Dr Donald Finlay Economics Professor and Associate Dean Coventry University UK in an exclusive interview with minglebox.com

Q. Tell us about Coventry University.

Coventry is an evolving and innovative university with a growing reputation for excellence in education. Independent surveys show that we provide a caring and supportive environment, enriched by a unique blend of academic expertise and practical experience. Three words set us apart - employable, enterprise and entrepreneurship. Coventry University was 'Highly Commended' in the Entrepreneurial University of the Year category at the Times Higher Awards 2008 and is again recommended in this years awards later this month.. Our aim is to keep on improving. We're investing heavily in developing our state-of-the-art facilities with £160m earmarked for improvements over the next ten years. And by seeking to enhance the strong vocational emphasis of our courses and bolstering our links with the very best industry organisations, we're firmly focused on preparing students for successful futures. The Faculty of Business has over 5000 students studying at a variety of levels and on a variety of courses including undergraduate, post-graduate and at PhD level.

Q. Tell us your opinion on Indian education system and foreign education system.

Indian Education provides students with a very solid academic base of functional skills upon which students can build their careers. I have been very impressed by the importance attached to industrial placements and and the excellent links between firms and high quality educational institutions. Indian students appear to have higher level numerical skills compared to their British counterparts. I believe British Universities can learn from these strengths but on the other hand, British Universities, like Coventry University bring additional strengths to the students' table such as a greater emphasis upon critical evaluation of theory, teaching students how to think independently, how to 'time manage' and a whole raft of 'soft skills' such as communication and group dynamics.

 Q. What is the admission procedure at Coventry University?

Students fill in an application form which can be downloaded from the Coventry University website for free. It is returned to the University's e-mail address and a decision whether to accept you will be made almost instantaneously. If positive, a conditional offer will be sent to you if you accept and pay your deposit (returnable if you later change your mind) , an unconditional offer is made which along with other relevant documents must be provided to the British Embassy in order to get a student entry visa. The University can help you at each stage of the process or alternatively you can seek the help of educational agent to conduct the work on your behalf.

Q. What is the eligibility criterion?

Applicants for UG study must achieve 65% overall in the 12th Class and must achieve a minimum of 60% in English. Those applying for Engineering courses must also achieve 65% in Maths and Physics.
Applicants for PG study must achieve a first class degree (in 3 years bachelors) or 55% average over 4 years course from a recognised institution and must either have achieved IELTS 6.5 or must have achieved 65% in English in the 12th Class and have proof that their degree was taught and assessed in English. MBA applicants must also evidence a minimum of 2 years postgraduate work experience.

Q. What are the courses popular among Indian students?

Postgraduate courses are most popular among Indian students and the most popular are Engineering, Business, Finance, Accounting and International Business. Many Indian students want to do an MBA though it is probably more valuable to defer doing an MBA until students have the necessary work experience to get full value from such a course. There are many good alternatives such as an MA Marketing or an MSc Finance or International Business which are more specialist and less generalist degrees.

Q. What kind of accommodation is available for students? What is the cost of accommodation?

 Students can choose from either University or privately owned accomodation. The prices range accorsing to the standard and quality provided but ranges from around £50 - £100 per week.

Q. What are the various scholarships that a foreign student can avail of to reduce the cost of education?

Students that have excellent academic results are able to get academic scholarships of £1000 each. Coventry University has a very generous scholarship policy with several hundred scholarships being available each year on a first come first served basis. Students can also get a further £500 discount from their tuition fees if they pay all their fees at the very beginning of the course. Therefore a good student can get a maximum of £1500 off the University's officially published tuition fee. 

Q. How is the campus life like? What are the extra-curricular activities that students participate in?

 Coventry University is a very international University with students from over 150 different countries. About 2500 students are international students from a total population of around 17500 students. In the Business Faculty, of a total 5000 undergraduate and postgraduate students, around 250 students are from India. A whole host of social activities is provided by the University and our International Office from sporting, cultural, entertainment other leisure pursuits. Coventry has many cafes, clubs and restaurants and an active student union that organises a variety of popular events.  Birmingham. the UK's 2nd largest city is only 30 minutes away and London, Britain's capital is just one hour by train.

 

 

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