UK Universities and Europe: Competition and Internationalisation
31 March 2009
House of Commons
More than 70 delegates gathered in the Terrace Marquee at the House of Commons yesterday for the launch of the International Unit and Europe Unit’s joint report, UK Universities and Europe: Competition and Internationalisation. Delegates from government, industry, parliament and higher education attended the event, hosted by Tim Boswell MP.
Bill Rammell MP, Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, and Prof Rick Trainor, President of Universities UK, both touched on the dynamics of competition and collaboration with our European neighbours.
The Minister recognised the financial benefit of inter-national students but highlighted the sector’s ongoing role in ‘soft diplomacy’. He noted favourably the report’s recommendations, not least the first one on ‘Bologna compliance’.
Two of the report’s authors, Dr Don Olcott, from the Observatory on Borderless Higher Education and Prof Robin Middlehurst of Kingston University London, presented the findings. Delegates heard how the concentrated and rigorous nature of UK degrees and the combination of teaching and research have all helped to ensure that UK is, after the USA, the destination of choice for international students. But there was a need, however, to look at more collaborative approaches to international partnerships in order to ensure this success is maintained.
The report acknowledges an awareness of emerging competition for international students, and points to the attention focused on Asia in this regard. But over the past two years or so, this attention has been increasingly complemented by the idea of competition from Europe. In recent years, enlargement of the European Union has boosted the international student population and European neighbours such as The Netherlands, Germany and Sweden have all significantly increased their international student recruitment efforts. The Bologna Process, which seeks to build a common degree structure across Europe, may well enhance the marketability of continental universities and increase the mobility of students. In addition, growth of teaching provision in English is an increasingly attractive prospect for international students.
Seven European countries (Germany, France, Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, Spain and Poland) were chosen for analysis as representing the greatest current or future competitive threat to the UK’s capacity to attract international students. Germany and France have large numbers of international students and all are seeking to increase numbers through attractive packages for students.
A number of practical recommendations for UK universities are laid out and the report suggests that longer-term collaborative models of internationalisation not only complement the UK’s mainly competitive approach to international activities, but may provide more certainty and resilience during the global recession. Key recommendations for the UK HE sector include:
- UK universities should implement all Bologna Process reforms and brand themselves internationally as ‘Bologna-compatible’ and at the forefront of the development of the European Higher Education Area.
- UK universities should adopt and implement collaborative partnership models for internationalisation.
- Universities should establish small consortia to develop and implement internationalisation strategies.
- UK universities should seek to broaden and deepen their relationships with, and work more systematically with, the UK Foreign Office and Department for International Development.
- UK universities should do more to provide and encourage second-language training as part of undergraduate degree programmes.
Collaboration and partnerships are key themes of the report. It argues that the UK needs to build mutually beneficial relationships in all areas of internationalisation, despite its obvious successes to date. Continental universities take a more collaborative approach, encouraged by a much stronger emphasis on national and institutional documents on ‘internationalisation’ and ‘co-operation’.
They also place emphasis on research collaborations and partnerships as a way to build competitive strength in their higher education systems. The Dutch Higher Education Consortium, for example, targets the Indian market collectively. The report judges collaborative approaches to be increasingly important in the competition for international students.
The report provides UK universities with recent data on the various 'pull factors' employed elsewhere in Europe such as funding, immigration regimes, fees, work while studying, and teaching in English, all of which attract international students to other European countries. It analyses their implications for the UK.
The report’s authors conclude that a reframing of internationalisation towards a sustainable collaborative approach will not only strengthen the UK’s long-term position in relation to its European neighbours, but strategically position the UK to remain an attractive choice for international students in the light of an ever-changing changing economic landscape and the onset of global recession.
Delegates at the breakfast launch had the opportunity to question the panel and a lively discussion covered many aspects of internationalisation, including the impact of the Bologna Process, how to broaden international activities beyond traditional international student recruitment, and how government, and the sector as a whole, can take a more holistic approach to international activities.
A badge of honour goes to Professor Gordon Campbell, International Adviser from the University of Leicester, who picked up on the report’s recommendation that universities should work more closely with the UK Foreign Office. Professor Campbell noted FCO reticence and wondered when it was likely to become more ‘university-compliant’. Rammell suggested that universities come to the FCO with proposals. University of Edinburgh Vice Chancellor, Professor Tim O’Shea, spoke about his institution’s successful links with France in response to a question from Philippe Lane, HE Attache at the French Embassy, on the availability of joint degrees across Europe. Professor Rick Trainor added that the Auld Alliance remained alive and well.
The full report and a detailed annex, including case studies are available to UK universities on the Secure Area of the website. Login and password required. UK universities may request hard copies of the report from the International or Europe Unit.
Press coverage of the report, including articles in The Guardian, Times Higher Education and The Chronicle of Higher Education is available on the Media page.
