13.03.12
Overseas students numbers to rise by 10% in UK
The number of overseas students studying in theUKis set to increase by 10% this decade – a rise of 30,000 – according to a new study for the British Council. Only Australia is set to have a larger increase.
The British Council suggested that this is a “decade of opportunity” for theUKto benefit from international students. There were 3.5 million students from outside the EU studying in theUKat the end of the last decade, and although this rate of increase will slow, the overall number is expected to rise.
The report also predicts thatIndia, rather thanChina, will send the most students overseas to study here.Chinacurrently has 67,000 of its students studying in theUK.
In 2011, 12% of students were from outside the EU, and the increasing importance of international learning can also be seen in research, over a third of which now involves international collaborations.
Dr Jo Beall, the British Council director of education, said: “In an increasingly connected and inter-dependent world, a willingness and ability to collaborate internationally and to respond to changing trends are vital.”
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