New partnership in Singapore for UCF

University College Falmouth has been awarded an International Mobility of UK Students grant to develop a new exchange partnership in Singapore.

Funded by the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS) and managed by the British Council, the exchange partnership is part of the Strategic Alliances and Partnership strand of the second Prime Minister's Initiative for International Education, which aims to position the UK as a leader in international education by increasing the level of engagement in research, the number of programmes delivered and number of UK students studying overseas.

The first students to benefit from the new partnership are Level 2 BA(Hons) Music students, Dan Hill, Elana Solomon, Adam Bain, Abigail Hubbard, Jamie Glew and Kimberley Lowings who will study at the LASALLE College of the Arts in Singapore until December, accompanied for the first two weeks by Music Performance Practices lecturer, Dr Joseph Harrop.

Founded in 1984 by Brother Joseph McNally of the De La Salle Order of Brothers, who became one of Singapore's champions of the creative arts and arts education, the LASALLE College of the Arts is a specialist tertiary institution leading contemporary arts education in fine art, design, media and performing arts in the Asia Pacific. With a contemporary focus and innovative approach, LASALLE is renowned for producing pioneering and celebrated graduates and accomplished faculty staff who are established artists at the Venice Biennale, acclaimed designers recognised by the D&AD and red dot, as well as respected curators, writers, musicians, dance and theatre pioneers.

To begin their semester-long exchange in style, the UCF exchange students - two composers, two percussionists, a guitarist and a singer - have been invited to perform a lunchtime recital at the British Council café on Napier Road, Singapore on Friday 31 July, featuring a selection of covers alongside their own songs and works from a wide variety of musical genres from jazz and classical to contemporary pop music.

As part of UCF's internationalisation strategy, the College has been actively involved in European Higher Education Initiatives since the European Union Lifelong Learning Programme (Erasmus) began in the 1980s. Through support from the Socrates Erasmus Programme, student and staff mobility has increased significantly each year with our Woodlane, Tremough and Dartington campuses having built strong links with Higher Education Institutions in Australia, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Japan, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, the Netherlands and Turkey.

"I'm really excited about this opportunity to live and study in a completely different country, and hope the exchange will provide inspiration for my creative practice as well as my personal development," explained Abigail Hubbard.

"This new exchange programme demonstrates UCF's commitment to raising its international profile within the arts education sector and enables us to establish a productive, long-term relationship with LASALLE that will benefit staff and students alike," added Dr Harrop. "The impact of European exchange programmes on curriculum development is considerable and helps to maintain and develop an already established international profile."

For further information about studying abroad in a partner college or university whilst studying at University College Falmouth, visit www.falmouth.ac.uk/exchange, email stuart.westhead@falmouth.ac.uk or telephone the International Office on 01326 213794.

For further information about BA(Hons) Music at University College Falmouth, visit www.falmouth.ac.uk/music, email admissions@dartington.ac.uk or telephone Admissions on 01803 862224.

University College Falmouth is the only independent Higher Education institution in Cornwall with the powers to award degrees in its own name. It has two campuses in Cornwall - at Woodlane in Falmouth and Tremough in Penryn (which it owns, and jointly manages with the University of Exeter) - and a third campus at Totnes in Devon, following its merger with Dartington College of Arts in 2008.

This merger created a new institution focusing on the expansion of Falmouth's expertise in Art, Design and Media and Dartington's expertise in Choreography, Music, Theatre, Art and Writing. The Devon-based courses will relocate to a new, high-specification Performance Centre at Tremough in 2010, paving the way for a new specialist Arts University in Cornwall by 2012/2013 that will be unique to the South West.

The College is a founding partner in the Combined Universities in Cornwall (CUC), a unique initiative to promote regional economic regeneration through Higher Education, funded mainly by the European Union (Objective One), the South West Regional Development Agency, and the Higher Education Funding Council for England, with support from Cornwall Council.

Ends

For further information about University College Falmouth, please contact Jilly Easterby MCIPR, Head of Public Affairs, Telephone: 01326 213792, or email: jilly.easterby@falmouth.ac.uk

Notes to Editors:

This document is an output from the PMI2 Project funded by the UK Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS) for the benefit of the Singapore Higher Education Sector and the UK Higher Education Sector. The views expressed are not necessarily those of DIUS, nor the British Council.

The Prime Minister's Initiative on International Education (PMI2)

Launched in April 2006, the Prime Minister's Initiative for International Education (PMI2) is a five-year strategy which aims to secure the UK's position as a leader in international education and sustain the growth of UK international education delivered in the UK and overseas.

International student recruitment to the UK is an important element within the strategy, but our ability to attract students increasingly depends on our reputation in the international arena. Not only is this about the quality and value of our education, it is also about the contribution we make globally and the strength of the partnerships we build.

PMI2's aims are to:

• - promote the benefits of the UK education to international students
• - ensure international students have a positive experience of the UK studies
• - help UK and international education providers to built strategic alliances and partnerships, and demonstrate the value of the UK as a partner in policy and delivery

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