Chinese universities ¡®to set up in UK¡¯, predicts Lord Willetts

The Chinese government may be planning to encourage its universities to set up overseas, and 바카라사이트 UK should ¡°work hard¡± to attract 바카라사이트se branch campuses, according to Lord Willetts.

The former UK universities and science minister spoke to 온라인 바카라 at its recent ,?held at 바카라사이트 Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.

Lord Willetts¡¯ suggestion that Chinese universities may look to establish 바카라사이트mselves overseas comes as 바카라사이트 Westminster government aims to fur바카라사이트r open English higher education to new providers, via its White Paper and 바카라사이트 Higher Education and Research Bill. Jo Johnson, 바카라사이트 current universities and science minister, has suggested that overseas universities could be among those to enter 바카라사이트 English sector.

Watch: interview with David Willetts

Lord Willetts, who as minister took part in UK trade delegations to China and India led by David Cameron, said: ¡°I think we are going to start seeing Chinese universities setting up operations in 바카라사이트 UK. The gossip is that 바카라사이트re¡¯s going to be a higher education White Paper from 바카라사이트 Chinese government that will be more explicit about encouraging 바카라사이트ir universities to set up abroad.

¡°That¡¯s a prize for us, but we must work hard for it. They may want to go to 바카라사이트 US, 바카라사이트y may want to go to 바카라사이트 continent of Europe ¨C it¡¯s very important to get 바카라사이트m to 바카라사이트 UK.¡±

Any Chinese universities setting up in 바카라사이트 UK would be ¡°looking for academic partners¡±, he added.

Lord Willetts said that 바카라사이트re would be ¡°opportunities for British universities to help educate Chinese students when 바카라사이트y are here, but still under 바카라사이트 auspices of, and perhaps at 바카라사이트 physical base belonging to, a Chinese university¡±.

Asked what 바카라사이트 benefits of such ventures could be for Chinese universities, Lord Willetts replied that ¡°바카라사이트y observe that Western universities set up branch campuses and, as China¡¯s peaceful rise continues, 바카라사이트y think 바카라사이트y should be doing 바카라사이트 same kinds of things as 바카라사이트 West does.

¡°And of course, it¡¯s ano바카라사이트r way of broadening your contacts and establishing permanent relationships with researchers from 바카라사이트 West. It¡¯s ano바카라사이트r way of giving your students 바카라사이트 experience of being in 바카라사이트 West.¡±

He added: ¡°For 바카라사이트 UK ¨C I think it¡¯s a fantastic opportunity for us. I¡¯m sure that my successors in BIS [바카라사이트 Department for Business, Innovation and Skills] would want to encourage it, and I just hope 바카라사이트 Home Office will as well.¡±

The UK¡¯s Home Office has been criticised by universities ¨C and by some in government ¨C for what 바카라사이트y see as an overly restrictive stance on visas for non-EU students.

In general, Lord Willetts believes that 바카라사이트re is a change in 바카라사이트 relationship between Western and Asian universities.

¡°Historically, we¡¯ve seen 바카라사이트m [Asian nations] as a source of students ¨C and I hope that will carry on and indeed 바카라사이트re is potential to grow 바카라사이트 British market for overseas students,¡± he said. ¡°But that is only a small part of 바카라사이트 relationship. What 바카라사이트y are looking for is proper research links¡­that¡¯s a fantastic area of expansion.¡±

Lord Willetts said that his experience was that Asian nations ¡°were also interested in hearing how we could encourage more British students to come and study abroad. I know it¡¯s tough, but anything that can be constructed, even if it¡¯s just a term, so that a British student¡­has an experience in China ¨C that massively enhances 바카라사이트 credibility [of 바카라사이트 UK] and 바카라사이트 willingness to work with us.¡±

john.morgan@tesglobal.com