You are here: Home › Ravensbourne University London: A cosmopolitan hub of creativity

Ravensbourne University London: A cosmopolitan hub of creativity

   Mar 10, 2021
Credit : GMI Post

Situated in southeast London next to the iconic O2 arena, Ravensbourne University London was established in 1959 originally as an arts school. More than 60 years later, it has evolved into a university focused on design and technology. It offers courses in fashion, television and broadcasting, interactive product design, architecture and environment design, graphic design, animation, film making, music production for media and sound design.

Ravensbourne is especially proud of the fact that 90% of its graduates are able to find jobs in their chosen fields. The school attributes that achievement to its partnerships with leading players in the creative and technology industries, as well as the up-to-date, “industry-ready” equipment that students use.

Last year, GMI Post met with Emma Shailer, the Director of Student Recruitment and Success of Ravensbourne, to find out how the university is adapting to rapid globalization and, until early 2020, to the disruption wrought by the SARS-Cov-2 global pandemic. Shailer is a veteran of higher education, international student recruitment and the creative industry.


GMI Post: Ravensbourne University London takes pride in how closely it works with different industries. How do those connections benefit your students?

Emma Shailer, Director of Student Recruitment and Success at Ravensbourne University London

Shailer: Our students graduate with the knowledge and confidence of seasoned professionals, as they have exposure to industry from the very beginning. Our students receive live briefs that are developed by industry specialists who occasionally come in and advise our students. Direct access to industry gives our students the ability and confidence to flourish after graduation.

We arrange internships with our industry partners, which improve our students’ long-term employability and have an in-house agency for small businesses.

We ask businesses to imagine what they’ll require from creatives in the next five to ten years. We then use this feedback to design our courses, ensuring the content is relevant and timely. We also have advisory boards that are made up of industry experts who advise us on our curriculum. These advisory board are key in making sure that we produce the graduates that the industry needs.

GMI Post: What is the culture nurtured by Ravensbourne among its students and faculty?

Shailer: Ravensbourne is an incredibly diverse university; our current cohort of students range from 95 nationalities. We have an inclusive, welcoming community, with students encouraged to celebrate their culture and let it inspire their creative journey.

A former student, Joshua Welch, designed an award-winning tribute to Chinese teahouse culture in the heart of London’s Chinatown, while student Malaika Munshi’s work explored her Indian heritage and the cultural stereotypes that are placed on women. These are just some examples of how our students’ heritage and worldview enrich their work.

We have a culture of transparency and teamwork, meaning that students are encouraged to work together across year groups and disciplines. Our award-winning main building has an open plan design that allows both students and staff to collaborate and socialize seamlessly.

We have a project called the Ravensbourne unit, where the usual curriculum pauses and students come together to work on their assigned live briefs, which could be on sustainability or climate change. By bringing together fashion and gaming students to work on one brief, we get to see very interesting solutions to modern challenges.

GMI Post: Why is it important for Ravensbourne to reach out more to Asian students, particularly Chinese and Japanese?

Shailer: Students and staff gain richer experiences and a deeper understanding of the world when they have a diverse cohort. We want to ensure that all of our students become global citizens by graduation, with cultural appreciation underpinning their creativity.

International students are important to Ravensbourne because they help us acquire a global perspective to problems and challenges. We believe the ability to learn about each other’s cultures and understand the different challenges we face has the power to shape the future of society.

GMI Post: With the current situation related to the global pandemic, how does Ravensbourne support its international students?

Shailer: We’re incredibly committed to supporting our students, particularly those who don’t live in the UK. We support our international student by having a strong Student Services team that can handle any enquiries. From financial advice to mental health support, our team are available remotely and are well versed in supporting international students. We’re experienced with the challenges students sometimes face so are equipped to help with the necessitates like opening a bank account and finding out about visas.

We’ve also organized special schemes of study for students who do not feel confident enough to travel at this time. We’ve been able to revise the curriculum to enable them to still learn online until they’re finally able to attend face-to-face classes.

Our academic staff have been exceptional at delivering our lessons online when needed. We’ve listened to our students and ensure their lessons are tailored to their specific needs. We do all we can to ensure that students enjoy the same quality of teaching whether online or in-person.

If you're studying for a year-long MA via distance learning, we offer a chance to spend the summer in London to experience the capital and it’s boundless opportunities. This gives students the chance to immerse themselves in London culture, feel inspired, and leave with a fresh perspective.

GMI Post: Why is Ravensbourne an excellent choice for Chinese students?Shailer: We have been endorsed by the Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China as an exceptional university. Our cutting-edge technology and excellent industry links with the global brands are enticing for students from around the world.

Our location on the Greenwich peninsula also means that we’re a part of London’s brand-new Design District. We’re opening a stunning new building this year, which will house the ‘Institute for Creativity and Technology’. Designed to connect academics, researchers, students and commercial partners, the Institute explores the interplay between creativity and will be an amazing asset for our students. We hope the new building will give an even greater opportunity for student to learn more from each other and the wider creative industry.

