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Some universities that have been recruiting via in-country officers in India may be at risk of back-dated income tax invoices amounting to millions of pounds, stakeholders have warned.

Experts have suggested that the Narendra Modi government could look to take a cut from international recruiting universities that have benefitted from the vast numbers of students and funds exiting the country in recent years.

While no policies have been announced by Delhi, they say that permanent establishment in India may be one area where government officials could seek tax revenue. The worst-case scenario could see universities hit by 40% income tax on profit they have earned from students resident in India in the past five years.

Depending on the activities performed by in-country representatives, a university could be alleged to constitute a PE in India by authorities, Kapil Dua, CEO of Seamless, part of Sannam S4 Group, detailed.

“This would eventually lead to compel a university to register with local authorities, maintain India related books of accounts and most importantly pay as high as 40%++ taxes in India on revenue/profits earned from students resident in India,” he said.

In-country reps’ conduct, representation and activities need to be “carefully analysed”, Dua stated, as will that of international recruitment staff travelling to India for the purpose of student recruitment for a period or periods aggregating more than 90 days within any 12-month period.

“Universities using independent contractors face the highest risks”

There are concerns that the government’s tax policy is becoming increasingly unpredictable and aggressive in scrutinising foreign universities’ operations in India.

Tax authorities in the country took action against IDP in 2021, saying the agent was liable to pay service tax on the commission received. The case however eventually ruled in favour of IDP.

However, risks that universities face with in-country recruitment staff in India will differ significantly depending on how their presence is structured, Grok Global said. It emphasised that its clients do not need to make any changes as the company is “fully compliant with all relevant laws in India, including Goods and Services Tax”.

“Universities using independent contractors face the highest risks, ranging from worker misclassification to limited protections, to potential tax implications from GST or PE,” Grok CEO Alex Green said.

“Institutions that are operating a fully-compliant, wholly-owned registered company in India have accepted the legal and tax implications of doing so, in addition to the substantial costs.”

Those universities not working with compliant service providers “should seek tax advice to protect themselves and their local staff, as the tax authorities are empowered to levy up to five years of retroactive taxes if the operational structure is deemed taxable”, the company added.

Founder and director of OneStep Global Aritra Ghosal agreed, urging universities setting up in-country operations to be “very mindful” of PE, tax, data privacy laws, among other things.

“It is only recommended to universities to trust established players, in the region, who have the necessary checks and balance for this model to work,” he said.

Sannam S4 has introduced a best practice guide for its partner universities and is giving them three months to make changes before it will run an internal audit.

Advisory firm Ernst and Young has been consulted by the company to analyse which changes are needed. Many are around ensuring in-country officers are not seen as employees of institutions.

Examples of urgent amendments are ensuring business cards do not describe representatives as university employees or include university logos. Using university business cards is described as a “fatal” risk that must be avoided. University domain names for in-country representative emails should also be prevented.

Also featured in the FAQs is job descriptions on platforms such as Linked-In. If an individual acting as an in-country officer is listed as an employee of the university, authorities in India may view that as PE and go after the university for tax dollars, the document warns.

Communication must only go via service providers and never be seen directly going straight to in-country officers, it added.

Stakeholders agree that there is a lot of grey area regarding tax policy and PE, but there is no consensus on the size of the risk for universities.

They warn that universities working with individuals on exclusive contracts, or with consultants or a sole proprietorship firms, may be at greater risk of attracting attention from tax authorities.

Several in-country service providers have highlighted that if a university is found to be on the wrong side of the tax man in India, it places the rest of the sector at risk.

Tax risk in India is ultimately a three-pronged issue, Grok added. It spans GST being applied to funds transferred into India, to income tax being applied to profits earned from locally resident students enrolled in online programs or TNE in-country, and to income tax being applied to profits earned from Indian students who study abroad.

“Recent initiatives by the tax authorities in India relating to the international education sector have focused on GST collection,” Geetanjali Sharma, executive director for South Asia at Grok added. “Our tax advisors confirm that it appears our sector is ‘in focus’ for the GST authorities at the moment.”

