University to take place on world stage, armed with new name

Published on Wednesday 25 February 2009 01:00

NAPIER University is today set to unveil plans to become a major international force in higher education.

An office is to be set up in India later this year, with a dedicated director, and the existing Hong Kong base will be expanded.

The university has won final approval to change its name to Edinburgh Napier, to cash in on the city's popularity and attract more students from around the world.

Last year, the university's proportion of students from overseas rose by 15 per cent to 34 per cent and it is now looking to build on that.

Joan Stringer, principal of Edinburgh Napier, said: "There are various ways we can expand and this is one of them.

"They will be extra students in the sense we can accommodate more. But we also want to grow other areas such as home postgraduate places."

She said a key aspect of attracting overseas students was income for the university, as students outwith Europe paid high fees to study in the UK.

Scottish universities have straitened finances after a poor settlement for the sector in the last budget.

But Ms Stringer said she hoped the move would also help the institution expand knowledge transfer with business and increase places for UK students.

More than 100 nationalities already study at Edinburgh Napier, with about 500 students from India. Another 190 follow Napier courses with partner universities in India.

The office in Hyderabad will be the university's first in the country. There are also about 1,700 Chinese students studying Napier courses in Hong Kong and more than 550 Chinese students at its Edinburgh campuses.

Ms Stringer, said lecturing staff regularly visited both countries to ensure a connection with the university's Edinburgh base.

And she added: "This name change is an investment in the future, because it will help to name, and place, the university better in all the areas we have ambitions.

"We are located in one of the most beautiful cities in the world, so we thought we would make that connection explicit and it would help students understand where they were applying to."

She refused to put a figure on how student numbers might rise until the plan goes through the university's court in June.

Edinburgh Napier's strategic plan is expected to contain projected figures for growth in student numbers.

A spokesman for Universities Scotland, which represents principals, said international markets were important.

He said: "Universities are making links across the world on which Scotland can build future prosperity."

The university has an ongoing 100 million programme to redevelop its campuses in Scotland.