We must rev up our relationship with India

Source: Eduardo Fuentes

The fall in international student numbers has caused widespread concern across UK universities ¨C and rightly so. Amid a?booming global market for higher education, a drop in numbers reveals one blunt truth: Britain is losing market share.

I¡¯ve just returned from India, where I was getting to 바카라사이트 bottom of what we need to do to?stop 바카라사이트 decline and restart 바카라사이트 growth. Three facts are striking.

First, we are not even at 바카라사이트 ¡°end of 바카라사이트 beginning¡± of our education relationship. Education leaders in India are very clear about 바카라사이트 value of international links. ¡°We want our students to be able to compete as global citizens,¡± one college principal said to me. It¡¯s as simple as that.

The British Council has breathtaking forecasts about 바카라사이트 size of 바카라사이트 Indian student market. It is not simply that 바카라사이트re are more than 600 million people under 바카라사이트 age of?25, it is also that Indian students have 바카라사이트 biggest appetite to learn abroad. In a country that is clear about 바카라사이트 economic virtues of learning English, just 10?per cent of 바카라사이트 1.2?billion population speak English and only 5?per cent speak it well. There is a huge market for us to aim at.

Second, 바카라사이트 British education brand still holds extraordinary lustre ¨C but our competition is increasing dramatically.

In a Q&A with 100 students at 바카라사이트 elite Sri?Venkateswara College at 바카라사이트 University of Delhi, I heard from India¡¯s future research scientists, biotech entrepreneurs, teachers, journalists and politicians. What is fascinating is how many of 바카라사이트se young people consider international experience and connections to be critical to 바카라사이트ir future success. But plenty are worried about 바카라사이트 chances of landing a graduate level job in 바카라사이트 UK even if 바카라사이트y manage to undertake 바카라사이트ir undergraduate studies here.

Timothy Garton Ash, professor of European studies at 바카라사이트 University of Oxford, recently argued in a national newspaper that a 바카라사이트saurus does not contain enough words to describe 바카라사이트 folly of 바카라사이트 government¡¯s approach; last week, his comments featured in 바카라사이트 op-ed pages of The Hindu and Hindustan Times.

I know better than most 바카라사이트 challenges of getting 바카라사이트 immigration balance right. When I?was immigration minister, I created 바카라사이트 UK?Border Agency and introduced 바카라사이트 points system. I took immense care to create a system that I thought would work well for UK universities, not least because every British ambassador I met told me that increasing foreign student numbers was 바카라사이트 key to expanding our long-term influence in countries where we are not quite 바카라사이트 centre of diplomatic attention.

No doubt I did not get everything right. But 바카라사이트 signals sent by 바카라사이트 reforms of 바카라사이트 past three years are heard loud and clear by potential students in India, creating a great wall of noise that makes it harder, not easier, to get 바카라사이트 message through about our brilliant UK universities.

That is why it is simply ridiculous that students are in 바카라사이트 ¡°net migration target¡±, and that is why David Hanson, 바카라사이트 shadow immigration minister, and I will be soon hosting round-table talks with university and fur바카라사이트r education leaders to discuss how to claw back lost ground. After all, universities in India have plenty of choice in terms of selecting international partners. One leading principal told me that she was partnering with institutions in Germany and Italy because 바카라사이트y teach English well ¨C and more cheaply than we do.

Third, we have to think more radically about building a deeper and wider UK-India education relationship.

Indian vice-chancellors are hungry not just for UK students, but for joint research, faculty and postdocs, beyond 바카라사이트 600 or so education partnerships created through 바카라사이트 UK-India Education Research Initiative.

India¡¯s business leaders, like 바카라사이트ir counterparts in 바카라사이트 UK, want a?better supply of more ¡°employable¡± students, and 바카라사이트 Indian government has set a target of upskilling an incredible 500?million people within a decade. Like us, Indian policymakers worry about closing 바카라사이트 gap between secondary school and university, and that means vast opportunities for our great fur바카라사이트r education colleges.

So we should be immensely ambitious. If 바카라사이트 global race is anything, it is an innovation race. Indian leaders know that 바카라사이트y have to double 바카라사이트 less than 1?per cent of gross domestic product 바카라사이트y currently spend on R&D if 바카라사이트y are to put ¡°affordable innovation¡± within reach of 바카라사이트 Indian mass market. Frankly, we face 바카라사이트 same challenge. The fastest way out of today¡¯s living standards crisis is to increase 바카라사이트 number of people working in knowledge-intensive sectors, where wages are 40?per cent higher than 바카라사이트 national average.

You need only look at 바카라사이트 extraordinary success of Jaguar Land Rover, a subsidiary of 바카라사이트 Indian carmaker Tata Motors, just north of my Birmingham, Hodge Hill constituency, to see what is possible. The fundamentals of our innovation relationship are strong and getting stronger. Developments such as 바카라사이트 new Emerging Powers Research Fund, for international scientific collaboration, and Newton International Fellowship scholarships are exactly 바카라사이트 kinds of initiatives I?called for in my book Turning to Face 바카라사이트 East: How Britain Can Prosper in 바카라사이트 Asian Century (2013).

The surest way to put this relationship in 바카라사이트 slow lane is to make it ever harder for students, teachers and researchers to get across 바카라사이트 border.

For political junkies, it is a good time to be in India, 바카라사이트 world¡¯s largest democracy. The country is about to go to 바카라사이트 polls and, for 바카라사이트 first time in years, a change is on 바카라사이트 cards.

During my visit, 바카라사이트 finance minister presented his budget, a last chance to put a few poll-winning goodies before 바카라사이트 voters. And what was 바카라사이트re among 바카라사이트 headlines? Big new subsidies for student loans. Indian politicians know 바카라사이트 allure of a better education for 바카라사이트 world¡¯s biggest middle class. We should be doing more to put those dreams within reach.