna presented students with offer letters and emphasised in a speech to attendees how the NCUK International Foundation Year can serve as a stepping stone for students to gain the skills they need to progress to one of 45+ NCUK Partner Universities located in the UK, New Zealand, Australia, the USA, Canada and more. Mr Richard Furneaux (Principal of Asia Pacific Schools) expressed gratitude to the NCUK International Foundation Year for assisting their Year 11 students in gaining admission to universities including to the prestigious Russell Group universities in the UK.
At Asia Pacific Schools, the priority of providing an amazing learning journey begins as early as the preschool stage going all the way to the NCUK International Foundation Year. This encompasses a holistic and wholesome experience for all students and I look forward to seeing more students study the International Foundation Year with us moving forwards.
Richard Furneaux, Principal of Asia Pacific Schools
Maria McKenna, Global Development Director at NCUK with Richard Furneaux, Principal of Asia Pacific Schools.
Maria McKenna and Adrian Ting travelled to Myanmar to take part in two events, the first being a soft launch event announcing the partnership between NCUK and Acumen International College (AIC). The event allowed attendees to be formally introduced to NCUK, and its qualifications and share information on its January 2023 intake and other upcoming intakes.
Mr San Zaw Htet (Founder & Managing Director at AIC) welcomed attendees and shared valuable information regarding the partnership with NCUK and the benefits that NCUK qualifications offer to students across the different regions of Myanmar. Maria McKenna followed by speaking about the importance of NCUK’s partnership with AIC and the benefits of studying at the Study Centre. Speeches were concluded with Ms Myat Wut Yee (Centre Director of AIC) who presented information about the NCUK qualifications to attendees.
Mr Warren Pain (Director of Trade and Investment at the British Embassy in Yangon) was one of the many distinguished guests from Higher Education Institutions and other Partnered Organisations to attend the event. Students from AIC also attended and spoke about their school experiences and the services they received.
Press media interviews took place with keynote speakers of both NCUK and AIC by media firm, Bloomberg Myanmar, which focused on how the NCUK International Foundation Year will assist students in making the transition from high school to university, as well as NCUK’s plans for future collaborations in the region.
Through this partnership, NCUK will be able to further the impressive growth and demand it has seen over the past few years in the Asia-Pacific region. We are thrilled that Myanmar students from a variety of key markets can now pursue guaranteed* entry to degrees at leading universities worldwide, all following the successful completion of their qualifications at AIC. We are confident that this will grow into an important strategic partnership for NCUK in the coming years.
Representatives from NCUK and Acumen International College.
Whilst in Myanmar, Maria McKenna and Adrian Ting also visited KINGS International School as part of the Study Centre’s preparations for their January 2023 intake, to help introduce NCUK to students at the school.
Mr. William Thant (KINGS International School, Director) welcomed honourable guests and gave a valuable speech to 150+ upper secondary students who were in attendance, announcing the launch of the NCUK International Foundation Year and introducing Maria McKenna.
Maria McKenna spoke about the options available for students who choose to study the International Foundation Year and the variety of universities and destinations available to them following successful completion.
Students were able to gain valuable information and advice to help them make their university choices! NCUK representatives later had the great opportunity to speak with current International Foundation Year students and faculty members.
From this visit, we hope that current students have been able to gain further insights about NCUK and are motivated to continue their hard work and progress to studying abroad after completing their studies at KINGS. We also hope that students who begin their NCUK qualification in January 2023 feel readily prepared to start this exciting journey!
Representatives from NCUK and KINGS International School.
The final stop on this tour of Study Centres was to visit British Academic Center (BAC), a well-established Study Centre in Thailand, which has been delivering NCUK qualifications since 2017. The event, which took place at the Mandarin Oriental Bangkok hotel, celebrated the sixth anniversary of NCUK’s partnership with BAC.
BAC welcomed delegates from NCUK, the British Embassy & New Zealand Embassy in Thailand, as well as BAC counsellors to attend this special occasion. The celebration started with a welcome speech from Maria McKenna (Global Development Director, NCUK), followed by speeches from Jonathan Kings (New Zealand Ambassador to the Kingdom of Thailand); David Thomas (Deputy Ambassador, British Embassy Bangkok). The celebration continued with a qualification briefing, students sharing their experiences, games, and lunch.
It was an honour to have representatives from the British and New Zealand embassies and teachers from more than 12 Thai and international high schools congratulate us on this achievement.
The British Academic Center is here to represent world-class quality education for students who are interested in studying NCUK qualifications to any destination. We are committed to improving the quality of education for the next generation and BAC strives to be a part of this success.
Mr. Vanvisut Viravan, BAC Principal
Staff and attendees at the British Academic Center event.
Congratulations to all Study Centres that were visited by NCUK staff during this exciting trip. All events were conducted with professionalism and allowed attendees to gain a clear vision of the benefits of studying NCUK qualifications at these institutions. NCUK looks forward to welcoming more students from the region to study NCUK qualifications and gain the knowledge and skills they need to be successful at university.
It’s always a wonderful experience when meeting partners and students in person. Due to NCUK partnering with these Study Centres during the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been little opportunity actually to meet in person until now! This made my first meeting with staff and students much more special and I was so impressed at the work being done at these Study Centres across the board. I have to thank the staff for their continuous work in making NCUK qualifications at their institutions a success. To students, I applaud your positive outlook and motivation as you work hard to progress to the next stage of your study abroad journey. I look forward to seeing these Study Centres continue to grow and to meeting with them again in the near future!
Maria McKenna, Global Development Director
Find out more
If you are interested in becoming an NCUK Partner, please click below:
*Learn more about the NCUK Guarantee by clicking here.