Organised by the Chinese Ministry of Education and the Chinese Service Center for Scholarly Exchange, the event marks an increasingly active approach by Chinese institutions hoping to attract students from other countries, but particularly from Britain.

In an interview with Times Higher Education, Cue Xiliang, president of the Beijing Language and Culture University, said that the university was searching for “opportunities to enhance links with students in the UK” and that the possibility of studying Mandarin at the university was “very attractive for UK students”, adding that UK students were “very good at learning Mandarin”.

However, the Chinese envoys acknowledged that the language barrier can be off-putting for many international students: “We did some research and the biggest (hurdle) is the language barrier for students from Europe”. To counteract this trend, institutions such as the Shanghai University of Finance and Economics are now offering students from abroad the opportunity to study in English.

Britain is currently the only country with overseas campuses in China, represented by Nottingham and Liverpool Universities, which, according to Joanna Burke, China Director for the British Council, means it has “a privileged status” in Chinese higher education. Lancaster University has recently announced that it will also be launching a campus in the country, which will be based in Guangzhou and work in collaboration with the Guangdong University of Foreign Studies.

The Chinese government has devised an education strategy running up until 2020, with a key theme being internationalisation, said Ms Burke, who also explained that there are government funded scholarships available for those wishing to study in China, an experience she herself undertook as a student.

This post is by guest contributor Nathaniel Forrester. Contact Nathaniel here.

This issue contains articles about study and careers within some of the different areas of medicine and health sciences, including dentistry, medicine, veterinary science, optometry, physiotherapy and sport science, plus many more. Also featured is an interview with three different psychologists in very different careers, plus we speak to a PhD student about her studies in cancer research.

We’d like to thank all of our contributors who have provided articles and information for this issue of i-MHS and for making this one of the best and most comprehensive i-MHS issues yet.

Once you have read through this guide and have an idea of what, and where, you would like to study, head over to the Country pages to find out all about fees, visas and more in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the UK and the USA.

We always love to hear feedback from our readers, so please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any comments or suggestions – email editorial@i-studentgroup.com

The top ten places are dominated by UK and US universities, with four UK establishments featured. Although claims that the new regulations and changes to the fees system may have an impact on 2012 results have already began circulating. Ben Sowter, Head of Research at QS told the BBC that he believed that is was “inevitable” that financial pressures would impact UK universities rankings in the future years, due to staffing, research productivity and the result of UK students looking to go overseas for their education.

The top ten institutions are as follows:

1 – University of Cambridge – UK (100.0)

2- Harvard University – US (99.3)

3 – Massachusetts Institute of Technology – US (99.2)

4 – Yale University – US (98.8)

5 – University of Oxford – US (98.8)

6 – Imperial College London – UK (97.6)

7 – University College London – UK (97.3)

8 – University of Chicago – US (96.1)

9 – University of Pennsylvania – US (95.7)

10 – Columbia University – US (95.3)

For a full list please click here.

Amongst those featured in the top 100 were eight Australian institutions, with Australian National University ranking an impressive 26^th and the University of Melbourne not far behind at 31^st.

East Asia has seen a distinct increase in their rankings with universities from Japan and Singapore leading the way as the University of Tokyo ranked 25^th , the National University of Singapore at 28^th and Kyoto University reaching 32^nd.

Amidst the lower rankings, it has emerged that a number of universities from Latin America and the Middle East making an appearance on the list.

This issue features a range of interesting and informative articles about studying these popular subject areas in different countries, and the careers they can lead to. Along with a wealth of information about what you can study within this area, it also includes firsthand advice from an entrepreneur, and an interview with an organisational development consultant about using psychology in the business world.

Click here to read this issue now.

As always, we’d like to say a big thank you to all of our contributors who have taken the time to share their experience and expertise in this issue. We really appreciate all the hard work of the organisations, professionals, experts and students who have made this i-BEL guide as extensive and useful as possible.

Once you have read through this guide and have an idea of what, and where, you would like to study, browse the country pages on this website to find out all about fees, visas and more in your chosen country.

We always love to hear feedback – good or bad – so if you have any thoughts of comments about this issue or suggestions for future issues, please let us know, either in the box below or by emailing – editorial@i-studentgroup.com

We hope you enjoy reading this issue of i-BEL and it proves useful in helping you research your study options.

If you are a professional or an association/organisation and are interested in contributing to the next issue of i-BEL, or any of our other guides, please contact us.

The scheme was introduced after they received feedback from students who enjoyed the low prices that they offer on new and used print textbooks, so in response to this Amazon will soon offer students the option to rent Kindle textbooks and pay for the time period they need it for, which could mean savings of up to 80% off the listed print price.

The Kindle textbooks are “Rent Once, Read Anywhere” as they can be accessed from a number of devices using the Kindle Reading Apps, for the Mac, iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch, Blackberry as well as Windows and Android devices.

