The partnership between London’s businesses and universities is a key driver of economic growth and success, says Dr Diana Beech
With the capital region home to the highest-skilled economy in the country, it is vital that London’s businesses get access to the high-level talent they need from London’s impressive pool of graduates and can forge lucrative partnerships with any of the capitals 50+ higher education institutions to drive forward cutting-edge advancements in industry and commerce.
It is good news for London’s businesses, then, that London’s universities remain strong.
Just last week Imperial College London made waves by moving ahead of Oxford and Cambridge to take the top spot for UK universities in the QS World University Rankings, coming in just behind the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) as the second-best university in the world – and the best in the UK and Europe.
While other UK universities saw their rankings decline in the face of growing global competition and mounting financial pressure, London’s universities bucked the trend with five institutions in the global top 200: UCL maintains its place among the top 10 universities in the world for the 13th year in a row; King’s College London and the London School of Economics retain their place among the world’s best institutions; and Queen Mary University of London is one of this year’s biggest success stories, moving up an impressive 25 positions.
London’s strength as a global higher education hot spot stands firm, and the success of London’s universities provides a strong bedrock from which London’s businesses can attract the world’s best thinkers, innovators and entrepreneurs to go on to power growth across the city and nation.
London’s universities matter to the capital and to the country. Together, they educate well over half a million students and, by working closely with the capital’s businesses and industries, they provide invaluable career openings and solutions to the nation’s skills shortages through student placements, internships and graduate recruitment programmes. It is absolutely vital, therefore, that we keep London at the top of students’ wish lists from around the world when it comes to choosing where they want to live and learn.
As we head into a general election and prepare for a political reset, the global appeal of London’s universities is the best asset the next Government will have to boost our national prosperity and carve out our competitive edge on the global stage – be it in the life sciences, healthcare, the creative industries and more.
London’s universities are both a gateway to opportunity for those who study in them, but also a gateway to opportunity for every other region of the UK. Whether in Inverness or Ilfracombe, all UK businesses benefit when London’s talented graduates enter the workforce and fill key skills shortages across the nation.
When London’s universities succeed, the whole nation succeeds. That’s why at London Higher – the membership body for London’s universities – we are proud to launch the Study London campaign today to keep the world focused on the benefits of studying at any one of London’s world leading institutions.
Building on recent league table successes, the Study London website profiles almost 40 different London universities and provides invaluable advice and guidance to prospective students wherever they come from in the world.
As a former international student myself, I am eternally grateful for the transformational experiences my study abroad placements gave me, and I want future generations coming to London to go on and prosper in their careers with the same warmth and affection that I feel for those countries that opened their doors to me. I also want London’s businesses to continue to avail of the high-level skills and the fresh thinking they need that will keep London’s industries at the forefront of progress and innovation.
Students opting to study in London can belong in London. And our country and businesses will be all the richer from their insights, energy and ideas.
Dr Diana Beech is CEO of London Higher