ISC-UKEAS and DTiNews are holding an online exchange entitled “Maximising your Investment in UK Study at a Time of Economic Uncertainty” on Friday morning (October 12), with a panel answering practical questions for students and parents about studying in the country during these difficult economic times.

Dan Entwistle

Ryan Miles

Carl Owen

The event will be aimed at helping students understand both the costs and benefits of studying in the UK at a time when financial concerns are paramount for many.

Any readers who have questions on this topic are welcome to participate by entering their questions here.

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While studying abroad may pose many difficulties to students, the decision to do so can also bring long-term benefits. The panelists will be available to help those interested navigate the world of higher education in the UK.

Essex, a plate-glass university with around 12,000 students, was established after 1960, and is located in the south-east. International students account for 23% of the body, and has been ranked among the top ten universities in the UK as well as the top 50 universities worldwide established in the last half-century.

Dan Entwistle, Associate Director of International Office at University of Essex and an Essex graduate, has a master's degree in business administration from the University of London. He also studied at the University of California.

Dan has been working at University of Essex since 2006 and moved to the university’s Bangkok office, where he works with partner universities and manages overseas studies consultancy for Southeast Asia. His previous work included marketing and sales training.

Bournemouth University has around 17,500 students, with international students making up for 10%. Their management programme was rated the best in the UK. Ryan Miles has been responsible for the Southeast Asian market since 2010 and is now in charge of the school's marketing and enrollment activities.

Before working at Bournemouth, Miles was the business development director of a large animal feed company in the UK. He holds a masters in international marketing from the school and was awarded with the Hamworthy Award for his contributions to international students.

Carl Owen has been the Country Manager of ISC-UKEAS in Vietnam for four years. He studied construction management and English teaching, particularly academic English, and IELTS training.

He has lived primarily in Asia since 1991, working in Japan, Australia. He also lived in Taiwan for 14 years, where he became fluent in Mandarin Chinese. Owen worked for UKEAS in Taiwan from 2005 to 2008, and has since taken the position of country manager in Vietnam for ISC-UKEAS.

He says that he enjoys helping students overcome the challenges involved with studying abroad. "Making the choice of investing such a large sum of money in your overseas study is an important choice and we provide students with the right information and a large range of choices in institutions and courses in order to find the best fit the study pathway that will lead to promising career opportunities both in Vietnam and abroad.”

Nguyen Hanh Lien graduated from the Hanoi University of Foreign Trade in 2011. While a student she worked part-time job for several companies, which helped her gain the experience to succeed in teaching a training course on international business at Strathclyde University in Scotland. She recently returned Vietnam after one year studying abroad. As a former student she will be able to answer questions from a Vietnamese student's perspective.

In addition to the forum, ISC-UKEAS will hold a British educational exhibition to offer students and parents with specifically-tailored information about study programmes, enrollment quotas, requirements and scholarships. Students can attend the event from 9:00 – 12:30 on Saturday (October 13) at Melia Hotel in Hanoi, and 9:00 – 12:30 on Sunday (October 14) at Rex Hotel in HCM City.