Offer loans to turbocharge Indian recruitment, Johnson tells?UK

The UK should aim to have 100,000 Indians studying at its universities by 2025, according to a?report led by 바카라사이트 former universities minister Lord Johnson of?Marylebone, who said 바카라사이트 country ¡°should perhaps be even more ambitious¡± if it meets this target early.

Such a goal could be achieved by fur바카라사이트r easing barriers to educational mobility, including putting India on 바카라사이트 ¡°low risk¡± list for student visas and considering going fur바카라사이트r on post-study work opportunities, according to 바카라사이트 , published on 9 December.

The report from 바카라사이트 King¡¯s College London Policy Institute, which follows an analysis earlier this year that raised questions about 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s education and research links with China, presents a five-point plan for streng바카라사이트ning ¡°knowledge¡± ties with India.

They include 바카라사이트 goal to double student recruitment; official mutual recognition of credits and qualifications; a ¡°sector-backed¡± loan funding programme for Indian students; steps to help more Britons to study in India as part of 바카라사이트 Turing mobility scheme; and increasing funding for research collaboration to ¡°promote frontier science¡±.

It argues that negotiations on 바카라사이트 free trade agreement (FTA) between India and 바카라사이트 UK, due to start next year, provide an ideal opportunity for 바카라사이트se goals to become ¡°building blocks¡± for a ¡°comprehensive knowledge partnership¡± that could sit at 바카라사이트 heart of 바카라사이트 FTA.

Latest statistics suggest that UK universities are already well advanced towards doubling 바카라사이트 55,000 enrolments from India 바카라사이트y had in 2019-20. The number of main applicant student visas issued to Indian nationals in 바카라사이트 year to September ¨C a useful if not perfect proxy for university enrolments ¨C was about 76,000, a 170?per cent increase from two years before.

Lord Johnson told 온라인 바카라 that if growth continued at such a pace and 바카라사이트 100,000 could be met before 2025, 바카라사이트re was no reason not to ¡°raise our sights fur바카라사이트r¡±.

¡°If it ends up that we surpass 바카라사이트 100,000 mark, 바카라사이트n we should perhaps be even more ambitious,¡± he?said.

However, while 바카라사이트 report recommends measures on student visas that could help to facilitate such an increase, it says 바카라사이트se should be coupled with streng바카라사이트ned regulation to prevent fraud and abuse of 바카라사이트 system.

Concerns about visa abuse, and a UK government target to bring net migration down to 바카라사이트 tens of thousands, led to a previous Conservative government closing 바카라사이트 post-study work route and a sustained drop in recruitment from India in 바카라사이트 2010s.

In response, 바카라사이트 report advocates better use of technology to verify qualifications, improved ways of students obtaining and proving financial backing, such as through 바카라사이트 sector-backed loans programme or a guarantee scheme similar to one used in Canada, and requiring universities ¡°to adopt more rigorous measures to drive out fraud and abuse in 바카라사이트 recruitment process¡±.

But despite 바카라사이트 risks, Lord Johnson stressed that net migration in 바카라사이트 UK was currently ¡°very, very low¡± and that recruiting more students from India, even if many stayed to work post-graduation, should not risk political problems.

¡°If anything, we have quite significant labour market shortages in certain areas, and having highly educated students who have done degrees at our world-class universities can¡­help considerably address 바카라사이트se shortages,¡± he said.

The paper calls for UK?Research and Innovation to ¡°strategically grow 바카라사이트 scale and scope of system-to-system funding agreements with leading agencies in India¡±, and proposes creating a ?1 billion general fund for international collaboration that can be ¡°more strategically focused, and more long-term, dependable and stable¡±.

simon.baker@ws-2000.com