“We are guided by the ideal of a university as a centre for the development of fundamental ideas and the expansion of the boundaries of knowledge, independent of political and other transient opinions.” – Professor Simon Gaskell, Principal of QMUL
Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) is recognised as one of the UK’s leading research-focused higher education providers. Playing host and educator to over 21,000 students, 4,000 qualified staff and an annual turnover of around £300 million, QMUL stands as one of the largest and most influential universities in the UK capital.
Ranked as one of the world’s most international universities by the prestigious Times Higher Education World University Rankings, it is clear that QMUL is an institution that resonates with students and academics across the globe. Queen Mary is one of the Russell Group’s 24 member institutions, an esteemed collection of UK universities committed to maintaining the very best research, teaching and learning experience.
“Our membership of the Russell Group reflects our achievements over the last decade, notably the considerable improvement in research strength across a broad academic range,” says Professor Simon Gaskell, President and Principal of QMUL. “…These achievements have been made alongside our commitment to our local community and to widening participation.”
Image courtesy of Queen Mary University of London
The UK Government’s Widening Participation Agenda, described as “one of the most important government initiatives of the last few years” seeks to boost the participation of young people in higher education, particularly those from what might be perceived as lower socio-economic backgrounds. It remains in a university’s best interest to enrol a diverse student cohort, bringing in students of all backgrounds, abilities, nationalities and ethnicities in order to form a strong knowledge economy that’s both engaging and culturally rich. There are many different ways a university can achieve this feat, one being the implementation of financial support for students – something QMUL has employed in force.
“We are proud to see a record number of scholarships on offer this year, following a steady increase over the past two years,” says Professor Julie Shelton, Dean for Taught Programmes (Science and Engineering) and Chair of the Scholarship Committee at QMUL.
And with more than 350 scholarships available to students at both the undergraduate and postgraduate level throughout 2017-18, QMUL will be providing a record number of merit-based scholarships. This brings the total amount of financial support available for QMUL students to £3 million – a staggering figure when compared to other universities in the region. Not only does this create a vibrant learning culture, it also widens participation, giving financially-strapped yet high-achieving students a chance to attend university – an opportunity they may not have otherwise had – and giving students an incentive to work hard; to be the very best they can be and then reap the financial reward.
Image courtesy of Queen Mary University of London
“Getting a merit-based scholarship has been very rewarding in so many aspects,” says Fayza Batool Din, QMUL student and recipient of a Science and Engineering Excellence Scholarship. “It is something I can talk about in job interviews as a means of demonstrating my academic abilities. It has also paved the way for me to cover my educational expenses,” she explains.
“All in all, it has made me more determined to achieve my end goal of graduating with a high grade.”
QMUL’s innovative scholarship portfolio will be open to all students who meet the criteria, with some specifically catering to domestic, EU or overseas students. The value and duration of each scholarship will vary from scheme to scheme, but a large number are worth £5,000 per year, and there’s even a number that cover the full amount for tuition fees and living expenses.
A further number of QMUL scholarships are offered in conjunction with world-leading organisations, like the Chevening Scholarship, the Commonwealth Scholarship and the Fulbright Scholar programmes. The university makes a conscious effort to engage with its partners on all levels, hoping to bolster the total amount of funding available to its students even further.
In the latest addition to its scholarship portfolio, QMUL will be providing six GREAT India scholarships over the 2017-18 academic year, in partnership with the British Council as part of the GREAT Britain campaign. There will be two scholarships per each of QMUL’s three faculties, each worth £5,000 and provided as tuition fee waivers.
“The scholarship has definitely motivated me to aim and achieve higher, with each subsequent renewal challenging me to do better,” says Stephen Chee, another recent recipient of the Science and Engineering Excellence Scholarship. And with QMUL’s provision of merit-based scholarships unlikely to slow any time soon, the university is likely to remain a beacon of outstanding student achievement.
Image courtesy of Queen Mary University of London
On top of all of this, QMUL also provides a considerable number of bursaries, specifically-designed to support applicants from lower income families, greatly increasing accessibility to the QMUL learning experience and giving students around the world the chance to pave their way to a bigger, brighter future.
“At Queen Mary, we are determined to continue our tradition of widening access to university,” Professor Gaskell concludes. “[…] we are keen to reduce the burden of overall debt for graduates by providing as comprehensive and extensive a level as support as possible.”
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