The University of London International Programmes is a central academic body within the University of London, which manages external study programmes. It is the world's oldest distance and flexible learning body, established in year 1858.
Several colleges and institutes of the University of London offer degrees through the programme, including Birkbeck, Goldsmiths, Heythrop College, UCL Institute of Education, King's College London, London School of Economics, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Queen Mary, Royal Holloway, Royal Veterinary College, School of Oriental and African Studies and University College London.
The System offers courses of study for undergraduate and postgraduate diplomas and degrees to more than 50,000 students around the world. A designated constituent institution of the University of London, called the 'lead college', creates materials to allow students to study at their own pace. Examinations take place at testing centres around the world on specified dates. Hallmarks of the programme are its low cost in comparison to attendance in London, and the possibility of pursuing either full-time or part-time study. As stated in the University of London Statutes, International Programmes students are graded on the same standard as internal students to ensure a uniform credentialing process. A student who completes a course of study under the programme is awarded a University of London degree with a notation specifying which lead college provided the instruction.
As of 2017, there are over 100,000 International Programmes alumni across the world, which include 7 Nobel laureates, 6 presidents or prime ministers, current and former leaders of Commonwealth of Nations, government ministers and Members of Parliament, academicians and notable Judges. Currently, the global community of registered students in International Programmes number over 50,000 students in more than 180 countries worldwide.
History
The institution that later became known as University College London was established in 1828, calling itself "London University", although without official recognition of university status. The institution â€" following the Scottish model in curriculum and teaching â€" was non-denominational and, given the intense religious rivalries at the time, there was an outcry against the "godless" university. The issue soon boiled down to which institutions had degree-granting powers and which institutions did not. The compromise solution that emerged in 1836 was that the sole authority to conduct the examinations leading to degrees would be given to a new officially recognised entity called the "University of London", which would act as examining body for the University of London colleges, originally University College London and King's College London, and award their students University of London degrees. As Sheldon Rothblatt states, "thus arose in nearly archetypal form the famous English distinction between teaching and examining, here embodied in separate institutions." With the state giving examining powers to a separate entity, the groundwork was laid for the creation of a programme within the new university that would both administer examinations and award qualifications to students taking instruction at another institution or pursuing a course of self-directed study.
People's University and larger role
The University of London was the first university to offer distance learning degrees, establishing its External Programme in 1858. The External Programme was chartered by Queen Victoria in 1858, making the University of London the first university to offer distance learning degrees to students. Enrollment increased steadily during the late 19th century, and its example was widely copied elsewhere.
Referred to as "People's University" by Charles Dickens because it provided access to higher education to students from less affluent backgrounds, the External Programme was chartered by Queen Victoria in 1858, making the University of London the first university to offer distance learning degrees to students. Several current degree-awarding universities started as colleges presenting candidates for University of London degrees, such as Owens College which later became part of the University of Manchester. In the mid 1860s, came the first opportunities for students to sit the University’s examinations outside the UK, with centers established in Mauritius in 1864 and Gibraltar in 1866.
The External System has been instrumental in the formation of British higher education. All English and Welsh universities founded between 1849 and 1949, and many other colleges that subsequently became universities, served what was a form of 'apprenticeship' through offering London degrees by external study for comparatively short periods, before they received then Royal Charters that authorized them to award their own degrees. The External System also played a significant role in establishing many Commonwealth universities under a unique scheme of ‘special relations’.
In 1985-6, there were 24,500 students registered for external degrees in six main subject areas. Law was by far the biggest subject, with 75 percent of all enrollments. In 1985, 358 LLBs were awarded to internal students; in the same year 298 graduated with external LLBs.
Enrolment increased steadily in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and during the Second World War there was a further increase in enrolments from soldiers stationed abroad as well as soldiers imprisoned in German POW camps. Because the Geneva Convention (1929) stipulated that every prisoner of war, in addition to being entitled to adequate food and medical care, had the right to exchange correspondence and receive parcels, many British POWs took advantage of this opportunity and enrolled in the University of London External Programme. The soldiers were sent study materials by mail, and at specified intervals sat for proctored exams in the camps. Almost 11,000 exams were taken at 88 camps between 1940 and 1945. Though the failure rate was high, substantial numbers of soldiers earned degrees while imprisoned.
