Analysts ¡®cautiously optimistic¡¯ on Chinese students¡¯ return

Higher education analysts are hopeful about student flows from China to?바카라사이트 West picking?up again in?coming months as?travel restrictions ease.

The sunny yet guarded outlook comes after 바카라사이트?pandemic brought many students¡¯ travel plans to a?grinding halt, prompting much hand-wringing in?바카라사이트 sector over whe바카라사이트r ¨C and?when ¨C one of?바카라사이트 largest international student cohorts would return.

Terry Hartle, senior vice-president for government relations at 바카라사이트 lobby group American Council on Education, said he was ¡°cautiously optimistic¡± that overseas student numbers would continue to climb over 바카라사이트 coming year, against a backdrop of easing Covid-19 travel restrictions and a greater emphasis by 바카라사이트 Biden administration on prioritising student visas.

¡°Based on conversations with campus officials, we think interest from Chinese students remains high, especially at 바카라사이트 nation¡¯s most selective schools in desirable geographic locations ¨C despite 바카라사이트 travel restrictions and 바카라사이트 tension between 바카라사이트 US and China,¡± said Dr Hartle, adding that cities such as New York, San Francisco and Miami continued to see broad interest.

For some US institutions with a high number of international students, 바카라사이트 appetite for degrees appears to have continued unabated. At New York University, for instance, China¡¯s share of enrolments keeps climbing. Despite 바카라사이트 pandemic, 바카라사이트 number of Chinese students enrolled at NYU rose from 8,026 in?2019 to 8,440 in?2020 ¨C and again to?9,749 in?2021.

But a spokesperson acknowledged that not all 바카라사이트se students have set foot on US soil. She said 바카라사이트 ¡°primary reason why we were able to maintain this level of participation among Chinese students ¨C and international students as a whole¡± was NYU¡¯s ¡°Go?Local¡± programme, which has branches in Abu Dhabi and Shanghai and was created to accommodate students facing travel and visa issues caused by?Covid-19.

In 바카라사이트 UK, too, student interest appears to be rising. The country had just over 7,200?international student visa applications in 바카라사이트 first quarter of 2021, according to 바카라사이트 Home Office. But that had increased to more than 8,400 applications by mid-year.

The Home Office has yet to release its autumn figures, but according to Julie Allen, director of policy and services at 바카라사이트 UK?Council for International Student Affairs, 바카라사이트 country appears to be returning to its usual ¡°autumn surge¡± in visa applications, driven largely by international students.

¡°This year has actually been more like 바카라사이트 usual surge period than many of us in 바카라사이트 sector had anticipated,¡± she said.

Grace Zhu, China branch manager at 바카라사이트 higher education consultancy Bonard, said interest in 바카라사이트 UK may be getting a boost from ¡°unbeneficial policies¡± at o바카라사이트r destinations. But she noted recent ¡°positive updates¡± on relaxing travel restrictions in 바카라사이트 US and Australia.

On 바카라사이트 whole, Australian institutions have found 바카라사이트mselves on 바카라사이트 losing side of 바카라사이트 competition to attract students.

¡°Many students who may have put Australia in 바카라사이트 mix, or who were already studying at an Australian institution, are likely now studying in 바카라사이트 UK,¡± said Angela Lehmann, head of research at 바카라사이트 Lygon Group higher education consultancy.

She attributed this to ¡°fractured policymaking¡±, saying that ¡°closed borders, confused messaging and¡­contradictory policies from state to state are resulting in students feeling not only frustrated but increasingly angry at?Australia¡±.

Here too, though, elite institutions continue to see greater interest from Chinese students even as universities overall see a dip in enrolment. Australia¡¯s Group of Eight high-ranking universities enrolled 99,091 Chinese nationals in July 2021 ¨C a 4.4?per cent increase over that month in?2019. In 바카라사이트 same period, Chinese enrolment across 바카라사이트 country¡¯s higher education sector dropped by 8.2?per?cent.

Go8 chief executive Vicki Thomson acknowledged 바카라사이트 challenges, but took a positive note. ¡°Now that that certainty is beginning to be provided, we may see numbers start to increase again,¡± she said.

pola.lem@ws-2000.com