Mumbai:As part of the ‘GREAT BRITAIN’ campaign (“GREAT”), the British Council, UK’s international organisation for educational opportunities and cultural relations launched the GREAT Britain Scholarships – India 2015 in Mumbai today. The announcement was made at the Education UK Exhibition popular with students who are looking to study and live in the UK.

The UK and India share a well-established, broad-ranging and expanding partnership on education. Strengthening this partnership, the British Council announced the GREAT Britain Scholarships – India 2015. With 401 scholarships this year, and over 750 in the last two years, it is the largest ever scholarships programme offered to Indian students. The scholarships are worth close to 1.51 million pounds (approximately 151 million rupees).

A highlight at the Exhibition this year, was the ‘BLOODHOUND Show Car’ showcased by the British Council in Mumbai. Underlining the UK’s world-class engineering and innovation expertise, the BLOODHOUND SSC project hopes to inspire younger generations to pursue higher education opportunities in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) courses and careers in these technical fields.

60 UK Universities participated in the day-long Exhibition in Mumbai which provided information on undergraduate, postgraduate and research programmes in the UK as well as details on student life and culture. Immigration officers of British High Commission assisted visitors at the UK Student Visa and Immigration stall with all queries pertaining to the student visa regulations and policies. Students could also attend seminars by UK institutions on popular subjects such as management, IT& Engineering and IELTS, the world’s most popular English language test. For 25 years, IELTS has been the gateway for students looking to study in the UK and other destinations around the world.

“We’re keen to encourage greater student mobility and exchanges between India and the UK. UK welcomes India’s best talent, to gain internationally recognised qualifications from top-ranking global institutions. We are delighted to launch the GREAT Britain Scholarships – India 2015 as it will further empower aspiring Indian students to make an informed decision about studying and living in the UK. The Education UK Exhibition held today gave students and their parents the latest information about studying and living in the UK, and showcased the many benefits that the UK education offers.” said Sharon Memis, Director, British Council, West India.

“The partnership between the GREAT Britain Campaign and BLOODHOUND SSC is a strategic collaboration for promotion of UK science, innovation, engineering and education as well as the value proposition of UK’s STEM subjects to students studying in the UK. Bringing the BLOODHOUND Show Car to India is a stepping stone in taking this partnership with BLOODHOUND to the next level, aligning the ambitions of the GREAT campaign with the best of human and technological endeavour,” she added.

“The UK has a world class reputation in education and skills, and provides globally recognised ‘STEM’ education. Universities in the UK are excellent at research and innovation.  I would encourage Indian students who want an international experience and professional development in STEM to come to the UK. It is a melting pot of disciplines, where people can find an unparalleled environment with inspiring teaching,  state of the art facilities and a first rate research environment,” said Kumar Iyer, British Deputy High Commissioner Mumbai & Director General UK Trade and Investment India.

source :Lokesh Shastri