The University of London International Programmes commemorated its 150th anniversary in 2008. A specially commissioned anniversary book was produced to mark the occasion.
Research programmes and degrees
With the advent of inexpensive airmail services after the war, the number of external students taking University of London courses increased dramatically. According to relevant Regulations, until 2000 University of London external students could pursue research leading to the award of Master of Philosophy (MPhil) or Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) albeit the completion rate had been rather low.
Current system
The system offers courses of study for undergraduate and postgraduate diplomas and degrees to more than 50,000 students around the world. A designated constituent institution of the University of London, called the "lead college", creates materials to allow students to study at their own pace. Examinations take place at testing centres around the world on specified dates. Hallmarks of the programme are its low cost in comparison to attendance in London, and the possibility of pursuing either full-time or part-time study. As stated in the University of London Statutes, International Programmes students are graded on the same standard as internal students to ensure a uniform credentialing process. A student who completes a course of study under the program is awarded a University of London degree with a notation specifying which lead college provided the instruction.
Students enrolled in the University of London International Programmes are members of the University of London. International Programmes Students however, have very limited student representation within the University. There are also differences over the status International Programmes Students have with respect to their lead college. Some institutions co-register their International Programmes Students as college members (e.g. SOAS, LSHTM), in addition to their status as University of London member. However, other colleges deny International Programmes Students membership status and privileges when they are present in London (e.g. LSE). Academics at the University of London are responsible for the academic direction of the International Programmes. When the International Programmes was audited in 2005 by the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA), the auditors concluded that 'broad confidence' could be placed in the University's management and the awards made through the External System ('broad confidence' is "the best verdict any institution can be given by the auditors"). The 'confidence' was once again reiterated in the QAA's 2011 Institutional Audit, attesting to the quality of the program provision.
Most International Programmes Students are in former territories of the British Empire. There are more than 9,000 students enrolled in the programme in Singapore, 5,000 in Hong Kong, 3,000 in Trinidad and Tobago, 2,000 in Malaysia, 1,900 in Pakistan, 1,200 in Bangladesh, 800 in Sri Lanka, 1,000 in Canada, between 1,000 and 1,999 in the United States, 300 in Malta, more than 200 in Australia, more than 200 in South Africa, more than 30 in New Zealand and many hundreds in India, among other countries. Furthermore, there are around 1,000 students in Russia participating in this programme.
Programmes and degrees
University of London currently offers 31 undergraduate degrees and 38 postgraduate degrees and also several diplomas. All degrees are created, monitored and examined by the colleges of the University of London.
Name changes
In November 2007, the University of London External Programme became known as the University of London External System. In August 2010, the name was once again changed to University of London International Programmes in response to feedback that the programme needed a clear, simpler and more inclusive name that described what the University of London offered to almost 50,000 students in 180 countries.
Participating colleges and institutes of the University of London
- Birkbeck
- Goldsmiths
- Heythrop College
- UCL Institute of Education
- King's College London
- London School of Economics
- London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
- Queen Mary
- Royal Holloway
- Royal Veterinary College
- School of Oriental and African Studies
- University College London
One of the lead colleges, Imperial College London, left the University in July 2007. The School of Oriental and African Studies has become the lead college for the external degrees previously led by Imperial, while Imperial offers its own Global MBA, the International Programmes offers Global MBA led by Queen Mary University of London, which is accredited by Chartered Management Institute and Chartered Institute of Management Accountants. The Global MBA webpage is https://mba.london.ac.uk.
Independent teaching institutions
In Europe, North America, the Middle East, South Asia and East Asia many students participating in University of London International Programmes seek out tuition at one of the more than 150 private or non-profit institutions that prepare students for University of London examinations. Such institutions may be audited and, if found to meet quality standards, may become "recognised" by the University for the support offered.
Starting August 2010, the External System programmes were renamed University of London International Programmes. The central academic body of the university, collaborating with the colleges of the University of London, is renamed University of London International Academy, term mainly used internally.
In parallel to this change, the teaching institutions are now categorized into Registered and Affiliate centers (collectively known as recognised centres). Students can either decide to study entirely by themselves, or to enjoy the administrative and academic support of the institutions that are recognised by the University of London for the International Programmes. Registered Centres have demonstrated commitment to developing high standards in respect of teaching, support to students and administrative processes. Affiliate Centres have demonstrated a sustained commitment to developing excellence in respect of quality of teaching, support to students and administrative processes. Affiliate Centre status is the highest level of recognition awarded by the University of London. Recognition applies to specific programmes on named campuses. New College of the Humanities, a private college founded in London in 2011, though not affiliated with the University of London, also plans to register its students for degrees through the programme.