Grok noted that until official statements or directives signal that tax authorities intend to assess the PE status of institutions with in-country recruitment staff, rumours “remain highly speculative”.

“There is no direct precedent in our sector”

“It’s interesting to note that for institutions at risk of being declared to have PE in India due to having in-country recruiters, the financial implication is unclear, since there is no direct precedent in our sector,” Sharma said.

The warnings come after a number of international companies operating in India have been raided by authorities. BBC offices were raided earlier this year with employees’ phones confiscated after the broadcaster aired a documentary about the Indian prime minister.

Twitter’s co-founder recently said that India had previously threatened to close the company’s offices in India and raid employees’ homes if the social media platform refused to remove posts and accounts.

While warnings are based on a theoretical intervention, there could be “numerous unintended consequences” if tax authorities were to proceed along PE-related lines.

“Foreign institutions may decide to pass on the additional tax burden to the Indian students themselves,
increasing the financial strain on them and their families,” Grok warned.

“As well, this initiative could sour India’s relationship with foreign universities just as the execution of NEP 2020 continues to ramp up.”

Dua added that it’s “essential” for universities to conduct deep dive analyses of their existing and future operations in India, especially as new forms of student recruitment, enrolment, TNE initiatives evolve.

“There are a number of new tax laws and regulations that’ll need to be kept in mind to avoid any obvious pitfalls and potential challenges.”

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“The war divided my life into before and after,” says Sumy State University student, Zoreslava Shedenko. The PIE speaks to students and staff at the university to hear how they’ve adapted to a new way of learning.

“I am sure that most Ukrainians feel the same way,” adds Shedenko.

The university is located 30 kilometres from the Russian border, in the city of Sumy – one of the first to be met by Russia’s invasion in February 2022.

Like all institutions across Ukraine, its staff and students, including 1,700 international, were forced to find and adapt to new ways of teaching, learning and living.

For 12 days, the city of Sumy was completely surrounded, its infrastructure attacked by bombs resulting in cuts to electricity, water, heating and communications.

“When I heard about the first attack on Kyiv, I had doubts that Russia would invade Sumy. I still felt safe then,” says Mabel, a student from Nigeria. “I even had classes that day, and everything seemed normal. However, when I heard the shots, I realised that we were really at war.”

Classes stopped as the university puts its efforts into ensuring the welfare of its students – providing daily meals and water, installing autonomous generators, relocating students and creating safe channels of communication.

On March 8 2022, the first “green corridor” was agreed on and evacuation began, with the university’s international students being among the first to leave, through university-provided transportation.

All 1,700 travelled to Poltava and then on to Western Ukraine – where, at the time, there was no active bombing or fighting. From there, international embassies stepped in to evacuate students.

“We were waiting for instructions from the government and our university. Luckily, we didn’t leave earlier because people were ordering taxis and leaving, and they were shot at on the roads because they were trying to get out earlier,” says Laul Ali, a student, originally from Nigeria.

On April 1 2022, distance learning at the university resumed, at a pace which can be owed to the virtual platforms set in place during the Covid-19 pandemic.

“We continued the learning process as much as possible and completed the semester efficiently,” Inna Shkolnyk, vice-rector for scientific and pedagogic work at the university, tells The PIE, adding that it was only possible due to “the spirit of invincibility and tenacity” of both teachers and students.

These are the “Ukrainian traits” allowing them to fight to this day, she adds. Despite this confidence, Shkolynk admits staff had concerns that students would not choose to return to learning.

Deans and principals had even tried travelled to the the cities of suffering the fiercest battles and prolonged occupation such as Trostianets and Okhtyrka, to personally look for students.

“I do not mean that on April 1 all the students had continued studying, but gradually, they returned,” says Shkolnyk.

“I used to feel depressed thinking about losing the opportunity to learn, but, suddenly, everything changed. After we started studying, I felt better,” explains Kristian Bu Hamdan, a student from Morocco.

“After we started studying, I felt better”

“Realising the difficulties of wartime, the university is working to create the most favourable educational environment that takes into account the needs and capabilities of all participants in the educational process,” says Vasyl Karpusha, rector of Sumy State University.

