Traditional values of quality education in a fast-moving world

Whenever international education providers come together, one subject is never far from our minds: global education is changing, and fast.

Since we last met with our senior global education agents for three days of planning and reflection, Study Group has taken a significant step towards meeting the evolving needs of students from all over the world.

But this raises an important question: how do we innovate in a sector where heritage, traditional values, and the lasting worth of education are paramount?

The answer lies in balance — combining the strength of education at our core with a readiness to embrace change. At Study Group, we have built on our traditional strengths while opening up new opportunities. Today, students can begin their preparatory studies with an international cohort in one part of the world, then transfer seamlessly to another — whether from China to the UK, Korea, the US, Singapore or the Middle East.

Bellerbys reborn

One of the most exciting developments has been the launch of Bellerbys Global. For almost a century, Bellerbys has been a trusted name in preparatory education, historically available only in the UK and renowned for preparing international students for admission to top universities.

Now, this proven model has been expanded to reflect the priorities of modern international students. Many want to keep their study destination options open, manage costs by completing part of their education closer to home, or embrace an experience that spans more than one region — or even continent.

The expansion has already been rapid, with multiple centres established across China and more recently in Korea and Singapore, with further exciting developments to come. Most importantly, the results are clear: every student in our first cohort received multiple offers from leading universities in the UK and beyond. With 58 articulation partners and growing — 12 of them outside the U.K. in China, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, Australia and New Zealand. Without doubt, Bellerbys Global represents an exciting future for students and our agent partners alike.

Plus ça change

The French have a saying: “plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose” — the more things change, the more they stay the same.

And that is true for global education. While innovation is essential, what remains constant is our commitment to meeting the real needs of students through trusted advice, excellent teaching, and strong support.

We are proud of the quality of our university partners. Just last week, Durham University — one of our long-standing partners — was named The Times University of the Year. Others, including the Universities of Sheffield, Strathclyde, and Cardiff have recently been recognised for excellence in student experience, teaching, and regional leadership. None of this comes as a surprise to us or to the students who continue to thrive in these and our other exceptional partner institutions.

Looking Ahead

What does change is the degree of choice students have about how and where they learn. That is why we are working hard to anticipate shifting needs: 

• Delivering highly focused education linked to employability in London 
• Collaborating with governments in the Middle East to prepare students pre-university 
• Continuing to innovate with our established university partners worldwide 

This week, as we work alongside our senior agent partners, our focus is clear: to strengthen and refine, to innovate and adapt.

Whatever the future brings, together we remain resilient and fully committed to student success.