International graduations at QMU’s partner institutes in Singapore and Egypt
Queen Margaret University’s Professor Petra Wend, Principal and Vice-Chancellor, and Professor Fiona Coutts, Dean of Health Sciences, were delighted to officiate in overseas graduation ceremonies at QMU’s partner institutions in Singapore and Egypt this week.
QMU operates a number of teaching partnerships with organisations in Scotland, across the UK and around the world. Through the trans-national partnerships, students can study for qualifications in a manner and at a location most convenient to them, whilst having the status of a degree awarded by Queen Margaret University. Around 3,000 students currently study with QMU in this way.
On Sunday 9 December, Professor Fiona Coutts, and Ailsa Espie from QMU’s Division of Nursing, attended the British University Egypt (BUE) in Cairo, Egypt to officiate at its graduation ceremony. This successful collaboration is working to develop nursing education throughout the Middle East region and underlines QMU’s status as an international leader in health education.
Professor Coutts said: “There has been a steady growth in nursing student numbers over the 10 years of this partnership. To date more than 40% of the graduates are men and all students attain posts in the Egyptian healthcare systems or in education.
“QMU is delighted to work in partnership with the British University in Egypt and we look forward to the next ten years where advances in both undergraduate and postgraduate are being explored.”
Professor Wend attended the East Asia Institute of Management (EASB) today (Friday 14 December) in Singapore to officiate at the institute’s graduation. The longstanding partnership between QMU and EASB, one of Singapore’s longest standing private higher education organisations, has opened up UK higher education opportunities for students across the Asia Pacific region.
EASB currently offers QMU undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in hospitality and tourism management as well as postgraduate nursing.
Professor Wend said: “We are extremely proud of our international education partnerships and of our strong relationship with BUE and EASB, who have worked hard alongside QMU’s staff to create outstanding learning opportunities for their students. We are also very proud of our new graduates who are now an important part of our international alumni family, spanning over 90 countries, and we look forward to hearing about what they go on to accomplish following graduation.
“In recent years we have enhanced and expanded our trans-national education partnerships which has allowed us to increase our international reach and develop more graduates with a strong sense of social responsibility who can make a difference to the world around them.
“That’s probably why Queen Margaret graduates can be found in prominent roles throughout the world.
“We have been honoured to be part of our partners’ graduation ceremonies in Egypt and Singapore in December 2018, and have enjoyed learning about what our partners and students have achieved over the last year.
“We look forward to officiating at graduations at our other education partners in 2019 in Nepal, India and Greece and to further strengthening our trans-national partnerships which together build QMU’s reputation as a university of ideas and influence.”
Notes to Editor
For further media information please contact Karen Keith (Media Relations and Content Officer) at Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh, E: kkeith@qmu.ac.uk T: 0131 474 0000.