The university has eight shelters located on various campuses and classes are located accordingly depending on likelihood to be online or distance learning. For example, subjects which are difficult to teach remotely, such as medicine and dentistry, are scheduled in a location near to a safe place.

“Regarding other institutes and faculties, directors and deans feel and understand the situation better in their own institute or faculty, so we gave them the authority to make decisions about the educational format. It can be online or mixed form, depending on where the students are located, whether they are in Sumy or they are scattered all over the world,” says Shkolnyk.

“When you hear gunshots and explosions outside the window, it is very hard to calm down and start doing something useful”

The same applies to teaching staff, as not all have returned to Ukraine and are able to conduct classes offline.

“But high-quality online [education] is what helps us completely and utterly now,” Shkolnyk adds.

Many accommodations have been made for students, including relaxed deadlines and attendance, with the ability to study asynchronously and access materials without having gone to a lecture, using a platform developed by university IT staff.

“Teachers record their video lectures, publish them, and students can watch them at any time, without being tied to a schedule,” Shkolnyk notes.

Thanks to a twinning initiative and partnership with the University of Liverpool, Sumy students on 13 particular overlapping courses with Liverpool can also access online resources and learning materials shared by the UK university. This includes Liverpool’s school of medicine providing resources for the entirety of a five-year medical program.

“When you hear gunshots and explosions outside the window, it is very hard to calm down and start doing something useful,” says student Karina Chernobuk.

“But distant learning is a good opportunity to distract yourself from today’s events, get yourself together, and start from scratch.”

Students told The PIE that it’s not unusual for classes to be interrupted by air-raid alerts, signalling a risk of being shelled, bombed, or attacked by missiles. When an air-rad is cancelled, classes can resume 10 minutes later.

Despite such interruptions, students told The PIE that continuing their studies, and being able to connect with students and teachers, is vital for their mental health.

“It is my light of hope for victory and a happy future,” Chernobuk adds.

The post Before and after: how the war has impacted teaching and learning at one Ukrainian university appeared first on The PIE News.

A local government in Nigeria spent a colossal US$28.8 million – an equivalent of 20 billion Naira – sponsoring students in international universities in the eight years up to 2023.

The regional government of Kano, one of the largest states in the country, spent the money paying school fees for some 111,000 students in 14 different countries abroad including the UK, China, India, Turkey, Ireland and Malaysia.

While part of the money paid for students to acquire degrees, part of it also went to paying for training lecturers, with some of the money supporting training for postgraduate students from the state enrolled in French universities.

In the latter arrangement some 50 lecturers from two universities in the northern Nigeria state were enrolled for doctorate degrees in French “prestigious universities” under a program jointly executed between the French and the state government. Towards that end Naira 600 million was spent.

Other countries where the students were enrolled include Egypt, Cyprus, Turkey, Uganda, United Kingdom, Togo, Ireland, Gambia and Ukraine.

Quoting a statement attributed to Malam Muhammad Garba, former commissioner for Information and Internal Affairs under immediate former governor of the devolved unit Abdullahi Ganduje, Channels TV reported that a huge portion of the money – Naira 865 million – went to scholarship allowances and to covering “logistics”.

“The former commissioner emphasised that the administration’s commitment to investing in education and scholarship opportunities had a significant impact on the development of human capital in Kano State”, it stated.

The outlet added that the financial support provided to both local and international students was aimed at enhancing “educational outcomes” and contribute to the state’s progress.

Nigeria remains Africa’s main source of foreign students, with thousands enrolling in UK, North American and European universities each year.

The result is huge spending on forex in the pursuit of foreign qualifications. While investment on the same fell in 2022, to stand at US$1.38 billion in the first nine months of 2022, it was by far one of the highest by a developing country.

During the year some 71,133 Nigerians enrolled in foreign universities around the world.

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Chinese higher education institutions should “increasingly choose to go global”, as NAFSA saw a bumper cohort from the country attend its 2023 conference.

Study in China returned to the conference for the first time since the pandemic began, with a cohort of over 15 different universities.

