Speakers at this year’s British Universities International Liaison Association (BUILA) conference, held in Glasgow, explored not only what a Burnham government might look like for the sector, but also the broader forces now shaping policy on higher education and migration.
For Charley Robinson, head of global mobility policy at Universities UK International, there are reasons to be encouraged. Burnham is seen as someone who “really gets universities” through his experience of Manchester’s regeneration, which “would have been absolutely impossible without universities.”
In his first major leadership speech last week, he talked about “placing universities at the heart of local economies, bringing an innovation-led approach through start-ups and scale-ups.”
For Robinson, that record on regional growth, innovation and inward investment underlines that he understands the sector’s economic role. She also pointed to the possibility of figures such as former University of the Arts London vice-chancellor James Purnell joining a Burnham cabinet as offering “strong positives” in terms of potential allies for the sector.
However, Robinson argued it would be naïve to imagine that a change of Labour leader will “sweep all of our challenges away”.
Since Brexit, a politics built around “appealing to non‑graduate sensibilities” has become a norm across parties. Public concern about immigration “hasn’t fallen”, even as net migration starts to come down, and because recent crackdowns have focused largely on work and family routes, international students now loom larger within the remaining numbers.
Any Burnham government will inherit that reality and the “laser‑like focus” on compliance, quality, standards and outcomes that comes with it.
Tom Woodward, assistant director of Universities Wales, and who has previously held positions as special adviser in the Welsh government, was blunt about the limits of what a Burnham administration is likely to do on migration.
Immigration is “pretty much the key issue for the general public” in polling, he pointed out, and he does not expect any return to an era of explicit international recruitment growth targets.
Where change may be more realistic is in the detail rather than the headlines. A “fresh pair of eyes” on the implementation of compliance measures such as Basic Compliance Asessment (BCA) metrics, and on how quickly and harshly “amber” judgments are applied to institutions, could matter on the ground.
Stuart Mcdonald, founding director of advisory and communications consultancy Regent Park Strategies, reminded the room that recent policy has often been driven as much by the parliamentary Labour party as by the occupant of Number 10.
Mcdonald also pointed to the brutal “policy competition” universities face. Defence, welfare, the economy, NHS waiting lists, public services in general – “these are the things that dominate the inboxes of every elected politician”.
His advice to delegates was to adopt a “prepared mindset” and build deep institutional resilience in a world where “absolutely nothing is predictable these days”.
Amy Williams, head of policy at the University of Sheffield, added another layer of realism. Even if Burnham is personally sympathetic, she argued, “fundamentally [he] has to stick to most of the Labour manifesto” unless he calls a fresh general election.
Inside that manifesto are fiscal rules that leave little room for new public spending and a clear pledge to reduce net migration. He will also face the same geopolitical, demographic and technological headwinds as his predecessor.
Williams would, however, like to see an exemption from the visa brake for Chevening Scholars as the kind of targeted signal a Burnham government could send to both international partners and Labour backbenchers.
She urged the sector to stop asking whether a Burnham government would be “positive or negative” and instead focus on “what we can do to respond to Burnham’s call” by facing the same direction and pulling with him on the big challenges.
Meanwhile, Robinson urged delegates not to underestimate their own value inside their institutions. Teams working on international recruitment and compliance have “gold dust” insight into how policies land in practice, both for students and for institutional risk. Bringing that expertise into senior‑level conversations can “future‑proof” strategies and help sector bodies present a more united, evidence‑rich front to government.
Politics isn’t something that happens in the margins – it’s something we can have a more active role in
Stuart Easter, Edinburgh Napier University
Stuart Easter, director of student recruitment and international at Edinburgh Napier University and vice-chair of BUILA, reminded delegates that “politics isn’t something that happens in the margins – it’s something we can have a more active role in”.
Speaking to The PIE News, he said that BUILA’s focus is now on strengthening the evidence base and building more productive partnerships with government: from pushing for better, more timely data to inform international education policy, to showcasing best practice on agent management, English language provision and quality assurance, and amplifying the stories of how international students enrich local communities and drive innovation.
With BUILA recently appointed as an advisory member of the Education Sector Action Group (ESAG), Easter said this gives the association “a stronger platform to represent the expertise and experience of our membership directly into government discussions”.
BUILA is already consulting members on how to maximise real-time recruitment intelligence for Whitehall, advocate for reforms to the BCA and data sharing, and collaborate on strengthening the UK’s international education offer and Brand UK.
The ambition, he said, is for BUILA to remain “a trusted bridge between government and the sector”, helping to turn frontline operational insight into practical policy solutions while supporting the UK’s long-term international education ambitions.
