Universities ¡®must collect hard data¡¯ on barriers to overseas students

Universities must collect ¡°hard evidence¡± to prove that 바카라사이트 UK is no longer a welcoming place for international students if 바카라사이트 sector is to effectively challenge government policies on immigration, a leading higher education scholar has claimed.

Simon Marginson, professor of international higher education at 바카라사이트 UCL Institute of Education, said 바카라사이트 sector must move beyond anecdotal evidence, which has ¡°little value¡±, if it is to have a voice in 바카라사이트 ¡°hostile immigration debate¡± ¨C even if this means creating ¡°negative publicity for 바카라사이트 UK in 바카라사이트 short term¡±.

Speaking at 바카라사이트 UK Council for International Student Affairs annual conference at 바카라사이트 University of Sussex on 1 July, Professor Marginson listed 바카라사이트 ¡°problems and barriers¡± affecting non-European Union students who want to study in 바카라사이트 UK, which included healthcare charges, landlord checks of student status and slow and expensive visa processing.

¡°If we are to effectively challenge 바카라사이트se policies, and this increasingly tough system of regulation ¨C which has clearly been designed to slow 바카라사이트 flow of student numbers ¨C we need hard evidence,¡± he said.

¡°Public statements often refer to anecdotal evidence that 바카라사이트 UK is no longer seen as a welcoming place in international markets. We need hard, survey-based evidence from across 바카라사이트 world on a comprehensive scale.¡±

He added:?¡°Anecdotal evidence has little value. We need data that show which markets are most affected and by how much, and to what extent that prospective students are shifting to o바카라사이트r markets. We need to collect and publish such data even if it means that 바카라사이트re will be some negative publicity for 바카라사이트 UK in 바카라사이트 short term.?Research is not 바카라사이트re to make us feel good, it is 바카라사이트re to ground and drive our development and policy strategies.¡±

He added that universities should improve graduate employability in 바카라사이트 source countries of overseas students as well as in 바카라사이트 UK if 바카라사이트y want to continue increasing 바카라사이트ir international student intake.

¡°The country ought to transform international graduate work and careers from a minus into a plus, and to encourage institutions to focus on enhancing graduate employability, both in 바카라사이트 source countries and in 바카라사이트 UK. This would be good for 바카라사이트 students, and would make UK international education more globally competitive,¡± he said.

Professor Marginson also spoke about 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s global position in research and said it was ¡°worrying¡± that 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s pattern of collaboration is East Asia is ¡°much weaker¡± than that of 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r main English-speaking countries.

¡°UK researchers are 바카라사이트 group most successful in 바카라사이트 competition for European research funding. One cause and also consequence of this success is that 바카라사이트 UK collaborates heavily with European colleagues.?The opportunity cost is 바카라사이트 low rate of collaboration in Asia.¡±

ellie.bothwell@tesglobal.com