But during a time of tension on a geopolitical level– especially between China and the US – The PIE News spoke to two attendees about how the unique experience can bolster higher education on both sides.

“[Chinese HEIs] need to actively introduce and recommend themselves to foreign friends and universities,” said Vincent Liu, of the North America International Education Group, based in Beijing.

Liu told The PIE that even attending the conference still posed a significant challenge as direct flights between both countries still have not entirely resumed their usual schedule.

“NAIE Group has always been committed to serving as a bridge and link between Chinese and foreign universities, facilitating the approval and implementation of cooperative education programs.

“Although our collaborations and promotions have been somewhat influenced by geopolitical factors, the truth is that through this conference and other exchanges with universities from various countries, some American universities maintain an open attitude towards cooperation with Chinese universities,” Liu explained.

That collaboration was true for Li Jiang, who travelled to NAFSA as part of the Study in China cohort representing the Shenzhen Institute for Information Technology.

“I feel very pleased that we finally return to NAFSA after three years’ absence in this great conference due to the Covid-19 pandemic. It was my first time coming to the US as well as this conference.

“Before I arrived in US, I knew this conference was the largest in terms of participants in the industry. I expected to make contact with more peers of international education, and indeed, I made it,” Jiang told The PIE.

Tensions around China and its global counterparts have been high over the last year. While the UK mulled possibly closing Confucius Institutes (something UK PM Rishi Sunak has now reneged on), CSC students in Sweden were found to be signing “loyalty pledges” to the Republic.

“Some American universities maintain an open attitude”

Naturally, the US relationship with China is a driving focus, due to the country being a massive source market for thousands of US institutions.

Anthony Blinken, the US Secretary of State, made a trip to China on June 19 for talks with the country’s Foreign minister Qin Gang.

At NAFSA, Liu stressed that perhaps things would start going in the right direction in terms of collaboration in our sector.

“Due to geopolitical influences, there are individual universities that adopt a relatively conservative and wait-and-see attitude towards cooperation with China.

“Some European institutions may still be simply observing and relatively conservative. However, there are still many European universities that hope to further collaborate with Chinese universities.

“However, more American universities I encountered were still willing to cooperate and engage, although there may be some limitations for some specific STEM programs.

“Upon my return to Beijing, some American universities have already contacted me to initiate discussions about collaboration,” Liu said.

Jiang added that he made contact with around 18 other universities at the conference.

“Some of them have reached preliminary oral agreement with us, including those from the US, Italy and Germany,” Jiang noted.

“We hope to enrol more from foreign countries”

As a university where, Jiang said, the number of international students is “very few”, he hopes that contacts at NAFSA will change this.

“We hope to enrol more from foreign countries. I believe next year the numbers of international students in China will return to the normal as the time before the pandemic,” he added.

Liu also said that there is “growing interest” from universities outside China in joint education programs – something that, Liu said, there is little knowledge about in terms of cooperation techniques.

However, he said he believes it is crucial for Chinese HEIs to diversify their portfolio.

“Chinese universities and institutions rarely choose an ‘outbound’ market development strategy. [Chinese institutions] should recommend themselves to foreign friends and universities. This will promote exchanges and cooperation, and jointly contribute to the prosperity and development of international education,” he added.

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Technology, intercultural competence and micro-credentials were central ideas discussed at the International Internship Network Conference in Indianapolis this month.

Speakers focused on best practices for college and career readiness and specific employability skills honed through international internships.

“The nature of evolving technology in places of employment really affects the future of each of our programs, which feeds into the preparation we do with high school students, with our current students, and with anyone moving towards a clinical internship or work-based learning experience- whether that’s with a with an international company or [locally],” Ethan Heicher, chancellor Ivy Tech Kokomo Community College shared with the audience during a plenary session on employability.

As such, third-party skills verification is required in certain internships, such as in healthcare and mechanics, to ensure students have appropriate skills and competencies in that field before they engage in the work.

