In the words of Steve Smith, president of the Universities UK group: “Higher education is not just a global powerhouse for knowledge economies, it is the global powerhouse.” Governments around the world increasingly see attracting the best international students and academics as the key driver of economic growth in the coming decades. But what does this mean for you as a prospective international student, and how does it affect your study options? 

 

While rising nations have invested in raising higher education standards on a national level, in the Old World of Europe steps have been taken to integrate the region’s university systems more closely. Since the signing of the Bologna Declaration in 1999, efforts by a range of European agencies have now resulted in the establishment of a ‘European Higher Education Area’. 

 

Opening up such a vast area presents a unique opportunity for students to travel more freely and gain a hugely diverse educational experience, resulting in a transportable and internationally recognized qualification. By making the structure and organization of European higher education clearer, graduate opportunities throughout the region are likely to become much more attractive to international students. 

 

Students will find themselves in the new position of weighing up the benefits of similar programs in numerous countries without the impediments of language and recognition. Institutions will begin to actively compete for graduate students, ensuring that their programs are attractive, well organized, focused and of a good academic standard. 

 

While in the short-term some tensions exist concerning academic standards being eroded in the switch to English language teaching, there is no doubt long-term benefits will rule the day – the internationalization of the curriculum and student body will drive the graduate study experience to new heights. “An unprecedented number of choices will face the new generation of postgraduate students – whether to stay in one country for the entire period of their qualification or sample a range of courses and teaching systems throughout Europe,” Simeon Underwood, assistant academic registrar at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) and advisor on Bologna to one of the world’s leading universities says. “With a pan- European system of quality assurance procedures, students will also have confidence knowing that wherever their degree is finally from, it meets exacting standards agreed by over 40 countries and recognized the world over.”

 

Traditional destinations: North America, UK, Australia 

The US has long dominated the market for international students and with its unique combination of peerless academic standards and financial clout it isn’t hard to see why. Meanwhile, the UK has consistently punched above its weight, owing in large part to the centuries old prestige of its leading universities, alongside a strong economy offering enticing professional prospects upon graduation. Australia also gained great in attracting international students through its combination of relative affordability, glorious living conditions, and high-quality English language education. Yet all three have faced challenges in recent times. 

 

The US: The eroding of the US market share is perhaps an inevitable consequence of the growth and development that has taken place elsewhere. As a greater number of countries offer English language education and reach out to international talent through scholarship opportunities, the proportion of global international students enrolled in US institutions dropped from 28% in 2001 to 20% in 2009 according to the Institute of International Education (IIE). During the same period the market share of the UK grew from 11% to 13%, Australia’s from 4% to 7%, and Canada’s from less than 2% to 4%. 

 

The UK: In the past 12 months, the international perception of UK education has suffered from the widespread protests and debates surrounding government tuition fee rises, funding cuts, and a proposed cap on immigration visas. While the fee rises relate only to UK and EU undergraduate students, there is widespread speculation that international student fees will rise too. However, with Cambridge, UCL (University College London) and Oxford at first, fourth and sixth places respectively in the 2010 QS World University Rankings®, the top UK institutions are still likely to retain their international pulling power. 

 

Australia: Higher education is Australia’s number one service export, and the nation’s universities have traditionally been extremely popular among Asian students, particularly those from China, India, Malaysia, Hong Kong and Singapore. However, a series of attacks on Asian students caused a wave of adverse publicity, which has decimated the number of students coming to Australia from India in the past two years. John Molony, vice president of QS and former executive director international at Macquarie University in Sydney, says this is a shame for both parties. “The fact was that misguided visa and immigration policies left students at a rapidly growing lower end of the system at risk, and the entire higher education system suffered along with Australia - India relations as a result,” Molony says. “Corrective actions have been introduced, but it will take years to repair the damage. In the meantime, many South Asian students will miss a great opportunity, and both Australia and India will remain the poorer for it.” Despite reduced numbers of Indian students, Australia remains the sixth most popular destination for international students, and its academic standards are backed up by rankings performances. ANU (Australian National University), Melbourne and Sydney universities in particular put in impressive performances in the 2011 QS World University Rankings by subject, with ANU ranking sixth for philosophy, and Melbourne eighth and Sydney 11th for psychology. 

 

By Danny Byrne