University chancellors urge prime minister to review approach to international students
University chancellors urge prime minister to review approach to international students
Rt Hon David Cameron MP
Prime Minister
10 Downing Street
London
SW1A 2AA
29 May 2012
Dear Prime Minister,
International university students: potential for growth
We are writing to you to urge you to support our universities in their efforts to recruit genuine international students.
As chancellors and chairs of council of universities throughout the United Kingdom, we welcome the measures that the government has taken to improve border controls, and counter any abuse of the student visa route.
Our universities are one of the truly outstanding features of the United Kingdom. They are internationally respected and, by a number of measures, are second only to the United States in teaching, research and knowledge exchange.
In an age of increasing global mobility, the number of individuals considering a university education abroad is growing rapidly. In this market for talent – and export income – the UK performs exceptionally well, with 9.9% of the total market share in 2009, and export earnings of £7.9 billion. International students also play an important role in towns and cities up and down the country, and contribute significantly to local economies. There is a clear opportunity to build on this success, with forecasts suggesting that export earnings from this activity could more than double by 2025.
International students also bring significant cultural richness and long-term political and social benefits to this country, and return many benefits to the countries from which they come.
However, global competition for international students is intense and a number of other countries are increasing their efforts in this area.
We therefore ask you to consider how your government can do more to support our universities in their international activities. In particular we request that international university students be removed from the net migration statistics for policy purposes, bringing us into line with our major competitors. We believe that this would help government by creating a clear differentiation between temporary and permanent migration, help universities whose international character is essential to their future success, and help the UK by contributing to economic growth.
In this Olympic year, when our universities will be hosting athletics teams and media from across the globe, we urge you to send a clear message that genuine international students are also welcome in, and valued by, the United Kingdom.
Yours sincerely,
| Dame Jenny Abramsky DBE Chair of Board of Trustees University of London Dame Helen Alexander DBE Chancellor University of Southampton Miss Lucy Armstrong Acting Chair of the Board of Governors Northumbria University Sir David Bell Chair of Council University of Roehampton Baroness Floella Benjamin OBE, DL Hon D.Litt (Exeter) Chancellor University of Exeter Mr Rod Bennion Pro-Vice-Chancellor and Chair of the Board Plymouth University Mr Roger Bettles Chair of Council University of Leicester Mr Richard Blackburn Chair of Court University of the West of Scotland Baroness Bottomley of Nettlestone Chancellor University of Hull Lord Bragg of Wigton Chancellor University of Leeds Mr Denis Burn Chair of Council University of Bristol Rt Hon Sir Menzies Campbell CBE QC MP Chancellor University of St Andrews Mr Paul Callaghan Chair of Board University of Sunderland Professor Sir Kenneth Calman Chancellor University of Glasgow Sir Ian Carruthers OBE Chancellor University of the West of England, Bristol Ms Shami Chakrabarti Chancellor Oxford Brookes University Mrs Jo Connell OBE DL Chair of the Board of Governors University of Hertfordshire Mr Stephen Cox CVO Chair of Council Royal Holloway, University of London Sir John Egan Chancellor Coventry University Lord Douro DL Chairman of Council King’s College London Mr Ian Dudson Pro-Chancellor and Chair of Council Keele University Mr Greg Dyke Chancellor University of York Lord Elis-Thomas Chancellor Bangor University Mr Simon Fanshawe Chair of Council University of Sussex Sir David Fell Chair of Senate Queen’s University Belfast Baroness Fritchie Chancellor University of Gloucestershire Dr Paul Golby CBE FREng Pro-Chancellor and Chair of Council Aston University Mr Bryan Gray CBE DL Pro Chancellor and Chair of Council Lancaster University Dr Sheila Hancock OBE Chancellor University of Portsmouth Mr Brian Harris Pro-Chancellor and Chair of Board University of Central Lancashire Lord Hart of Chilton Chancellor University of Greenwich Baroness Howells of St Davids OBE Chancellor University of Bedfordshire Mr Mark I’Anson Chair of Council and Pro-Chancellor Newcastle University Mr Paul Jagger MBE Chair of Council University of Bradford |
Mr John Jeans Chair of Council Cardiff University Mr Clive Jones CBE Chair of the Board of Governors London Metropolitan University Sir Emyr Jones Parry President Aberystwyth University Professor Sir David King Chancellor University of Liverpool Dr Irene Khan Chancellor University of Salford Sir Richard Lambert Chancellor University of Warwick Sir Moir Lockhead Governor of the University Court University of Aberdeen Mr David McDonnell President of Council University of Liverpool Dr Tim Miller Chair of the Governing Body School of Oriental and African Studies Mr John Mills Pro-Chancellor and President of Council The University of Nottingham Lord Mogg of Queen’s Park KCMG Chair of the Board of Governors University of Brighton Sir Nicholas Montagu KCB Chairman of Council Queen Mary, University of London Lord Paul of Marylebone Chancellor University of Wolverhampton Lord Phillips of Sudbury OBE Chancellor University of Essex Mr Jonathon Porritt Chancellor Keele University Lord Puttnam of Queensgate CBE Chancellor The Open University Mr Anil Ruia Chair of the Board of Governors The University of Manchester Mr Eric Sanderson Chair of the University Court University of Dundee Sir Peter Scott Chair of Council University of Gloucestershire Mr Russell Seal Pro-Chancellor and Chair of Council University of Exeter Mr Ed Smith Pro-Chancellor University of Birmingham Mr Mark Stephens CBE Chair of the Board of Governors University of East London Professor Sir Patrick Stewart OBE Chancellor University of Huddersfield Sir John Sunderland Chancellor Aston University Peter Sutherland KCMG Chairman of Court and Council London School of Economics and Political Science Mrs Sue Sutherland OBE Chair of the University Board Bournemouth University Mr Max Taylor Chair of Council University of Surrey Ms Dianne Thompson CBE Chancellor Manchester Metropolitan University Lord Tugendhat Chancellor University of Bath Sir John Tusa Chairman University of the Arts London Sir Stephen Wall Chair of Council University College London Dr Barbara Wilding OBE QPM Chair of the Board of Governors Cardiff Metropolitan University Lord Woolmer of Leeds Chair of the Board of Governors Leeds Metropolitan University Baroness Young of Old Scone Chancellor Cranfield University |
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