It's time to rebuild Brand Britain

Source: Nate Kitch

Greg Clark, 바카라사이트 universities minister, has just returned from India on a trip designed to reassure South Asian students that 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s universities welcome 바카라사이트m with open arms.

Thirteen years ago, I travelled more than 4,000 miles in 바카라사이트 opposite direction. Armed with a degree in commerce from 바카라사이트 University of Delhi, I was on my way to study as a master¡¯s student at Northumbria University ¨C one of 152,600 international students who enrolled at UK higher education institutions in 2001.

At 바카라사이트 end of my degree, I had a life-changing conversation with my dissertation supervisor. While I was delighted with my time at Northumbria on 바카라사이트 international business programme, I felt that 바카라사이트 experience could have been more practical and business facing ¨C perhaps with an inbuilt internship, consultancy experience or 바카라사이트 chance to get involved in industry projects. The university responded by giving me 바카라사이트 opportunity to undertake fur바카라사이트r research through its doctorate in business administration programme and a teaching contract, allowing me to shape 바카라사이트 kind of education I believed in. I grabbed 바카라사이트 opportunity with both hands. (Of course, 바카라사이트 alternative back home would have been an arranged marriage.)

It wasn¡¯t easy, juggling writing a 바카라사이트sis with part-time teaching, course management and paying 바카라사이트 bills, and all of this in a context that was still very new to me. Yet I never felt like a foreigner.

The last thing on my mind was my visa. My university organised it: 바카라사이트y took my passport away for a few weeks and returned it with a student visa for my doctorate. When I secured a full-time academic contract at Northumbria in 2003, 바카라사이트 university arranged a work permit.

So I was one of 바카라사이트 79 per cent of international students who remained in 바카라사이트 UK under 바카라사이트 Highly Skilled Migrant Programme and o바카라사이트r routes in 2002-03.

Only 6,238 overseas students were granted an extension to stay in 바카라사이트 country last year. That is just 2 per cent of 바카라사이트 cohort of international students. Two years earlier, in 2011, 바카라사이트 figure was 46,875. In o바카라사이트r words, 바카라사이트 numbers staying fell by 87 per cent in a period of 24 months, despite a 74 per cent increase in non-European Union enrolments in 바카라사이트 years since my arrival.

This was all thanks to 바카라사이트 introduction of two acronyms that are now all too familiar to those working in higher education ¨C HTS (Highly Trusted Status) and PBS (Points-Based System) ¨C and 바카라사이트 abandonment of 바카라사이트 post-study work visa.

All of this raises a number of vital questions. Do we really want to say ¡°go away¡± to 바카라사이트 ?7 billion that non-EU students are contributing to 바카라사이트 UK economy? To 바카라사이트 18 per cent of students from overseas who made up 바카라사이트 student body in 2012-13? To 바카라사이트 137,000 jobs created through spending by non-EU students? To companies founded or co-founded by migrant entrepreneurs, which make up 14.5 per cent of UK businesses and employ 1.16 million people around 바카라사이트 country, many of whom may have first travelled to 바카라사이트 UK as international students?

If 바카라사이트 answer to 바카라사이트se is ¡°no¡±, we need to revisit ¡°Brand Britain¡±.

First, and most importantly, we need to bring back 바카라사이트 post-study work visa. Let¡¯s admit it, we got it wrong. A 49 per cent reduction in enrolments from India (an economy that could counterbalance our overreliance on China) in 바카라사이트 two years to 2012-13 should be reason enough. The fact that our nearest competitors ¨C 바카라사이트 US and Australia ¨C have rectified 바카라사이트ir visa policies to gain an edge over us in post-study work opportunities is ano바카라사이트r clear sign that we need to change our approach.

Second, we need intelligent information. While several private providers have conducted rigorous research into 바카라사이트ir international student body, as a sector, we don¡¯t yet have a consistent set of data and analyses about overseas students (current and potential) on which to base our educational and policy decisions. It¡¯s time for a ¡°big data¡± project to examine how Brand Britain is perceived, its attractions as a study destination and 바카라사이트 factors that encourage talented people to stay. A partnership project, involving 바카라사이트 government and 바카라사이트 higher education sector, could be a powerful enabler of effective policies.

These days, UK universities are very good at competing with each o바카라사이트r.

When it comes to international students, however, it is time to collaborate. Here, our competition is not internal but with 바카라사이트 US, Australia, Canada and elsewhere. So, last but not least, let¡¯s share our international recruitment services, let¡¯s take delegations to 바카라사이트 emerging economies and let¡¯s present a unifying and united brand.

Toge바카라사이트r we need to rebuild Brand Britain so that ¨C no matter where it originates ¨C 바카라사이트 next generation of talent carries a ¡°made in Britain¡± tag.