Written evidence submitted by the University
of Exeter Students' Guild (SV37)
1. EXECUTIVE
SUMMARY
1.1 University of Exeter Students' Guild (UESG)
is the representative body of all students studying at the University
of Exeter.
1.2 International students contribute a great
deal to the financial and cultural economy at a local and national
level.
1.3 Many of our students chose to study in the
UK because of the opportunities afforded to them in the post study
work route.
1.4 If this opportunity was not available, evidence
suggests that many would choose to study in a different country.
1.5 UESG note the political pressure with regard
to tackling migration, but recommend that bogus institutions are
targeted, rather than honest students who contribute positively
to the economy.
1.6 If the PSWV proposals go ahead, there would
be negative consequences on the UK's standing in the educational
and economic worlds. In making students return home on the completion
of their course, the quality of research at UK universities will
be adversely affected, as will the diversity of our higher education
institutions.
2. INTRODUCTION
2.1 The Students' Guild is the collective voice
of students studying at the University of Exeter, representing
the 17,000 students who study at the University. This brief paper
outlines some of the concerns we have as an organisation regarding
the proposals of the UK Border Agency (henceforth referred to
as UKBA), specifically with regard to the proposals to abolish
the post-study work route, and to ensure that students return
overseas on the completion of their course. Whilst there are issues
with some of the other proposals too, for the purposes of this
submission to the Home Affairs Select Committee, only those with
direct relevance to Tier 4 migration have been focussed upon.
3. BACKGROUND
3.1 There has been a steady increase in the number
of International students studying at the University of Exeter,
and the University has a strong Internationalisation agenda. Concerns
have been raised about the proposals our representative channels.
A survey into how students felt about the UKBA's proposals was
completed by 173 international students, nine EU students and
15 UK students. There are students from 130 different nationalities
at the University of Exeter, and the Students' Guild believes
that this diversity contributes to the overall benefit of each
and every student here, whether UK, EU or non-EU.
4. RESEARCH AND
FINDINGS
4.1 Abolishment of Post Study Work Visa (PSWV)
4.1.1 90.8% of International students indicated
that they chose to study in the UK because they hoped to work
under this route.
Without this incentive, many students stated that
they would have considered alternative countries for study opportunities.
This is evidenced fully in Appendix 1.1.4,[52]
and characterised in the following quotes:
- "It was one of the most determining elements
in my choice of studying in UK instead of other Western countries,
because it sounds like a symbol of best socio-professional integration."
- "If there is no post-study work scheme in
the UK, I will choose to study in the United States."
- "It was the most important factor for me
[when choosing to study in the UK]. Post study work visa promise
was the only reason I chose UK over other international education
destination. In my opinion if the post study work visa is withdrawn
then the international student number will get dramatically reduced".
4.1.3 Many students indicated qualitatively that
they considered paying to come to the UK an investment, because
of the opportunities to gain experiences afforded to them by the
PSWV and felt cheated by the proposal to abolish this route. Examples
of this can be found in Appendix 1.1.3,[53]
but particularly poignant are two responses highlighted below:
- "If I cannot work here in the UK, the only
option I have is to go back home to the US. I came to the UK to
study with the intention of gaining a couple of years of international
work experience after graduation and now it looks like they're
changing that. It would've been nice to know before I agreed to
give them my international tuition that they were just going to
cut me off."
- "I came here only because its a one year
MBA and the post study work visa is provided. I will definitely
feel cheated if they take it out. They should have informed us
prior to this years admissions."
4.1.4 Also evidenced in Appendix 1.1.3 is the
fact that abolishment of the PSWV would have severe implications
for highly qualified graduates wanting to conduct research or
take up teaching posts in the UK.[54]
Two example responses are again given below:
- "I plan very much to stay on in the U.K.
after my PhD and work with a private sector or university as a
post-doctoral researcher. My boyfriend is British, and we don't
want to be pushed into getting married just because I cannot find
a way to stay in the country. It is very disappointing...I have
certainly given a lot back to the University in terms of over
a hundred hours of teaching/demonstrating a year, team development
leading for first year undergrads, as well as the original research
I produce which is significant enough to be funded by two different
U.K. funding bodies."
- "I'm planning to continue with an employed
position for a PhD. For two reasons, I need founding [sic] for
the PhD, and have a pending loan for the Masters I'm currently
taking. If no work opportunities are provided, I won't be able
to get a PhD and I will need to leave academia..."
4.1.5 International students contribute a huge
amount to the UK economy. A recent report from the Nottingham
Business School and the Association of Business Schools estimates
that Business Schools in the UK (containing an extremely high
proportion of international students)[55]
generate £2 billion in direct income for the UK economy,
with a direct impact of some £7.5 billion annually. The proposals
put forward by the UKBA seemingly fail to account for the deficit
that would be caused if they were to be enacted.
