Written evidence submitted by Cardiff
University (SV59)
Although we share the Government's commitment to
improving the public's confidence in the immigration system and
its concerns about abuse of the student visa route (there is only
2% abuse of the visa system in the higher education sector), restricting
the number of legitimate students who can study in the UK will
have a number of unintended consequences.
Limiting international student mobility will cause
academic, political and economic harm to universities. It will
negatively impact the global standing of the UK and damage the
wider economy. And as importantly, it will limit the significant
role higher education plays in supporting the Government's commitment
to delivering on the Millennium Development Goals and other strategic
priorities.
UK higher education enjoys an excellent reputation
overseas. Students from developing countries in particular look
to the UK for the high quality of the education, which often cannot
be found in their home countries. For example our Postgraduate
Masters course in Public Health in our School of Medicine attracts
22 international students from seven countries, including Kenya,
Nigeria, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, who return to their home country
to make a positive impact on their own health care systems. These
students may be restricted from studying in the UK if these changes
go ahead.
Our undergraduate course in Medicine only accepts
international students from countries where there is inadequate
medical education in their home country. Over time this leads
to capacity building overseas and supports the medical infrastructure
in these source countries. Many of these students undertake English
Language training on our feeder course before embarking on that
undergraduate medical course.
Cardiff University offers a wide range of postgraduate
masters courses in health related disciplines. Currently we have
students from 39 countries, including Sudan, Uganda, Ghana, Kuwait,
Libya, Malawi and the Philippines studying here.
One particular student from The Republic of Namibia
successfully completed her studies in our Department of Dermatology
and Wound Healing, to later return home as the only qualified
dermatologist in her country.
This practical development of higher level skills
applies to many areas within the University. For example, masters
programmes in Sustainable Development (Cardiff University's Welsh
School of Architecture), International Journalism and Political
Communication (School of Journalism, Media and Cultural Studies),
International Planning and Development (School of City and Regional
Planning), Human Resource Management (Cardiff University's Business
School), or Civil Engineering. Again, these courses support capacity
building overseas and align to the work of the Department of International
Development.
Alongside many of the economic arguments for continuing
to welcome international students to the UK, students are not
economic migrants. Those who have studied in the UK, many of whom
are sponsored by overseas governments, return home as ambassadors
for the UK, and have an important role in fostering longstanding
diplomatic and trade relations between the UK and their home country.
They are also part of developing an international
education system. These systems have an important role to play
in the development of global citizens—people that are aware
of the wider world, who understand how it works economically,
politically, socially, culturally, technologically and environmentally.
It is also key to the UK and other developed knowledge economies,
and as such should be seen as a significant element of advancing
education systems of emerging economies.
Equally important is the benefit international students
bring to our home students. They add enormously to the multi-culturalism,
diversity and vibrancy of the University's learning and teaching
environment which benefits everyone in the University, the city,
and Wales.
It is vitally important that the government policy
to reduce net migration is implemented in such a way as to minimise
the damage to the university sector, and to the UK's role in a
global society.
We would be very grateful if you would consider sharing
this information with your colleagues on the Home Affairs Select
Committee.
February 2011
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