The UK’s place as a destination market for English language courses has been in flux for a while – to say the least. 

Since the country left the European Union, Ireland and Malta have especially capitalised on the UK’s waning popularity amongst European source markets in the years directly following the vote. 

However, a global pandemic saw a drastic shrinkage of the sector – wherever one looked, not just in the UK. 

Emerging from Covid, while 2022 was still a difficult year for English language schools and agents alike, a light was beginning to appear at the end of the tunnel. 

Now, it seems, that light is growing brighter for the UK as a destination market. 

Speaking with The PIE at the IALC workshop, which brings together both schools and agents to network and establish partnerships, Audrey Montali – who runs the Indirizzo Inghilterra agency in Italy, sending hundreds of students abroad a year – says it still has that Midas touch. 

“The UK is probably my biggest market – despite Brexit, there is the variety of courses; the nationality mix; the relative ease of finding accommodation – these are real attractions. 

“There’s also really thoughtful content within the courses,” she tells the PIE. 

She is not alone. Claudia Herrmann, an agent with GLS Sprachenzentrum in Berlin, says the diversity of programs available in the UK will ensure it is always a key player. 

“The UK is currently the most popular destination for our students for language courses because there’s plenty of choice”, says Herrmann.

For Germany though, a crux lies in the data. 

Specifically in the adult sector, the UK as a destination market now only accounts for just over 12.5% of students – this is according to newly released data from the German Association of Language Tour Operators, or FDSV.

Crucially, it lies eight percentage points below that of Malta.

It is important to note, however, that this includes all language courses – not just English. However, it still remains the most desired language to learn in the German outbound market.

In addition, it is still overall the most popular destination – with 35% of the market share. 

“I had to diversify my portfolio” 

However, at least for Germany, long-distance destinations may well make a comeback. 

“The association is forecasting increased demand for long-distance travel in 2023, particularly for Australia and New Zealand,” the report reads. 

Back at IALC, the PIE spoke with Christine Bonneux, running the I Love Lingua agency based in France, who before Covid specialised in Australian study travel. 

“It didn’t turn out to be a good choice because of course, they were completely closed – so I had to diversify my portfolio. 

“Before Covid, I would have taken 70 students just to Australia – this year, only a third of that have gone,” she says. 

“However, it is showing a lot of interest again – so I already know now that in the summer of 2024 I will have double the amount of French students going there,” she predicts.

While junior demand seems to still be in place – it still retains 50% of Germany’s market share, according to FDSV – there has been ever-growing contempt in the sector due to the ongoing issues with group passports for the UK.

One French school teacher described a “Kafkaesque” situation in which because three children out of 40 didn’t have EU passports, their individual visas (which they had to apply for due to Brexit rules) were rejected and not allowed to appeal, sending the school’s trip into disarray.

Bonneux’s portfolio diversification is leading her to look harder at the UK.

“French people are indeed ready again [for the UK]”

“Opening up to the UK hasn’t really been possible so far, because in France we have the problem with the delay for passports – and those who don’t have one can’t go to England, of course. 

“However, French people are indeed ready again [for the UK]. They’ve been frustrated, they’ve been unhappy, but now they want to go back,” she affirms.

While it seems people are more than ready to go to the UK, the problem is getting there – which could still hurt the appetite. 

On that measure, English UK has recently released nine “asks” to the country’s government, hoping to regain the UK’s position as a top ELT destination. 

“Our language schools are resilient and innovative, but UK ELT is competing with one hand tied behind its back,” the paper reads. 

Will that hand be untied? It remains to be seen – the paper will officially be launched to government on May 11, so what they may do in response will be watched closely.

Until then, the UK ELT sector must dig in its feet if it is to claw back lost time – but people are ready to return. 

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Dutch will gradually become the main language in educational institutions in the Netherlands – and international students will have to learn too, the education minister has suggested. 

In a new letter Robbert Dijkgraaf sent to the prime minister of the country, he said that as part of a “long term and targeted approach” to internationalisation, Dutch should be “strengthened” at universities. 

“Our system is distinguished by an exceptionally wide range of foreign-language study programs… I also want to focus on promoting Dutch in a completely foreign-language study program,” the minister wrote. 

“This means that, in principle, attention will be paid to Dutch language skills in every study program – I want to set higher requirements for being able to offer foreign-language study program,” he continued.

The measure is just one of many that have been outlined in the 26 page letter to the prime minister. 

Other recommendations Dijkgraaf has made include that of introducing a “max-capacity” outline on foreign-only programs, and also the promotion of Dutch students studying abroad. 

