Why international students are worth more than just money in the bank

Coventry University Group’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor (International), Richard Wells, shares his thoughts on the importance of international students following Secretary of State for Education Bridget Phillipson's speech at the Embassy Education Conference.

International students are an essential part of Coventry University Group. They are vital in helping us achieve our mission of creating better futures. They enrich our cultural diversity and enhance our global reputation, research and student experience, while making our university a more attractive proposition for future students and collaborators.

We are proud to be home to students from 162 nations, with each one of those students representing us as an organisation, and the UK as a place of learning, as they graduate and embark on international careers.

For too long the rhetoric around the number of international students in our universities has been negative, often to the point of causing self-inflicted damage to the reputation of the UK and our outstanding higher education sector. I therefore welcome the change in messaging from the new government and I believe there can no longer be any doubt - international students are welcome in the UK.

Partnerships in education

In her speech yesterday, Bridget Phillipson said she wanted to make Britain the international home of opportunity, developing transnational partnerships in higher education to deliver courses that transcend borders. As part of this, she outlined plans for the UK to host a meeting next May with education ministers from around the world. This is something that Coventry University Group would support and we would look forward to lending our expertise to help in any way that we can.

We are proud to be pioneers in transnational education and the diverse range of students across our global education group has helped us attract partners from both industry and academia. Through joint research, teaching programmes and collaborative degrees, international students have contributed directly to our global standing as a higher education establishment, improving our Group’s worldwide reputation while simultaneously helping to cement the UK’s role as a leader in education and innovation.

The previous government’s efforts to make the UK a less attractive destination for international students directly impacted on overseas applications and enrolments for UK-based courses. As a global education group we are agile and over recent months we have accelerated the shift to teaching students outside of England.

Our branch and badged campuses in Egypt, Morocco, China and Sri Lanka are testament to this, and negotiations are underway for more in Kazakhstan, India and elsewhere. This demonstrates that Coventry University Group is already at the forefront of tackling major global challenges by working with our international partners to deliver courses across borders. This is a model the new Secretary of State for Education suggests that others in the sector should follow and we would be proud to share our expertise to help grow the influence of UK higher education institutions overseas.

What international students mean to our city

We have always known and nurtured the incredibly positive impact that international students have on our Group in terms of education, community, culture and, of course, financially. But, as Bridget Phillipson has witnessed in her own constituency, international students also inject substantial funds into the local economy and have a hugely positive economic impact.

In Coventry alone, overseas students are worth more than £150 million to the city. By joining us to study for a prestigious UK degree they provide a welcome financial boost to local businesses and contribute directly to regional job creation and employment.

The perception that international students are a burden on the economy is simply not true and the evidence is there in towns and cities across the country. The Secretary of State for Education says that each international student adds around £100,000 to our national prosperity. I can’t imagine why any government would want to inflict further economic self-harm by continuing to pursue policies that make the UK a less attractive place for people to study, work and live.

Social impact

This isn’t purely about the numbers. Despite their clear value to the UK’s economic growth and the role they play in developing collaborations overseas, the true importance of international students is felt in their social impact. Overseas students bring with them diverse perspectives, knowledge and cultural experience which enhance and enrich our campuses and our communities. They engage with local people, share in our traditions and foster greater cross-cultural understanding. Simply put, the UK would be a much poorer place without them.

Of course, the transactional benefits of international students are there for all to see. Education is one of our country’s greatest exports, yet it is about far more than that. At Coventry University Group we pride ourselves on recognising the unique social impact that each individual brings, regardless of their background. Overseas students have been integral to our success as an organisation and they will continue to be so. We look forward to welcoming many more in the near future.

As the new Secretary of State for Education said in her speech, international students should always be welcome in this country. The UK wouldn’t be the same without them.