Minister’s plans to reduce international students numbers by ditching targets and instead focusing on ‘education exports’ have received criticism from student groups.
The Department of Education has announced that as part of a new international education strategy, universities will be encouraged to set up education ‘hubs’ abroad.
Bridget Phillipson, Secretary of State for Education, said: “By expanding overseas, our universities, colleges and education providers can diversify income, strengthen global partnerships and give millions more access to a world-class UK education on their doorstep, all whilst boosting growth at home.”
But at University College London, students, whose names have been changed to preserve anonymity, speaking to the North West Londoner were sceptical of the policy’s effectiveness.
Harrison, who is originally from the United States, said: “People come here to get opportunities they wouldn’t have in their home country, so [regarding] hubs, I don’t think that would be necessarily something that could work because for the majority of people, if they want a British education, they’re gonna go abroad.”
Christopher, a German national, said: “I love the kind of uni life that British unis offer, it is one of the main things that attracted me [to UCL]”.
Some students also felt that the policy was overlooking to important role that international students play both economically and socially to UK university life.
Gemma, a home student, said: “It’s a very enriching experience to kind of meet people from all walks of life and from different cultures and different countries.
“Also, the universities get a very high portion of their funding from international students, so I don’t think they can… cope with the cutting of that.”
Speaking to the Guardian, NUS UK President Amira Campbell said: ““We know the value of our international student peers is much more than the economic value, but the skills, experience, and knowledge they share.
“The UK has a world-leading university sector – and we are glad the government is recognising this. But integral to this reputation are the international students on our campuses.”
UCL has one of the UK’s biggest international student communities, with overseas students making up approximately 52% of its intake.
Featured image credit: University College London, Lucy Reade
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