University of Surrey - Educational Links

Educational Links

Since its foundation, the university has fostered links with other educational bodies in the local community and region. For example, in recent years it has validated courses at and subsequently accredited Saint Mary's College (now an independent institution called St Mary's University College, Twickenham), Wimbledon School of Art, and Farnborough College of Technology. The university currently validates courses at North East Surrey College Of Technology (NESCOT), Guildford School of Acting, Guildford College of Further & Higher Education, King Edward VII Hospital Department of Staff Development, The Nuclear Department at HMS Sultan, St John's Seminary, Southern Theological Education & Training Scheme (STETS), the Pre-Retirement Association and SHL (UK) Ltd.

In 1998, as a result of the continuing development in the relationship between the university and the nearby Roehampton Institute, it was decided to form an academic federation. In November 1999, the Privy Council approved the necessary changes to the university's Charter and Statutes and the Roehampton Institute became The University of Surrey Roehampton at the beginning of 2000. Between 2000 and 2004, the university and Roehampton worked together as the Federal University of Surrey. In June 2004, the Privy Council granted Roehampton an independent university title, and it became Roehampton University from 1 August 2004. This move ended the federal partnership between the two institutions, although collaboration between the two is being maintained.

In 2007, the university and Dongbei University of Finance and Economics, Dalian, China launched the Surrey International Institute, DUFE. SII, DUFE offers Surrey degrees and dual-degree programmes in China. A placement year link with University of North Carolina is currently being initiated in 2009, where each institution places students from the other with companies located nearby, in the South East of England and the Carolinas, respectively.

Surrey also aims at developing non-educational links with other universities. In 2012, Surrey University was among the founding members of the Catholic Societies of Southern Universities (CaSSU) union in the United Kingdom. CaSSU is an inter-university network of Catholic societies and students which promotes solidarity amongst its members in their service as witnesses to Christ within their respective universities. This union was developed to bridge the gap between all the higher institutions in the South. The other founding members were the University of Kent, University of Oxford, University College London, University of Southampton, University of Bristol, University of Bath, University of Reading, University of Portsmouth and University of Cambridge. The Union has an annual conference and a social event where students can come together. The host and caretaker of the union is rotated annually, the host university usually organizes the conference. The inaugural conference was held at the University of Southampton and the next conference will be held at the University of Oxford. There is also a Northern Union known as Northern Universities Catholic Societies. This union is similar to the southern union.