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Primary aim
To position Scotland as a world leader in international post-school education.
Achieving this aim will require commitment from a wide range of partners. Being a leader involves more than growth of existing activities and programmes. It also requires a capacity to innovate and to play a leading role in shaping new developments.
The partners whose contribution can help secure success are many. The Scottish Executive has a leading role - some ambitious initiatives may benefit from being underpinned by government to government agreements, and Ministers are powerful advocates and ambassadors. The British Council, as the promoter overseas of British education and culture, and Education UK Scotland, as the promoter overseas of Scottish education, each has a major role. It will also be important for organisations to work together in identifying further opportunities to develop alumni networks. The Scottish Funding Council, as the body responsible for distributing public funds to colleges and universities, has the capacity to be influential and supportive. The Scottish Qualifications Authority ( SQA) has a role in their capacity as managers of international development projects and in promoting access to Scottish qualifications overseas. The support of the enterprise networks, both Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise, and especially Scottish Development International ( SDI) as the international business development agency, is also vital.
The Deputy First Minister's announcement in December 2006 that SDI would extend the range of organisations it supports to internationalise their businesses to include Scotland's colleges and universities is an important step forward. The contribution of Scottish business and industry and their representative organisations is also central. Much of the activity will be concerned with the development of skills, requiring good dialogue between education providers and employers. One of the prime requirements is good market intelligence. Many of the organisations listed above are already active in providing this, or have the potential to do so. However, added value can be secured by better co-ordination of effort.
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