Dave Limp, the vice president of Amazon Kindle said in a press release on Monday that they “have done a little something extra” that they think the students will enjoy. He also went on to explain that the scheme will utilise their “Whispersync technology so that [students] get to keep and access all of [their] notes and highlighted content in the Amazon Cloud, available anytime, anywhere – even after a rental expires.”

The rental scheme is said to be launched for the new 2011 academic year, for more information please see http://www.amazon.com/kindletextbooks

UK Universities add at least £1.31 billion a year in value to UK society in the form of health and well being, citizenship and political engagement, according to new research by leading independent think-tank nef (the new economics foundation), published in association with Universities UK.

Degrees of Value: How universities benefit society attempts for the first time to put a monetary value on some of the ways that universities contribute to society at a local and a national level, using Social Return on Investment (SROI) methodology. These values are above and beyond the economic contribution that universities make.

The research looked at just some of the social contributions of universities in Britain:

• A healthier, more co-operative and more democratic nation:  Research has shown that universities improve political engagement, foster interpersonal trust and improve health, benefitting the whole population, not just those who went to university. The report estimates the value of these outcomes alone is £1.31 billion.*
• Higher social mobility: Manchester Metropolitan University has facilitated above average social mobility in the local area, through catering to local course demands, outreach programmes and offering opportunities for part time students. The social value of this outcome is around £147 million a year.**
• Volunteering and culture: The University of Warwick is bringing £28.6 million of value in cultural enrichment a year to the local community through its Arts Centre*** and just through one strand of its student volunteering programme, working with primary schools to improve reading and allowing local children to meet international students from a variety of cultures.+
The report recommends that the Government starts to take account of these and other social contributions made by higher education and values them accordingly. It also recommends that universities across the country start to become more vocal about their community and outreach work, such as the projects at MMU and Warwick, and continue the work they are doing in improving access for students from poorer backgrounds.
“Everyone knows that higher education is essential for a thriving economy. But universities deliver much more than just economic benefit to the UK.  They’ve been helping to build a big society – long before the current concept had ever been conceived” said Dr Faiza Shaheen, the author of the report and economist at nef. “It’s really important that as the Government starts to reform university funding and student fees that they don’t inadvertently undermine these social contributions. Across a whole range of issues that David Cameron and Nick Clegg allegedly hold dear – from social mobility and community cohesion to volunteering and democratic engagement – universities are already making a huge difference.”

Nicola Dandridge, Chief Executive of Universities UK, said: “The value of higher education is generally assessed solely in terms of how much money universities generate for the individual, for business and for the wider economy. Critical though these considerations are, they tend to ignore the huge public good that universities generate, both locally and nationally. This study addresses the often overlooked but fundamentally important ways in which higher education makes for a better society.”

Sean O’Shea, Chief Executive, University Partnerships Programme, said: “This research highlights the reasons why UPP is proud to work in this sector. For us, universities represent a critical element of the wider economy, equipping the future workforce with the skills that drive innovation and growth. Just as important, however, is the impact that Higher Education has on the experiences and life chances of individuals, as well as civil society more widely.”

The report forms part of the second annual Universities Week, which takes place from 13-19 June 2011, and aims to increase public awareness of the wide and varied role of the UK’s universities.  Universities Week looks at the many different ways in which universities affect all of our lives — from supporting the economy, to working within local communities, to looking at how their research programmes could change our futures.

Are you interested in going to university overseas and joining the thousands of people who make the move every year to become international students? We can help you. Our sister site i-studentenquiry is a free matching that could help you find the right-fit university or college overseas.

In three easy steps you could be matched to the university or college that is perfect for you:

1. Visit www.i-studentenquiry.com
2. Select a graduate level and fill in the short registration form choosing the countries and subjects you’re interested in as well providing us with as much detail as you can about your current studies.
3. Hit “Submit”.

After 48 hours you will receive an email with a list of institutions that match your criteria, with links to their websites and online prospectuses.

You will also be able to re-access our registration form with the new “My Account” feature. Using your email address and the password provided to you, you can then re-enter the site and amend or add any information you would like. You are also able to view all previous matches you have received.

So what are you waiting for?

Take the “search” out of your research and visit i-studentenquiry now.

GOOD LUCK!

The QS rankings, which are scored out of 100 and based on research, internationalism, teaching and graduate employability, have been running since 2004.

Scoring over 90 out of 100, Harvard University easily came out on top for each of the three categories and both the University of Cambridge and the University of Oxford feature in the top 5 on each list.  Yale University, Stanford University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) also feature heavily in each of the top tens.

The University of Melbourne is the only Australian institution to have made the top ten, featuring at number 8 in the Psychology list. Other high listing entries from Australia, Canada and Singapore also mark a slight shift in the heavily US dominated list.

Talking of the new subject specific rankings, Ben Sowter, Head of QS Intelligence Unit says, “The new QS World University Rankings by Subject respond to a need for comparative data at a more granular level.

