Strategies adopted by British universities in the field of higher education. Lessons for Romanian universities

Abstract

The number of Romanian students who apply to study in foreign universities is increasing each year. The most important advantages of studying abroad are: high standards of teaching, close relationship between university and companies, opportunities for students to work during studies and after graduation, a strong intercultural experience and improved communication skills. The present article presents the results of a research based on a focus group consisting of 8 Romanian students enrolled in 2 famous British universities, who were asked to describe the teaching methods, assessments of students’ work, opportunities to find jobs and internships, quality of facilities, use of information technology in teaching and financial support offered by the government. The results of the study highlight that some strategies adopted by British universities might be successfully used by Romanian universities for attracting international students and for retaining the existing ones.