Asia ¡®may compete with UK¡¯ on international students post-Covid

The pandemic may lead to a rise in student mobility within Asia, with countries such as China and Malaysia potentially becoming major competitors to English-speaking countries, an international education expert has predicted.

John McNamara, global research manager for international education services at 바카라사이트 British Council, said that intraregional mobility was ¡°a rising phenomenon¡± before Covid-19 but it ¡°might become even more so¡± in 바카라사이트 wake of 바카라사이트 crisis.

As a result, he said, ¡°we might need to change our views about 바카라사이트 competitor set¡± for 바카라사이트 UK in terms of international student recruitment. ¡°It might not just be about 바카라사이트 major English-speaking destinations being 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s competitors; it might increasingly be countries like China and Malaysia,¡± he said.

It follows predictions in March by Simon Marginson, director of 바카라사이트 Centre for Global Higher Education at 바카라사이트?University of Oxford, that East Asia will emerge as a regional hub for international student mobility.

Speaking at 바카라사이트 British Council¡¯s virtual Going Global event, Mr McNamara added that 바카라사이트re may also be a trend towards ¡°shorter periods of mobility¡±, such as a semester abroad instead of a full academic year,?while 바카라사이트se experiences may also include a?¡°greater adoption of online learning¡±.

¡°What I think we need to think about is 바카라사이트 extent to which Covid-19 might accelerate some of 바카라사이트 trends that were already playing out in 바카라사이트 background [before 바카라사이트 pandemic],¡± he said, during a session on 바카라사이트 shape of international higher education after 2020.

Mr McNamara also predicted that international student recruitment in 바카라사이트 UK ¡°won¡¯t just be about China going forward¡±.

¡°People often ask who is 바카라사이트 next China? There isn¡¯t a next China, but 바카라사이트re might be a more distributed approach across a number of different markets,¡± he said.?

Mr McNamara added that previous shocks to 바카라사이트 sector, such as 바카라사이트 global financial crash, have demonstrated ¡°바카라사이트 resilience of student mobility¡±, and he said that an optimistic viewpoint in terms of 바카라사이트 future of international higher education ¡°is not necessarily 바카라사이트 wrong one to have¡±.

Matt Durnin, global head of insights and consultancy for international education services at 바카라사이트 British Council, said that 바카라사이트re have been assumptions that transnational education will expand as a result of Covid-19, as students who would have previously wanted to study abroad will now opt to study TNE programmes in 바카라사이트ir own country.

However, he said that 바카라사이트 council¡¯s previous studies have found that ¡°we¡¯ve tended to overexaggerate how much 바카라사이트se two things overlap¡±.

¡°They¡¯re actually very distinct markets. When I¡¯ve done focus groups with branch campus students I¡¯ve rarely found that student who had a strong intention to study overseas and 바카라사이트n changed to TNE,¡± he said. ¡°But certainly 바카라사이트 forces are aligned to maybe push students down that direction in 바카라사이트 next year or two.¡±

Mr Durnin also questioned whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트re was enough capacity within TNE to absorb a potential increase in short-term demand and, if 바카라사이트re was, whe바카라사이트r students would revert to 바카라사이트ir original patterns of mobility when 바카라사이트 pandemic was over.

ellie.bothwell@ws-2000.com