460,000. This is the amount of international students to choose the UK every year. With the new International Education Strategy, however, the British authorities are hoping to bring this to 600,000. To do so, the authorities have put up an action plan aimed at making the UK a more appealing student destination. The British Department for Education, in collaboration with International Trade have unveiled plans last week, according to British Government website.
Undergraduate and masters students will be allowed to stay in the UK for six months after their graduation. Undergraduates and masters students were only allowed three months stay in the UK on a student visa after completion of their degree. For doctoral students, the post-study leave will be up to a year after the completion of their PhD. This will give more time to these students to find jobs after their studies.
In addition, the new strategy will also provide for ways to support international students to find and apply for jobs. British authorities will also be looking into improving visa application processes.
“As we prepare to leave the EU it is more important than ever to reach out to our global partners and maximise the potential of our best assets – that includes our education offer and the international students this attracts”, explained Education Secretary Damian Hinds. Indeed, amidst the uncertainty of Brexit, the UK had already started to put more effort in communication exercises to different markets around the world. This year, in January this year, the effort paid off with an increase in the number of applicants to UK universities.
As part of this new strategy, British agencies will continue their efforts to increase promotion of the British universities outside of Europe and especially in Asia, Africa and Latin America. There is a plan to encourage sector groups to contribute to the funding of promotion campaigns.
At the same time, a study by London Economics, a specialist in economics and policy consultancy in collaboration with the Higher Education Policy Institute and Kaplan International Pathways, specialising in pathway programmes for international students, has found that international students, from the 2016/2017 cohort, who have gone on to work in the UK have contributed £ 3,173 millions to the British economy in income tax, employee National Insurance contributions, employer National Insurance contributions and VAT contributions.
