Edexcel International - the overseas division of Edexcel and the examining and awarding body that offers the widest range of academic, vocational and ESOL qualifications internationally - has signed an agreement with Hobsons, a global organisation with over 28 years' experience of informing students about educational choices and job opportunities.
The new partnership will provide the opportunity for students around the world to study or work in a different country. A new Edexcel-Hobsons Student Club will be formed to provide information for students on educational and employment opportunities around the world. Hobsons has excellent links with US, Australian and UK universities, and Edexcel works with thousands of educational institutions and employers in over 110 countries where its qualifications are taken. It is estimated that by 2004 over one million students could be receiving regularly updated information through the Club from a global network of university partners, helping to increase the mobility of students around the world.
James Tucker, Marketing Manager for Edexcel International, says: ‘As a global qualifications provider, we are delighted to be working with a global student information and advice partner. We are confident that this agreement provides the right fit for us and, more importantly, our students. Lots of students with Edexcel qualifications are keen to complete their studies internationally, and this agreement will result in them having an even greater number of international study opportunities to choose from.’
Katherine Dunstan, Publishing Director for Hobsons, adds: ‘Hobsons is currently helping over 500 higher education institutions around the world to increase their international student numbers. The launch of the Edexcel-Hobsons Student Club will ensure that over one million present and potential Edexcel students will have access to information about these international progression routes, enabling them to realise their potential in their home country or overseas.’
Edexcel International’s qualifications, which include the International GCSEs, O-levels, A and AS levels, and BTEC Higher National Diplomas (HNDs), have enjoyed increasing popularity worldwide in recent years. The qualifications are currently on offer in over 110 countries, providing students with globally recognised and respected progression routes into higher education and employment. A good example of this is the BTEC HND, which many students study for locally before entering the penultimate or final year of a degree in another country. Fifty UK universities and colleges currently accept the BTEC HND for entry to the second or third year of related degree courses, while 29 US universities accept the qualification for entry to the third year of four-year degrees. It has been an internationally-recognised qualification for several decades.
