Study Group and Royal Holloway, University of London celebrate a decade of impactful partnership

Study Group and Royal Holloway, University of London, have marked ten years of partnership with an event at the exhibition space in the University’s Emily Wilding Davison Building.

Over the last decade, close to 1,000 students from over 100 nationalities have come to learn at the Royal Holloway International Study Centre, and in 2021 91% of students who completed their program were offered progression to the University.

These students, from diverse backgrounds, have come together to share knowledge, cultures, and outlook at a top-ranked global university in London.

“This relationship is a sort of modern-day restatement of what our founders set out to create over 130 years ago – which was to create an opportunity for education for all who could benefit from it,” says Professor Paul Layzell, CBE, Principal of Royal Holloway. “The partnership with Study Group is a really important part of our mission to reach out to all students around the world.”

Celebrating different perspectives

An important feature of the partnership is the way in which international students are fully immersed in university life, bringing together and sharing perspectives from many different cultures and minds.

“The highlight of everything is to get to know new cultures,” said Sophia, a student from Mexico, who is studying for her International Foundation Year in Arts and Social Sciences. “I got to learn very quickly. And that was very, very interesting because it gave me a perspective of not only their culture, but my own heritage, of my own culture, and how to interpret this through the eyes of literature, sociology, and most of all, how would I interpret it through film, which is what I’m here for — how to see this globalised society and find myself in it.”

Future growth in international education

The breadth of our relationship has significantly expanded over the years and today we provide 11 different programmes for students, from undergraduate to postgraduate.

Looking ahead, Study Group will continue to work with valued partners such as Royal Holloway to respond to changing social, economic, and political influences and unlock the potential of new international student growth.

“I am delighted to be able to celebrate our decade-long partnership with Royal Holloway,” said Emma Lancaster, Study Group CEO. “This great institution of learning — and the teaching which happens in its beautiful buildings — changes lives in many ways, and we are proud that students come to Royal Holloway from across the globe to be a part of this. Our partnership has never been stronger and as I look to the future, through continued collaboration I believe we can be at the forefront of new growth and opportunity in high-quality international education.”