International
We firmly believe that excellence in research and teaching in the 21st century can only be achieved with an international dimension.
Our global strategy
The University of Surrey strives to be widely recognised, particularly in Asia, the Americas and Europe, as a leading university that is globally renowned for excellent research and teaching.
Our mission is to project Surrey’s influence around the world. We do this by opening our doors and creating an environment where our staff and students can achieve their greatest potential and, through their skills and knowledge, positively contribute to society at a local, national and international level.
Our strategy for international engagement
Increasing mobility
We will increase the participation of our students in international opportunities and expand the international dimension of the Surrey experience. We will enable access for under-represented groups and broaden international mobility and other international engagement activities for all our students and postgraduate researchers.
In our Faculty we are currently working on a Mobility Refresh Plan which aims to make mobility integral to our day-to-day processes. Initially our focus will be on increasing international mobility of postgraduate research students, with the introduction of faculty-funded bursaries as well as more support via the Santander and UGPN schemes. Our overall aim is to increase the mobility of international students at least 10-fold.
Optimising course offering
We will develop new collaborative teaching and learning programmes, which will harness innovative pedagogies and digital technologies. We will ensure that our programme portfolio remains attractive to a diverse international market, enabling growth of our international intake.
We have recently worked with the British Council to develop new courses within our Centre for Environment and Sustainability and School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering.
Maximising global research impact
We will maximise the global impact and profile of Surrey research by strengthening existing partnerships and by forming new international collaborations in line with our own strategic priorities and those of funding agencies.
Some of the strategies we are using to achieve this are:
- Supporting new initiatives via UGPN, Global Challenges Research Fund/Official Development Assistance (GCRF/ODA) and international funding
- Capitalising on Memorandums of Understanding in place with global organisations to support strategic growth
- Focusing on opportunities such as Vice-Chancellor Fellowships, Visiting Professorships, Institute of Advanced Studies Fellowships, and international exchange of PhD students, to support the development of joint research projects.
Our international research collaborations
Our research addresses some of the biggest global challenges we face today, bringing positive impact to people, communities, organisations and governments around the world in areas such as renewable energy, future communications, cyber security, air pollution and digital healthcare.
Find out more about research in the Faculty.
Research centres
Much of our research is spearheaded by world-leading research centres including:
International research projects
Here are just a few examples of our research projects bringing impact around the world:
International collaborations through the BBSRC to tackle antimicrobial resistance and to build programmable cell-like systems
5G/6GIC forms strategic partnerships with institutions in India and Korea
Mathematical modelling combined with sleep science to develop findings which have impacted on daylight saving and school start time recommendations in the US
Our cyber security experts developed a verifiable electronic voting system which was used for the first time in the State of Victoria (Australia) election
Air pollution and mitigation advice for schools, developed by the Global Centre for Clean Air Research, has been translated into over 20 languages and used around the world
Civil engineers in our Centre for Environmental Health and Engineering are helping to keep drinking water safe by contributing to revised World Health Organization’s guidelines
Our chemical and process engineers have led on a project to help South East Asian countries make the transition to renewable energy.
International student community
Join our international community and become part of one of the most culturally diverse universities in the UK, with more than 140 nationalities playing a role in university life.
