Internationalising Higher Education

The private sector - in partnership with public institutions - has become increasingly involved in the delivery of higher education to international students. These experiences have forced both policy-makers and educationists to question some long-held beliefs over the provision of higher education, domestically and internationally. This session will add to this debate and explore the experiences and benefits of two different and both very successful companies (one from Australia, the other from the UK) and their public university partners. The session will also review the lessons learned in expanding the partnerships, the relative benefits to both institutions and the possible future directions through short presentations and discussion by the panellists. IBT Education is one of the global leaders in the provision of pathway and university transfer programmes, having colleges operating in Australia, Africa, Canada and the UK and Associate Colleges in Sri Lanka and Indonesia. It provides a diverse choice of study programmes including pre-university and university pathways for domestic and international students, as well as English preparatory courses, Foundation, Degree, and Pre-Master's and Master's programmes in a wide range of disciplines. Since starting in 2000, The London School of Commerce (LSC) has grown to an operation with over 3,500 international students on undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. Although the majority are studying on the London campus, LSC also provides opportunities through a number of international locations. It has recently developed a strong partnership with the University of Wales Institute, Cardiff, for which it is now deemed to be an Associate College.