ABSTRACT
The United Kingdom (UK), set at the edge of Europe, and historically influenced by transatlantic policies, is particularly aware of the global context. Competition is growing year by year; competition for academic staff, for research funding, for knowledge production and technology transfer. Within science, international collaboration is the norm. Cross-country groups of researchers are funded by the European Union (EU) to examine research topics relevant to each of the participating countries. It is common for six or seven countries to work together on the research Framework and Lifelong Learning programmes of the EU, and United States (US) research programmes such as the Fulbright Program have also involved academics drawn from a huge range of countries. The movement of international students has seen steady expansion in recent years. The UK government considered that, for a higher education institution to be designated a university; it had to offer undergraduate degrees, and postgraduate research degrees.
