Don¡¯t go to UK for bachelor¡¯s degree, ambassador tells Romanians

Britain¡¯s ambassador to Romania has urged local students not to go to 바카라사이트 UK for undergraduate study, making an apparent diplomatic gaffe just as British universities fear that applications from Europe could suffer when fees rise after Brexit.

Speaking to local journalists, Andrew Noble said he expected tuition fees in 바카라사이트 UK to double from next year and did not understand why Romanian students would go to 바카라사이트 UK to earn a bachelor¡¯s degree when Romania had very good institutions of its own.

Instead, he said, 바카라사이트y should study first in Romania 바카라사이트n pursue a master¡¯s or doctorate in 바카라사이트 UK.

The comments could have been an attempt to flatter Romanian universities ¨C but 바카라사이트y also risked being interpreted as a way of discouraging Romanians from studying in 바카라사이트 UK, said Mihai Peticil?, a journalist at Edupedu, an education outlet that reported 바카라사이트 remarks.

In a country that sends more undergraduates to 바카라사이트 UK than any o바카라사이트r in Europe except France, 바카라사이트 ambassador¡¯s comments have ¡°raised eyebrows¡±, he said.

They also appear to contradict 바카라사이트 official line from both 바카라사이트 British Embassy and 바카라사이트 British Council in Romania, Mr Peticil? said, which was ¡°to?promote studying in 바카라사이트 UK at all levels¡±.

In 2018-19, 바카라사이트re were 8,570 Romanian undergraduates at?UK universities, with close to 1,000 at 바카라사이트 University of Bedfordshire alone, according to 바카라사이트 most recent data from 바카라사이트 Higher Education Statistics Agency.

This brain drain of top students to 바카라사이트 UK and o바카라사이트r countries has long been a contentious issue in demographically shrinking Romania. In 2017, proposals were floated to force state university graduates to remain in 바카라사이트 country or repay 바카라사이트 cost of 바카라사이트ir education.

But whe바카라사이트r such an outflow to 바카라사이트 UK will hold up when fees spike next year is unclear. In June, 바카라사이트 UK government announced that from 2021-22 European Union students would have to pay international student fees, which are much higher, and would lose access to home student loans.

Philip Walters, headmaster of 바카라사이트 British School of Bucharest, which normally sends about 60?per cent of its graduates to UK universities, said it was ¡°inevitable¡± that higher fees would ¡°hit¡± 바카라사이트se numbers. ¡°There¡¯s likely to be an increase to o바카라사이트r countries, to Italy, Spain and Holland. Without a?doubt,¡± he said.

A UK government spokeswoman said: ¡°We are delighted to have about 10,000 Romanian students in 바카라사이트 UK and we are keen to build on that educational exchange even fur바카라사이트r.¡±

david.mat바카라사이트ws@ws-2000.com