UK govt plans to increase education exports, India among five focus countries

On Tuesday, a British government statement said, “Education is already one of the UK’s most valuable exports, bringing in £32 billion to the UK economy annually and worth more than the automotive or food and drink industries.”

According to the statement, “The International Education Strategy urges UK providers to take advantage of the UK’s unique position and meet rising global demand for high-quality education. And it will back them by helping to remove the red tape to expand overseas”.

“Unlike the previous strategy released in 2019, this approach removes targets on international student numbers in the UK and, while continuing to welcome international students, shifts the focus towards growing education exports overseas by backing UK providers to expand internationally, build partnerships abroad and deliver UK education in new markets,” it said.

This strategy goes further by backing providers to expand overseas and ensure top students around the world can access a world-class UK education on their own doorsteps, it said.

“The strategy is part of the Government’s plan for national renewal, boosting the reputation of our world-class universities, cutting red tape and streng­thening a globally competitive education sector,” it said.

UK Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said, “… By expanding overseas, our universities, colleges and education providers can diversify income, strengthen global partnerships and give millions more access to a world-class UK education on their doorstep, all whilst boosting growth at home… ” The strategy sets out the British governm­

ent’s commitment to “unl­oc­ki­ng further growth for the sector by identifying partnership opportunities and new markets…”.

According to a Ministry of External Affairs official, “Education cooperation is an important pillar of India-UK Bilateral relationship”. Indian officials said that since 2015-16, number of first-year enrolment of Indian students in UK varsities have been increasing. Estimates bas­ed on new student visas is that the number of Indian students in the UK is around 170,000.

Shubhajit Roy, Diplomatic Editor at The Indian Express, has been a journalist for more than 25 years now. Roy joined The Indian Express in October 2003 and has been reporting on foreign affairs for more than 17 years now. Based in Delhi, he has also led the National government and political bureau at The Indian Express in Delhi — a team of reporters who cover the national government and politics for the newspaper. He has got the Ramnath Goenka Journalism award for Excellence in Journalism ‘2016. He got this award for his coverage of the Holey Bakery attack in Dhaka and its aftermath. He also got the IIMCAA Award for the Journalist of the Year, 2022, (Jury’s special mention) for his coverage of the fall of Kabul in August 2021 — he was one of the few Indian journalists in Kabul and the only mainstream newspaper to have covered the Taliban’s capture of power in mid-August, 2021. ... Read More

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