The letter also expresses that there is a pressing need for a “central management” system around higher education, especially in regards to international student recruitment – with which, Dijkgraaf said he should have the option to “intervene” if necessary. 

“The Netherlands is not an island – on the contrary, we are one of the most internationally connected countries in the world. 

“With a long-term and targeted approach, I want to prevent the quality of our colleges and universities from coming under such pressure [from international oversubscription] that this undermines our international top position.

“I want to support that position. In addition to an accelerator, we also need a brake and, above all, a steering wheel.”

The plan, which will be debated in parliament later in the year – rumours suggest this will be around mid-June – comes as fierce debate has enveloped the parliament regarding the need to curb international student numbers, triggered by a housing shortage.

Perry Hobson, Breda University of Applied Sciences’s academy of tourism director, who has been following the situation closely as slightly different measures are being debated for the UAS sector, told The PIE that the main issues are very closely entangled.

“The issue here is that the numbers of international students in the main research universities has shot up, but in the UAS sector it has not. In fact, for the UAS sector it seems that enrolments are stagnant or declining – but these are the graduates that Dutch industry says it needs,” he said. 

“In addition to an accelerator, we also need a brake and, above all, a steering wheel”

The letter does point out that UsAS in the Netherlands will be faced with a different strategy going forward.

“In general, universities of applied sciences currently have a (still) smaller share of international students, with the exception of a number of specific institutions, and the language of instruction is Dutch in the vast majority of the programmes.

“However, this does not mean that within higher professional education there is no need for strategic action before the same urgent problems arise there as they have in academic higher education,” Dijkgraaf wrote.

Hobson added “lack of access to housing and concerns about the ‘Anglo-fication’ of degrees” were problematic for many institutions.

“That is also aligned with the issues that many of the international students and graduates in the Netherlands don’t seem to stay on after graduation.

“Compulsory teaching of Dutch language within the curriculum, however, seems to be a no-go ‘red-line’ for the universities – as it’s seen as the government interfering in academic freedom,” he pointed out. 

While the matter has been debated, there has been an almost complete halt on recruitment for universities across the sector. 

Dijkgraaf’s plans regarding the Dutch language are, in his view, one of the ways to encourage students to continue to stay in the country after they graduate. 

“These measures should lead to higher Dutch language skills among students, with the aim of a better connection to the Dutch labour market and society and to increase the chances of international students staying.

“In principle, attention will be paid to Dutch language skills in every study program”

Notwithstanding the language question, Dijkgraaf suggests that the central management approach can leave room for customisation in terms of labour market shortages, especially in regards to different regional needs. 

“I would like to see that in the future, as a rule, only foreign students are actively recruited for courses that train for the needs of regional society and on the condition that this does not put undue pressure on the capacity of education or the living environment,” Dijkgraaf wrote.

The central management, which would look at all of these issues, will be given as a project to a “coordinating body”, he envisaged – which would consistently monitor all the issues set out in the letter.

“The central themes on which the body can focus are: sustainability and accessibility of the education system in relation to the total international influx – what can society and the system cope with? – balancing the social consequences and the question of where space can be given for customisation.

“For example, the envisaged body could look at the impact of the measures proposed in this letter with regard to language and capacity, as well as overarching themes, including targets, regional accents and customisation and EU developments in the field of student mobility.

“It would also be a good idea to take a critical look at the full range of foreign-language courses,” Dijkgraaf added.

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International education bodies in Canada are urging prospective students to move forward with their study plans – despite a strike by federal civil servants that may delay document processing.

More than 155,000 public servants walked out on April 19, seeking higher wages and better working conditions. This includes employees with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada – however, staff working in overseas offices remain on the job.

Languages Canada, which represents English and French language programs across the country, is urging the federal government to make student document processing a top priority.

“Agents and students should know that Canada remains open for business despite the strike,” Gonzalo Peralta, executive director of Languages Canada, told the PIE News.

“For instance, students traveling to Canada on Electronic Travel Authorisations aren’t affected since that process is largely automated,” he continued.

Alain Roy, vice president of international programs with Colleges and Institutes Canada, echoed that that awareness was key for international students that “some services remain available”.

“Students can submit their study permit applications online and visa application centres outside of Canada will continue to operate as normal,” Roy said.

“Canada remains open for business despite the strike”

However, immigration minister Sean Fraser warned that students could face delays in processing applications for study permits and visas. He said the impact “could be severe depending on the length of the work stoppage.”

