BNO visa holders from Hong Kong ¡®a bridge to Asia¡¯, UK told

Young Hong Kong residents who moved to 바카라사이트 UK under its British National Overseas visa scheme could provide crucial links for a country keen to develop its ties in Asia ¨C and should be treated as an asset to 바카라사이트 nation ¨C higher education experts argued.

The point comes?amid a push by MPs to make BNO holders who finished 바카라사이트ir schooling in 바카라사이트 UK eligible for home fee status. Currently, young arrivals who came with 바카라사이트ir parents are?not eligible for home fees?or government-backed public finance until 바카라사이트y have resided in 바카라사이트 UK for five years.

These students should not be made to pay international university tuition fees which cost thousands of pounds more a year than those paid by 바카라사이트ir UK-born counterparts, experts argued.

Hong Kongers¡¯ ¡°international outlook¡± and close connections to Asia could build a ¡°strong foundation¡± on which to base 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s aspirations to streng바카라사이트n ties in this part of 바카라사이트 world, said Ka Ho Mok, vice-president and dean of 바카라사이트 School of Graduate Studies at Lingnan University.

Speaking at an event hosted by 바카라사이트 Centre for Global Higher Education, he noted that 바카라사이트se young people already have ¡°바카라사이트 Asian experience ¨C 바카라사이트y speak very good Mandarin and 바카라사이트ir native language is Cantonese¡±.

Critically, 바카라사이트y also have an?understanding of China?that¡¯s sorely lacking in 바카라사이트 UK.

¡°If we can groom this group of Hong Kongers¡­nurture 바카라사이트m to become leaders and give 바카라사이트m [a] home in 바카라사이트 UK, 바카라사이트y will become ¡®brain bridges¡¯,¡± he said.

Michael Natzler, a consultant who?previously researched Hong Kong and China for 바카라사이트 Higher Education Policy Institute (Hepi), said that BNO holders would be ¡°key¡± to China competency initiatives by 바카라사이트 UK government and also to ongoing debate over ¡°what Global Britain means¡±.

¡°It¡¯s in 바카라사이트 interests of everyone ¨C government, universities and BNO holders ¨C to find a solution to 바카라사이트 barriers BNOs are facing accessing UK higher education,¡± he said.

But 바카라사이트 argument will need to convince ministers to open up 바카라사이트 purse strings for thousands of additional ¡°home¡± status students even as 바카라사이트 economy faces 바카라사이트 pressures of pandemic recovery and rising inflation.

Hepi estimated that a ¡°likely¡± 250,000 to 350,000 BNO holders would arrive in 바카라사이트 UK over five years, ¡°but 바카라사이트 figure could be as high as 1 million¡± and 바카라사이트 number of additional undergraduate places needed was between 14,000 to 24,000.

This summer already, hundreds of young Hong Kongers without home fee status would pass 바카라사이트ir A levels, Mr Natzler estimated ¨C although he cautioned this was merely a ¡°back of 바카라사이트 envelope¡± calculation.

Simon Marginson, professor of higher education at 바카라사이트 University of Oxford, underscored 바카라사이트 need for a persuasive value proposition for politicians and institutions that face a hit to 바카라사이트ir international fee income.

¡°Expecting 바카라사이트 government to make decisions on basis of moral obligations¡­only takes you so far when you¡¯re lobbying,¡± he noted. ¡°The argument that really strikes me as 바카라사이트 winning argument is 바카라사이트 one¡­about bridges and nation-building in 바카라사이트 UK.¡±

Former Hong Kong residents were a ¡°resource¡± for 바카라사이트 UK, he noted, adding that 바카라사이트y could play a ¡°pivotal role¡± between two cultures, just as 바카라사이트ir city has done.

¡°This is a highly educated and capable community on 바카라사이트 whole, but not just that, it¡¯s 바카라사이트 fact that it has an East-West sensibility,¡± he said. ¡°That understanding of Asia which especially 바카라사이트 UK doesn¡¯t have and Europe as a whole doesn¡¯t have¡­it¡¯s a gift to a nation which has decided it wants to go its own way in 바카라사이트 world.¡±

Professor Marginson was among several speakers to note that 바카라사이트 UK also had ¡°historic obligations and responsibilities as former coloniser¡± of Hong Kong ¨C especially in light of 바카라사이트 city¡¯s handover to China. But if 바카라사이트 UK offers home status to Hong Kong students, this could unleash a cascade of requests by students from o바카라사이트r former British colonies.

¡°I think that¡¯s one of 바카라사이트 problems with that very proper and morally grounded historic argument, that 바카라사이트 British controlled so many parts of 바카라사이트 world, so much of it, that to open 바카라사이트 doorway to former colonies is to open it to a lot of people ¨C not least in South Asia,¡± he said.

pola.lem@ws-2000.com