However, some employers indicated while students may be proficient in the technical skills required for employment, many in the “pandemic generation” of students are lacking in the “soft skills” that are equally necessary in the workplace such as communication, working in teams and business etiquette.

“It is a need and it’s part of our onboarding experience with our interns, but it would be really great if colleges and universities would prep them a little bit more for a professional workplace, workplace etiquette and relationships with their peers,” said Amberly Lopez, the director of global student programs at Elanco.

In considering what employers can do to improve their internal readiness to receive international interns, panellists stressed the need for ongoing training on intercultural competence and communication for employees to better address “unconscious biases”.

Suggestions included mentorship programs as well as hiring intercultural training coordinators to work with staff to prepare them to engage with new partners and to also work with students, clients and community members to raise awareness about cultural norms.

Devina Fernandez, workforce development specialist at Endress+Hauser expressed that some challenges during internships regarding overall student experience have been assuaged by strong mentorship programs.

Fernandez asserted that both universities and employers need to set clear expectations up front about internships to mitigate potential misunderstandings.

“When you take a student to a different culture, they bring their local club wisdoms to that country, but they also see best practices and they bring it back home,” Don Wettrick, CEO of the STARTedUP Foundation agreed. “So getting students to be a conduit benefits both sides.”

“It’s critical for international interns to be able to articulate the outcomes of their work experiences”

Christine Everett, director of the Institute for International Business highlighted the importance of post-internship reflection. “It’s critical for international interns to be able to articulate the outcomes of their work experiences, so that when discussing their experiences abroad, they are deeply considering their journey beyond the sightseeing and touristic components and through a skills-based lens.”

Everett also discussed the impact of collaborative online learning, particularly during the pandemic. “It’s impactful, and so much less expensive. This collaboration now with the technology platforms gives students the chance to work across cultures. We talk a lot about underrepresented minorities or underserved communities that don’t have the funds to be able to study abroad and now we’re able to help students stretch and grow in a transformational way through COIL.”

Heicher discussed the increasing importance of micro-credentials, especially given that half of the students at Ivy Tech enter the workforce upon finishing their technical education program.

“Leaving with something that is transferable, something that is recognisable, a third-party verification of competency, is something many employers very much value,” he said.

“Having someone from outside say you’re competent in this field and that you’ve achieved these objectives is really important. So those certifications have become a standard by which employers judge graduates.”

Conference president and co-founder, Matt Byrnes told The PIE, “[We’ve] created a collegial environment where university and college advisors, employers, providers, government officials, and students can exchange ideas, best practices, and innovative solutions for the field of international internships.”

The next International Internship Conference has been scheduled for June 2024 at University College Dublin in Ireland.

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The US and India should establish new joint research institutes and scale up student-based research collaboration and exchanges, leading US university leaders have recommended.

The Association of American Universities Task Force, launched earlier this year, has included the suggestions among nine recommendations in a new report.

According to the Task Force, leading research universities in the two countries share a “deep commitment to strengthening meaningful, high-impact and co-designed research partnerships”.

Bilateral academic cooperation is critical to shared security and geopolitical, commercial and economic futures and should be scaled up, they continued.

As well as establishing ‘Indo-U.S. Global Challenge Institutes’ for select group of Indian and US universities, governments should expand internship and apprenticeship opportunities for both Indian and US undergraduate and graduate students and post-doctoral researchers.

The report was released the week that Indian prime minister Narendra Modi travelled to the US at a time when international study destinations are looking to India as they recalibrate their China relations.

Discussions between the two leaders are expected to include enhancing educational exchanges.

Other recommendations are around targeted ‘professorship partnerships’ to create direct people-to-people links for joint research, expanding funding for programs designed to promote exchanges and opening up access to US research facilities to Indian researchers.

“The time is ripe for a concerted international education strategy”

The report also urges the State Department to “double down” on a pledge to issue one million visas to Indian citizens in 2023 and commit to an immediate month-long sprint of visa processing.

“By surging resources in the near term and prioritizing visa interviews for not only students, but also exchange visitors and conference/workshop attendees, the US will signal its commitment to meet demand and chip away at the backlog that has choked the talent pipeline,” the paper says.

