Students awaiting their exam results this August are being urged
not to let the coronavirus pandemic stop them from pushing
forward with their lives, in a new campaign, #2020MADEUS,
launched today by UUK.
#2020MADEUS, a student-facing campaign, aims to give this
year’s school leavers a message of confidence and hope as they
continue with their plans to start university courses this
autumn.
The campaign recognises the difficult few months students
have experienced while celebrating their resilience, potential
and determination to achieve success in their future
goals.
A degree from a UK university continues to give a
significant boost to employment prospects and, on average,
graduates are likely to earn £9,000 more a year than those not
going to university.
Research
indicates, however, that 84% of students and recent
graduates agree that future salary is not the only factor in
choosing their degree. Interest in their subject and learning,
broadening their life experience, gaining independence and
developing wider skills like teamwork and time management are
also considered to be important.
Commenting on the launch of the campaign, Professor
Julia Buckingham, President of Universities UK and
Vice-Chancellor of Brunel University London, said:
“While the world has changed dramatically, student
ambitions have not. We are pleased to see an increase in
applications but recognise there are students with decisions to
make who may be feeling uncertain.
“Students can be confident that they will find their time
at university positive and rewarding. Universities are drawing on
their specialist expertise to provide a safe university
experience offering high-quality teaching, a broad range of
social activities, and well-being support. A university
experience gives students the knowledge, skills and contacts to
pursue their ambitions and puts graduates in a strong position as
the economy recovers.”
Emma Dorricott, a student at University of Sheffield
starting a Masters in cultural and creative industries management
in the autumn, said:
“Although it might be difficult to imagine, there are
plenty of things for prospective students to look forward to in
the autumn. I know that clubs and societies will be doing their
utmost to ensure that students feel welcomed and involved from
the get-go. Lecturers and seminar tutors will be assisting
through face to face teaching and online learning where
needed.
“It might not be the first semester you were expecting, but
it will be a unique experience that you and many others will be
going through, university really is an incredible
experience.”
UUK is collaborating with Education Cubed Ltd, a leading
digital marketing agency specialising in the higher education
sector, to deliver #2020MADEUS which will include advertising and
content on Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram.
“As a company, we deeply believe in UUK’s values and what
it hopes to achieve through #2020MADEUS. We are really excited to
be able to deliver a campaign which recognises the incredibly
difficult year applicants have had, and celebrates how they’ve
come through it all, with the confidence to take that next step,”
says Jo Redfern, Managing Director of Education Cubed
Ltd.
“Through their campaign, which will run throughout August
and September, UUK aims to highlight the great work universities
are doing to ensure they are ready to welcome students in person,
while also putting essential safety measures in place to reassure
students and parents that they will be able to live and study
successfully at university this year, in spite of the
restrictions the pandemic has created.”
ENDS
Notes
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Universities UK’s campaign page - #2020MADEUS is now live
at https://www.universitiesuk.ac.uk/2020madeus
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Advertising content and digital assets are available to
download here.
-
Universities UK is the collective voice of 137
universities in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Its mission is to create the conditions for UK universities to
be the best in the world; maximising their positive impact
locally, nationally and globally. Universities UK acts on
behalf of universities, represented by their heads of
institution.
