"Lancaster University is a prestigious academic institution; it is not only one of the best universities in Britain but also known and respected throughout the world. The University’s new International Study Centre offers an ideal way for international students to begin their studies in the UK.
Since I myself left university in the 1970s I have worked in the field of International Education, both in Britain and in other countries, and I have spent all my working life helping young people learn English. In this time I have worked at a number of different universities in the UK and elsewhere, and I am looking forward to using this experience to help you in your studies here at Lancaster. All my experience has been in teaching English to international students, and as I am also an IELTS examiner I am happy to use my knowledge and experience of these important exams to help Lancaster’s ISC students.
You will be studying a one year Foundation Programme before starting to study for your degree, and during this year you will have the opportunity to meet some of the tutors who will teach you on your undergraduate course. These tutors, together with the ISC team of language and subject specialists, will help you as much as possible and make sure you have the support you need to get you through the foundation year and keep on the right course for your university study.
Lancaster University opened its doors to students in 1964 and is one of several new universities created in Britain at that time. The campus is located just south of the city of Lancaster at Bailrigg, near the villages of Ellel and Galgate, and the distinctive grey and red of the university logo – based on the spire of the University Chaplaincy Centre – relate to the traditional ‘Red Rose’ of Lancaster (a very important city in British history) and the ‘Quaker Gray’ that reflects the strong links the city and the University have with the Religious Society of Friends.
Like the universities of Oxford and Cambridge, Lancaster University is constructed on a college system, with eight undergraduate colleges and one graduate college named after historic locations in and around Lancaster. Each college contains both academic departments and social and accommodation facilities, and has its own bar and Junior Common Room which ISC students are able to use. Every student and every member of staff is a member of a college, and this college system offers students a special sense of community. All members of the university – including ISC students – also have access to campus library and IT services, chaplaincies and sports facilities.
We aim to give ISC students individual attention that will help in improving their English as well as their academic subjects, and to provide a friendly and supportive ‘foundation’ within the exciting environment of a leading university. For our students, this should offer the best of both worlds!
For all of us here at the Lancaster ISC your academic success and your enjoyment of University life is most important, and I look forward to welcoming you personally to Lancaster."
Martin Eayrs
Head of International Study Centre
ISC Programme Manager and Tutor