4.1.6 International students studying at the
University of Exeter contribute over £57 million to Exeter's
GDP at current prices and support over 2,100 jobs or 2.3% of all
jobs in the city.[56]
4.1.7 Many students noted that they wanted to
make use of the PSWV to gain essential skills and knowledge through
working, before returning to their own country. This is a fundamentally
important opportunity for many of our international students (see
appendix 1.1.3):[57]
- "I thought I could come to a developed country
and study with the hope of getting an advanced working experience
for the next two years, before returning to my home country. Right
now, I will have to change the plan and return to my country or
better still some other country with less stringent regulations
as the UK".
- "I did not have any plans to stay here after
my studies when I was coming Exeter for my education. But from
last year I started to realize that I should stay here for three
to four years to get professional experience in my field of study.
After these regulations, I am not very hopeful. In my country,
we don't have good labs to go back and learn more advancement.
So, I was hoping to get more expertise here and then go back to
introduce advance research tools in my field".
4.2 Ensuring students return overseas after
their course
4.2.1 Requiring students to return overseas at
the end of their course to reapply, when they already have an
offer to start a course next year makes continuing to study in
the UK both complicated and expensive.
4.2.2 It is anticipated that instead of re-applying
to the UK, students forced to return to their home country in
order to apply for a new visa would direct their attentions towards
alternative countries, depriving the UK of substantial skills,
knowledge and research. See appendix for additional evidence,[58]
but also note the following statements:
- "If forced to leave, I would not return...I
can take a hint".
- "UKBA, please ask yourselves this question;
'If I were an international student, with skills that 'society'
and industries deem 'high', 'useful', etc, would I finish my degree,
go back home just to apply for a Masters, come back to the UK
and then leave soon after I finish my Masters?'"
4.2.3 Ultimately, if this aspect of the proposals
was to go through, there would be negative implications for universities,
in terms of the UK's standing in the world, and the level of research
and skill currently afforded to the UK by international students.
5. RECOMMENDATIONS
5.1 The PSWV is not abolished
5.1.2 As evidenced above, the PSWV acts as a
significant incentive for international students to come and study
in the UK. The Students' Guild believes that without this opportunity
being afforded to International students, many of those hoping
to study abroad would take their skills, and money, to alternative
destinations, such as Australia and Canada. Diversity is a huge
part of the University experience for our members, and it would
be a mistake to abolish this attractive incentive.
5.2 Regardless of changes to the PSWV, it is
available for application in its current format to any students
who applied to study in the UK under the impression that this
route would be available.
5.2.1 91.3% of international students who study
here at Exeter (as indicated by our survey) came here intending
to follow the post study work route upon finishing their course.
These students considered the ability to work in the UK as a huge
incentive to attend Exeter University. Abolishment of the PSWV
would represent an extreme injustice, and betrayal of trust for
these students.
5.2.2 Thus, if the PSWV is to be abolished, we
recommend that it is phased out over a number of years. This should
be a last resort (see section 5.1) and should not affect any students
applying with the post study work route as an option.
5.3 Students are not required to return overseas
after their course if they plan to extend their studies in the
UK.
5.3.1 We view this as a bureaucratic and pointless
exercise that would discourage highly qualified students from
returning to the UK to further their studies.
6. CONCLUSION
The University of Exeter Students' Guild understands
that there is significant political pressure to tighten the current
immigration system up. However, there was nothing in the Coalition
Agreement announcing a policy of reducing international student
numbers, but rather to introduce a limit on the number of non-EU
migrants.
We oppose fully any measures aimed exclusively at
reducing student numbers merely to contribute to migration targets,
rather than to target areas of abuse. Whilst there does indeed
exist a specific problem with regard to bogus institutions helping
immigrants to stay in the UK illegally, it is these "institutions"
that must be targeted, and not innocent students, who are actually
positively contributing to the UK economy. Moreover, many of these
students wish to use the post study work route simply to gain
valuable work experience before returning to their own country.
As an implication of this, we recommend that the
post study work route remains an available option for international
students in the UK, but note that if it is abolished, it is essential
that it is phased out, rather than imposed retroactively on students
currently studying here. Finally, we note that students should
not be required to return overseas after their course if they
plan to extend their studies in the UK.
January 2011
52 Not printed. Back
53
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54
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55
Over half of international students who responded to the survey
currently study in the Business School (51.8%). Back
56
Source: Oxford Economics in, "Establishing a Global Standing:
University of Exeter Internationalisation Strategy". Back
57
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58
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