University College Birmingham has partnered with a specialist firm to help ensure a smooth and speedy application process for new international students amid record levels of interest from overseas.

The University has linked up with global student engagement, conversion and enrolment specialist UniQuest, who will provide admissions support through both increased offer-making capacity and management of applicant enquiries for international students.

It comes at a time of record international applications for University College Birmingham, which was voted UK University of the Year in the 2022 Whatuni Student Choice Awards.

The January 2023 intake saw the highest volume of applications in the University's recent history, with figures for September already following a similar trajectory.

Now live, the partnership sees UniQuest supporting the University by processing undergraduate and postgraduate applications from prospective international students to help speed up turnaround times.

The partnership also extends to managing applicant enquiries, with UniQuest communicating with global recruitment agents acting on behalf of applicants, addressing any concerns raised throughout their enrolment journey to help provide a smooth applicant experience.

Chris Sharpe, Director of International Recruitment at University College Birmingham, said: "The implementation of this long-term strategic partnership uniquely positions us to drive forward our international strategy and expand our global presence.

"With the volume of international applications only continuing to grow, it was critical that we forged a strong partnership delivering the agility that our international audience demands.

"In establishing a partnership with UniQuest, we believe we have found that partner to meet customer expectations and support University College Birmingham in reaching our potential."

Having launched its admissions service in 2022 to address the huge demand facing university admissions teams, UniQuest has since built up a dedicated support staff of over 60 people, with overseas hubs in Manila and Bangalore.

Data from across UniQuest’s UK partner network showed an 89% year-on-year increase in international applications in January 2023, with the number one enquiry from Indian and Nigerian applicants relating to offer times and application process.

Rachel Fletcher, co-founder and CEO of UniQuest, said: "It's really difficult for admissions teams to just keep delivering in the face of this huge rise in demand from international applicants.

"Without being able to very quickly build up capacity and improve the processing approach, the workload is simply unmanageable. That affects the applicant experience – they get fed up of waiting for their application to progress and simply apply elsewhere, which in turn can compromise relationships with international recruitment agents.

"University College Birmingham is a popular choice for international students looking to study in the UK, and it's fantastic to see them taking a proactive approach to avoid any admissions bottlenecks.

"We've seen considerable success already with some of our existing admissions partners," she added. "We're excited to see what we can achieve with University College Birmingham."

University College Birmingham warmly welcomes applications from students from around the world, with an international community of more than 1,400 students from over 60 countries.

Our International team and agents attend overseas exhibitions and events throughout the year in countries and territories including India, Nepal, Hong Kong, Thailand, China, Malaysia and Nigeria, as well as throughout the European Union.

The University is also based in one of the UK's youngest and most diverse cities, home to 187 nationalities with nearly 40% of the population under the age of 25.

Interested in studying in the UK and want to know more about University College Birmingham? Find out more about the support and services we provide for international students here.