Peralta believes the impact of the strike will be minimal but is worried that students will be discouraged from coming to the country.

“Our concern is over misunderstanding or misinformation impacting decisions to choose Canada as a study destination and for that reason we’ve requested clear communication by government to reassure our partners abroad,” he insisted.

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Indiana State University has entered into an international partnership with the University of Havana, it was announced on April 12.

This opportunity will allow ISU’s students to study abroad in Cuba, as well as allow for further access to instruction and research.

The partnership will add to ISU’s roster of over 350 programs across 60 countries – some of these include Edge Hill University in Ormskirk in the UK, and the University of Zagreb in Croatia.

“We look forward to providing our students and faculty with expanded opportunities to gain a greater worldview on public policy, political science, social and natural sciences, humanities, and healthcare through study abroad and classroom instruction,” said Christopher Olsen, Indiana State University provost and vice president for academic affairs.

He also expressed his eagerness to move forward on research collaboration “with University of Havana faculty”.

Starting in Fall 2023, research is projected to be conducted between the College of Health and Human Services at ISU and Cuba’s highest ranking university.

For the University of Havana, it marks another partnership amongst around 80 international institutions, including Harvard.

In addition, according to Indiana State University’s LinkedIn post, the exchange includes collaboration with “the University of Havana’s Center for Hemispheric and United States Studies and its Latin American School of Social Sciences”.

As a result of the collaboration that will occur in these different disciplines at the University of Havana, the partnership, according to those involved, is the “first educational exchange agreement of this scope in Indiana”.

“We look forward to providing our students and faculty with expanded opportunities”

Representative staff and faculty from ISU visited the Havana campus in late March and early April to meet with respective university leadership.

Jill Moore, School of Nursing Executive Director, shared she is excited at the prospect of the partnership, particularly “in the areas of nursing, social work and human development and family sciences”.

Through the partnership, ISU aims to contribute to “ongoing efforts to further internationalise our campus and provide a global perspective to our students’ academic experiences”.

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The reliability of China as the UK’s main source market is uncertain, new data released by CIL management consultants indicates.

The global management consultancy recently conducted a survey of 145 education agents in order to find relevant insights about the perspectives for international students in the UK’s higher education institutions.

Following rising geopolitical tensions between the Western world and China due to various reasons, uncertainty lingers over the persistence of China as the UK’s most reliable source market.

The picture, though, appears multifaceted.

While in 2023 Chinese applications have decreased for the first time in over a decade (27,710, which is a 4% decline compared to the previous year), the figure is still higher than pre-pandemic levels (21,250 applications were registered in 2019/20).

The survey also indicated the number of non-EU students enrolled on undergraduate degree programs at British universities has experienced a significant uptick in the last four academic years – increasing from 174,000 in the 2018/2019 academic year to 221,000 in the 2021/2022 intake.

Though reintroducing the graduate route in 2019 may have played a part, the extremely restrictive measures for containing COVID-19 by Australia and New Zealand should also be considered, CIL indicated.

“Although the outlook for the UK remains positive, a potential softening of demand is expected due to competing Anglophone markets rebounding, most notably Australia and New Zealand,” the survey added.

The number of international students willing to enrol in British universities is expected to increase over the next three years – aligning with a survey also recently conducted by INTO – as the reopening of major international transportation routes will see international demand bounce back to pre-pandemic levels.

Apart from the reintroduction of the post-study work visa in 2019, it said there are further key drivers of international demand for British universities such as the prestige and status that British academic institutions still enjoy globally.

28 UK universities were included among the world’s 200 top universities in the latest rankings.

In addition, demand for UK universities is strengthened by attracting students coming from countries where study abroad is extremely popular amid lower-performing university climates, such as China.

“A potential softening of demand is expected due to competing Anglophone markets rebounding”

The UK has also attracted growing numbers of international students from relatively new source markets in recent years; India, Pakistan, Nigeria and even Kuwait have been representing increasingly important source markets for UK universities, the survey found.

The attractiveness of British universities may also be impacted by regulatory changes in visa policy, as governmental discussions about reducing the terms of the graduate route are ongoing.

Meanwhile, Australia is extending its post-study work rights to four years for a limited number of degrees – even with the current tumultuous climate around the visa system.

In light of the heavy reliance on non-EU international students for their annual income – HESA estimates that more than 30% of UK universities’ tuition fees are paid by non-EU international students – any decisions regarding this issue should be carefully examined, the survey indicated.

