After a month of jubilation, passion, and celebration, the Football World Cup 2022 is coming to an end this Sunday. Football is by far the most popular sport in the world and it's well-known that the ‘beautiful game' was born in the United Kingdom with the first ever international football match played 150 years ago between two UK nations, Scotland and England, back in 1872.
Much like football, the United Kingdom has been a pioneer in many other sectors, especially education. The famous Universities of Oxford and Cambridge, established in the 11th and 13th centuries respectively, have consistently been ranked as the top universities in the world. They have produced hundreds of world famous graduates –Adam Smith, Alan Turing, Isaac Newton, John Maynard Keynes, Samuel Pepys, Oscar Wilde, Stephen Hawking, Sylvia Plath, Jawaharlal Nehru and King Charles III to name but a few.
When we talk about a UK education, we are not talking only about Oxford, Cambridge and other universities in England. There are three other countries in the United Kingdom – Wales, Northern Ireland, and Scotland – which also offer a world-class education at great universities. Let's look at just a few of the options.
Cardiff University, Wales: Located in the heart of the Welsh capital, Cardiff University is the biggest university in Wales and the 10th largest in the UK. Ambitious, innovative and creative, Cardiff University offers more than 300 courses at undergraduate and postgraduate level. Cardiff University has been voted one of the 10 most beautiful campuses in the UK, and still uses some of the architecturally-striking buildings it occupied when it was founded in 1883.
Why study in Wales: The cost of living in Wales is relatively low. Accommodation, shopping and going out are more affordable than in many other parts of the United Kingdom, and the natural beauty of the Welsh countryside is legendary. Wales is a nation of magnificent mountains, valleys, forests and lakes, and it's sufficiently compact for easy exploration. Students benefit from a great educational environment whilst experiencing the unique culture and heritage of Wales.
CourtesyRobert Gordon University, Scotland: Robert Gordon University, commonly known as RGU, is one of the best universities in Scotland. The university has 16,000 students from more than 150 countries and is proud to offer a lively, vibrant, student-friendly experience in Aberdeen, rated happiest city in the UK in which to live and work, in a report from 2021. As Scottish University of the Year in The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2021 RGU is consistently recognised for its teaching excellence and student-centred approach. RGU also scores highly on graduate employability, ranking 1st in Scotland and 2nd in the UK in the Graduate Employment Rate measure.
Why study in Scotland: It doesn't matter if you're on a rural campus, or in the heart of one of Scotland's vibrant cities, Scottish universities offer wide, open green spaces. This means you will have access to plenty of outdoor areas for study, sports, and relaxation – or simply to enjoy nature. Scotland is bursting with exciting events, including over 350 festivals every year, which make it an ideal place to study and live. From the biggest music acts at TRNSMT Music Festival, to the world's largest arts festival at The Edinburgh Festival Fringe, there's always something new and exciting happening in Scotland – another great reason to study here.
CourtesyUlster University, Northern Ireland: Ulster University is located in Northern Ireland and has three campuses specialising in: Business, Life & Health Sciences; Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences and Computing; and Engineering & the Built Environment. Ulster University has a multi-cultural community and focuses on promoting a strong, internationally-relevant curriculum. The university encourages integrity and diversity allowing it to reflect the makeup of the global society it serves. Ulster University places a strong focus on employability, with many courses receiving professional accreditation.
Why study in Northern Ireland: The education system in Northern Ireland is world-renowned for its schools, colleges and universities and has produced Nobel laureates, famous scientists, playwrights, actors, government ministers, musicians and politicians. Being the smallest country in the UK, Northern Ireland is easy to travel around. It's packed with history, culture and myth, and there's an incredible variety of landscape and scenery. Love Game of Thrones? Northern Ireland has the most Game of Thrones locations of any country in the world.
CourtesyScholarships and funding opportunities for Bangladeshi students: All the above-mentioned universities offer Bangladeshi students a minimum of £10,000 towards their tuition fees in selected areas of studies through the UK government's GREAT Scholarships scheme for the 2023-24 academic year. Students intending to apply for the scholarships must have received an offer of entry from one of the participating universities and must satisfy all entry requirements for the chosen course as stated by the respective university. Closing dates vary by university. Visit https://www.britishcouncil.org.bd/en/great-scholarships-bangladesh for more information.
Other UK government scholarship opportunities are available to Bangladeshi students throughout the year, including Chevening Scholarships and Commonwealth Scholarships. Follow UK in Bangladesh and British Council on social media for information on when these schemes are open. Individual universities also offer different funding schemes to assist their students, and information can be found via their respective websites.
When you return, you can join the Bangladesh-UK Alumni Network to stay in touch with your peers - https://www.britishcouncil.org.bd/en/study-uk/alumni
