Universities and Science minister David Willetts has said that British universities are only “scratching the surface” in exploiting the opportunities available in offshore delivery and encouraged them to engage further with “business and foreign markets”. The comments were made in a speech yesterday in which the minister addressed the funding reforms affecting UK HE. Universities and Science minister David Willetts has said that British universities are only “scratching the surface” in exploiting the opportunities available in offshore delivery and encouraged them to engage further with “business and foreign markets”.
The comments were made in a speech at the annual
Higher Education Funding Council for England conference yesterday, in which Willetts gave an update on the significant reforms facing universities as the government seeks to secure the future of higher education funding in the UK. These include student fee rises, a reduction in state-funded places and the introduction of competition to the sector.
In this climate, Willetts said that engaging with business could give universities greater "autonomy" and that transnational education (TNE) could become one of Britain's “great growth industries of the future” as demand for HE grew worldwide.
TNE encompasses areas such as establishing branch campuses abroad and the validation of qualifications for foreign providers.
“Increasingly, emerging economies want to educate their students at home, and the UK – a global pioneer in developing educational facilities – is well placed to help,” he said.
“We not only have strengths in teaching and research but in design and construction of universities, mobilising finance, curriculum development, qualification accreditation and quality assurance.”
The minister spoke of his success with
Universities UK,
UK Trade and Investment and the
British Council in supporting UK universities and private education companies seeking to operate abroad. However, he said the UK was only “scratching the surface” of what could be achieved.
While he said attracting international students to the UK remained a priority, there was no mention of government plans to reduce the number of student visas issued by 250,000 over three years—something that could cost universities an estimated
$1.6bn in fee revenue.
Willetts said attracting overseas students remained important but did not mention student visas
Reacting to the speech today, Vice-chancellor of the University of East Anglia, Professor Edward Acton told
The PIE News: “It was refreshing and encouraging to hear David Willetts emphasise so strongly his sterling efforts to increase the number of legitimate international students who come to study here. The Home Office needs to get the message, lift university-sponsored students out of its ‘net migration’ calculation and cease damaging what is not only a vital cultural asset but a key export and powerful source of British job creation.”
During the conference the Labour peer Lord Winston also warned that the government’s policy was giving the impression UK universities were "closed for business".
In his speech, Willetts also broached the proposed changes to the terms of US federal loans for US students studying overseas. These would require foreign institutions to have their own degree-awarding powers in order for their US students to access government aid.
"America loses out if some of our excellent universities and colleges become inaccessible"
The minister warned the change could affect “world-class” British institutions such as the
Guildhall School of Music and Drama, and said he would write to Martha Kanter, under secretary at the
US Department of Education, to try to resolve the issue.
“Our institutions would lose income. America loses out if some of our excellent universities and colleges become inaccessible for gifted American students. And other students miss out from the enrichment provided by their American peers,” he said.
For the full transcript of David Willetts’ speech
click here
Universities and Science minister David Willetts has said that British universities are only “scratching the surface” in exploiting the opportunities available in offshore delivery and encouraged them to engage further with “business and foreign markets”.
The comments were made in a speech at the annual Higher Education Funding Council for England conference yesterday, in which Willetts gave an update on the significant reforms facing universities as the government seeks to secure the future of higher education funding in the UK. These include student fee rises, a reduction in state-funded places and the introduction of competition to the sector.
In this climate, Willetts said that engaging with business could give universities greater “autonomy” and that transnational education (TNE) could become one of Britain’s “great growth industries of the future” as demand for HE grew worldwide.
TNE encompasses areas such as establishing branch campuses abroad and the validation of qualifications for foreign providers.
“Increasingly, emerging economies want to educate their students at home, and the UK – a global pioneer in developing educational facilities – is well placed to help,” he said.
“We not only have strengths in teaching and research but in design and construction of universities, mobilising finance, curriculum development, qualification accreditation and quality assurance.”
The minister spoke of his success with Universities UK, UK Trade and Investment and the British Council in supporting UK universities and private education companies seeking to operate abroad. However, he said the UK was only “scratching the surface” of what could be achieved.
While he said attracting international students to the UK remained a priority, there was no mention of government plans to reduce the number of student visas issued by 250,000 over three years—something that could cost universities an estimated $1.6bn in fee revenue.
Willetts said attracting overseas students remained important but did not mention student visas
Reacting to the speech today, Vice-chancellor of the University of East Anglia, Professor Edward Acton told The PIE News: “It was refreshing and encouraging to hear David Willetts emphasise so strongly his sterling efforts to increase the number of legitimate international students who come to study here. The Home Office needs to get the message, lift university-sponsored students out of its ‘net migration’ calculation and cease damaging what is not only a vital cultural asset but a key export and powerful source of British job creation.”
During the conference the Labour peer Lord Winston also warned that the government’s policy was giving the impression UK universities were “closed for business”.
In his speech, Willetts also broached the proposed changes to the terms of US federal loans for US students studying overseas. These would require foreign institutions to have their own degree-awarding powers in order for their US students to access government aid.
“America loses out if some of our excellent universities and colleges become inaccessible”
The minister warned the change could affect “world-class” British institutions such as the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, and said he would write to Martha Kanter, under secretary at the US Department of Education, to try to resolve the issue.
“Our institutions would lose income. America loses out if some of our excellent universities and colleges become inaccessible for gifted American students. And other students miss out from the enrichment provided by their American peers,” he said.
For the full transcript of David Willetts’ speech click here
