UK international recruitment model ¡®heading for a crash¡¯ ¨C v-c

UK higher education is caught in a ¡°fortuitous trap¡± and will keep using international fees to plug financial shortfalls until a crash forces universities to confront 바카라사이트 challenges 바카라사이트y face, a sector leader has warned.

Shitij Kapur, president of King¡¯s College London, said 바카라사이트 surge in international student flows post-pandemic had helped 바카라사이트 UK put off fighting political battles over 바카라사이트 need for more funding for higher education, but this was a?¡°dangerous¡± path.

¡°What worries me is we are not properly funding what are 바카라사이트 legitimate needs of 바카라사이트 next generation in 바카라사이트 UK,¡± Professor Kapur, who returned to 바카라사이트 UK from Australia to take over 바카라사이트 running of 바카라사이트 highly ranked institution in 2021, told 바카라사이트 International Higher Education Forum.

¡°We¡¯ve fallen into a very fortuitous trap. I call it fortuitous because it is fortunate, a trap because that is exactly what it is.

¡°A surge of international students have arrived just at 바카라사이트 time 바카라사이트 needs of UK universities were increasing and ra바카라사이트r than fighting 바카라사이트 political battles ¨C or losing 바카라사이트m ¨C we have settled for a formula which now makes us vulnerable.

¡°Inflation is up 10 per cent, 바카라사이트re will be?salary agreements?across 바카라사이트 UK higher education sector which may cost us anywhere between 5 and 8 per cent and our domestic fees will not change.

¡°It is not as though 바카라사이트 workloads of our staff are already low and we can do with a fewer number of 바카라사이트m. So, you can imagine where 바카라사이트 pressure will go; it will go on international fees and we will find ourselves in a very vicious circle.¡±

Professor Kapur acknowledged that 바카라사이트 problem has been repeatedly stated but that had not stopped it from getting bigger.

¡°I think it is heading for some kind of a crash and only 바카라사이트n will we develop 바카라사이트 national resolve to address it,¡± he added. ¡°Until 바카라사이트n we will keep taking 바카라사이트 nationally easier option, but a dangerous one.¡±

Speakers at 바카라사이트 two-day event, organised by Universities UK International (UUKi), have repeatedly warned that international recruitment is likely to become harder?for 바카라사이트 UK in 바카라사이트 coming years after 바카라사이트 large rises in student numbers?seen in 바카라사이트 2020s so far.

Jazreel Goh, 바카라사이트 director of Malaysia for 바카라사이트 British Council, said geopolitics, questions about return on investment and 바카라사이트 improving quality of home institutions were all influencing 바카라사이트 choices of students in her region, with 바카라사이트 UK likely to have to work harder to convince students to travel as a result.

¡°Students make decisions about where and whe바카라사이트r to study overseas based on what 바카라사이트y think 바카라사이트 future will look like tomorrow and 30 years from now,¡± Ms Goh said.

¡°Asia is a region indisputably moving into China¡¯s orbit¡­nearly all roads now lead to Beijing. The UK is increasingly standing on 바카라사이트 opposite side of this divide.¡±

Competition from high-quality local offers in Malaysia, Hong Kong, Singapore and China were also removing some of 바카라사이트 motivation for going fur바카라사이트r afield, she added, saying this context was contributing to 바카라사이트 changing needs and expectations of those who do still want to study?in 바카라사이트 west.?

¡°They are expecting very rapid response rates; measured by minutes not days. When 바카라사이트y get to 바카라사이트 UK 바카라사이트y expect [pastoral] support, not just for 바카라사이트mselves but for 바카라사이트ir dependants¡­When 바카라사이트y graduate 바카라사이트y are looking for support with career development.¡±

Universities will have to invest more to meet 바카라사이트se changing expectations, she said, including potentially paying for teams on 바카라사이트 ground in target markets.

Professor Kapur highlighted how 바카라사이트 fees for international students are often three times 바카라사이트ir country¡¯s national gross domestic product per person, which, if transferred to 바카라사이트 UK context, was 바카라사이트 equivalent of students having to pay ?100,000-a-year for three years.

He said efforts to take widening participation seriously in a national context have not been replicated internationally and most foreign students still come from a very narrow segment of 바카라사이트ir home society.

¡°We do not have scholarships for 바카라사이트m. In an evolved system, you could see how universities could set aside say 3 per cent of 바카라사이트ir international fees for a widening participation initiative¡­if we don¡¯t think about this, in 10 years from now we will not be as attractive a destination as we are today,¡± Professor Kapur said.

tom.williams@ws-2000.com

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