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Stephanie Harrington

The External Programme enables students from all over the world to

FROM ITS BIGGEST  base of about 10,000 students in Singapore to the tiny South Atlantic island of Saint Helena where two students are enrolled, the University of London has reached the world's largest and most far-flung markets with its external studies system.

The university's External Programme was established in 1858 for people living in rural areas who could not travel to London to study for financial and family reasons.

The programme was expanded in the 1860s to colonial countries in Africa, Asia and the West and East Indies before it began partnering with independent teaching institutions in 45 countries.

The University of London is one of Britain's oldest and largest tertiary education institutions. It has about 34,000 students in more than 180 countries studying for more than 100 awards, including degrees at undergraduate and postgraduate level and diplomas, certificates and shorter courses.

Its federation of 20 self-governing colleges and specialist institutions include some of the most prestigious in Europe, including the London School of Economics and Political Science, Royal Holloway, the School of Oriental and African Studies and King's College, one of its first two colleges founded in the 1830s.

The University of Hong Kong School of Professional and Continuing Education (HKU Space) has enjoyed a partnership with the University of London since 1963, when law programmes were introduced through HKU Space's predecessor, the department of extra-mural studies.

The collaborative programmes expanded to include bachelor and postgraduate degrees and diplomas in business, economics, management and finance, and computing and information systems.

Hong Kong has a highly competitive entrance system for upper-secondary school and university, and overseas providers such as the University of London play an important role in delivering higher education to the masses.

The University of London's programmes are popular in Hong Kong, which ranks among its largest external studies student population, with about 7,000 University of London students in Hong Kong and an average enrolment of 1,500 new students each year.

Sir Graeme Davies,  vice-chancellor of the University of London,  became the first vice-chancellor in nine years to attend a convocation ceremony at the University of Hong Kong  last year.

In an interview after the convocation, Sir Graeme credited the University of London's long history and its progressive record of educating students regardless of religious background, sex, race or colour in times when other institutions had not laid the foundation for their overseas programmes.

'For so long, it was only people at the top end who benefited from a university education. No society can afford that. You have got to make education penetrate as far down as it can in society,' he said.

Sir Graeme, who took up the position in 2003 after holding a variety of academic posts in his native New Zealand and throughout Britain, said the university's 'strong tradition of taking education out to the people' had grown with the sophistication of global communication.

Students from places such as Singapore and Moscow can communicate with each other in addition to meeting students on their home campus.

Sir Graeme said the success of the external programme lay in the University of London's collaboration with 'knowledgeable organisations' such as HKU Space, which understood the needs of its students and the local market.

'Our approach has always been that we like to build partnerships. We are not just exporting education. We are trying to have a dialogue build-up,' Sir Graeme said.

'One of the critical parts from our point of view and from the point of view of students is the integrity of the programmes. If we don't make partnerships with strong institutions, then our students can't do well.'

To ensure this integrity, students studying externally are required to meet the same academic standards and earn

the same internationally recognised qualifications as if they were taking the programme in Britain.

In Hong Kong, the benefits of face-to-face learning at HKU Space are combined with access to such resources as an online University of London library.

Although programmes are tailored for students studying externally, exams are marked by the same academics who assess on-campus University of London students.

Rosemary Gosling,  director of the London School of Economics External Study programme, said the collaboration gave students with non-traditional qualifications an opportunity to achieve a quality, internationally recognised education.

Students who do not qualify for A-levels, for instance, may earn a diploma in economics through the University of London or a community college to meet the entrance requirements for a University of London bachelor's degree.

'Often, they do better than students from A-levels,' she said. 'If you give people the opportunity in a local context, it is relative to them.'

Sir Graeme acknowledged the need for alternative routes to higher education.

'There are a great many people who, for one reason or other, missed out on traditional education opportunities.

'The University of London provides opportunities in these spaces where there are not matching opportunities here. It helps with career advancement.

'If people want to change jobs, a University of London degree is an advantage.'

There are four HKU Space learning centres established in mainland China.

The University of London and HKU Space are keen to take their collaborative overseas programmes to the mainland market for higher education.

HKU Space director Enoch Young  said: 'We regard the internationalisation of education as very important.

'Hong Kong is going to have a significant influence in the development of China's education. International education in particular will be our strength.'



University of London's system is far-reaching