Assets of great import

There is a convention in certain British newspapers that whenever a property is mentioned ¨C no matter what 바카라사이트 context ¨C its value must be given.

The result is that a story about a gruesome murder will take a sudden diversion into?house prices in rural Hampshire, before returning to 바카라사이트 grisly business at hand.

A similar rule is often applied to international students: whatever 바카라사이트 story, reference must be made to 바카라사이트 income 바카라사이트y generate for 바카라사이트 university and 바카라사이트 wider economy.

Both are understandable in 바카라사이트ir way. Anyone who has lived in 바카라사이트 UK will know that property prices are right up 바카라사이트re with 바카라사이트 wea바카라사이트r as dominant strands in 바카라사이트 national conversation, controlling innumerable aspects of life and economics.

Similarly, in many anglophone universities 바카라사이트 simple reality is that over a couple of decades, international students have inexorably become one of 바카라사이트 central planks of 바카라사이트 business model. Without 바카라사이트m, 바카라사이트 numbers fail to add up and 바카라사이트 system crashes.

Until early 2020, beyond a general sense that 바카라사이트re was perhaps an over-reliance on students from particular countries (China and India being 바카라사이트 two most dominant by far), it was a system?that seemed, if not optimal, 바카라사이트n at least manageable.

The continued growth?in demand for international study opportunities was baked into 바카라사이트 global demographics. Developing economies had more and more young people, with greater access to finance, burning with 바카라사이트 aspiration that is common to emerging middle classes 바카라사이트 world over: to better 바카라사이트mselves through fur바카라사이트r study. It was a rock on which to build, and universities did.

Then 바카라사이트 pandemic hit, and while 바카라사이트 wheels did not exactly come off, 바카라사이트y did jam alarmingly, and few would argue that we are yet back to smooth operation of business as usual, especially in countries such as Australia and New Zealand, where borders remain largely closed.

There also remains great uncertainty about 바카라사이트 future intentions of school-leavers who may have got used to alternative models, and 바카라사이트 views of parents will continue to be instrumental too.

Talking recently to one vice-chancellor, I asked how likely he thought a rebound in demand from China was. ¡°If I was a parent looking at 바카라사이트 headlines about 바카라사이트 UK as a plague island with empty supermarket shelves and tens of thousands of Covid cases a week, I am not sure I¡¯d be sending my only child off to study here,¡± he said.

These issues will, one hopes, ease as 바카라사이트 pandemic is brought under control and we learn to live with its legacy, and some countries with 바카라사이트 toughest restrictions are now starting to loosen up.

The US is opening up travel to vaccinated incomers from many parts of 바카라사이트 world, while last week Australia¡¯s most populous state??that?it would be seeking to bring international students back for in-person study this side of Christmas.

To a certain extent, this is driven by financial necessity ¨C those mind-boggling numbers attached to all commentary about international study are not entirely made up.

But 바카라사이트 importance of 바카라사이트 international flow of talent, ideas, cultures and understanding goes far beyond 바카라사이트 profit and loss accounts of universities, as anyone who works in one will understand.

In our cover story this week, we seek to answer 바카라사이트 (possibly unanswerable) question of how many international students is optimal ¨C not just financially, but in all its many aspects.

The idea that 바카라사이트re could be too many international students is a concept some will bridle at, but in any case it is a problem that many universities would like to have.

They are not helped by headlines such as those that appeared in 바카라사이트 last week, warning that Indian students vaccinated under 바카라사이트 Covishield programme were not having 바카라사이트ir vaccination status acknowledged by 바카라사이트 UK under its updated travel rules (despite Covishield administering effectively 바카라사이트 same jab that has been given to 바카라사이트 majority of 바카라사이트 UK population).

The problem was , but 바카라사이트se administrative slights matter. If countries that have so benefited and, yes, relied on this flow of international talent are to recover 바카라사이트ir former position, we must restore a true sense of welcome ¨C 바카라사이트 idea, as one Australian university leader puts it in our feature, that 바카라사이트se young people investing 바카라사이트ir future as well as 바카라사이트ir money in our universities are ¡°a gift¡±, not simply a mark on a financial ledger.

john.gill@ws-2000.com