In the long term, legislation “must be adopted to overhaul the United States’ strained visa and immigration system”, it added.

In 2021, the US Departments of State and Education announced a joint statement on international education, but the report says more work is needed.

AAU, which has previously joined other stakeholders such as NAFSA and IIE to press the Biden administration to introduce an international education strategy, renewed its calls for the US to introduce a government-backed plan.

“While the US Departments of Education, State, and Commerce have devoted some resources to attracting and retaining international students, these efforts are not holistic or coordinated around a central objective,” the report said. “The time is ripe for a concerted international education strategy.”

The 15 embassies in the US and India need to “build the front doors” to each other’s country. Dedicated liaison offices should assist universities to navigate “myriad legal hurdles” to establish nonprofit academic centres or satellite campuses in-country, and assist on the hosting country’s tax and regulatory landscape, it added.

The report also notes opportunities around India’s population growth (with people under 25 accounting for more than 40% of India’s estimated population of 1.4 billion), the country’s fast-growing economy, as well as India’s National Education Policy opening doors for transnational education and research collaboration.

“The time is ripe to examine how we further develop and expand academic and research partnerships with India,” the report reads. It adds that international agreements with the UK, France and Australia “aimed at creating innovation partnerships” could serve as models for future collaborations with the US.

The two countries announced a US-India initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology in May 2022, which leaders said would “elevate and expand” their  strategic technology partnership.

Modi’s visit to the US in recent days has however not been welcomed by all.

Some 75 Democratic senators and members of the House of Representatives have signed a letter urging Joe Biden to raise human rights issues with the Indian prime minister when they meet. Politicians such as Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez have said they will boycott Modi’s address to a joint session of Congress on June 22.

Despite some political opposition, AAU listed three main challenges to bilateral higher education and research collaboration.

These include funding deficiencies and issues around dividing the costs of research; regulatory and policy barriers in the US visa system, US export control policies and the Indian Foreign Contribution Regulation Act; and structural and cultural in the countries’ higher education systems.

AAU intends to release a comprehensive report of actionable recommendations later in 2023.

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New Zealand has announced the 171 exchange students to be supported by Prime Minister’s Scholarships who will travel to Asia and Latin America over the next year.

Minister of Education Jan Tinetti revealed that government-sponsored recipients will travel to countries such as China, India, Thailand, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Chile and Colombia.

“The Prime Minister’s Scholarships offer a fantastic opportunity for New Zealanders to build global connections during their time learning and working overseas, while sharing Aotearoa New Zealand with the world,” Jan Tinetti said.

Diversity within outbound mobility is a key part of the country’s international education strategy, and the first round of scholarship recipients are from 14 groups.

“I am delighted that the interest in the program is continuing to grow, particularly among our Māori communities. So far this year, at least 50% of the scholarships have been awarded to individuals with a Kaupapa Māori focus,” Jan Tinetti stated.

“At least 50% of the scholarships have been awarded to individuals with a Kaupapa Māori focus”

The group scholarship recipients will undertake a range of learning experiences, from internships, language courses and study exchange, the minister added.

One example of the eight group awardees to Asia is the six-week Te Whare Wānanga o Waikato: tairua Māori ki Taiwan. Research has previously found that 60% of Maori DNA is in common with Taiwanese aboriginal DNA.

The four-week Victoria University of Wellington & Te Wānanga o Aotearoa program to Chile is one of six groups to Latin America. It will focus on Indigenous studies, development and language revitalisation aiming to connect Māori students with Mapuche students.

A recent meeting at Universidad de La Frontera (UFRO) in Chile offered the Indigenous peoples “a great moment to promote respect for and the importance of each ones identity”, according to UFRO director of the Institute for Indigenous and Intercultural Studies, Osvaldo Curaqueo Pichihueche.

“This initiative allows us to recognise and value our identities and knowledge, and to interact and share on the basis of the activities and protocols that are characteristic for each of these Indigenous cultures,” he added.

Speaking with The PIE earlier this year, Tuari Potiki from University of Otago, noted that while Indigenous students really wanted to travel, they “wanted it to be an Indigenous experience”.

