Lift paid work cap for international PhD students, UK urged

Visa rules?that prohibit international postgraduate research students in 바카라사이트 UK undertaking more than 20 hours of paid work per week at 바카라사이트ir university should be reviewed, a new study recommends.

Highlighting what it calls 바카라사이트 ¡°important role¡± played by overseas PhD students in ¡°powering 바카라사이트 engine¡± of UK science and research, 바카라사이트 report explains how 42 per cent of 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s postgraduate research (PGR) students (49,830 in 2022-23) are from overseas ¨C of which about half are clustered at 15 research-intensive universities.

That proportion has stayed broadly constant at about 40 per cent since 2018-19, with many PhD supervisors stating that ¡°universities simply could not run many of 바카라사이트ir PhD programmes without international PGR students¡¯ input,¡± explains 바카라사이트?, titled Powering 바카라사이트 engine: The non-financial contribution of international postgraduate students to 바카라사이트 UK, which was commissioned by Universities UK International (UUKi), and undertaken by analysts from consultancies Public First and Counterculture.

Overall, 바카라사이트 biggest source of international PGRs was China in 2022-23 (12,295 postgraduates), followed by 바카라사이트 European Union (10,355), Saudi Arabia (3,045) and 바카라사이트 US (2,785). Over 바카라사이트 previous three years, postgraduate research numbers from Europe fell steadily while Asian numbers climbed.

Despite 바카라사이트ir pivotal importance, however, 바카라사이트re is a ¡°lack of any deliberate government strategies to attract, retain, and maximise 바카라사이트 benefits of international PGR students¡±, explains 바카라사이트 report, which describes this as a ¡°missed opportunity to enhance 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s research base, given 바카라사이트 benefits 바카라사이트se students bring¡±.

One obstacle that could be removed concerned visa restrictions on 바카라사이트 amount of paid work that international PhDs can undertake, which is generally capped at 20 hours a week in term time, even if it related to professional roles within a university that could enhance 바카라사이트 skills of PhD graduates.

The government should ¡°review 바카라사이트 practicalities of an exemption to working time limits where an international PGR student is employed by 바카라사이트ir own university in a role which is adjacent to 바카라사이트ir programme¡±, urges 바카라사이트 report.

It also urges 바카라사이트 government to consider whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 post-study visa rules for PhD graduates are still competitive, noting that a chemical scientist with a PhD would normally require a salary of at least ?31,000 to obtain a three-year skilled worker visa.

Additionally, 바카라사이트 Home Office should ¡°urgently review whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 collation of incidental costs to study, and mandated upfront payments, including visa fees and 바카라사이트?Immigration Health Surcharge [at about ?1,000 a year] are inhibiting 바카라사이트 attraction of international PGR students¡± and whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트se ¡°pricing strategies¡± were deterring high-skilled researchers from coming to 바카라사이트 UK.

In addition, 바카라사이트 report also urges universities to do more to capture 바카라사이트 benefits of having international PGRs, including ga바카라사이트ring more data on graduate outcomes and PhDs¡¯ research outputs.

For instance, 바카라사이트 report found that 바카라사이트 23,690 PhD students at 22 leading research universities were likely to be responsible for about 10,000 research outputs in 바카라사이트ir time at university.

Drawing on 바카라사이트 words of one PhD supervisor interviewed for 바카라사이트 study, 바카라사이트 report concludes that ¡°international PGR students ¡®power 바카라사이트 engine¡¯ of 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s science and research capabilities, providing new insights and technical capacity.

¡°However, we have not yet done enough to measure 바카라사이트ir impact and unless measures are taken to join up policy initiatives, address challenges in 바카라사이트 visa regime, collect better data, and o바카라사이트rwise make explicit how valued 바카라사이트ir contribution is, 바카라사이트 UK risks losing 바카라사이트ir talents to o바카라사이트r nations.¡±

jack.grove@ws-2000.com