‘Study in Catalonia’ presented at an international education fair in Houston

Barcelona (ACN).- Catalan universities are present in what the organisers present as the world’s largest conference on international education, which is being held from Monday until next Friday in Houston (Texas). The website ‘Study in Catalonia’ (www.studyincatalonia.com) has been presented at the Annual Conference and Expo of the Association of International Educators (NAFSA), which brings together more than 8,000 professionals working in the field of international education from 120 different countries. Catalan universities display their educational offers through this website and a stand with the title ‘Study in Catalonia. A knowledge hub in Southern Europe’. The aim is to promote the studies offered by Catalan public and private universities worldwide. Catalonia has 12 universities, which are spread throughout its territory. 7 are public universities (UB, UAB, UPC, UPF, UdG, URV, and UdL), 4 are private (URL, UdV, UIC, and UAO) 1 is a publicly-owned distance learning organisation (UOC). The number of foreign students in postgraduate and master courses at Catalan universities increased by 34% in the last school year (2010-2011). The number of Doctorate students has increased by 30% over the last two years.

Catalonia’s delegation is formed by representatives from the Catalan Government, the Catalan Association of Public Universities (ACUP) and the 12 universities. The aim of participating in Houston’s event is to foster the internationalisation of Catalan universities and continue attracting both students and researchers. In order to do so, the delegation has organised a series of events parallel to the main conference programme, aiming to display the possibilities to study and carry out research in Catalonia. Another objective is to increase the participation of Catalan students and teachers in foreign exchange programmes. Last year, around 5,000 Catalan university students went abroad, while 7,000 foreigners came to study in Catalonia.

www.studyincatalonia.com

The new website aims to promote the presence of foreigners in Catalan universities. It is initially offered in four languages (English and French, as well as Catalan and Spanish). The website also wants to be a tool to assist foreign students in order to better know the Catalan university system and better plan their stay. The website has information on matriculation processes, daily life, and courses. It is organised though 7 thematic areas: ‘Living in Catalonia’ (with information about the country, housing, etc.), ‘Admission at the Universities’, ‘University System’ (with data on the 12 universities), ‘Degrees at our Universities’ (with information about all the degrees students can take), ‘Study Abroad’ (with information about temporary academic stays, without accessing through the regular admission procedure), ‘Scholarships’, and ‘Useful Links’.

The website is interactive. For instance, in the Admissions area, the student has to indicate their country of origin, their previous degrees, and the type of studies he or she would like to study; then the website offers him or her all the possibilities available. In addition, the academic offers can also be consulted in relation to the area of interest or the tuition language.