Million Plus

Professor Michael Gunn, Vice-Chancellor of Staffordshire University and Chair of the university think-tank million+, has called for the Prime Minister to take personal charge of the Government’s policy for international students following the publication of a report from the Higher Education Funding Council in England which confirms the first drop in the number of international students studying in the UK for 29 years. Under the previous Government, both Tony Blair and Gordon Brown launched Prime Minister’s Initiatives to boost the UK as a destination for international students.

Professor Michael Gunn, Vice-Chancellor of Staffordshire University and Chair of the university think-tank million+, said:

“These figures are disappointing but hardly surprising.”

“Universities offer high quality courses and promote transnational partnerships with institutions across the globe and have warned for four years that the government’s visa policies were damaging the UK as a destination of choice for international students.”

“The Prime Minister needs to take personal charge of the situation and steer the Home Office and the Conservative party away from policies which, while well-intentioned, are now deterring talented and entrepreneurial students from studying in the UK.”

ENDS

Notes to Editors
1. For further information and to arrange interviews, contact Victoria Robinson, Press and Communications Officer, million+ on 020 7717 1658 / 07527 336 795 or email press@millionplus.ac.uk
2. million+ is a leading university think-tank. More information can be found at www.millionplus.ac.uk.
3. The numbers of international entrants to full-time postgraduate taught programmes in England decreased by 1 per cent (1,000 students) between 2010-11 and 2012-13. This is in stark contrast to previous years, when international entry to postgraduate taught programmes enjoyed double digit growth.
4. Entrants to English universities and colleges from India and Pakistan have halved since 2010, at the same time as their numbers are growing in other countries.
5. The numbers of full-time European Union (EU) undergraduate entrants fell by almost a quarter in 2012-13 as a result of the increase in tuition fees in England.
6. To read the HEFCE report in full: Global demand for English higher education: An analysis of international student entry to English higher education courses.