New USC London office aims to recruit European students


USC has opened its newest international office in London to recruit students in the United Kingdom as well as other European countries, and to serve prospective and current students who are abroad.

Annenberg students posed at the new USC office in London, which will serve as a center for recruiting students, supporting alumni and developing education and research programs in Europe. Photo from USC News.

The office, which is located in the Bloomsbury neighborhood of London, will serve as a center for recruiting, alumni relations and education and research programs.

USC President C. L. Max Nikias said in a USC News release that the USC community is excited to continue building on the partnerships and collaborations it has already established in London.

“Our London office, which will act as our headquarters not only for the U.K. but for all of Europe, will play a vital role in helping us achieve USC’s ambition of attracting the world’s most talented and creative students,” Nikias said in the release.

The office will be led by Director Priya Rana Kapoor, a third-generation Trojan who will be working with prospective students. In the USC News release, Kapoor said that people usually think USC is a small school in California until she starts telling them about the impact it has had on the surrounding area.

According to the release, USC boasts one of the largest populations of international students, welcoming more than 11,000 foreign students in the Fall 2017 semester. The best way to think of USC’s nine international offices, according to the Associate Vice Provost for Global Engagement Paulo Rodrigues, is as “embassies” located in areas important to the university.

USC already has had an existing presence in London, including the Queen’s College Cambridge–USC exchange, which allows USC undergraduates to spend their final fall semester at the University of Cambridge. The USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism also offers popular programs for students to study in London. Additionally, the University offers the USC Alumni Club of London, a volunteer-run group that connects alumni and supports USC students studying abroad.

Kapoor hopes to use that strong alumni base to build relationships for student interning, mentorship and networking opportunities.