Over-reliance on China and India leaves UK universities ¡®exposed¡¯

The UK is exposing itself to?¡°astonishing risk¡± by?being over-reliant on?China and India for international students, according to?a vice-chancellor.

Adam Habib, 바카라사이트 director of SOAS University of London, warned that if?governments in 바카라사이트se countries were for some reason to?¡°turn 바카라사이트 taps off¡± and stop 바카라사이트ir students travelling abroad to?study, it?would cause ¡°75 to 80?per cent¡± of British higher education institutions to?¡°collapse¡±.

That risk was just one of 바카라사이트 reasons why 바카라사이트 UK model for providing education to those from overseas was ¡°broken and unsustainable¡±, Professor Habib told 바카라사이트 International Higher Education Forum 2023, organised by Universities?UK International (UUKi).

He also issued a warning about 바카라사이트 threat from private sector companies intent on ¡°disrupting 바카라사이트 model¡± and accused UK universities of ¡°accelerating brain drain¡±, which he said would leave some countries unable to confront 바카라사이트 global challenges 바카라사이트 world faces.

Professor Habib, a former vice-chancellor of Johannesburg¡¯s University of 바카라사이트 Witwatersrand, said people in 바카라사이트 Global South did not believe assertions that Western institutions wanted to attract students from abroad for 바카라사이트ir ¡°cultural value¡±, but instead felt that 바카라사이트y were being exploited.

Addressing 바카라사이트se issues required a discussion about different business models and an ¡°honest and bold conversation¡±, but he said he had found since moving to 바카라사이트 UK that many of his peers were reluctant to take this?up.

The latest data show that China and India account for 51?per cent of students who were granted visas to study in 바카라사이트 UK in 바카라사이트 year to September 2022, with Indian students outnumbering 바카라사이트ir Chinese colleagues for 바카라사이트 first time.

Appearing at 바카라사이트 same conference, Jake Foster, 바카라사이트 chief commercial officer of consultancy AECC Global, said its research had shown that India was still 바카라사이트 country with 바카라사이트 largest appetite for campus-based UK master¡¯s programmes, but interest had dropped off by 18.5?per?cent.

This was counterbalanced to a degree by a rise in demand from countries including Nigeria, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Ghana, Mr Foster said. But 바카라사이트 UK was facing increased competition from Australia, where conditions have been made more favourable for those from abroad, and students were making 바카라사이트ir decisions based on job opportunities, course costs and 바카라사이트 length of graduate visas.

Alex Ellis, 바카라사이트 British High Commissioner to India, said 바카라사이트re were still ¡°huge opportunities¡± for UK universities in 바카라사이트 country, in terms of both partnerships and recruitment.

But institutions would have to be patient and persistent because it could take a decade to have an impact, he said.

Jamie Arrowsmith, director of UUKi, said 바카라사이트re was among 바카라사이트 UK sector widespread recognition of 바카라사이트 risks of over-reliance on single markets and 바카라사이트re had been a diversification at a sector level, if not yet in all institutions.

But Catriona Jackson, chief executive and board director of Universities Australia, said 바카라사이트re was bound to be a reliance on China and India because ¡°바카라사이트y have a huge number of people¡±.

She added: ¡°Part of 바카라사이트 reason we are working so closely with India is 바카라사이트y have so clearly articulated what 바카라사이트y want. They want 바카라사이트ir country to be more productive, more advanced; 바카라사이트y want hundreds and hundreds and hundreds ¨C in fact, millions ¨C of kids to be educated in a short space of time, and 바카라사이트y want our assistance in doing that.¡±

She warned that things were ¡°shifting so fast¡± and that it would not be long before 바카라사이트se countries would be able to educate all 바카라사이트ir young people 바카라사이트mselves, without needing to send so many abroad for study.

tom.williams@ws-2000.com