There has been a move to drive international exchange participation among Indigenous students in recent years, with York, Western, UBC in Canada and the University of Sydney in Australia just some of the institutions with targeted programs.

Along with Indigenous studies, the recipients of the first round of Prime Minister’s Scholarships will do study, research and internship programs in sustainable development, entrepreneurship and health over six to nine weeks, Tinetti explained.

A second round of scholarships will open for individual applicants in August. Since 2013, the Prime Minister’s Scholarships program has awarded 3,050 individuals.

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S P Jain’s London School of Management has become the first Indian-origin business school to be able to award UK degrees, it has been announced.

The business school has been granted New Degree Awarding Powers by the Office for Students for its new Canary Wharf campus, which is set to welcome students on undergraduate and MBA programs from October 2023.

“The global market for UK education remains strong, and S P Jain’s new London campus is symbolic of this growth,” S P Jain said in a statement.

“S P Jain was born with a simple philosophy of if business has gone global, business schools should go global too,” Nitish Jain, president, S P Jain School of Global Management, told The PIE.

“The school already has flourishing campuses in the some of the world’s top cities: Dubai, Mumbai, Singapore and Sydney. London is a natural extension to the global model.

“People need to work in global teams, leverage global opportunities and build networks across the globe,” added Jain.

Although the school is registered as a UK entity, it belongs to the Australian S P Jain School of Global Management family which has roots in India.

The school welcomes students from over 100 countries across all campuses but has said that it will mainly be aiming to recruit UK students at the start of the academic year.

S P Jain is known for its Australian global 12-month MBA degree which allows students to study at its campuses in Singapore, Sydney and Dubai for four months each. Now, the latest London campus is being added to this offering.

“Students from other countries will come to London to understand British opportunities and practices. Similarly, our domestic students would go to the top Asian cities because it’s also possible for them to study on our other campuses, as part of their course here in London” said Jain.

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The cost of living and price of tuition fees are tainting the value and experience of studying in the UK for international students, research has suggested.

The Advance HE/HEPI Student Academic Experience Survey 2023 found that 50% of EU undergraduates in the UK said that they feel their studies have been impacted by the cost of living ‘a little’, while 27% said it has impacted their studies ‘a lot’.

Meanwhile, 43% of international students from outside the EU said the cost of living has impacted their studies ‘a little’, with a further 27% saying their studies have been impacted ‘a lot’.

“There are many positives in this year’s results, which show the post-pandemic recovery is well under way in higher education. But the survey also shows the cost of living crisis is not just shorthand for rising prices – most students are being affected in adverse ways,” said Nick Hillman, director, HEPI.

“Given there is an expectation of a general election in the next year or so, we urge policymakers to engage with what students are saying via this year’s results. The survey shines a spotlight on the areas of higher education that are working well and the areas working less well.”

The 17th edition of the survey captured the views of 10,163 full-time undergraduate students studying in the UK, of which 1,679 are international – 876 from the EU and 803 from the rest of the world.

We urge policymakers to engage with what students are saying via this year’s results

It found that 35% of EU students consider their student experience to be ‘good or very good’ value-for-money. Meanwhile, 38% of international students from outside of the EU believe this. The research found that the value for money perceptions for international students are running very close to the average, with 37% being the average for all domiciles this year.

For domicile students who described their value for money as ‘poor’, the cost of living was the driving factor behind this perception. Although 37% of EU students and 38% of international students from outside of the EU cited this as the reason for their ‘poor’ value for money, it is not dominant driver of value for international students.

The survey found that 48% of EU students highlighted tuition fees as the reason for this poor perception, along with 39% of international students from outside of the EU.

The research showed a small upturn in value perceptions across all parts of the UK, with the exception of students domiciled in Wales. However, none of the changes are statistically significant, the report highlights.

“Students have demonstrated exceptional resilience in the face of a challenging few years, and we are pleased to see satisfaction with their academic experience has risen above pre-pandemic levels as campuses have returned to normal,” said Tim Bradshaw, chief executive of the Russell Group.

