‘Students shouldn’t be put off by the UK visa application process’
In conversation with Prof Edward Byrne, principal and president, King’s College London who was on his first visit to India since taking over as the head of the institute last year. Excerpts: What does King’s College London have to offer Indian students? The college is located in the heart of London which provides students a wide range of opportunities to engage with leading international companies, government departments, think tanks, scientific organisations and cultural institutions.
We have a vibrant international community with over 30% of our overall student population from 150 countries outside the UK, and 40% of our academic staff from 81 other countries around the world.
Also, King’s College is the largest centre for the education and training of healthcare professionals in Europe, with pioneering research into the fields of cancer, neuroscience and mental health. How many Indian students are currently studying in King’s College London? Indian students are the third largest international student body at King’s College London and we expect this number to grow with the expansion of departments in business and engineering. What are the new developments at King’s College London specific to India? Tell us about significant recent/upcoming partnerships with Indian institutes as well as industry partnerships for research. India is a key part of King’s internationalisation programme. We are excited about collaborations in areas of health and medical research, and we are in dialogue with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, with whom we hope to develop certificate courses in health at NEIGRIHMS (Shillong) and RIMS (Imphal), Institutes of National Importance in India’s North East.
We are working to secure funding to continue our partnership with the Tata Memorial Cancer Centre (TMC) in Mumbai, which addresses the challenge of delivering affordable cancer care for an ageing global population. Also, King’s Summer Schools programme has benefitted over 2000 students from 25 Indian cities. We have summer school partnerships with India’s leading institutes such as Lady Shri Ram College (Delhi); HR College (Mumbai); Tata Memorial Cancer Centre (Mumbai); St John’s Research Institution (Bangalore).
The schools prepare candidates for international study over a two-week period with courses covering cancer studies, media and gender studies, international relations, international political economy and E-business, among others. Please shed some light on post study work visa for Indian students in UK. When will it be reintroduced? We are very much open to receiving students from India. We are working with the UK Government to try and improve visa conditions and remain committed to welcoming Indian students to the UK and King’s College.
We have a dedicated in-house team at the university to help with visas; students shouldn’t be put off by the UK visa application process. What is the idea behind launching the Chevening Gurukul Programme? How can students apply? The fellowship is aimed at high flying early to mid-career professionals from diverse backgrounds with a strong and demonstrable leadership potential. It aims to familiarise future leaders with best practice case-studies of leadership in the fields of government, innovation, health, and industry in the UK, through a variety of standard and heterodox methods, ranging from seminars, role-playing scenarios, and site visits. Prospective applicants can visit www.chevening. org/apply for more information.