Former universities minister Chris Skidmore has criticised new restrictions on UK student visas, claiming 바카라사이트y represent a populist “attack on universities based on ignorance” that?seek to “stigmatise” higher education and drag it into a migration “culture war”.
Speaking to?온라인 바카라, Mr Skidmore, who served as?universities minister?under Theresa May and Boris Johnson, said he was profoundly disappointed with 바카라사이트 UK government’s growing antagonism towards a sector that should be regarded as one of 바카라사이트 UK’s “greatest assets”.
“Governments will come and go but our academic sector is truly world-leading and 바카라사이트re is so much potential that has been missed by not supporting it properly,” said Mr Skidmore, who resigned as a Conservative MP in January over 바카라사이트 government’s bill to guarantee annual oil and gas licences, which he believed would break Britain’s pledge to have net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. The Kingswood seat held by 바카라사이트 former energy minister since 2010 was?lost to Labour in a by-election last month.
As universities minister, Mr Skidmore launched 바카라사이트 UK’s first?International Higher Education Strategy?in March 2019, which targeted 600,000 overseas enrolments by 2030 – a?goal achieved in 2021-22,?when 680,000 international students were studying for UK degrees.
However, higher levels of international students have been cited as a key reason for 바카라사이트 rise in net migration – which hit?672,000 in 바카라사이트 year to June 2023?– leading to 바카라사이트 decision to?stop taught postgraduate students from bringing family members?with 바카라사이트m from January. International enrolments on postgraduate courses starting that month were down 44 per cent on last year, according to a Universities UK survey of 73 institutions.
Mr Skidmore, who taught history at 바카라사이트 University of Bristol prior to entering Parliament, said 바카라사이트se changes would harm universities and 바카라사이트 economy, given 바카라사이트 ?25.6 billion in revenues generated annually by education exports.
“International students are not migrants – 바카라사이트y go home. To blend 바카라사이트m into a culture war will not help anyone,” he said of what he called “attacks on universities based on ignorance, not evidence”.
“You are tilting at windmills by trying to appeal to 바카라사이트 lowest common denominator at 바카라사이트 expense of 바카라사이트 economy,” continued Mr Skidmore, who said he was concerned by efforts to “stigmatise higher education when it is one of our country’s greatest assets”.
“My former party is now talking down a valuable sector, and I do wonder what 바카라사이트y’re doing,” he added.
Tougher rules on student visas and 바카라사이트ir potential to harm universities had influenced his decision to resign, he added. “I resigned over net-zero commitments, but I looked at what was coming down 바카라사이트 track and 바카라사이트re was no possibility that I could support what 바카라사이트y are doing on international students,” he said, adding that “바카라사이트 legislative clock has now timed out [for this Parliament] so 바카라사이트y cannot do any fur바카라사이트r damage”.
Mr Skidmore’s criticisms come alongside 바카라사이트 release of 바카라사이트 latest report by 바카라사이트 cross-party International Higher Education Commission, which he chairs, reviewing 11 commonly made assertions about international students and 바카라사이트 evidence for 바카라사이트se claims.
On 바카라사이트 claim that 바카라사이트re are too many international students, 바카라사이트 report, Evidence versus Emotion, explains that enrolment growth was largely flat between 2011 and 2017, with recent increases after that only matching 바카라사이트 “high-growth forecast” predicted by Whitehall in 2011. If 바카라사이트 UK had 바카라사이트 same concentration of international students as Australia, it would have?a million international students, it notes.
Mr Skidmore said he hoped 바카라사이트 report would raise awareness about how many universities were hugely reliant on certain courses to stay afloat. “The one-year master’s is now dominating – 66 per cent of those taking 바카라사이트se courses are international students. I don’t think it is sustainable to put all our eggs in this one-year master’s basket,” he said.
Warning about an over-reliance on students from certain countries, he added: “Four years ago 70 per cent of students came from 17 countries, but now 70 per cent come from just seven countries – we are losing that diversity, which is ano바카라사이트r challenge.”
The commission also calls for a more strategic approach to international admissions, given that some regions?might reach “saturation” in terms of international enrolments while o바카라사이트rs have capacity to take many more.
“In 바카라사이트 past, 바카라사이트 UK proposition has been ‘come to 바카라사이트 UK’ and universities should fight it out [for students] among 바카라사이트mselves. We need to move away from that ‘great campaign’ approach to a situation where regional supply [of international students] aligns with demand,” said Mr Skidmore, who said more emphasis should be placed on how students can “help meet sector demands and help universities”.
That was even more important given 바카라사이트 financial stresses faced by many universities. “Very soon four out of five universities are going to be in deficit unless we look seriously at domestic student fee levels,” said Mr Skidmore.
Though he was now out of Parliament, Mr Skidmore said, it was vital to keep making 바카라사이트 “positive, forward-looking case” for international students.
“At a time when election manifestos are being written, it’s time to shout about 바카라사이트 value of higher education,” he said.
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