Studying abroad: Leading placement body hosts stakeholder forum to discuss access to right information

By Pauline Ongaji

The role of Uniabroad-IDP IELTS in aiding Kenyan students who are planning to study abroad, by ensuring they have access to as much information and options as possible, has been immeasurable.

But even so, the contribution of this leading student placement organisation to the education sector has sometimes gone unnoticed, thus making the whole process seem opaque.

Experts in the sector are of the opinion that the biggest contributor to this vagueness has been lack of information among all the players involved in the education interconnection chain in the country.

Thus, to highlight its partnership and its role in making sure students who want to study abroad have an easy time doing so, Uniabroad-IDP IELTS hosted representatives from private and public high schools in Kenya to a forum on Saturday, July 23, 2022.

The event, which was held at the Radisson Blu hotel in Upper Hill, Nairobi, Kenya, was aimed at bringing together like-minded individuals to discuss the way forward in the education sector in the country, as well as how players in the field could work together across public and private sectors.

In attendance, therefore, were representatives of diverse education segments. They included the Business Intelligence and Data Analytics Officer in the Corporate Communication and Customer Experience Department of Higher Education Loans Board (HELB), Mr Fred Okoth; the Test Developer and Subject Officer at the Kenya National Examination Council (KNEC), Eng Leonard Mwanja; the Liaison and Marketing Associate/Officer for Kenya Private Schools Association (KPSA), Antony Mureithi Mugo; and the Ministry of Education Assistant Director of Quality Assurance and Standards, Susan Onyango, based at the Nairobi Regional Office. About 50 career teachers from both public and private high schools also attended as invited guests.

Some of the issues that took centre stage during the discussions included access to the right information as far as seeking education abroad was concerned, like what university would be best for specific interests, and what courses were best provided abroad, among others.

But what seemed to majorly bog the minds of many was financing, with questions from some of the participants revolving around the cost of studying abroad and the available funding avenues.

The event provided a platform for these and other issues to be discussed. Common misinformation and myths that arise whenever the issue of studying abroad comes up, were demystified.

“From what Uniabroad-IDP IELTS has done over the years, students have had a chance to study and realise their potentials in some of the best and highly acclaimed institutions of higher learning abroad,” stated Stella Kinyanjui, Line Manager, Uniabroad-IDP IELTS.

There were also testimonials from past and present beneficiaries, who generally hailed the organisation for its support in aiding access to higher learning, thus contributing to the realisation of Sustainable Development Goal 4, which concerns ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all.

Background

Planning to study abroad can be a challenging process, especially if you have many questions that need answers.

For over a decade, UniAbroad, a student placement organisation, has specialised in assisting learners to gain admission into institutions abroad, from high school to university.

Founded in 2010, the organisation has worked with institutions of higher education internationally, in countries such as Canada, Australia, United Kingdom, United States of America, Ireland, and New Zealand, giving students information about scholarships and making them aware of the deadlines.

“Our services include career counselling, university application assistance, IELTS (International English Language Testing System) training, IELTS official test centre, visa guidance, accommodation and flight booking, airport pickups and drop-offs, and regular follow-ups,” explains Ms Kinyanjui.

And in attaining this, the organisation has worked closely with the Canadian High Commission (Educanada), the US Embassy (US and Foreign Commercial services), AUSTRADE and UKVI (Graduate Route Launch) on various activities that concern the promotion of education in their countries.

Over the years, Uniabroad-IDP IELTS has worked closely in partnership with IDP Education, the leading provider of international student recruitment services, and a co-owner of IELTS.

With over half a century experience in pioneering international education, IDP Education was established in 1969 by the Australian Government, and currently, it has over 120 offices in more than 30 countries.

This international student placement company owns leading global brands for student placement, English Language testing, and online student engagement services. It has co-owned the IELTS since inception (1989), with the British Council, Cambridge Assessment English Co-organisers of AIEC, and the International Education Association of Australia (IEAA).

IDP Education has a massive network of more than 120 fully owned student placement offices in over 30 countries, 1100 student placement counsellors, over 1,400 IELTS test locations in 60 countries, and nine English language teaching schools across Southeast Asia.

That’s not all, it has relationships with over 700 university clients in the six main English-speaking destination countries.

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