Hefce Figures: UK Universities Relying On Chinese Students

According to figures recently released by the Higher Education Funding Council of England (Hefce), universities across the country are relying on Chinese students. With 23% of students coming from China  studying masters-level degree courses and 26% of students from the UK, in the year 2012-2013. This means there are almost as many Chinese students studying full time on postgraduate courses at UK universities, as there are British students.

International And EU Entrants Make Up 74% Of All Students Studying Masters Degrees

Chinese students make up 58% of all international entrants studying maths, followed by 56% in media studies, 47% in business and management studies and 39% in engineering. The figures have shown that international and EU students make up 74% of all students who started taught masters degrees in 2012-13.

Chinese national, Chang Mingwei, is studying his masters degree in management and marketing at Lancaster University.

“The UK has a long history of universities, with many around for hundreds of years. The education here is pretty good,” he said.

“The tutors really take lectures seriously. Before they give a lecture to students they prepare lots of things, compared with the tutors in China. Lots of tutors in China maybe focus their attention on their own research, and they don’t care much about the students. Here the tutors pay a lot of attention to what we can learn. It’s better than China.”

Despite the above, there has been a 1% decline in the total number of international students coming to the UK in 2013. This is due to the introduction of tougher conditions for foreign students, along with restrictions on students’ right to work after graduating.

Immigration Laws “Deterring” Indian And Pakistani  Students from UK

The wider range of figures show for the first time in 29 years, there has been a fall in the number of overseas students taking higher education courses in England. With postgraduate students from India and Pakistani declining by 50% in 2013.

Ranjan Mathai, India’s High Commissioner, has stated that visa restrictions on students’ right to work after finishing their courses is just one of the reasons international students are choosing to go elsewhere.

Speaking to the The House magazine, Ranjan Mathai stated:

“Many of the students who I’ve had an interaction with feel that if they’d had a chance to pay their way by staying on for a year – which the system before allowed – then it would make their taking loans and coming to the UK for education more worthwhile, more possible. That’s one reason the numbers have gone down.

Universities UK: UK Must Welcome International Students

The drop in the number of international migrants in the UK has also caught the attention of others in the UK. Nicola Dandridge, chief executive of Universities UK stated:

“What is clear from this is that, if the UK wants to fulfil its potential in this growth area, it must present a welcoming climate for genuine international students and ensure that visa and immigration rules are consistent and properly communicated.”

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