UNIVERSITIES from around the world converged on Taunton School yesterday, Thursday, October 8, for a major careers event.

The Study Abroad Fair was attended by hundreds of students from across the South-West.

Students were able to find out about studying for a degree abroad and discuss the options available with representatives from a variety of academic institutions overseas.

The countries represented included the USA, Canada, Switzerland and Norway.

Richard Judd, Taunton School’s head of careers, said: “With so many students now going to university a degree no longer makes a student’s CV stand out from the crowd, studying abroad however will.

“Our students and others from across the South-West were able to find out about opportunities all over the world and I’m sure they all benefited from this event.

“Although the UK system with its strong emphasis on specialisation is brilliant for some students, others are by the chance to study a broad range of subjects in a liberal arts programme.

“As the world gets ever smaller we need to become active participants of the global village, and by encouraging them to think about options in other countries we are getting them ready to help shape the world in the 21st Century.”

A spokesman for The Student World, which hosted the event in conjunction with Taunton School, said: “An increasing number of students are considering and applying for degree courses abroad yet many are unaware of the opportunities which exist overseas.

“The event at Taunton School gave students the chance to meet representatives from overseas universities face-to-face to help make an informed decision about going abroad for a degree.”