This feast and famine cycle of international student revenue is symptomatic of the country's poor governance. Policy is driven by short term need for headlines, to attract a specific group of voters, or just sudden ideological whims, to the extent that one wonders whether ministers just send an unexpurgated account of whatever they dreamt about last night to their permanent secretary and tell them to knock it up into a statutory instrument; and never mind if they have contradictory dreams resulting in incompatible policies. Come to think of it, didn't Theresa May call the 2017 general election after a dream?
Nobody has a plan. In fact, governments have become so allergic to any kind of systematic intervention, let alone anything that might get labelled a "planned economy", that it's almost a badge of honour not to look at the long term and plan all the capacity needed. That and the terrible prospect of having to borrow to invest...
It would be nice to think that an incoming government of a different stripe might think these things through, but it seems doubtful.
Isn't part of the reason that SHU now gets so few chinese students that for some years now it has been punished by the chinese authorities for its academics' work on human rights abuses in China?
Good piece. A little off topic but I smiled when I read 'Chinese students, by comparison, don’t tend to be that keen to stay, since the economy back home is “generally very buoyant, with lots of good jobs available”.' Not a week goes by when the BBC does not publish some article casting gloom and doom upon the Chinese economy that it almost feels like propaganda. Surely not propaganda from the Beeb, the so-called bastion of impartiality?
To be fair, Bennett did note the Chinese economy is slowing of late! But, even after a slight downturn, it's going to be a lot stronger than the economy of many countries in Africa and South Asia.
Interesting piece but it demonstrates why the debate about immigration is hopelessly irrational.
If the University attract lots of students with dependents why would the infrastructure deficiency down the line be a surprise for the Government to sort out?
Universities, Schools and public services are funded by UK citizens over generations so the notion that the University is generating export revenue for the subsidy of UK students is a bit disingenuous given the other impacts on public resources that dependent families will have.
The real cost for a degree or PhD is higher than the fees. Until the immigration debate grows up to see both the opportunities and benefits of welcoming as many students who want to come here and the support and planning issues entailed we are doomed to the sterility of the juvenile left / right polarity that currently dominates it.
Not wishing to be mean spirited, but if international students need to bring chidren or relatives for whom they are caring, is that really compatible with the level of studying they will need to undertake? Otherwise, they will need help here with those caring duties and as anyone with young children or incapacitated parents will tell you, those resources are painfully scarce and even more painfully expensive. The finances of the situation just don't stack up. Any young person here, wanting to go to university but with caring duties, will struggle to get help to further their ambitions
Its explicit goal is to increase international students. This is a rare thing: a government strategy that actually worked, and achieved its aims ahead schedule - it should indeed be celebrated!
I seem to detect a little unpolitical bias here in The Tribune. I am sure if any other developer than Urban Splash failed so miserably to fulfil their duty to provide affordable housing, there would be an outcry hein this publication. And quite right too. The history of the SCC allowing developers to cry poverty or buy their way out of these obligations is a very sorry tale. Shame on them and on you for not making more of a fuss! I would love to know how many affordable homes have been promised but not built over the last ten years?
Misleading headline - although I can see why 'international student recruitment at Sheffield Hallam returning to pre-2021 levels' isn't quite as titillating.
As the article states, we don't know what the current level of international student recruitment is at Sheffield Hallam as that data hasn't been released yet.
This feast and famine cycle of international student revenue is symptomatic of the country's poor governance. Policy is driven by short term need for headlines, to attract a specific group of voters, or just sudden ideological whims, to the extent that one wonders whether ministers just send an unexpurgated account of whatever they dreamt about last night to their permanent secretary and tell them to knock it up into a statutory instrument; and never mind if they have contradictory dreams resulting in incompatible policies. Come to think of it, didn't Theresa May call the 2017 general election after a dream?
Nobody has a plan. In fact, governments have become so allergic to any kind of systematic intervention, let alone anything that might get labelled a "planned economy", that it's almost a badge of honour not to look at the long term and plan all the capacity needed. That and the terrible prospect of having to borrow to invest...
It would be nice to think that an incoming government of a different stripe might think these things through, but it seems doubtful.
Isn't part of the reason that SHU now gets so few chinese students that for some years now it has been punished by the chinese authorities for its academics' work on human rights abuses in China?
See here: https://www.shu.ac.uk/helena-kennedy-centre-international-justice/research-and-projects/all-projects/driving-force
and here for the reaction: https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202207/05/WS62c3fec5a310fd2b29e6a846.html
Good piece. A little off topic but I smiled when I read 'Chinese students, by comparison, don’t tend to be that keen to stay, since the economy back home is “generally very buoyant, with lots of good jobs available”.' Not a week goes by when the BBC does not publish some article casting gloom and doom upon the Chinese economy that it almost feels like propaganda. Surely not propaganda from the Beeb, the so-called bastion of impartiality?
To be fair, Bennett did note the Chinese economy is slowing of late! But, even after a slight downturn, it's going to be a lot stronger than the economy of many countries in Africa and South Asia.
Interesting piece but it demonstrates why the debate about immigration is hopelessly irrational.
If the University attract lots of students with dependents why would the infrastructure deficiency down the line be a surprise for the Government to sort out?
Universities, Schools and public services are funded by UK citizens over generations so the notion that the University is generating export revenue for the subsidy of UK students is a bit disingenuous given the other impacts on public resources that dependent families will have.
The real cost for a degree or PhD is higher than the fees. Until the immigration debate grows up to see both the opportunities and benefits of welcoming as many students who want to come here and the support and planning issues entailed we are doomed to the sterility of the juvenile left / right polarity that currently dominates it.
Not wishing to be mean spirited, but if international students need to bring chidren or relatives for whom they are caring, is that really compatible with the level of studying they will need to undertake? Otherwise, they will need help here with those caring duties and as anyone with young children or incapacitated parents will tell you, those resources are painfully scarce and even more painfully expensive. The finances of the situation just don't stack up. Any young person here, wanting to go to university but with caring duties, will struggle to get help to further their ambitions
*dependants
The targeting of India and Nigeria for student recruitment is actually a government initiative titled Higher Education Strategy https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/international-education-strategy-2023-update/international-education-strategy-2023-progress-update
Its explicit goal is to increase international students. This is a rare thing: a government strategy that actually worked, and achieved its aims ahead schedule - it should indeed be celebrated!
As a voter in Hallam I would be very interested in the proportion of voters who work in the public sector. Could this be a factor?
I seem to detect a little unpolitical bias here in The Tribune. I am sure if any other developer than Urban Splash failed so miserably to fulfil their duty to provide affordable housing, there would be an outcry hein this publication. And quite right too. The history of the SCC allowing developers to cry poverty or buy their way out of these obligations is a very sorry tale. Shame on them and on you for not making more of a fuss! I would love to know how many affordable homes have been promised but not built over the last ten years?
Misleading headline - although I can see why 'international student recruitment at Sheffield Hallam returning to pre-2021 levels' isn't quite as titillating.
As the article states, we don't know what the current level of international student recruitment is at Sheffield Hallam as that data hasn't been released yet.
Excellent article.