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The sector is at a “critical point” as it emerges from the pandemic, one stakeholder claimed at the NAGAP Graduate Enrolment Management Summit.

Revamping supports for students and emphasising self-care for graduate program professionals were two prevalent themes at the conference, held in New York City from April 12-15.

“We’re at a critical point for our industry.

“Schools are looking for graduate programs to offset some of the projected undergraduate enrolment declines, particularly in the US, while we’ve had some of our colleagues exit the industry following the pandemic,” Marcus Hanscom, director of graduate admissions at Roger Williams University told The PIE News.

Indeed, as the sector emerged post-pandemic, it was clear to many graduate admissions staff that the way in which they served students required significant changes.

As such, presenters discussed how to meet enrolment and retention goals and to address the lack of visibility many graduate students experience on campus.

Lehigh University’s Angelo Lambroschino and Cassandra Cabral-Castro of Moravian University discussed financial aid, scholarships, research grants, writing assistance, mental health providers, and alumni networks as supports available to many graduate students that often go underutilised.

Interstride recently conducted a survey of international graduate students and professionals about the most significant challenges and supports in the enrolment process.

Julie Deland of Harvard University noted that the top two challenges for international students are finances and visas, according to survey results.

“Admission and aid timelines don’t always align,” Deland said. “Yet, to obtain a visa, students must show full funding.”

Interstride’s Judy Chen added such interrelations with these issues as “challenging”.

Chen shared that university websites and email communications, along with support from graduate admissions professionals, were rated the most helpful resources by international graduate students.

NAGAP board member Katie-Ann Mason, who is the associate director of graduate admissions at Bridgewater State University, told The PIE that she gained “additional ideas to improve the application process for international applicants”.

“We’re at a critical point for our industry”

“Every year the NAGAP GEM Summit allows attendees from the same field to put their finger on the pulse of rising trends, concerns, and solutions,” Mason said.

Likewise, Ling Zhang, director of graduate and international recruitment at Central Michigan University shared with The PIE that “the informative sessions provided valuable insights into the trends and challenges facing graduate enrolment”.

In addition to sharing supports for graduate students, conference themes highlighted the importance of self-care for professionals in the field.

The opening keynote address by Freedom Writers actress April Hernandez Castillo focused on putting oneself first in order to thrive and to be able to help others do the same.

Referencing the pandemic, Hernandez Castillo advocated for finding “joy in the chaos” in order to inspire graduate students.

She noted that convening at conferences like NAGAP can help professionals rekindle the joy of being in education, despite the new set of challenges brought on by the pandemic that still remain part of the graduate admissions world.

Hanscom agreed: “NAGAP and the GEM Summit really play a critical role in supporting graduate enrolment professionals as they navigate the challenging times ahead.”

“Admission and aid timelines don’t always align”

“I’d argue that a connection with NAGAP has never been more important for professionals working in our field,” Hanscom added.

The closing keynote address also concerned fostering connectedness. In discussing how to increase personal and professional happiness, Paul Krismer, the founder of the Happiness Experts, identified the degrees of burnout and how to combat them.

Krismer said burnout often begins with emotional exhaustion, which is followed by a lack of efficacy, and then depersonalisation. He stated that noticing and acknowledging signs of burnout are the first steps in addressing it.

Developing resources, such as having work friends and setting boundaries, have been proven to decrease burnout and increase employee satisfaction and retention, Krismer added.

Krismer suggested to the admissions professionals that automating happiness is possible.

“If we do more and more of the same thing, our brains get better and better at doing it. If we can lay down enough neural pathways so that happiness comes more readily to us, then we will simply be more happy automatically,” he added.

The post NAGAP: student support and professionals’ self care in the spotlight appeared first on The PIE News.

A leading independent higher education body in Australia has called on the country’s government to release awaited data on student visa-related performances of CRICOS education providers. 

The Independent Tertiary Education Council Australia sent a letter detailing its concerns to Immigration Minister Andrew Giles on April 19.

It comes amid a subcommittee hearing on the sector at large in Australia, where Phil Honeywood, CEO of IEAA, said the current visa system setup was “becoming a Ponzi scheme”.

The letter says a representative from the Department of Home Affairs had indicated the reports – dubbed the Student Visa Program Evidence Levels – would be released in March, but have yet to materialise.

“ITECA has advised the Minister that this delay has caused significant reputational damage to Australia’s international education providers, creating a financial risk due to the adverse impact on future international student enrolments,” Troy Williams, chief executive of ITECA, told The PIE News. 

