Indian students second largest group in UK

London, Mar 14 (UNI) Indians form the second largest group of students to study in the united kingdom after the Chinese..

Universities here have recruited six per cent more students from outside the country than the last year, according to figures published by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA).

Universities UK (UUK) yesterday said two-thirds of British verasities were stepping up their overseas marketing efforts.

Drummond Bone, president of UUK, is travelling to New Delhi this week to promote research collaboration as well as student scholarships. Further meetings between Indian and British universities are planned in the next few weeks, a UUK statement said.

However, the rate of increase has slowed compared to the previous year and vice-chancellors have expressed concern about recruitment this year.

The third largest group of foreign students are from the United States, followed by Malaysia and Hong Kong.

In 2004-05, there were 318,000 students from outside the UK, including continental Europe.

HESA said the 3.2 per cent growth in numbers from other EU countries stood at 100,005. It can be attributed to the enlargement of the European Union (EU) in May 2004. tudents from the EU are entitled to the same fee and student loans as British students.

Numbers from Poland more than doubled, for instance, to over 2,100.

Business administration are the most popular subjects, followed by social studies and art and design. Students studying medicine and dentistry, both for first and higher degrees, has also increased, according to HESA.

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