“However, it is clear that the cost of living crisis is having an impact on students’ studies. Universities are stepping up support for students, including providing millions of pounds of extra financial assistance alongside a range of other measures on campus. But additional government support is needed, and we continue to urge it to address flaws in the maintenance loans system and uplift loans so they reflect actual inflation since 2020/21.”

A spokesperson for Universities UK said it is “encouraging” to see the proportion of students rating the quality and value of their degree has gone up.

“However, this data definitively shows that students’ university experience is being negatively impacted by the cost of living crisis,” they continued.

“The vast majority feel that their ability to study has been affected, with many having to take on increased hours working to make ends meet. We need government to act fast to increase the amount of maintenance support for students.

“Universities are doing their bit by increasing hardship funding, offering subsidised or free food on campus and increasing other forms of pastoral support, but there is a limit to what they can do without action from government.”

Students were also surveyed on their levels of wellbeing, and compared the findings to that the Office for National Statistic’s findings for the same question asked of the general UK population. The report notes that since it began making the comparison in its research, student levels of wellbeing have been “some way below that of the general population”.

“This shows no sign of changing for the better,” it added.

The research found that levels of wellbeing for EU students are more positive than the total student sample, particularly in terms of happiness and low anxiety, with these two measures closer than the survey average to that of the UK population, but still sitting some way behind.

“It is really important that we listen to students’ priorities and work with them to co-create an academic experience that helps them fulfil their talents and ambitions,” said Alison Johns, chief executive, Advance HE.

“It’s clear that the cost-of-living crisis is holding their experience back, and all stakeholders will be keen to look at ways to mitigate this and achieve and sustain high value in the long term.”

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If you could spend five minutes with anyone from the international education sector, who would it be and what would you ask them? Introducing The PIE’s latest series, Five Minutes With… where we speak to leaders from across the sector and asking them all the big questions

Riccardo Ocleppo prides himself on his continued efforts as an entrepreneur in the edtech sector. Having founded Docsity for Italian students in 2010 as an online learning network, he expanded it in 2012 to serve the rest of the world. Now, he’s endeavouring to launch a whole new online university – the Open Institute of Technology. 

What keeps you awake at night? 

All the ups and downs of being an entrepreneur. So sometimes you go to bed very excited about what happened during the day and what’s coming up next. Other days, you are just so frustrated by things.

Best work trip?

I had an immersion week on the Chinese edtech sector in-country, and I was able to meet a lot of people from everywhere in the world – the cohort was made up of 20 people in the education sector from across the globe. We visited a lot of very, very interesting start-ups in the educational sectors in China, as well as listed companies, and met a lot of interesting people and got to know their market, which is very difficult to understand from the outside.

Most inspiring student you’ve met, helped or taught? 

There was this high school student in Italy, who was actually really practical, and reaching me out on LinkedIn and asked me for feedback about his career and what he aspired to do. We set up a few calls just to discuss his future, what it’s going to be like, the best educational option for him and what it was like to be an entrepreneur, and so on. So it was very intimate and private conversation. 

What do you like most about your job? 

I like the adrenaline. I like the potential of making a big impact on people. I like the uncertainty, which means that a lot can be achieved – but you have to be careful of the downside. 

“I like the adrenaline. I like the potential of making a big impact on people”

Who is a champion or cheerleader of the industry we should all follow? 

The person that is really an inspiration for me is the rector of OPIT, Professor Francesco Profumo. He’s a very institutional figure, and experienced in the industry. He’s just so forward thinking, and innovative – originally, I approached him simply to be the face and heart of the institute, but he helped us greatly with the educational model and all the aspects that could make the learning experience great for students. So he’s been an inspiration.

Worst food experience at a conference? 

Well it wasn’t part of the conference, but once we went to a restaurant – our entire cohort – I still remember having the jellyfish there for dinner. It really wasn’t very nice. 

If you had a magic wand, what would you change? 

The pace of change. It should really be quicker for higher education institutions and universities. It was good up until 20 years ago, but now, we continue to run the risk that we remain outdated. 

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