| FOREWORD | Bill Rammell, MP |  |
A higher understanding
Bill Rammell, Minister for Lifelong Learning, Further and Higher Education, explains why the UK offers the world’s best education system for international students
 Bill Rammell |
It is important at the outset to emphasise that the economic role played by universities represents only one of the many ways in which they contribute to society. I would not for a moment want to undervalue their powerful role as forces for social, cultural and intellectual advancement. Universities are, above all, a force for civilisation in our society.
So what makes the UK higher education sector a world leader? First, I would say that it is the way that universities have the freedom to develop their own strategies and missions which play to their individual strengths.
We have a diverse HE sector with institutions excelling in their own particular areas. Some are noted for world-class research across a range of disciplines. Others have pockets of excellence. Others are noted more for the excellence of their teaching or for the extent to which they work with business and industry, or seek to be major forces for regeneration in their regions. Some seek to combine these roles. Others are highly specialist in fields such as music, arts and medicine. Whatever their mission, universities strive for excellence in their particular field.
Second, I would say that academic freedom, which is a key tenet on which the UK higher education system has been built, has enabled our universities to attract and retain some of the finest minds in the world. It means that academics here have the freedom to engage in the pursuit of knowledge for its own sake and develop research in areas which interest them. It is no coincidence that UK scientists claim around 10% of internationally-recognised scientific prizes2. Or that the UK produces 9% of the world’s scientific publications, which in turn receive 12% of the world’s citations3. All the more remarkable when one considers that the UK constitutes only 1% of the world’s population.
Our institutions have acted as a magnet for the best talent from around the world, both in terms of students and staff. A recent report by Universities UK4 found that nearly a fifth of academic staff at universities in the UK are from outside the UK. University College London, for example has staff from 99 countries and draws students from 125 countries5.
In recent decades, the numbers of students seeking to study outside their country of origin has increased at a rapid rate from 600,000 in 1975 to 2.7m in 20056. And there is no sign of this growth abating. In the UK, we have seen the numbers of students from outside the European Union coming to the UK increasing by more than 60% in just six years.
They come here because they appreciate the value of a UK qualification, the edge that it can give them in the global recruitment market and the opportunity they have to study in one of the liveliest, most stimulating and creative environments in the world. I cannot pretend that the UK is an inexpensive place to live or study, but it does represent value for money. Our courses are often shorter than those of our competitors, but no less rigorous. Our qualifications are well recognised around the world and our universities constantly seek to improve the quality of their teaching and the support that they provide to students.
This is borne out by the results of student surveys that have consistently shown high levels of student satisfaction with the higher education experience. For example, in the 2007 National Student Survey, more than 80% of international students expressed overall satisfaction with HE quality. International students not only bring immediate financial benefits to the UK, they add to the cultural richness of our society and, in particular, to our national research capacity. Some stay on to work after completing their studies, adding to our skills base, and it is very much in our interests to make it easier for them to do so. That is why, in May this year, we introduced a new International Graduates Scheme to allow international students in any discipline to work here for up to a year after graduation.
Furthermore, international students who return home having enjoyed a positive study experience here often become lifelong friends to the UK, helping to forge trade, cultural and political links of immense value, both to the UK and to those countries whose students we have helped to educate. Not only is the UK the second most popular destination in the world for international students after the US, but our universities’ reach extends far and wide, thanks to the partnerships they have developed abroad, and through the diverse ways in which UK qualifications are now delivered across the globe.
Although our current position is strong, the market is more challenging. For the UK, international education provides a dynamic, high-skill and sustainable export industry, estimated to be worth in excess of £12.5bn7 – more than a number of key sectors such as food and drink, tobacco, insurance, ships and aircraft.
The HE sector also plays a role in supporting the developing world. The Chevening scholarships programme brings to us some of the brightest students from around the world, including those from developing nations. The Shared Scholarship Scheme funded by the Department for International Development and participating universities helps bring to the UK academically able students from developing Commonwealth countries. This scheme specifically supports students who are unable to study here for financial reasons, but whose area of study has the potential to bring developmental advantage to their home countries.
However, the market for international students has become more competitive. Traditional markets for student recruitment, such as China, are rapidly increasing their domestic provision. Countries such as Dubai and Singapore are seeking to position themselves as “education hubs”, drawing in students from surrounding countries. There is increased competition from the major English-speaking nations such as the US and Australia, as well as increased prevalence of courses delivered through the medium of English in non-English-speaking countries.
Responding to these challenges, the Prime Minister’s International Education initiative was launched in April 2006 to secure the UK’s position as a leader in international education and sustain the managed growth of UK international education delivered both in the UK and overseas. The initiative recognises that the UK’s ability to continue to attract international students will increasingly depend on the quality and value of our education and the strength of the partnerships we build.
The new strategy encompasses the promotion of UK education delivered overseas, and encourages and supports more of our universities and colleges in engaging in collaborative partnerships with their counterparts overseas. In identified countries, we are working with governments, education providers and industry to build bi-lateral co-operation and partnerships. We are developing a range of initiatives to support and drive these forward, for instance international networking forums, inward and outward visits, academic and student exchanges.
A vital part of the initiative is to improve the UK education experience of international students by identifying and sharing best practice in order to support their particular needs, from the application and visa processes through to the end of their studies. We realise that past success is no guarantee of future success and that we cannot rest on our laurels. International students have more options today than ever before about where they study. We have to keep on improving if we are to continue to be worthy of their time and investment and I am sure that our universities will rise to this challenge.
References
1. The Economic Impact of UK Higher Education
Institutions. January 2006
2. FCO Science and Innovation Annual Report 2005-06
3. OSI. Oct 2004
4. Talent Wars – The International Market for Academic
Staff. UUK, July 2007
5. Michael Worton, Vice-provost, UCL speech at CIHE
conference on globalisation, 4 July 2007
6. OECD Education at a Glance. 2007
7. Global Value: The value of UK education and training
exports to the UK economy: an update. Pamela
Lenton, Dr of Economics, University of Sheffield,
August 2007, commissioned by the British Council
