Students from Italy gather for a global graduation
Thousands of students from across the world are coming to London to take part in what’s believed to be the UK’s biggest graduation of international students.
Almost 3,000 students will receive their awards from the London School of Marketing (LSM) at a ceremony at the iconic O2 Arena on 13 and 14 September. Among them are some students from Italy.
The ceremony will offer a modern take on the traditional graduation event with students able to walk on to the stage on a first come basis, receive their awards and have selfies taken with their families.
Once they have received their awards the students will be able to leave to celebrate with their families and will not be expected to sit through any speeches or other formalities.
The educational institution has led the way in e-learning and over the last three years has opened a network of Local Access Points (LAPs) across the globe.
The LAPs allow students to study in their home countries yet still receive a British qualification.
Among the countries with LAPs are India, United Arab Emirates, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Ghana and Hong Kong.
London School of Marketing believes their popularity is due to the range of business focused courses and the unique mix of e-learning and offline support they offer to students.
Of the 2,800 students graduating next month the largest single group come from Pakistan with 540 students due to receive honours.
Bangladesh will also be well represented with 425 students from that country expected to graduate.
The remaining students come from a wide mix of nationalities across the world with India and Qatar each represented by 236 students and a further 189 coming from Sri Lanka.
Other students will come to the graduation event from China and Nepal with 74 coming from China and 175 travelling from Nepal.
All have been able to gain a UK qualification from their home nation, and for many the graduation will be the first time they have visited London.
London School of Marketing teaches them virtually but with offline support in their home country. The LAPs offer a physical presence within a country and local support for the student.
Anton Dominique, Chief Finance Officer from London School of Marketing said: “It is fantastic to be welcoming so many international students to London for our graduation ceremony.
“Our courses are more popular than ever and this proves that our approach is certainly the way forward when it comes to providing international students with first class UK qualifications.
“Our experience shows that international students do want a UK education but the cost of moving to and studying in the UK means that for many, it’s unlikely ever to happen.
“That’s where our Local Access Points can really make a difference. It gives students an opportunity that previously may not have been open to them and allows them, once qualified to improve their career prospects.
“We’ve already had feedback from graduates that they’ve been promoted since qualifying and that their career prospects look very strong.
“We believe it is important for us to use our expertise and technology to remove the boundaries to education, and give students all over the world the chance to develop their skills and improve their career prospects by providing a globally recognised British qualification.”
Marina Zennaro, from Italy, is one of the students travelling to the O2 to receive her MBA in Marketing.
She said: “I enrolled with LSM because I was looking to complement my Italian Bachelor Degree with a UK higher education title. I choose LSM as they offered me the flexibility of online learning and the credibility of certified British Universities.
“An MBA degree is first of all a personal achievement – a challenge the student takes with himself, pushing their limits forward and cultivating strategic thinking. On a more practical level graduating at LSM led me to the next step in my career, helping me landing on a great job in one of the top-rated global software companies.
“Online tuition allowed me to study while working full time, that has been very challenging, but definitely it proved to be one of the most rewarding experiences in my life.”
Sarah Samways
Account Director, London PR
020 7193 0566
