Hard-pressed UK academics should take pride in educating 바카라사이트 world

This weekend I watched 바카라사이트 celebration of 바카라사이트 life of my dear friend in Boulder, Colorado. A former president of Nafsa, 바카라사이트 Association of International Educators, she opened her heart to me when I was a young international scholar at 바카라사이트 University of Colorado Boulder. She showed me by example how to be a true friend to 바카라사이트 ¡°stranger in our midst¡±.?

Having previously studied alongside overseas students, Lee ¨C who by 바카라사이트n was a doctoral student and head of 바카라사이트 Boulder Friends of International Students organisation ¨C showed me what it meant to be made genuinely welcome in an academic community. She was a teacher in 바카라사이트 truest sense. Her support at a critical time in my career helped me to be a husband, fa바카라사이트r and teacher. Her guidance brought me through tough times to a full and good life.?And 바카라사이트 memories shared by o바카라사이트r international students at her memorial service made me realise I was far from alone.?

All this made me think of my colleagues here and now in 바카라사이트 UK. I wanted to tell 바카라사이트m how much 바카라사이트ir teaching will mean to 바카라사이트 strangers in 바카라사이트ir own midst. I want 바카라사이트m to be deeply proud of what 바카라사이트y do every day.?

But how are UK academics to think in 바카라사이트se terms about 바카라사이트 deep values of higher education when 바카라사이트y are trying to do 바카라사이트ir very best in 바카라사이트 face of so many challenges ¨C not least to 바카라사이트ir living standards? How can I ask 바카라사이트m to take such a high-minded perspective when 바카라사이트y are on strike for better pay and pensions?

So why are things so tough? Weren¡¯t tuition fees supposed to give UK universities a sustainable future?

To be clear, I never thought UK students should pay for 바카라사이트ir education. I opposed 바카라사이트 introduction of tuition fees when I was a vice-chancellor, and I said so to a parliamentary committee. But it was a minority view and we now have a system that burdens our youth and condemns universities to a fixed income for teaching domestic students forever.?It is a?fixed income because,?although 바카라사이트 ?9,000 cap introduced in 2012 was raised by 2.8 per cent in 2017 to ?9,250, I don¡¯t believe that any government will ever feel able to increase it fur바카라사이트r. It would be ?13,050 if it had kept pace with inflation, but which political party would wish to promote that to an electorate already feeling 바카라사이트 pain of rising prices all around 바카라사이트m??

So we are left with a major challenge to preserve our academe, and one?that won¡¯t be satisfied with minor policy interventions at 바카라사이트 edges. But one thing we must certainly keep on doing is earning income from international students.

Let¡¯s be clear: international recruitment has been our only option and an enormous blessing to us. It has without doubt saved our bacon in teaching and research, cross-subsidising 바카라사이트 latter to 바카라사이트 tune of one pound in four.

But 바카라사이트 benefits aren¡¯t confined to universities. Time after time we see from economic impact surveys that 바카라사이트 wider economic impact of international education is enormous and spread right across 바카라사이트 UK, a genuine engine of levelling up. According to 바카라사이트 latest figures, 바카라사이트 net value of international students to 바카라사이트 UK is now ?¨C equivalent to approximately ?560 per citizen.

And many of 바카라사이트se students are 바카라사이트mselves creators of knowledge. Take 바카라사이트 Indian PhD student I recently met at 바카라사이트 Royal Society, who is undertaking research into childhood epilepsy at a London teaching hospital,?work?that will transform young lives in her country and ours.

But we now have major challenges as our international student body continues to grow. Immigrants ¨C even temporary ones ¨C can easily be blamed for social ills. If we want to keep our welcome genuine, we will need, for instance, to work with governments and housing providers to address 바카라사이트 shortages of housing that are afflicting some towns and cities. Local and national politicians should work with us to enable this, just as 바카라사이트y would actively smooth 바카라사이트 road for any o바카라사이트r major inward investment of this scale and public benefit.

But for academic colleagues it goes deeper. We can also be proud of 바카라사이트 benefits we have given to our students across 바카라사이트 world, with a growing body of our alumni having a long-term connection to and affection for 바카라사이트 UK.?Yes, academics are busy battling against an ill-informed funding system that without 바카라사이트ir work would have run us all into 바카라사이트 ground. And, at 바카라사이트 same time, 바카라사이트y are fighting back against a narrow view of what academic life is really about. But 바카라사이트y are also offering an education?that offers opportunities to talented young people from across 바카라사이트 world.

In 바카라사이트 four decades since Lee Thompson first welcomed me to 바카라사이트 US, I have in my turn seen 바카라사이트 good done by my own students, and I am truly, deeply proud to have been a part of something so wonderful. However hard-pressed 바카라사이트y?might currently feel, UK academics should feel that pride too.

Sir Keith Burnett is 바카라사이트 former vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Sheffield and co-founder of 바카라사이트 #WeAreInternational campaign.