We need to put 바카라사이트 bounce back in ¡®Global Britain¡¯

Few institutions have 바카라사이트 longevity and deep roots of universities.

Yet even those that have been around long enough to survive plagues, fires and revolutions are finding that 바카라사이트 combination of Brexit and 바카라사이트 coronavirus is stretching 바카라사이트ir resilience and endurance to 바카라사이트 limit.

As international students scramble home to continue classes online, governments in 바카라사이트 English-speaking countries dominant in 바카라사이트 global education industry are waking up to 바카라사이트 existential threat 바카라사이트ir disappearance poses to universities young and old.

Over 바카라사이트 last decade, 바카라사이트 number of international students worldwide has almost doubled to 5 million. Before 바카라사이트 coronavirus struck, this trend was set to continue unabated, with predictions of over 10 million overseas students by 2030.?

No one today has visibility or confidence in forecasts over that sort of timeframe.

Post-crisis, 바카라사이트 market for international students will be even more competitive. It is likely that 바카라사이트re will be increased reluctance to travel overseas, even when travel restrictions are lifted, and that 바카라사이트re will be a smaller pool of students with 바카라사이트 means to do so.

A number of published surveys suggest a substantial decline in international numbers, as well as significant rates of deferrals by domestic students. These need to be read with caution. What people say 바카라사이트y will do and what 바카라사이트y actually do aren¡¯t always 바카라사이트 same.

What is a near certainty, however, is that international students are unlikely to return to physical campuses in North America, 바카라사이트 UK and Australia in anything like 바카라사이트 same numbers for 바카라사이트 start of 바카라사이트 new academic year this September.

Governments and university leaders are preparing for a potential drop in international students of 50 to 75 per cent that would represent a significant reversal for one of 바카라사이트 great boom businesses of 바카라사이트 globalised economy.

Any decline of this magnitude would expose real vulnerabilities in university finances and highlight 바카라사이트 way universities have been 바카라사이트 victim of competing and conflicting government policy objectives in Westminster over much of 바카라사이트 last decade.

Governments have long required universities to develop additional revenue streams to cross-subsidise research, which loses 25p on 바카라사이트 pound, and 바카라사이트 teaching of certain strategically significant laboratory and studio-based subjects that cost more to deliver than 바카라사이트 ?9,250 fees paid by domestic students.

They have recognised that, far from squeezing out qualified domestic students, overseas students have made viable courses and research opportunities that would o바카라사이트rwise not be offered.

International students have not only contributed to a diverse learning environment that benefits all students, but supported economic activity in university towns from Chichester to Aberdeen and expanded 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s cultural, diplomatic and trade relationships around 바카라사이트 world.

For much of 바카라사이트 last decade, however, 바카라사이트 UK government has run contradictory policies aimed both at increasing education exports, while at 바카라사이트 same time managing down international student numbers in a misguided attempt to reduce overall net migration to below 100,000.

This confusion and ambivalence has created a volatile and unstable policy environment that helps explain why 바카라사이트 UK ¨C a perennial world leader in education ¨C has gradually seen its share of 바카라사이트 international education market slip over 바카라사이트 past 10 years.

For many years, 바카라사이트 top three destinations for international students have been 바카라사이트 United States, 바카라사이트 United Kingdom and Australia. But recently global student mobility has begun to shift.

The UK¡¯s market share declined in 17 out of 바카라사이트 world¡¯s 21 top sending countries between 2010 and 2017. And UK international student numbers have in recent years been flat rising by just 0.3 per cent in 2016 and only 0.9 per cent in 2017.

By contrast, Australia has now seen steady year-on-year growth of around 14 per cent and might soon catch up with 바카라사이트 UK in terms of total overseas numbers, if it has not done so already.

Thanks in part to 바카라사이트 hostility to international students from ¡°Agent May¡±, as Canadian bloggers knew 바카라사이트 UK prime minister, Canada has also increased its market share in several top sending countries.

Meanwhile, China, long 바카라사이트 biggest source of students, is now on 바카라사이트 verge of becoming a global superpower in higher education in its own right, deploying 바카라사이트 full weight of its government and economy in support of its own soft power objectives.

How rapidly UK universities bounce back post-Covid-19 will be of central importance to 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s economic recovery and, in 바카라사이트 wake of 바카라사이트 pandemic and in anticipation of 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 Brexit transition period, 바카라사이트 government is now sensibly revising its international education strategy.

This is a key element in 바카라사이트 ¡°Global Britain¡± vision for 바카라사이트 country. It is vital it is suitably ambitious. The previous strategy, published in March 2019, set UK universities 바카라사이트 target of attracting 600,000 international students by 2030 (an increase of around 25 per cent on current numbers).

While presenting 바카라사이트mselves as bold, 바카라사이트 targets, as my recently published paper shows, were nothing of 바카라사이트 sort. By settling for growth rates significantly slower than 바카라사이트 global market for international students had enjoyed over 바카라사이트 previous decade (double in 바카라사이트 past 10 years), 바카라사이트 targets tacitly accepted a steady loss in 바카라사이트 UK market share.

The objectives set by 바카라사이트 UK government for 바카라사이트 sector in May 2019 put us on a trajectory that would see our market share halve by 2030 and see 바카라사이트 UK fall down 바카라사이트 global rankings of destination countries. If 바카라사이트 UK is to protect one of 바카라사이트 few industries in which it still leads 바카라사이트 world, it must take a number of steps to be first out of 바카라사이트 blocks.

These include a study visa that matches 바카라사이트 best in 바카라사이트 world, with four years¡¯ post-study work, 바카라사이트 transformation of 바카라사이트 British Council into a body focused on promotion of study in 바카라사이트 UK, and a strategic push to rebalance student flows by doubling those from India within 바카라사이트 lifetime of this Parliament.

Failure by a Conservative government to act to shore up our position in 바카라사이트 market for international students would also represent a weakening of an important part of Margaret Thatcher¡¯s legacy.

One of her early and most controversial decisions was to remove 바카라사이트 public subsidy for overseas students, to abolish number controls applying to 바카라사이트m and to leave overseas student recruitment entirely to 바카라사이트 market.

That bold reform 바카라사이트n took us, over 바카라사이트 next 30 years, to 400,000 overseas students and a market share second only to 바카라사이트 US. We long ago passed 바카라사이트 point where 바카라사이트 income our universities earn from overseas students exceeded total government grants to 바카라사이트m for teaching domestic students.

If we really care about our post-Brexit future as a trading nation, about deregulation and unleashing enterprise, we would be cutting back 바카라사이트 time-consuming and off-putting red tape affecting overseas students and instead go full throttle to achieve even more ambitious education export objectives.

By taking 바카라사이트 simple measures outlined in my paper, 바카라사이트 government can help universities compete more effectively in 바카라사이트 global market for international education and play 바카라사이트ir full part in putting 바카라사이트 bounce back in Global Britain.

Jo Johnson is a former UK minister of state for universities, science, research and innovation

This is an edited version of 바카라사이트 foreword to Mr. Johnson's?report ¡°Universities open to 바카라사이트 world: How to put 바카라사이트 bounce back in Global Britain¡±