Influence
The University of London external system has played an important role in the development of higher education institutions in Britain. Many leading research universities in England started out as "university colleges" that prepared students for external degrees of the University of London. Some technical colleges in England and Scotland also awarded University of London degrees and certificates prior to becoming polytechnics and then universities. Examples include the University of Nottingham, the University of Leicester and the University of Exeter in England, Cardiff University and Bangor University prior to joining the University of Wales and becoming independent and Robert Gordon University in Scotland.
This was a common way of establishing new universities in Britain and around the British Empire during the first half of the twentieth century. Many universities in the Commonwealth began as extension institutions or a provider of the programme. Notable examples include Ceylon University College in Ceylon, University College Ibadan (now the University of Ibadan) in Nigeria, the former University of East Africa's three constituent institutions and the University of the West Indies in the Caribbean.
Online MOOCs
In 2012, University of London International Programmes became the first British higher education institution to join Coursera online platform, to offer MOOCs and specializations. By 2016, total enrollment crossed 1 million individuals.
Notable alumni
The degree graduates from the International Programmes are member of the University of London International Programmes Alumni Association and formal alumni of the University of London.
Nobel laureates
At least seven Nobel Prizes have been awarded to alumni of the University of London International Programmes:
- Ronald H. Coase (Economic Sciences, 1991)
- Frederick Gowland Hopkins (Physiology or Medicine, 1929)
- Charles K. Kao (Physics, 2009)
- Nelson Mandela (Peace, 1993)
- Wole Soyinka (Literature, 1986)
- Derek Walcott (Literature, 1992)
- Rolph Payet, Lead author of IPCC (Peace, 2007); Hon' DSc (2016)
Presidents, Prime Ministers, politicians
- A. N. R. Robinson, 3rd President of Trinidad and Tobago and 3rd Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago
- Luisa Diogo, 3rd Prime Minister of Mozambique
- Thabo Mbeki, 2nd President of South Africa
- Robert Mugabe, 2nd President of Zimbabwe and 1st Prime Minister of Zimbabwe
- J. R. Jayewardene, 2nd President of Sri Lanka and 7th Prime Minister of Sri Lanka
- Maria Tam, Deputy of Hong Kong to National People's Congress
- Sir Oliver Goonetilleke, 3rd Governor-General of Ceylon
- Emeka Anyaoku, 3rd Secretary-General of the Commonwealth of Nations
- Fred Mulley, UK Secretary of State for Defence
- David Knox, former Member of Parliament for Leek, Staffordshire
- Gisela Stuart, Member of Parliament for Birmingham Edgbaston
- Paul Pearce, Member of Parliament, Australia
- Varun Gandhi, Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha from India
- Frank Hansford-Miller, English politician and author
- Alvan Ikoku, Nigerian politician
- Charles Muguta Kajege, Member of Parliament, Tanzania
- N. M. Perera, Sri Lankan politician
- Eleni Mavrou, Minister of Interior of the Republic of Cyprus
Military, Civil servants and diplomats
- Thomas Kelly-Kenny, General of the British Army
- Bernard Peiris, Cabinet Secretary of Sri Lanka
- Stephen Lam, Chief Secretary for Administration of Hong Kong
- Leung Chin-man, Permanent Secretary in the Government of Hong Kong
- Li Tieh-tseng, Ambassador of Republic of China to Iran and Thailand
- Ediriweera Sarachchandra, Ambassador of Sri Lanka to France
- Gunapala Malalasekera, Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the United Nations and Ambassador
- Kazunari Suzuki, Diplomat with Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Japan)
- Patricia Varela Benzo, Human Rights Officer at Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
Judges and lawyers
- Christopher Weeramantry, Judge and Vice-President of the International Court of Justice
- Bola Ajibola, Judge of the International Court of Justice
- Meir Shamgar, former President/Chief Justice of the Israeli Supreme Court
- Victor Tennekoon, 35th Chief Justice of Sri Lanka
- Edward Williams, Judge of the Supreme Court of Queensland , Australia
