UK institutions need to think hard about proving the value of their international education activity when responding to the Migration Advisory Committee, and to assist them Universities UK International and BUILA have been collaborating to help educators frame their responses.
The two associations have jointly organised a series of regional meetings for universities and civil servants involved in the MAC consultation – which officially closes at the end of this week.
Philippa Collins Robson of BUILA told The PIE News that the consultations had helped civil servants understand a wide range of impacts and helped universities tease out what sort of examples of impact MAC was looking for.
“I do think it’s been a helpful challenge, making us think about why we do international”
She related, “In the west of England, [an institution] is doing a project with SMEs and international students are going into those companies to help them train and export.. and do business in that country. And the MAC [found that] really interesting.”
Home Secretary, Amber Rudd, called for the MAC consultation into the impact international students have on the UK economy and society in 2017.
Some stakeholders believe its report – expected in September – could be the catalyst for revised immigration rules or the removal of students from net migration figures.
Rob Carthy, Director of International Development at Northumbria University, said that the session he attended set up a provocative position of making universities consider and justify the value of teaching international students onshore.
“They challenged us on, are international students taking the place of domestic students, on campus, in the jobs market, in housing, our healthcare system… Are they complementary or competitive?,” he explained.
“I do think it’s been a helpful challenge, making us think about why we do international and ensuring we can provide evidence and answer the right questions.”
He added that the MAC team referenced the UK’s strong TNE offers and universities had to consider demonstrating why it was vital to deliver onshore, and what couldn’t be delivered offshore, “such as postgraduate-taught programmes where diversity of students is essential”.
The briefing paper accompanying the call for evidence can be found here.
All stakeholders, “anyone with knowledge, expertise or experience”, are invited to make a submission about the impact of international students both in terms of economic and social impact.
