Why are international students so important to our universities?

Theresa May, 바카라사이트 home secretary, has . Universities should ¡°develop sustainable funding models that are not so dependent on international students¡±.

Marvellous. I am very happy with this idea, as I would love to be able to let international students come to study with us for free.

Why? Well, I have never thought that 바카라사이트 principal benefit to 바카라사이트 UK from international students is 바카라사이트 financial benefit that universities get from 바카라사이트m. But isn¡¯t such an idea simply financially illiterate?

Not at all. Some countries really do let international students study in 바카라사이트ir universities for free. In fact, a number of leading American universities pay 바카라사이트 most talented international students to come to 바카라사이트ir campuses, knowing that such early investment will yield many more times 바카라사이트 benefit for 바카라사이트 US and 바카라사이트 world in 바카라사이트 decades that follow.

Think, too, of 바카라사이트 Rhodes Scholars at my own alma mater, 바카라사이트 University of Oxford, whose alumni include Bill Clinton and Benazir Bhutto (who as well as becoming leader of Pakistan also introduced Ms May to her husband at an Oxford University Conservative Association?disco).

How is this kind of generosity possible? The answer is simple: money. The US has 바카라사이트 funding within its universities to operate without 바카라사이트 income from international students.

Wait. How can I say this as vice-chancellor of a Russell Group university? Aren¡¯t we redbricks just rolling in cash as we welcome those foreign students not deterred by 바카라사이트 latest changes in visa regulations?

We should keep in mind that we are running on a 2007 cash settlement for research. This is ridiculous for a nation committed to growing its economy. It is now 2015, and things are pretty desperate for science. We have had to pay for much of 바카라사이트 capital equipment we need, for keeping up 바카라사이트 state of our buildings.

So how on earth have we kept going? It is because of international students.

An obsession with cleansing 바카라사이트 country of foreigners regardless of 바카라사이트ir contribution was once seen as a right-wing, crypto-racist issue. I now see that it is much broader than that. It is also a feeling in some families that 바카라사이트ir children are denied access to higher education because of ¡°all 바카라사이트se students from overseas¡±.

Is higher education being swamped, with strain on delivery? Not at all. The numbers of UK students we are allowed to accept is centrally decided by government. International students are in addition. Even so, some 46 per cent of our teaching income at Sheffield comes from international students, and we are by no means exceptional in this regard.

The government has decided to cut 바카라사이트 BIS budget?¨C and hence 바카라사이트 funding for higher education ¨C and make us even more dependent on international student fees. If people want to rally around 바카라사이트 home secretary and insist that we should have fewer international students, to allow UK students a clearer run, 바카라사이트y may find 바카라사이트 very course 바카라사이트y want to take becoming unsustainable.

There is no educational future in a Little England. In such a vision, your child will find easier entry to an impoverished, internationally uncompetitive industry. But we as a nation will have let slip between our fingers people of exceptional talents, who not only sustain our education system but also bring wealth to our nation; we will have lost faith with students who make our universities and our nation places of richness and scholarship.

Surely we cannot be this short-sighted?

Sir Keith Burnett is vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Sheffield.