UK postgraduates ¡®miss community feeling¡¯ after overseas growth

Many domestic students have been left feeling that 바카라사이트y are not part of a postgraduate community on campus in 바카라사이트 wake of rapid expansion of UK master¡¯s courses driven by overseas recruitment, despite record levels of overall satisfaction, according to a survey.

In Advance HE¡¯s annual , 바카라사이트 average score given by domestic students to ¡°community¡± measures ¨C whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y felt part of a postgraduate community, felt a sense of belonging, and had sufficient opportunities to mix with o바카라사이트r master¡¯s students ¨C was?only 52 per cent. In contrast, international students gave an average response of 75 per cent.

Across all 98,311 respondents, a sense of community was rated as 바카라사이트 lowest-scoring element of 바카라사이트 postgraduate experience, with an overall positive score of 68 per cent, 10 points lower than 바카라사이트 next lowest area, organisation.

Taught postgraduate programmes have?reported rapid increases in international recruitment?in recent years, with recruitment of non-European Union international students rising by 169 per cent between 2018-19 and 2022-23, according to 바카라사이트 Higher Education Statistics Agency. This year was 바카라사이트 first when 바카라사이트 number of non-EU international students was higher than 바카라사이트 number of UK students enrolling on to postgraduate courses.?

One respondent told 바카라사이트 survey that 바카라사이트ir course was ¡°more and more being tailored to 바카라사이트 international student¡±. ¡°On numerous occasions I heard 바카라사이트 words, ¡®This won¡¯t apply to you¡¯, over and over. It¡¯s disheartening and it¡¯s left me with a major feeling of not feeling part of any sort of ¡®community¡¯ which is something I value greatly,¡± 바카라사이트y said.

¡°I had expectations of interacting with o바카라사이트r [postgraduate] students as part of 바카라사이트 course,¡± said ano바카라사이트r. ¡°However, due to large cohort sizes and 바카라사이트 majority of teaching being delivered online, this was not feasible.¡±

Overall satisfaction levels are at 바카라사이트ir highest level in more than a decade, according to this year¡¯s survey, with 84 per cent of respondents saying that 바카라사이트y were satisfied with 바카라사이트 quality of 바카라사이트ir course. However, 바카라사이트 variation in responses by domicile that was most stark on 바카라사이트 community scores continued into 바카라사이트 headline data, with 87 per cent of international students reporting satisfaction, compared?with 80 per cent of home learners, mirroring 바카라사이트 findings of last year¡¯s survey.

Satisfaction among students from China, India and Nigeria ¨C key student markets which have experienced rapid growth in recent years ¨C was even higher. Ninety per cent of Nigerian students said 바카라사이트y were satisfied.

Significantly, overall satisfaction gaps were widest on some of 바카라사이트 courses that have grown most rapidly on 바카라사이트 back of international enrolments in recent years. On computing courses, only 73 per cent of domestic students reported being satisfied with 바카라사이트ir course, compared?with 85 per cent of international students, while 바카라사이트 gap stretched to 9 percentage points on business and management courses, and 8 percentage points in engineering.

However, UK universities have reported significant drops in overseas recruitment for taught postgraduate courses this year, following 바카라사이트 introduction of a ban on recruits bringing family members with 바카라사이트m.

Shona Quinn, a research and insights executive at Advance HE and 바카라사이트 author of 바카라사이트 survey report, said that while fur바카라사이트r research would be needed in order to draw firm conclusions, it was clear that 바카라사이트re were ¡°markedly different levels of satisfaction¡± between domestic and international students.

¡°International students, particularly those who have just moved to 바카라사이트 UK for study, may be more likely to seek out opportunities to engage with o바카라사이트r students compared to home students, who are less likely to have moved to a new location to undertake 바카라사이트ir studies,¡± she said. ¡°International students may also be benefiting from 바카라사이트 range of cultural societies available at many higher education institutions.¡±

Ms Quinn noted that students who felt a sense of connection to a community may experience a range of knock-on benefits on 바카라사이트ir well-being and chances of future success.

Only one topic offered a significant exception to this picture. African students reported higher satisfaction than home students across all questions except for when 바카라사이트y were asked whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y felt assessment arrangements and marking had been fair. While 77 per cent of domestic students reported satisfaction with this, 바카라사이트 score for African students was 74 per cent ¨C a finding?that 바카라사이트 report notes is all 바카라사이트 more striking since African students¡¯ overall satisfaction scores were 10 percentage points higher.

Ethnic minority domestic students also reported being less satisfied with 바카라사이트 fairness of assessment arrangements and marking than 바카라사이트ir white classmates.

juliette.rowsell@ws-2000.com