INTO This Week 93

His Excellency Mr Khaled Al-Duwaisan is one of the most distinguished diplomats of his generation, and a respected and popular figure on the diplomatic scene. The honour is being made in particular to recognise his success in the role of Dean of the Diplomatic Corps, and follows a number of awards over the years, including the Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order, presented by Her Majesty the Queen in 1995, and the 'Lifetime contribution to Diplomacy in London' award in 2009. Mr Al-Duwaisan was also granted the Freedom of the City of London in 2001, the first Arab Ambassador to hold the distinction since its inception in 1237. Professor Edward Acton, the University's Vice-Chancellor, said: "We recognise that Dean of the Diplomatic Corps is finely balanced role in serving the interests of the country as well as promoting the welfare of the diplomatic corps and this honour is for the high regard in which the Ambassador is held in this particular role."

The day was also a moment for students to reflect on their experiences at UEA London and how their studies have helped them develop both academically and professionally.

"I've loved it - doing a vocational course was really different to the degree I did before and the experience was amazing" said Andrea Michael, MA Creative Entrepreneurship. Andrea is one of nine recent graduates who studied Creative Entrepreneurship at UEA London and says that the skills she has learnt over the past year enabled her to set up a new business and become a self-employed writer. "It's great as I'm using all of the skills I've learnt and putting them into practice."

Andrea believes her dream of one day getting her work published has become more of a reality thanks not only to the high quality of the institution but also to the experience of studying in the capital. This sentiment was echoed by one of her peers, Mike Bridges, who was one of five graduates leaving UEA with a distinction. "Having a base in London has really opened up the university because it's only a couple of minutes away from an area deeply steeped in the arts world."

Iain Chance, Director of Creative Entrepreneurship, said that although uncertainties existed over Higher Education, his graduates are aiming high and believes that a quality education will prepare any for the economic hardships faced by graduating students. "Overall, students are increasing their employability and growing their entrepreneurial capacity to engage the challenges of what is in fact one of the most difficult periods in living memory."

Above: Vice-Chancellor Professor Edward Acton awards His Excellency Mr Khaled Al-Duwaisan; and some of the graduating students 

The final stage of this competition was the culmination of 6 months of organization to find the brightest students in Kazakhstan who were to be awarded one of three 100% tuition scholarships offered by INTO (1 for INTO Queen's University Belfast, 1 for INTO Newcastle and 1 for INTO University of South Florida). While the Olympiad Competition has taken place in previous years, this was the first time that it was taken to all the major cities in Kazakhstan.

The competition was divided into 3 stages:

• Round One - English Language Test
• Round Two - Maths Test
• Round Three - Interview with INTO Centre Directors

In total 2300 students took part in round one of the competition in 17 cities all across Kazakhstan. The best 480 students from this first round then had to complete the maths testing stage and from this a select group of 40 finalists were chosen for the final interviews.

To reach such a large number of students and cover such a large area the Kazakh Ministry of Education assisted by selecting the best schools from the different regions of Kazakhstan and organized the supervision of the first round of testing. Staff from the INTO Regional Office and from Study Innovations then traveled to the various regions to supervise the second round of testing after the best students had been selected.

The final interview panel consisted of Kevin Conroy, Centre Director, INTO Newcastle University; Glen Besterfield, Center Director INTO University of South Florida; Tom Gamester, Regional Manager Central Asia; and Yerlan Ibragim from Study Innovations. The entire panel agreed that the quality of the students in the final round was of the highest level and the final decision was not an easy one. All three winners showed not only an extremely high level of English but also an incredible maturity in knowing what they wanted to study and more importantly, why they want to study. Kevin Conroy said, "I was hugely impressed by the calibre, energy and enthusiasm of the students at the Olympiad. Their ambition and dedication to their studies will take them a very long way...and bodes very well for Kazakhstan. In particular, we look forward to welcoming our scholarship winners to Newcastle as they start out on their next adventure!"

As a result of the Olympiad Competition, not only have all three winners accepted their places at their respective INTO Centres but also to date two other applications have also come in, one for the UK and one for the US.

"I was extremely pleased to hear that so many students from throughout Kazakhstan applied for the Olympiad. When the final 50 candidates were selected and I had the opportunity to participate in the interviews, the quality of students I interviewed was second to none, with not only great English skills but stellar academic records" said Glen Besterfield. "I would like to congratulate all of the applicants, the officials in the Republic of Kazakhstan responsible for overseeing the educational system and promoting higher education, and also Study Innovations for organizing such a great event to promote higher education in the United Kingdom and the United States."

This event, backed by the Ministry of Education, has helped not only to raise awareness of INTO's programmes across Kazakhstan but also to showcase the quality of INTO and our partner universities.

Above, Kevin Conroy with Alua Yermek, winner of the 100% tuition scholarship for INTO Newcastle University