Paper 08/07: Universities UK International Unit report (2008)

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HSS INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE PAPER 08/07
For information
UUK International Unit report (2008): The UK’s competitive advantage:
the market for international research students
SUMMARY
The report is a review of current data, UK HEIs’ website survey and results of a questionnaire
study. It is wealth of information on new opportunities and threats to the recruitment of
international PGR students. It is perhaps best read in conjunction with the UUK report “The
future size and shape of the higher education sector in the UK: demographic projections”
http://bookshop.universitiesuk.ac.uk/downloads/size_and_shape.pdf. Below is a summary of
the report highlighting the positive and negative trends for international PGR recruitment.
Current international PGR students in UK
% international PGR in total PGR cohort
UK
US
France
% global market in UK
University of Edinburgh – international PGR numbers
University of Edinburgh – ranking in UK for international PGR
University of Edinburgh - international PGR as % of total PGR
Countries making up 40% of international PGR market in the UK§
Subjects dominated by international PGR
Positive recruitment trends (country-specific)
Positive recruitment trends (subject-specific)*
Declining geographical areas of recruitment (new recruits)
Negative recruitment trends (subject-specific)¥
Main countries for international PGR recruitment for Oxbridge, LSE,
Edinburgh (in order)
≤50,000
42% (39% for University of Edinburgh)
33%
32%
15% (UK 2nd only to US)
1,210 (2.6% share of UK market)
6th
39% (Warwick: 45%; Manchester: 43.5%)
China (10% of UK market)
US
Greece
Germany
India
Malaysia
Italy
Physical sciences (EU)
Engineering & Technology (China,
Malaysia, India, Greece, Middle East)
History/Philosophy (US, Canada)
US
Germany
India
Pakistan
Malaysia (reversal of decline)
Middle East
EU states (Poland, Cyprus)
Medicine and related-disciplines
Social Studies
Business/management
China
Greece
Mexico
Hong-Kong
Japan
South Korea
Singapore
Engineering and technology
Mathematics and Computing
US
Germany
China
Canada
Australia
Greece
International PGR students means EU (exc. UK) and overseas PGR
* Demand for doctorates is also driven by privately-funded students and their perceptions of future employment
prospects. Demand for doctorates has increased from some of the major companies such as: GSK, PWC, Morgan
Stanley and the creative industries.
§ 10 countries in 18 UK universities make up 50% of international PGR in UK
Nathalie L’Huillier
PGR Student Recruitment and Admissions
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August 1st 2008
¥
In 2006, US universities have seen a growth in the number of doctorates awarded in science and engineering for
the 4th year running. [Source: THES January 2008]
International PGR recruitment is currently very successful in the UK with an annual growth of
4%. However, the annual growth for PGR from the UK is only 1% and there is a significant
decline in UK demand for research degrees, notably in the STEM subjects. In the US (the
UK’s most important competitor), annual PGR growth is around 10% despite recruiting
difficulties post-9/11.
The authors of the report highlighted the importance of international PGR at different levels:
 Integral contribution to research output in science and engineering disciplines but also a
significant contribution in arts, humanities and social sciences.
Research from the US has showed that there was a positive link between research outputs
and the number of doctoral students in US universities (this is also true for patents).
 Enhancement of the strategic economic position of the UK
Similarly, this has been shown to be the case in the US where international PGR contributed
to the country’s productivity by complementing local skills rather than substituting for them.
 Financial contribution to the Higher Education sector
This is set within the context of the Lisbon strategy which projected that 700,000 additional
researchers are needed in Europe to achieve its goals by 2010 (Similar estimates by OECD).
1. Recommendations by the report authors
National-level
 Address over-reliance on small number of countries
 Address declining, yet key, disciplines by creating national fee-only scholarship schemes
 Instigate the re-branding of UK PhD
 Engage in more inter-governmental agreements
 Increase investment in scholarships such as fee “discounts” for those progressing from
Masters to PhD and fee-only scholarships in order to provide support to more students
 Encourage international UG/PGT to stay in country (1/3 of current international PGR had
already been studying in the UK)
 Ensure that immigration rules do not prevent international PGR recruitment
Institution-level
 Devise strategies to retain international students who are already in the UK
 Take into account the resurgence of US recruitment and the development of new
competing markets
 Develop on-campus strategies for current international students
 Increase fee support and focus on helping existing students with part-time work
 Develop guidelines for minimum supervision levels (PGR expectations have been rising
and value-for-money is important, especially for those who are self- or privately funded)
 Ensure that the UK PhD brand is incorporated in publications
 Ensure that websites address the need of PGR and international PGR
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2. Opportunities
UK reputation as a recruitment tool
Continuing demand for medicine and biosciences
Increasing demand for PhD graduates from the private sector
Global growth in Higher Education requires more PhD graduates
Changing demographics in the UK
3. Re-branding of UK PhD
Recruitment of PGR, including international is facing a number of challenges:
 Decline in UK demand for research degrees, notably in the STEM subjects.
 Decline in new recruitment from a number of countries with a significant current cohort
 Competition from new global players
 Resurgence in international recruitment in the US
The authors presenting the UUK report at the launch meeting in July highlighted a lack of
coherence in the description of the UK doctorate or funding in national/Government websites
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August 1st 2008
and presented the need to “re-brand the UK PhD”. In addition to the increasing number of
different research degrees available, the UK is considered as an expensive place to study.
UUK urged UK HEIs to draw the attention of prospective applicants to the positive aspects of
conducting a PhD in the UK:
 High completion rates and short time to completion (length of doctorates: 3 years)
 The prestige of the UK PhD as well as other research qualifications
 High employability of UK PhD holders and long-term career benefits
