The plans have been developed by ESAG’s core members in collaboration with organisations across the education sector and all four UK nations. They set out areas for collective action, partnership working and sector-led activity across international education.
The publication follows the launch of the UK’s refreshed international education strategy, which sets out three overarching ambitions for the sector: increasing the UK’s international standing through education; continuing to recruit high-quality international students from a diverse range of countries; and collectively growing education exports to £40 billion a year.
The strategy defines education exports broadly, covering international student recruitment, transnational education, partnerships, qualifications, training, consultancy, suppliers and other education services.
The ESAG plans cover seven broad areas: international market development and promotion; market intelligence and evidence; quality, qualification and professional recognition; student, learner and practitioner mobility; export growth, commercial partnerships and transnational delivery; capability building; and a joined-up UK education offer.
Under market development, the plans propose activity including trade missions, UK pavilions, recruitment events, coordinated marketing campaigns and country-specific market briefings. They also identify potential support for organisations entering overseas markets, including regulatory guidance, export toolkits and partner identification.
The plans also propose establishing sector export baselines and annual reporting arrangements, alongside work to improve market intelligence. This could include information on overseas demand, student recruitment trends, qualification requirements, procurement opportunities and competitor activity, as well as country system maps and other intelligence products for providers.
Quality and recognition is another focus, with proposed work around accreditation and safeguarding frameworks, transnational education and the recognition of UK qualifications in selected international markets. The plans also identify work to improve progression pathways between different parts of the UK education system.
On international mobility, ESAG proposes strengthening recruitment and progression pathways, including English language training-to-study routes, international teacher and practitioner development, Erasmus+ participation and other mobility opportunities. It also plans to identify barriers affecting the competitiveness and experience of international learners studying in the UK.
For education organisations seeking international business opportunities, the plans include proposals for export accelerators, matched-support schemes, consortium building and export champion networks. ESAG also identifies opportunities to expand transnational education partnerships and pilot international services in priority growth markets.
Another strand focuses on presenting a more coordinated UK education proposition overseas, connecting early years, schools, skills, English language, higher education and education suppliers.
The individual sector plans have been published by ESAG’s six core members: Universities UK International, the Independent Schools Council, the British Educational Suppliers Association, English UK, the Early Years Alliance and the UK Skills Partnership.
The government said the sector’s individual plans would now support implementation of the strategy through to 2030, with the implementation work intended to put the sector “as the driving force of planning and delivery of the strategy” and help identify areas where government support is required.