- Frederic N. Smalkin, former Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Maryland,
- Choor Singh, Judge of the Supreme Court of Singapore
- Babatunji Olowofoyeku, Attorney General of Western Region, Nigeria
- Oswald Leslie De Kretser III, Judge of the Supreme Court of Ceylon
- Henry Thambiah, Judge of the Supreme Court of Ceylon
- Andrew Chan Hing-wai, Judge of Court of First Instance (Hong Kong)
Business
- Joseph Hotung, 1st Chairman of Hong Kong Arts Development Council and Recipient of Knight Bachelor
- Sherin Naiken, CEO of Seychelles Tourism Board
- Nicola Vogel, Global Senior HR Director at Danfoss
- Khadija Mushtaq, Executive Director of Roots School System
Scientists and academics
- Asa Briggs, Chancellor of Open University (1978 to 1994)
- Grace Alele-Williams, Chancellor of University of Benin
- Barnes Wallis, Inventor of Bouncing Bomb
- A.C. Grayling, Master of the New College of the Humanities
- Charlotte Scott, former Professor of Mathematics at Bryn Mawr College
- Geoffrey Elton, Regius Professor of History at University of Cambridge
- Patrick du Val, Inventor of the concept of Du Val singularity in algebraic surface
- Ronald Piper, Professor and Vice-Principal at the University of St Andrews
- Brian Laurence Burtt, English botanist
- Chinua Achebe, David and Marianna Fisher University Professor at Brown University.
- Israel Kirzner, Former Professor of Economics at New York University
- Kelvin Lancaster, Former Professor of Economics at Columbia University
- Alan Walters, former Chief Economic Adviser to Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher
- L. Dudley Stamp, Faculty at London School of Economics and Political Science
- D H Lawrence, British author and critic
- Glyn Davies, economist
- Sir Roy Goode, Founder of Centre for Commercial Law Studies at Queen Mary, University of London.
- Alec Issigonis, engineer and designer of the British Motor Corporation (BMC) Mini
- Harold Jeffreys, mathematician, statistician, geophysicist and astronomer
- Edgar Allison Peers, English Hispanist and educationist
Actors and Actress
- Ramita Mahapreukpong, Thai actress
Religion
- Thomas Cooray, Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church
- Louis Charles Casartelli, fourth Bishop of Salford
Others
- Josiah Stamp, 1st Baron Stamp, economist and former Director of the Bank of England
- Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, actor
- Ulli Beier, writer
- Malcolm Bradbury, British author and academic
- George John Beldecos, chartered architect and town planner
- Jim Crace, English novelist
- Louise Creighton, British author and activist
- Nigel de Gruchy, former trade union official
- Keith Hellawell, former British police officer
- Jack Higgins, English novelist
- David Forbes Martyn, physicist
- Loubo Siois â€" Dubai-based Entrepreneur and Philanthropist
- Kenneth Newman, former British Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis
- Terence Patrick O'Sullivan, British civil engineer
- Raj Persaud, British psychiatrist and author
- C. P. Snow, English physicist and novelist
- Gordon Taylor, former professional footballer and current chief executive of the Professional Footballers' Association
- Barbara Thiering, Australian writer and historian
- H. G. Wells, writer
- Kwasi Wiredu, philosopher
- Segun Toyin Dawodu, Physician and Attorney.
- Frances Yates, historian
Notable Faculty
- T. S. Eliot
References
Further reading
- Kenyon Jones, Christine (2008). The People's University: 150 years of the University of London and its External students. London: University of London External System. ISBNÂ 978-0-9557689-1-0.Â
- Thompson, F. M. L., ed. (1990). The University of London and the world of learning, 1836â€"1986. London: Hambledon Press. ISBN 978-1-85285-032-6.Â
- Wiseman, Alexander W.; Wolhuter, C. C. (2013). Development of Higher Education in Africa: Prospects and Challenges. Emerald Group Publishing. ISBNÂ 9781781906996.Â
- Mazrui, Ali AlʼAmin (1978). Political Values and the Educated Class in Africa. University of California Press. ISBN 9780520032927.Â
- McKibbin, Ross (1998). Classes and Cultures: England 1918-1951. Oxford University Press. ISBNÂ 9780198206729.Â
External links
- Official website University of London International Programmes
- 150 Years - Anniversary Celebrations University of London, Archieved
- Imperial echoes Times Higher Education, Archieved