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it’s time to go for growth, reports international students all-party parliamentary group

The All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for International Students today released a report calling on the Government to make a major change in their approach to international students.

Co-chaired by Cobra Beer founder and chairman Lord Bilimoria, the study sets out 12 recommendations – eight for Government and four for educational institutions – to actively increase the number of international students after eight years of what is described as “restrictive Government policy”.

The report is the latest in a number of studies on the status of international students in the UK, but the first to bring together recommendations to share growth across all areas of the UK and all levels of education, including universities, colleges, schools and English-language providers.

Commenting on the report, Lord Bilimoria said: “Britain is losing in the battle to attract talented and committed international students from around the world. Eight years of prioritising an impossible target using misleading statistics, over our economy and world-leading institutions has left the UK’s position as the second largest destination for international students in jeopardy. It’s time for us to move on and target growth in the number of international students.

“British universities used to lead the world in attracting international students. But now all our major competitors are growing at a rate far greater than us, and in areas where we have seen the greatest decline. Even Canada attracts more students from India than the UK does. I strongly commend the recommendations included in this report as a way to put this right.

“Like most of the country, I am proud that students from all around the world want to come and study in the UK. We can do so much more to welcome them with policies that make it easier to come here and offer real opportunities to gain work experience when they finish their studies. It is time for a completely new approach.”

Read the full report and its recommendations here.

Read Lord Bilimoria’s full thoughts on the status of international students in the UK in The Guardian.

Further coverage of the report include the BBC, The i, TES, and Times of India, as well as Business Insider, The Pie News, The Hindu, Business Standard, The Tribune India and GG2.net.

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