A report published today by HEPI and Uoffer Global has found that Chinese students are not being adequately supported by UK universities despite their collective contribution of £2.3 billion a year in tuition fees.
Investigating integration challenges facing Chinese students amid growing uncertainty about their future in the UK, the report concludes that institutions must improve the support services on offer or risk the UK becoming less popular with students from China.
“Although the financial value that Chinese students contribute to the UK economy is increasingly being realised, their potential social and cultural contribution is often overlooked,” said Pippa Ebel, author of the report.
“All international students face challenges when moving to an unfamiliar environment, but there is evidence to suggest that the problems facing Chinese students are more acute and distinct.”
The report emphasises the financial reliance of UK universities – particularly the Russell Group – on Chinese students, warning that the number of Chinese applicants dropped by 4% in 2023, indicating a potential risk of declining enrolments.
“Some Chinese students feel that UK HEIs see them as a revenue stream rather than important social and academic contributors to the university… this perception, combined with China’s strained economy, could reduce the appeal of UK HEIs among Chinese students,” warned Ebel.
The report highlights China’s unique digital ecosystem, the uneven distribution of Chinese students across UK institutions and their typically lower level of spoken English proficiency as barriers to integration and reasons for social clustering.
“English language proficiency, particularly spoken, is lower among Chinese students than those from other developing economies like India and Malaysia,” the report states, noting that IELTS scores do not always reflect Chinese students’ spoken language skills.
Since the Chinese government further deprioritised English language proficiency, students have become highly reliant on private tutors for support with English admissions tests, often paying more than £10,000, according to the report.
It recommends that institutions should consider alternatives to the IELTS examination such as “spoken interviews, potentially using AI tools to sift through applications”.
The suggestion comes amid increased scrutiny of the SELT sector, after a BBC article alleged it was an “open secret” that international students with limited English proficiency can easily enrol in UK university courses.
Meanwhile, the UK Home Office said in September that it was planning an overhaul the provision of the SELT model, announcing a tender valued at £1.13bn to develop a new Home Office-owned test.
Acknowledging concerns about language proficiency, HEPI policy manager Josh Freeman said that while institutions needed to work harder to attract and keep Chinese students, “[they] should not do so at the expense of quality, and rigorous admissions standards on language and academic ability must be maintained”.
Some Chinese students feel that UK HEIs see them as a revenue stream rather than important social and academic contributors to the university
Pippa Ebel, China specialist
Alongside language proficiency, the report identifies China’s unique domestic digital ecosystem as another barrier faced by Chinese students, who continue to use the Chinese apps, WeChat and Little Red Book, rather than UK equivalents like WhatsApp and Instagram.
Such technological barriers are enhancing social clustering, which has been made more acute by the uneven distribution of Chinese students, according to Ebel.
The report was informed by surveys and interviews with over 100 students at 20 different institutions across the UK, as well as through engaging with experts in the UK and China.
It draws on anecdotal evidence from an MA student at the University of Warwick where 80% of students on her course were Chinese, leading to a tendency to speak Mandarin out of convenience.
It notes that while most Chinese students are concentrated across high-ranking UK universities – with some home to over 15,000 – low–tariff universities are seeing shrinking recruitment numbers and have Chinese student populations as low as 10.
“When discussing diversifying the student body, the conversation should expand beyond ethnicity to address where and what international students study,” wrote Ebel, recommending that institutions allocate on-campus accommodation to international students.
Ebel also urges institutions to work more closely with agents recruiting in China, as well as providing more information and support before students arrive, including buddying systems with domestic students and expanding market strategies.
In addition to social integration, the report revealed a gaping hole in career support for Chinese students, with 80% saying that they had never received any targeted career guidance.
The demand for more career support services rings true with the findings of QS and UUKI’s International Graduate Outcome 2024 report, though the issue is particularly acute among Chinese students who make up 22% of the UK’s international students and only 10% of those who gain post-study employment.
In response, “career centres should consider international students separately and institutions should embed internships and practical work experience in academic programs”.