With one of the best creative graduate salary rates among specialist universities in the UK, we know our students will find success after graduation. We also have an excellent post-graduation employment rate, meaning students can trust that their career will begin as soon as they want it to.

www.ravensbourne.ac.uk/china

Business opportunities in Latin America for Japanese companies

Thanks to Texas' proximity to the emerging markets of Central and South America, several major Japanese companies with significant investments in L...

The Evolving Military Balance in the Taiwan Strait

Panelists discuss the risk of an armed conflict between the United States and China over Taiwan and how the United States should adapt its defense ...

Young Professionals Briefing: The Future of Democracy Around the World

Panelists discuss democratic backsliding, the rights of marginalized populations living under authoritarian regimes, and the prospects for and obst...

TWSE: Cultivating Growth

When gauging a country's economic prospects, analysts first study the historical performance of its financial market and activity that characterize...

Philippines' top EdTech startup secures Series A funding as it boosts reach and engagement

Edukasyon, the leading education technology platform in the Philippines, recently closed its Series A financing round, joined by Asian and European...

Japanese carmakers: A vital part of the U.S. economy

Over nearly four decades, Japanese-brand automakers have built up a vast American presence. It has made a cumulative manufacturing investment of ab...

Casino slot manufacturer attributes success to hard work, vision, and dedication to core values

Japanese gaming giant Konami has invested heavily in Las Vegas, setting up a huge head office in the city from where it develops and markets indust...

Reaffirming a commitment to create equal opportunity

Tracing its origins back more than a century, LHAG has nurtured a reputation for excellence and expertise in dispute resolution, international arbi...

Malaysia: A fresh start

Ten months since historic elections that rocked the nation's political landscape, Malaysia, once again headed by Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, i...

latest special Reports:

More Special Reports: more...

Upcoming Reports from




  • Global Media is your partner in reaching a powerful international audience through high-level economic reporting.

    Our ambition is to highlight under-reported developments and opportunities around the world, and allow leaders in these regions and sectors to take their message to the highest global level. We partner with top media to communicate with the world’s most powerful audiences. We specialize in communication and branding initiatives that help our clients effectively get their messages to their existing and potential partners. We achieve results for our clients by introducing them and their initiatives to an audience of elite international business and government leaders.

    Global Media Inc. is an independent media agency with offices in Hong Kong and Canada. GMI has more than a decade of experience in the writing, researching, and production of promotional country reports, with media partners from East Asia to North America. We have teams worldwide that develop country and thematic reports on the latest economic trends and developments.

    We are a media partner of Foreign Affairs,the United States’ most influential publication, published by the New York-based Council on Foreign Relations.

    Nearly a century old, there isn’t a more influential or higher-reaching publication in the United States than Foreign Affairs. The journal is ranked #1 in influence by U.S. opinion leaders in a recent nationwide study conducted by Erdos and Morgan, the premier business-to-business research firm. Their findings place Foreign Affairs ahead of all media, both print and broadcast, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Economist, and The Washington Post.

    Testimonials:

    “We were extremely impressed with how efficient, well-coordinated, responsive and reliable the Global Media Inc. team was. We owe them a lot for their professionalism. We were very pleased with the outcome, and the article was very well-written. We hope to have an opportunity to work with Global Media Inc. again in the near future.� – Japan Airport Terminal Co. Ltd.
    “The Global Media team’s professionalism was excellent. Their team was great and always gave us the right suggestions and information. The product was excellent, and we were very happy to have such a great opportunity working with their excellent team.â€� – National Graduate Institute of Policy Studies (GRIPS)
    “We were honored to be chosen as one of the good universities in Japan. This article conveyed Seigakuin University’s educational ideals and the message from President Akudo. The advertisement was conspicuous and gave a good impression that Seigakuin nurtured students to contribute to world peace. We really appreciated what Global Media Inc. had did for us.â€� – Seigakuin University

    Whom we have featured:

    • Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard
    • Australian Foreign Affairs Minister (and former Prime Minister) Kevin Rudd
    • Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe
    • Qatari Minister of International Trade and Industry Dato’ Sri Mustapa bin Mohamed
    • Japanese Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Yoshiaki Takaki
    • Taiwanese Foreign Minister Yang Chin-Tien
    • Taiwanese Finance Minister Lee Sush-Der
    • Taiwanese Economic Affairs Minister Shih Yen-Shiang
    • Taiwanese National Science Council Minister Lee Lou-Chuang,
    • Taiwanese Deputy Minister of Transport and Communications Yeh Kuang-Shih
    • Taiwanese Political Deputy Minister of Education Dr. Lin Tsong-Ming
    • Indonesian Ambassador to the United States Dr. Dino Patti Djalal
    • Indonesian Investment Coordinating Board Chairman Gita Wirjawan
    • Philippine President Benigno S. Aquino III
    • Philippine Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile

Join our newsletter

Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get the latest news and updates directly to your inbox.