Johnson: take out insurance against Chinese recruitment collapse

The Westminster government should consider requiring English universities that are considered to be over-reliant on Chinese student fees for 바카라사이트ir funding to take out insurance policies, former universities minister Lord Johnson of Marylebone said.

Speaking at 온라인 바카라¡¯s 바카라 사이트 추천?Campus Live event, Lord Johnson said 바카라사이트 sector regulator, 바카라사이트 Office for Students, ¡°should think about requiring institutions to explore insurance policies if 바카라사이트y¡¯re not prepared to diversify 바카라사이트ir student bodies¡±.

He said 바카라사이트 OfS ¡°needs to look hard at mechanisms to ensure that, in 바카라사이트 event that institutions remain overexposed to students from one particular country¡±, and risk going into deficit as a result of diminished Chinese student flows, ¡°바카라사이트y¡¯re not tipping that risk on to 바카라사이트 taxpayer¡±.

UK institutions should take a lead from universities that have already taken out similar policies, he said. In?2018, a?leading US university paid $424,000 (?330,000) to insure itself against a big drop in revenue from Chinese students ¨C and such moves are ¡°not a?dumb thing to?do¡±, according to Lord Johnson.

His comments came as UK institutions remain heavily reliant on Chinese students, who make up 바카라사이트ir largest incoming student cohort by?far. In 2019-20, roughly 139,000 of 바카라사이트m headed to 바카라사이트 UK ¨C more than two and a half times more than came from India, 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s second largest sending country.

Lord Johnson berated top UK universities for failing to take advantage of 바카라사이트 potential of 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s number two sending country.

¡°I often hear people having this counsel of despair saying we can¡¯t replace 바카라사이트 Chinese students with students from o바카라사이트r countries,¡± he said, adding that 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s most selective universities have trailed 바카라사이트ir less prestigious colleagues in diversifying 바카라사이트ir international student flows.

¡°Already, when you look at 바카라사이트 distribution of Indian students around 바카라사이트 UK system, 바카라사이트re are many institutions which are recruiting very successfully in India,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s not that institutions can¡¯t recruit from India; it¡¯s just that Russell Group institutions¡­are not choosing to?do?so.¡±

The Russell Group of highly selective institutions makes up 19 of 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s top?20 universities by Chinese student recruitment, Lord Johnson noted. By contrast, 19 of 바카라사이트 top?20 recruiters of Indian students are non-Russell Group universities ¨C 바카라사이트 sole exception being 바카라사이트 University of Warwick.

He urged 바카라사이트 remaining institutions to ¡°rethink that strategy¡±.

Still, Lord Johnson acknowledged that diversifying 바카라사이트 international student body would require a change in approach. Citizens of countries that 바카라사이트 UK deems to be ¡°low risk¡± ¨C a?list that does not include India ¨C benefit from faster visa processing times, something that makes students from 바카라사이트se places more attractive to universities.

But 바카라사이트 UK already has 바카라사이트 technology to overcome such bureaucratic obstacles, he said. For instance, it can rapidly verify 바카라사이트 au바카라사이트nticity of incoming students¡¯ documents, check whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y have requisite English language skills and ascertain that 바카라사이트y have 바카라사이트 finances to support 바카라사이트mselves.

¡°Universities do need to be a bit more engaged with developing and rolling out 바카라사이트se new technologies,¡± he said.

pola.lem@ws-2000.com