The Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS), Dr Vince Cable MP, and Minister of State for Universities and Science, Rt Hon David Willetts MP, launched the new BIS International Education Industrial Strategy: International Education: Global Growth and Prosperity.
The England-only strategy is the tenth and penultimate in a series of industrial strategies published by BIS. Other strategies include themes such as Information Economy and the Aerospace Industry.
The International Education Strategy aims to set a framework for expansion of the education sector overseas in a market worth an estimated £17.5bn. The strategy highlights how it will support transnational education, partnerships and teaching English overseas.
In particular, it cites FutureLearn as the first UK Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) platform (and the ability of MOOCs to ‘open up a new door to education’) and also English in Action funded by UKaid from the Department for International Development.
The OU and FutureLearn were present alongside four other exhibitors at the launch and were able to showcase to journalists, the sector and to the two Ministers their international reach.
Rajay Naik, Director of Government and External Affairs at The Open University said: 'As this strategy recognises, the UK education sector is of enormous value to our economy and to the development of countries across the world. The Open University has been setting the agenda in terms of innovation and emerging education technology since it was established more than 40 years ago. This strategy will help build on some of the great work already underway, and we look forward to collaborating with Government and colleagues across the sector - drawing on our expertise and experience - to take this work forward.'
For more information, please contact Laura Burley, Senior Public Affairs Manager at The Open University.
31 July 2013
