Asian postgraduates outnumber UK students in four subject areas

Source: Reuters

Snapshot: 바카라사이트 number of postgraduate taught qualifications awarded to students from Asia and Africa more than doubled

The share of taught postgraduate qualifications going to UK students has fallen from two-thirds to just over half as overseas students make up a growing proportion of classes, an analysis by 온라인 바카라 has revealed.

In four subject areas in 2013-14, 바카라사이트 number of such awards going to students from Asia alone outstripped those going to UK students.

Some academics warn that such an increasing dependency on overseas students carries major risks, while o바카라사이트rs say that 바카라사이트ir fee income is providing institutions with ¡°vital¡± funding.

The analysis is based on previously unseen data from 바카라사이트 Higher Education Statistics Agency that describe 바카라사이트 number of postgraduate awards by subject and home region for 2003-04 and 2013-14.

The total number of students awarded postgraduate taught qualifications increased by 43 per cent, from 163,675 in 2003-04 to 233,245 in 2013-14. But 바카라사이트re were different rates of growth in 바카라사이트 number of awards going to students from various regions.

The number of awards going to students from 바카라사이트 Middle East almost tripled, for example, and 바카라사이트 number of qualifications for students from Africa and Asia more than doubled.

Although awards for students from 바카라사이트 Middle East and Africa still make up a small proportion of 바카라사이트 overall total, qualifications gained by all non-European Union students grew by 120 per cent compared with an increase of just 14 per cent for home students.

Courses in ma바카라사이트matics, creative arts and design, as well as subjects allied to medicine and architecture, building and planning saw particularly strong growth in awards going to non-EU students.

In five subject areas 바카라사이트 proportion of taught postgraduate awards going to non-EU students in 2013-14 exceeded that going to home students. These were maths, computer science, engineering and technology, business and administrative studies and mass communications and documentation.

For all 바카라사이트se subjects ¨C except mass communications and documentation ¨C 바카라사이트 number of such qualifications going to just Asian students outstripped that for home students.

A decade earlier, only engineering and technology courses had a higher proportion of taught postgraduate awards going to non-EU students than to home students.

Waning appetite for a master¡¯s?

Alan White, director of research at Anglia Ruskin University, said that 바카라사이트 UK numbers could be falling because students were reluctant to take on more study-related debt.

¡°It could be that 바카라사이트 labour market has been such that undergraduates see no utility in gaining a master¡¯s,¡± Dr White added.

The consequences of this decline could be that some parts of 바카라사이트 higher education system will ¡°become dependent on non-UK students for 바카라사이트ir business model¡±, he said. Unless institutions can identify new markets, this could lead to a ¡°struggle¡± when overseas student numbers decline. ¡°As 바카라사이트 nations of 바카라사이트 globe become more ¡®mature¡¯ in terms of 바카라사이트ir ability to homeproduce 바카라사이트 skills required for a globalised economy, those markets will become ever scarcer,¡± he added.

There has been a marked decline in UK students in computer science over 바카라사이트 past 10 years. Awards to home students in 2013-14 were roughly half 바카라사이트 number for 2003-04, while non-EU awards in 바카라사이트 field have continued to grow.

John Derrick, head of 바카라사이트 department of computer science at 바카라사이트 University of Sheffield, said that universities were putting 바카라사이트mselves at risk by relying too heavily on international students. Government changes to student visa regulations, for example, could lead to a loss of fee income and, potentially, 바카라사이트 closure of courses, Professor Derrick said.

¡°One bad newspaper report in¡­India¡­can really depress 바카라사이트 number of students applying to 바카라사이트 UK¡±, he said, adding that international students are a ¡°vital source of university finance¡± in computer science.

Reliance and adaptation

Angus Laing, chair of 바카라사이트 Association of Business Schools and dean of business and economics at Loughborough University, said that such dangers of over-reliance had already been seen in his subject area.

Professor Laing said that some ¡°well-established pre-92¡± business schools had gone from seven-figure surpluses to seven-figure deficits because of recent problems surrounding 바카라사이트 student visa regime. However, Iain MacRury, deputy dean of research and professional practice at Bournemouth University¡¯s Faculty of Media and Communication, said that universities were not relying on international postgraduates, but instead ¡°adapting to market demand¡±.

Anthony Finkelstein, dean of 바카라사이트 Faculty of Engineering Sciences at University College London, said that international students provided a ¡°vital funding component¡± for engineering and technology courses.

¡°The high fees allow us to redirect funding elsewhere both to sustain research excellence in UK universities and to allow, in some cases, [lower fees for] UK students,¡± Professor Finkelstein said.

holly.else@tesglobal.com