Month: July 2013

Can’t count, won’t count – should be made to count

Posted on by Tim O'Brien

 

Over the weekend the BBC reported that the influential Public Administration Committee claimed data used by the Office of National Statistics (ONS) for estimating who enters and leaves the country were a best guess and not fit for purpose as a means of calculating net migration figures upon which major policy commitments are based. Interested observers already know that the Migration Advisory Committee also think that the ONS method is likely to significantly over-state net migration and particularly the impact of international students attending courses in the UK.

To recap, net migration is calculated as the total number of people entering the United Kingdom for a year or longer minus those who leave the country. The Coalition Government in the United Kingdom is committed to reducing the net migration number from the hundreds of thousands to the tens of thousands. At present this is calculated based on something called the International Passenger Survey – which is a random sample of up to 5000 people each year asking them why they are entering or leaving the country.  From that the Office of National Statistics extrapolates the net migration number. A deeply flawed and unreliable mechanism, given the millions of entries and exits to the UK each year. Continue reading “Can’t count, won’t count – should be made to count” →

A monstrous way to treat international students?

Posted on by Mary Kalmus

The very fact that international students get a space on the website of this summer’s hottest animated release reflects their importance and value to universities the world over, says INTO University Partnership’s Internal Communications Manager Mary Kalmus. But is the Monsters University webmaster delivering the full student experience?

INTO’s international students usually arrive fresh-faced and eager, yet understandably nervous, in a strange land where the language may be a challenge, the food unfamiliar and the surroundings and culture vastly – or subtly – different. Continue reading “A monstrous way to treat international students?” →

Building the next generation of global ambassadors – stories to make us all proud

Posted on by Tim O'Brien

In this blog post, we bring you some personal stories from the graduation ceremonies at Newcastle University this week.  These stories of young lives transformed remind us why we do what we do.  The students leave university to pursue their careers and further studies, having made friends for life and with warm memories of the UK and of the North East of England.  They serve as a timely endorsement of the extent to which these students and tens of thousands of other international students enrich our campuses, communities and country.  In times of intense global competition, the whole country should be proud of what we, as a sector, achieve.  Our hats go off to colleagues in Newcastle in particular and to all of  those working in higher education delivering life-changing experiences to students from all over the world.

Continue reading “Building the next generation of global ambassadors – stories to make us all proud” →

It’s the way that you tell ’em – taking a leaf out of Canada’s book.

Posted on by Tim O'Brien

Attracting the brightest and the best international students is a major policy priority for almost every university in the developed world and across most in the emerging economies.  Indeed a report produced by the UK’s Office of Budget Responsibility on 16th July 2013 went further and argued that the United Kingdom requires a steady flow of migration to offset the challenges of an ageing population.  This is rather at odds with how the UK is currently perceived in some quarters.

Continue reading “It’s the way that you tell ’em – taking a leaf out of Canada’s book.” →

Nothing wrong with a Desmond – degree outcomes and international students

Posted on by Tim O'Brien


In a world where universities, employers and students are increasingly obsessed with league table performance, the number of ‘good honours’ degrees attained – defined  as 2:1s or first class degrees  – has become a significant criterion for ranking purposes. While it is entirely laudable that universities should strive to increase the number of students achieving top degree results, it does beg an obvious question: If 2:1 and firsts are good honours, does that mean students achieving 2:2s are bad or less good?

Continue reading “Nothing wrong with a Desmond – degree outcomes and international students” →