OVERSEAS STUDENT
NUMBERS RISE ACROSS THE WORLD
It was revealed by the British Council (Britain’s international organisation for educational and cultural relations), at the Going Global Conference held in March this year, that the number of mobile international students across the world is set to continue rising. In this edition of Study International we look into where they will be heading to study and which factors are important in this upward trend in international student numbers
The USA and UK will face challenges in maintaining their top positions as study destinations for both postgraduate and undergraduate students. These challenges will come from English speaking nations like Australia and Canada and also increasingly from European nations such as Germany and the Netherlands, where a growing number of courses are being taught in English.
Australia has made massive efforts to attract foreign students to its universities. As a nation which has not been as greatly exposed to the world financial crisis as Europe and the USA and with very high living standards, not to mention beautiful and stunning scenery, its appeal is obvious. Australian universities
have been steadily improving their world rankings over the last 3 years. Eight Australian institutions made it into the top 100 in the QS World University Rankings, for 2011. It has been predicted that Australia’s international student population will rise by 50,000 by 2020.
Australia has done a great deal to promote its image as a friendly and prestigious place to learn. In 2009 Indian public opinion was outraged after a series of attacks on Indian students studying in Australia. Applications from Indian students slumped by 50% - and threatened an industry which had grown to become Australia’s third biggest export. The country’s projected growth in student numbers therefore reveals how successful Australian authorities and universities have been in turning the tide!
However, the British Council have also revealed that the number of international students will rise significantly in the UK. There will be nearly 30,000 more international students studying in Britain by 2020. This is a 10 per cent rise over the next decade. The increase in international student numbers reflects UK universities’ need to generate income outside of public funding and the anticipated fall in domestic students as a result of increased tuition fees.
Dr Beall from the British Council stated that:
“Our study shows that the next 10 years are critical – the UK has a decade of opportunity ahead of it if its universities, colleges, business leaders and policymakers are ready to take decisive steps to engage with the global higher education market… We cannot afford to miss out on the prospects highlighted in this report.”
The report also points to potential problems for the UK in terms of attracting international students. Higher tuition fees and stricter visa rules in the UK may lead to it becoming a less attractive option.
It should be noted that immediate economic factors can also have a major bearing on international student numbers. So whilst the British Council’s Going Global report can highlight general trends in cannot predict exactly what will happen. For example, when the
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