British Council launches IELTS Prize worth over KRW 58,000,000 for students in East Asia

SEOUL, South Korea, Dec. 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The British Council IELTS Prize 2017/18 now invites applications from students who plan to begin undergraduate or postgraduate studies locally or overseas in the 2018/19 academic year. Three Local Prizes amounting to KRW 3,000,000 will be awarded to students from Korea, with Regional Prizes for regional winners in the East Asia region[1] totalling KRW 58,000,000. Since its implementation in 2011, over 80 outstanding students have been awarded the IELTS Prize to pursue tertiary education in their desired destinations, such as the UK, US, Canada and Australia. IELTS Prize winners studied a range of programmes, including Medicine, International Relations and Engineering Science to History, Public Communication and Performance, and many more.

"British Council is delighted to support outstanding young scholars from a range of backgrounds achieve their dreams of pursuing higher education abroad, expand their understanding of the world, and then return home with new knowledge, improved confidence and fresh insights," said Steve Adams, Director Examinations British Council, East Asia. "Recognised by over 10,000 universities, schools, employers and immigration bodies, IELTS continues to play a critical global role as the world's leading test of English for international higher education and migration. In 2016, more than three million IELTS tests were taken globally, making it the world's most popular test of its kind. This popularity and global recognition of IELTS positions it as a great choice of English proficiency test for those wishing to realise their aspirations through international educational opportunities."

Sue Yen Chong, the Regional Grand Prize Winner 2016/17, currently a first year Architecture student at the University of Bath, notes "I am extremely grateful to the British Council and IELTS for granting me with this priceless opportunity of pursuing Architecture abroad.  This has been a lifelong dream because what better way can there be to broaden my perspectives than by immersing myself in a totally unfamiliar culture, rich with architectural history. This Prize means so much more to me than just relieving a financial burden and helping me to bridge my aspirations and reality.  It is also a testament to the enormous support from organisations - such as British Council - for the education of students like me."

Applications for the 2017/18 IELTS Prize are now open to students who are permanent residents of the East Asia region[1] and will pursue undergraduate or postgraduate studies locally or abroad in 2018 in a tertiary institution that accepts IELTS as part of its admission requirements. Applicants must hold a minimum band score of 6 in each of the four component parts of an IELTS test taken with British Council from 1 April 2017 onwards. The deadline for applications is 30 April 2018. For details and application, please visit https://www.ieltsasia.org/ieltsprize/application.

As an official test centre, British Council organises up to 4 IELTS test sessions a month, providing students with flexibility. British Council also offers full support to students preparing for an IELTS test, including a free 30-hour online practice resource for registered students (Road to IELTS), and a range of other free online preparation materials. Please visit https://www.ieltsasia.org/kr for more details.

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For more information, contact Yoonjung Jang, Exams Marketing Manager on +82 (0)2 3702 0659 or yoonjung.jang@britishcouncil.or.kr 

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About the British Council

The British Council is the UK's international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities. We create friendly knowledge and understanding between the people of the UK and other countries. Using the UK's cultural resources we make a positive contribution to the countries we work with -- changing lives by creating opportunities, building connections and engendering trust.

We work with over 100 countries across the world in the fields of arts and culture, English language, education and civil society. Each year we directly reach over 65 million people and more than 660 million people via broadcasts and publications.

Founded in 1934, we are a UK charity governed by Royal Charter and a UK public body. The majority of our income is raised delivering a range of projects and contracts in English teaching and examinations, education and development contracts and from partnerships with public and private organisations. Fifteen per cent of our funding is received from the UK government. britishcouncil.org

About International English Language Testing System (IELTS)

IELTS is the International English Language Testing System, the world's proven English language test. IELTS was one of the pioneers of four skills English language testing over 25 years ago, and continues to set the standard for English language testing today. It is trusted and accepted by more than 10,000 institutions worldwide.

IELTS is jointly owned by British Council, IDP: IELTS Australia and Cambridge English Language Assessment.