The UK Is Still A Major Presence On The World Stage, Shows British Council Survey

The UK still enjoys a considerable presence around the world, according to a survey of overseas attitudes towards the UK conducted by MORI on behalf of the British Council. In the 17 countries surveyed, well educated young people aged 24-40 said that they knew the UK better than France, Germany and Japan. Of the five countries tested, only the USA enjoyed a higher degree of familiarity.

The survey also found that

• Young people overseas are generally positive about the UK, especially its economy and institutions, but are less keen on British people. Negative personal qualities such as an inability to change with the times and an unwelcoming attitude to outsiders constitute our biggest weakness, in the eyes of many.
• The main channels for finding out about the UK are the local media, notably the press and TV news. But one young person in five also uses the Internet.

Other discoveries are that

• On balance, a 'Made in the UK' label is seen as a mark of quality and positively influences prospective consumers.
• Young people in Europe think that the UK puts a higher premium on its relations with the USA than it does with them.
• The UK is second only to the USA as a favoured provider of international higher education and , with the USA, emerges as a clear world leader in this field.
• However, relatively few young people overseas are aware of recent UK breakthroughs in science and technology.
• And the UK has a lacklustre reputation for creativity and innovation in the arts, with our reputation felt to be based more on the past than the present.
• The UK's leading symbols are The Queen/Royal Family (England), kilts (Scotland), the late Princess of Wales (Wales) and conflict (Northern Ireland).

These findings come from Through Other Eyes 2, which will be released at the British Council's London Headquarters on 9 November 2000. It follows last year's Through Other Eyes report, which presented MORI's research into attitudes to the UK in 13 other countries. The British Council believes that together the two surveys constitute the most comprehensive survey of international attitudes towards the UK ever undertaken.

Download the report at: www.britishcouncil.org/work/survey/index.htm

Technical details

1. The countries surveyed this year are: Argentina, Bangladesh, Czech Republic, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Korea, Nigeria, Pakistan, Singapore, Spain, Thailand, United Arab Emirates and Vietnam.
2. MORI interviewed, face-to-face, 3,505 people aged 24-40, postgraduate students and fast-track junior managers in industry and government in 17 countries between 26 January and 16 June 2000.