 The quality of the research and the global impact of research outputs
 Researchers’ successes and research partnerships
4. Websites
The report also showed that, for international (i.e.: non-UK) PGR, the website is the most
popular source of information (followed by personal recommendations) when deciding where
to carry out their research training and whether to pursue a research degree. However, the
report highlighted that few UK universities’ websites actually address the specific needs of
PGR and that there is a lack of dedicated and accessible areas for international PGR. This is
accompanied by the fact that 1/3 of international PGR students had already been studying in
the UK previously. Hence, the information they require may differ greatly from the information
that international students new to the country require.
5. International PGR strategies
70% of Higher Education Institutions’ respondents to the questionnaire survey indicated that
they prioritise research over income generation when recruiting international PGR. However,
only 23% of international students receive some kind of financial support from their institution.
1/3 of non-UK PGR is from the EU. However, there appears to be no correlation between
actual strategies and what happens in reality as none of the institutions which responded to
the survey indicated that EU was a priority for PGR recruitment. 90% of HEI respondents also
indicated that they have the capacity to take on more PGR although supervisor stretch was a
concern and the cost associated with PGR students (even those full-funded) was an
important consideration.
6. Funding (and self-funding trends) and overseas government funding
Around 2/3 of international PGR in the UK meet the costs of their studies either through
personal funds or scholarships from their own countries. In addition, 80% undertake part-time
work. There is clearly something to bear in mind when devising recruitment strategies and
more could be done to help international PGR in this area.
Interestingly, the decline in recruitment over the last 4 years from Hong-Kong, Japan, South
Korea and Greece corresponds with groups of PGR which are most likely to be self-funded. Is
this linked to a trend towards more “intelligent shopping” and raised expectations? Is this a
reflection of changes in demographics or are these students going somewhere else due to
costs?
Overseas employers and governments provide around 15% of the funding for PGR in the UK.
This funding is heavily skewed toward the Middle East, Mexico, Malaysia and Thailand. More
countries now make arrangements through their embassies with UK universities to secure
good financial packages. At the other end of the scale, PGR from East Asia, India and most
European countries are least likely to receive support from their government or employers.
Countries with highest % students supported by
home government (05-06)
1. Saudi Arabia
2. Lybia
3. Mexico
4. Oman
5. Thailand
6. Malaysia
7. Egypt
8. Kuwait
9. Syria
10. Jordan
11. Ghana
12. UAE
13. Brazil
14. Iran
Countries with lowest % students supported by
home government (05-06)
1. India
2. France
3. Taiwan
4. Canada
5. Australia
6. Italy
7. Germany
8. Israel
9. Japan
10. South Korea
11. China
12. Greece
13. Hong-Kong
14. Cyprus
Surprisingly, the report also showed that significant numbers of international (non-EU) PGR
are conducting their research degrees on the part-time basis. Considering the immigration
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August 1st 2008
restrictions on part-time study in the UK, this is most likely to represent PGR students on
campuses abroad as these are reported on HESA.
7. Expectations and Perceptions
The report also hinted to the raised expectations of students who are becoming much more
critical in their choice of institution. Supervisor contact for research students was shown to
vary considerably and PGR attach increased importance to the learning experience.
However, few institutions have a policy on the minimum number of supervision contact hours.
The common aspiration of international PGR is that they (90%) “want to make a difference to
the world” although 80% of Chinese PGR, 68% of Malaysian PGR and 60% of Thai PGR also
indicate income enhancement as a key motivator for undertaking a research degree.
The key factors that might influence a prospective PGR student:
 Cost: the UK is considered the most expensive study destination followed by the US and
Australia while Germany is considered as significantly cheaper.
 Reputation of qualification: The US, UK and Germany are perceived to deliver highquality qualifications while Australia, Japan and the Netherlands are rated lower (but
ahead of some of the “newer countries” such as Malaysia, China, Singapore and Dubai.
Surprisingly, Irish qualifications are rated below those of Singapore.
 Safety: the UK is perceived as a safe destination behind Canada, Australia and Germany
but equivalent to France and New Zealand.
 Visa acquisition and future employment: The US and the UK are both considered very
difficult when it comes to obtaining a student visa. For long-term employment, the US is
seen as offering best prospects of post-graduation long-term employment and the UK the
worst.
8. New competitors
The international competition for research students is increasing rapidly and some of the most
successful countries recruiting international PGR include: Australia, New Zealand, France,
Germany and the United States.
The report provides detailed information about some of the competitors to the UK, including
the US. New competitors, in particular in the EU, have been offering attractive funding
packages (and low or no fees) with English as the language of instruction. Institutions in the
UK face stiff competition from the US where universities provide financial support to 90% of
international PGR (in science and technology).
9. Promotional events and activities for international PGR
The report compiled a list of the most commonly used means of promotion specifically to
international PGR:
 Scholarships and fee reductions
 Building long-term links with international research institutions and governments
 Developing agreements with scholarships agencies with key countries
 Building on the success of projects such as UKIERI which aimed at increasing “the depth
and breadth of the knowledge partnership between India and UK”
 The University website (see section 4)
 Use of external websites for funding opportunities such as www.jobs.ac.uk and
www.postgraduatestudentships.co.uk
 Overseas visits by academics (“big names”, targeted at specific institutions and countries
 Advertising in key countries
 Liaison and follow-up with alumni networks
 On-campus events
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August 1st 2008

Paper 08/07: Universities UK International Unit report (2008)

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