“In many countries students are being charged more than ever before for their degrees. So assessing the potential career outcomes of one’s study choice is becoming increasingly important”, he continued.

We visited a range of international and local schools and met with college counsellors, career advisors and some of their students to demonstrate the i-studentgroup websites and resources. The response we received was fantastic, with many counsellors saying what great research tools our sites were.

“Thank you for visiting my school and meeting the students to introduce your resources. It was very valuable indeed”

“It was wonderful to meet you and I look forward to exploring these websites”

“Judging from the student feedback, I think it’s been a worthwhile experience and I would certainly encourage them to use the websites and will introduce it to our students each year”

“Thank you very much for your visit! Please email me anything that you feel is of relevance to our students and I shall let you know if there is anything that you could use to improve the already excellent service that the i-studentgroup provides”

Special thanks goes to:

• Simone Salier at the Island School, Hong Kong
• Martin Campion at the South Island School, Hong Kong
• Robert Mansueto at the Chinese International School, Hong Kong
• Bob Bate at the Canadian International School of Hong Kong
• Tim Gartz at the American International School
• Caroline Faris at the International School Singapore
• Sam Fleischmann at the International Community School Singapore
• Kevin Sim and Jasmine Seah at Raffles Institution (Junior College), Singapore
• Sheta Saha at the Chatsworth International School, Singapore
• Rita Kaur at ACS International, Singapore
• Alex Furstenberg at Mont’Kiara International School, Malaysia
• Sharleen Tam and Aananthi Seventhy at Taylor’s College, Malaysia
• Nick Marriot at the International School of Brunei
• Russell Mann at Jerudong International School, Brunei
• Sean McAuley and Michael Clancy at Bali International School
• John Milliss at the Australian International School – Bali campus
• Brenton Hall at the Australian International School – Jakarta campus
• Binky Iskander at the Binus International School, Simprug, Indonesia
• Robyn Combes at Sekolah Pelita Harapan, Indonesia
• Shruti Tewari at Sinarmas World Academy, Indonesia
• Novita Sasongko at the Global Jaya International School, Indonesia
• Laura Berggren at the Bandung Alliance International School, Indonesia
• Jan Russell at Bandung International School, Indonesia

If you are a college counsellor or careers advisor and would like any further information about the i-studentgroup websites, please email us at:
info@i-studentavdisor.com

Vita-Salute San Raffaele University is part of the San Raffaele Foundation which includes hospitals, research centers and the Vita-Salute San Raffaele University.

San Raffaele is well known worldwide for its excellence: it is a highly specialised center for molecular medicine, diabetes and metabolic diseases, as well as biotechnology and bio-imaging. The hospital channels many of its resources into cancer treatment, cardiovascular diseases and numerous acute and chronic-degenerative diseases and a very efficient Emergency Department that serves a vast area.

The International MD Program builds on the institution’s solid presence on the international scene: San Raffaele healthcare centers can be found in many countries of the world, including Brazil, India, Uganda, Poland, Chile, Israel, Mozambique and Algeria. This degree course provides medical-scientific education at the highest level, allowing students to improve their skills and to upgrade their knowledge. It also provides clinical and laboratory research opportunities and additional education in humanities and cultural sciences: philosophy, communication skills, cognitive neurosciences and psychology, which are the building blocks of human society, regardless of social status, race, or creed.

The International MD Program is designed to train a new kind of doctor: someone who possesses the necessary human, cultural and professional abilities to actively participate in healthcare and share ideas in today’s globalised world. Unlike other Medical Programs in Italy where clinical courses are held in Italian, the International MD Program is fully in English, including classes, lectures, practicals and all clinical activities.

Students enrolled in the San Raffaele International MD Program have access to all the facilities of the Vita-Salute San Raffaele Institute and the San Raffaele Scientific Institute, including skills labs for practical training, a library with more than 20,000 books and several thousand scientific e-publications and resources, as well as to the clinical and research laboratories of the San Raffaele Scientific Institute, the largest private research institute in Italy, that further expanded with the inauguration of DIBIT, a scientific facility for basic, translational and clinical research. DIBIT is part of the largest biomedical science park in Italy, which includes the San Raffaele Hospital, Science Park Raf, created to support the foundation’s development, and the Vita-Salute San Raffaele University.

Applicants who wish to enroll in the International MD Program are required to take an Admission Test. 64 places are available for Academic Year 2011-2012:

• 32 for EU citizens
• 32 for Non-EU Citizens

The Admission Test will take place on April 28th 2011 in the following locations:

• Milan, (Italy)
• New York, (USA)
• Kuala Lumpur, (Malaysia)

Candidates who wish to take the Admission Test can visit the following website for detailed information: http://bit.ly/mdadmissions

The deadline is April 20th, 2011.

Here are the guidelines on the admission process for A.Y. 2011-2012: (click to view or download PDF)

For more information on the International MD Program please visit the following website: http://bit.ly/mdprogram