Migration and Higher Education
An overseas perspective
Pat Killingley
Director Higher Education
February 2012
UK Higher Education currently:
435,235 international students in the UK
13% global market share (2nd after US’s 16%)
17% of student body in the UK
20%+ of UK academics are international
Value of international HE to the UK economy is
£14.1bn per year
International students in UK HE 2011/12
Students by domicile, level of study and mode of study 2011/12
Postgraduate
Undergraduate
Domicile
Full-time
Part-time
Full-time
UK
132785
226010
1212025
490590
2061410
Non-UK
176640
33070
199950
25575
435235
Other EU
37090
12375
73660
9430
132550
Non-EU
139550
20695
126295
16145
302680
309425
259080
1411975
516165
2496645
Total
Source: HESA Student Record 2011/12
Part-time All students
Top non-EU sending countries 2011-12
Top ten non-EU countries of domicile in 2011/12 for HE students in UK Higher Education Institutions
Country of domicile
China
India
Nigeria
United States
Malaysia
Hong Kong
Saudi Arabia
Pakistan
Thailand
Canada
All other non-EU countries
Total non-EU domicile
Source: HESA Student Record 2010/11, 2011/12
2010/11
67325
39090
17585
15555
13900
10440
10270
10185
5945
5905
101915
298110
2011/12
78715
29900
17620
16335
14545
11335
9860
8820
6235
6115
103205
302680
% change
16.9%
-23.5%
0.2%
5.0%
4.6%
8.6%
-4.0%
-13.4%
4.9%
3.5%
1.3%
1.5%
British Council
UK's international organisation for educational opportunities
and cultural relations, creating international opportunities for
the people of the UK and other countries
- has a global network of 191 offices in over 100 countries
specialist education teams in all regions of the world
- has worked with HEIs in the UK and overseas, supporting
their international work for over 70 years
- reaches 10,000 education policy makers & institutions,+
250 million students and alumni across the world every year
British Council and international students
- promotion of UK study opportunities through the Education UK brand
and Education UK website, social media and publications
http://www.educationuk.org/
- 200 Education UK exhibitions in overseas countries every year
- UK Alumni international networks
- Services for International Education Marketing to support UK
institutions https://siem.britishcouncil.org/
- education market intelligence on global and country education markets
http://ihe.britishcouncil.org/ihe-exchange
- Education Agents’ training programmes
British Council and student visa issues
Contribution to the evidence base
- Student perception survey (‘Student Insight’ series)
- Agent perceptions survey
- Media monitoring in-country
Overseas communications & campaigns
- Education UK website, social media, publications, exhibitions
- media response and press releases
- agent communications and briefings
- visa ‘roadshows’
UK positioning and reputation management
- Relationship building with overseas politicians, ministries, sector
agencies, scholarship bodies, institutions, schools, agents, media
Student perceptions and motivations overseas
Why students choose the UK:
1. Quality of education
2. Career prospects
3. Experience of the UK
Opportunity to work while studying and post study work is in 5th place,
but particularly important to Indian students
What are the most important visa issues?
1. Ease of obtaining a visa
2. Length of time required for processing (80% thought 2 weeks fair)
3. Transparency of application process
4. Cost
Most difficult countries to get a visa?
USA (43%); UK (23%)
Views of international students in the UK
National Union of Students: International Students’ Employability
Survey (January-March 2012)
1,200 responses from international students in the UK
Main reason for studying in the UK ‘to increase global job prospects’
‘significant … outrage and disappointment at the closure of the post
study work visa’
As a result 62% of South Asian respondents would not recommend UK
study to a friend
14% of those who are working, or wish to work, while studying, are not
confident that they understand the visa regulations
Education agents’ perceptions overseas
British Council Surveys (1): 200 Agents in 20 countries
(2): 2000 Agents (countries not specified)
Do you understand the UK visa system? Do you need more
information?
- 50% understood; 50% did not understand; all needed more
information
Are recent visa changes discouraging students from applying to
the UK?
- 66% said yes
Annual growth rates in US, UK and Australia
• British Council analysis. Data sources: HESA; IIE, Opendoors (2012); AEI (2013 - referring to November
data for 2012).