ONCAMPUS and the University of Hull Opening Celebration

Thu 24 Mar 2016

Cambridge Education Group and the University of Hull have officially launched a new centre to help international students prepare for degree programmes.

The ONCAMPUS Hull centre offers undergraduate foundation programmes in business and engineering and will help attract international students to the Yorkshire region.

International students receive high quality English-language and academic preparation to equip them with the knowledge and independent study skills they need at degree level.

Students who successfully complete the course are guaranteed a place on a range of undergraduate business and engineering degrees at the University, including the four-year integrated Master’s Degree in Engineering (MEng).

ONCAMPUS Hull is being run in partnership with the Cambridge Education Group, one of the country’s leading university pathway providers.

In Europe, CEG operates a highly successful partnership with the University of Amsterdam, a top 50 world-ranked institution, and has recently announced a partnership with Lund University in Sweden, ranked 60^th in the world. ONCAMPUS Hull is the only centre in Yorkshire.

Professor Alan Speight, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Education) at the University of Hull, said: “The ONCAMPUS Hull programme offers high quality, tailored teaching to a wider range of international students.

“Students receive intensive, small group tuition and support and a high volume of contact time to help them progress to degree programmes. It gives them the opportunity to study abroad and acclimatise to UK higher education.

“The University is committed to growing its international student cohort. The partnership with CEG offers us access to their tremendous experience in working with international students from all over the world. ONCAMPUS offers students an outstanding level of teaching and support as well as a proven track record of success.”

Steve Harvey, Managing Director, ONCAMPUS, said: “Our first group of students are already making excellent progress and the centre is set to be one of our largest. We are very excited to be working with the team here at Hull and are already exploring new and innovative ways of expanding our partnership.”

The ONCAMPUS Hull centre, based at the Hull University Business School, welcomed its first students in January and was officially launched this month at a ceremony at the University.

There are currently 45 students from Kuwait, China, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia and Oman, who will complete three terms of study before progressing to degrees in September 2016.

Abdullah Saad Al Jizani, from Saudi Arabia, is planning to study chemical engineering after he has completed his foundation year.

He said: “The atmosphere on the course is very good. I can already see a big improvement in all my subjects.

“I feel very comfortable here and have made good friends with my housemates and classmates. I like Hull because you can focus on your studies. It’s a good place to hang out with friends and has a good atmosphere for students.”

Muhammad Aiman Faiz Mohd Ilham, from Malaysia, said: “I asked my uncles for suggestions because they are mechanical engineers and that’s what I want to be. They suggested I came to Hull because it’s a good course and it’s cheaper to live than other parts of the UK.

“The tutors are very experienced and most of them have been teaching international students for a long time, so they know how to help us. My lecturers are all engineers themselves and they make it interesting.

“The city has everything I need and my neighbourhood is quiet and friendly. The people are very friendly and treat international students with respect.”

Hoor Al Aufi, from Oman, who is on the business foundation pathway, added: “School and university are totally different. On this course, we get used to studying at an English university, which is very different to universities in my country.”

Chris Hooper, Head of Centre at ONCAMPUS Hull, said: “The programme is going very well. The students are already feeling at home in Hull and have settled well into their studies.

“By the time the students start their degree programmes they will be used to studying at the University and know their way around the city. We are here to support them but also encourage them to be independent learners going forward.”

The University of Hull currently welcomes more than 1,500 international students from more than 100 countries and has been awarded a 5-star rating for its internationalisation, teaching, employability and facilities by world university ranking experts, QS.

Earlier this year, the University was named as one of the world’s most international universities when it was placed 157th in the Times Higher Education top 200, putting the University of Hull in the top 3% globally.

ONCAMPUS teaches pre-university programmes leading to a wide range of undergraduate and Masters degrees at universities across the UK, Europe and the USA. Each year, it prepares thousands of students for university courses in the UK.

In the UK, the ONCAMPUS centres are regularly reviewed by the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA), which is responsible for maintaining standards across UK universities.