“International education providers deserve better than to be left in the lurch by government delays,” he insisted. 

The letter goes on to remind the Minister that the updates are relied upon by all parties involved, including the providers, the agents that recruit students and the students themselves. 

Mentioning how independent tertiary providers supported “55% of all international student enrolments” in 2022 – 404,000 out of over 619,000, according to data from the Austrade year in review –  the document also refers to the potential snowballing financial risk from the aforementioned “adverse impact” on future enrolments. 

“International education providers deserve better than to be left in the lurch”

“From the perspective of ITECA, this issue is not just about the financial stability of education providers. It is also about the long-standing reputation of Australia as a top destination for international students,” Williams stated.

“Since the 1950s, Australia has welcomed students from all over the world, and the education sector has become a vital part of the country’s social and economic fabric.

“ITECA’s call for action is a reminder that Australia must stand up for its education industry and support the students who want come to our shores to learn,” Williams said.

The letter ends with ITECA inviting officials to meet with them on the matter, and “looking forward to continued engagement with the Australian Government”.

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Chinese international students are still being denied visas under a proclamation issued by Donald Trump during his tenure as president.

Forbes spoke with a fifth-year PhD student focusing on artificial intelligence in transportation who had been in the US since 2018.

The student was denied a visa to return to the US, after she visited family in China, meaning she cannot complete her PhD and is having to continue her course remotely.

The presidential proclamation 10043 was stated as the reason for the visa denial. Under the presidential proclamation, graduates and researchers with links to China’s ‘military-civil fusion strategy’ are banned from entering the US.

The American Council on Education has told The PIE News that it understands only a small number of graduate students are being impacted by the proclamation.

For example, those who are studying specific STEM subjects or have ties to certain organisations.

However, more transparency around decision making would benefit students and institutions, according to the organisation.

Forbes reported that in 2021, U.S. consular officers refused 1,964 visas for Chinese nationals due to the presidential proclamation, according to data from the State Department. This data showed that 47 people “overcame” the initial refusal.

Statistics are not yet available for FY 2022 or FY 2023, but Forbes reported that any number would underestimate the proclamation’s impact since students and researchers who expect to be refused a visa would be unlikely to apply in the first place.

“When it was issued the State Department actually provided a briefing for the higher education associations about how they were planning to use the presidential proclamation,” Sarah Spreitzer, assistant vice president and chief of staff, government relations at American Council on Education told The PIE.

“One of the things that they said is that they were really trying to very narrowly define it, to address a specific national security concern. They didn’t want it to impact a broad swathe of graduate students, or undergraduate students, coming from China.

“They were really trying to very narrowly define it, to address a specific national security concern”

“So, when the Biden administration took office, it had been in place for a year or two, and we received another briefing from the State Department,” Spreitzer continued.

Staff from the department said that for the time they were planning on keeping the proclamation in place and that based on the data that they had, it is impacting less than one percent of the graduate students who are applying for visas to come to the US.

Spreitzer said that the previous administration was “extremely vocal” when this was put in place, saying they were taking action to protect against bad actors.

“I think it was picked up a lot in the Chinese press and in some cases students who saw their visas denied, may have assumed that it was under this presidential proclamation, when perhaps it was for a different reason,” she added.

Spreitzer noted that the State Department continues to tell ACE that the proclamation is impacting a “very small number” of graduate students.

She also explained that the Biden administration has allowed national security waivers or national interest waivers, so it is up to the consulate if they do want to waive the presidential proclamation, based on a national need.

“What we understand from the State Department is that it is only impacting graduate students, so it is not meant to impact undergraduate students. It’s only impacting graduate students in very specific STEM fields – and then only if they have ties to certain organisations,” Spreitzer said.

“I think it was picked up a lot in the Chinese press”

“The problem is that the State Department will not share with us the list of STEM fields or the list of organisations that they are concerned with, because they have said that is a national security issue.

“I think it would be a lot easier for institutions and students if they understood that these are the fields and organisations that they are concerned with, but I haven’t had a classified briefing on the issue, so I do not know what the national security concerns are,” she added.

Despite the reports of Chinese students still being denied data from IDP Connect shows that their interest in the US as a study destination has not been significantly harmed.

“Our digital demand data, which tracks trends in student search behaviour around the world, suggests that at the early stages of the decision making journey, interest in the USA from Chinese students is strong,” IDP Connect’s CEO, Simon Emmett told The PIE.

“According to this data, the USA is the most popular destination for Chinese students and over the last month has seen increased interest.”

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