A common refrain among attendees at Universities UK’s International Higher Education Forum (IHEF) 2024, held at the beginning of May, was that the operating context for those leading international activities at UK institutions is more challenging than anything previously experienced.
And this came from those with long memories, who had weathered their fair share of currency crashes, international crises, global health emergencies and fluctuating government policies.
People felt that they were being buffeted from all sides, with the fate of international students (and, by extension, the universities that welcome them) at the mercy of wrong-headed ideas promulgated by parts of government and the mainstream media.
Bracing ourselves
In light of the 14 May publication of the Migration Advisory Committee’s (MAC) rapidly conducted review of the Graduate Visa Route, individuals, universities, sector bodies and other groupings are frantically making the case for retaining a post-study work route.
But there is a sense that the government, put under pressure by poor local election results to reduce immigration, may already have made its mind up on further policy changes.
As Vivienne Stern, chief executive of Universities UK, observed: “As much as I would like them to take account of the evidence that the MAC presents, I have a grim feeling that that is not where we are”.
This echoes remarks made at the IHEF conference by Lord Johnson of Marylebone, who warned the sector to “prepare for the worst”. He pointed out that any announcement of further constraints would ‘snooker’ the Labour party, since objecting to them would result in accusations of being soft on immigration.
Where does this leave individual universities?
Given the doom, gloom and uncertainty, it was refreshing that many of the conference sessions were both upbeat and practical.
As Sir Mark Walport put it in the closing panel session, there’s no point expending energy on moaning about things we can’t change. What’s important is to focus on all the crucial work that we are in a position to tackle.
Two themes that stood out are:
- Improving the experience of our international students
- Tackling global challenges through international collaboration
Quality not quantity
It’s heartening that the 2024 Whatuni Student Choice Awards (WUSCAs) showed record levels of international student satisfaction. And a highly valued strength of the UK HE experience, underlined in a forthcoming QS International Graduate Outcomes report for UUKi, is the diversity of the student and staff community and our strong spirit of inclusion. These are assets that we should be emphasising in our communications.
However, we need to develop a mindset of continuous improvement when it comes to the experience of our international students.
Practical steps include:
- Make listening to students as easy as possible and act on what we hear. This can be as simple as providing a QR code at registration linking to a quick survey to provide instant feedback, ring-fencing a ‘coffee budget’ to facilitate informal conversations with international students, or setting up a student experience action group with 50:50 staff/student membership.
- Manage expectations at the onboarding stage – for example, by showing via a pie chart the proportion of time a student can expect to spend on different activities each week (contact time, independent study etc.).
- Invest in careers support and placements that meet international students’ unique needs and circumstances (according to the QS survey, 53% of international students said this was the main area UK universities could improve upon).
Measures of success should not just relate to the quantity of international students recruited but focus on the quality of their experience.
Boosting our impact around the world
Many universities’ strategic plans emphasise the importance of making a positive global contribution, fostering equitable international partnerships and tackling global challenges.
When finances are strained, such noble ambitions can take a backseat to activities with more tangible (and profitable) outcomes (e.g. international student recruitment).
However, any university that claims to have a global outlook and seeks to engage internationally in ways that are less starkly impacted by changes in immigration policy, should be building capacity in these areas.
IHEF conference sessions on knowledge diplomacy and equitable international collaboration proposed some practical actions:
- Support the involvement of Early Career Researchers (future academic leaders) in cross-sector, interdisciplinary collaborations with partners in the Global South.
- Ensure students of all disciplines (future decision-makers in politics, business, industry etc.) can engage with cross-cutting global issues like the climate crisis.
- Recognise that the global research ecosystem is currently skewed against the Global South (for more detail, see the Perivoli Africa Research Centre website) and take steps to redress the balance, such as:
- challenging our assumptions regarding ‘research kudos’ (e.g. single authorship being the pinnacle of achievement in some disciplines), and
- introducing more equitable policies for the sharing of resources and credit among collaborators.
- Build within institutions (across both academic and professional staff communities) a golden thread of understanding of what is meant by ‘equitable partnerships’.
Every now and then, it is important to set aside our immediate (and sometimes parochial) woes and remind ourselves about universities’ broader mission to make the world a better place.
Big ideas and small steps
Although some of the practical steps suggested at the conference require investment, and others require a shift in mindset, there are plenty that are simple and cheap to implement.
The challenges presented by the current, uncertain international student recruitment context should be treated as a trigger for reviewing institutional strategies for international engagement, ensuring a balanced portfolio of sustainable international objectives.
To find out more about how Halpin can support your institution with strategy review or creation, please visit our Strategy and Transformation services page. Get in touch if you’d like to meet.