UK government sends clear message of welcome — "International students will always be welcome"
- New Universities Minister commits the UK government to a warm and lasting welcome for international students.
- She also made clear the Graduate Visa enabling new graduates to stay in the UK for two years and to take up employment is here to stay.
The new British Universities Minister Bridget Phillipson MP has sent a strong and deeply personal message of reassurance and welcome to international students considering study in the United Kingdom.
Speaking to an audience of diplomats from across the globe, the Minister made clear the new Government sees international students as a welcome part of universities and the communities that host them:
“International students will always be welcome in this country,” she said. “I want to set the record straight on international students. I know there’s been some mixed messaging from governments in the past. This government will take a different approach and we will speak clearly.
“This new government values their contribution – to our universities, to our communities, to our country. I want Britain to welcome those who want to come to these shores to study, and meet the requirements to do so.
“The more we work together, the more progress we will see in the world – partners in the push for better. Closed systems that only look inward quickly run out of ideas. Creativity crumbles, innovation dies, the same thoughts spin round and round and collapse in on themselves.
“But through our international partners, we can reach out across the world and bring back a freshness of thought that breathes new life into our society. That includes our universities, and it includes international students.”
Bridget Phillipson MP also spoke warmly of her own friendships with international students when she was at university, the talent and courage of students, and the positive impact they have on their communities as students and graduates undertaking a period of post-study work.
The Minister’s comments were warmly recommended by students themselves, universities and higher education providers.
The UK Council for International Student Affairs said it was delighted to see that the new government is already changing the rhetoric by explicitly stating that international students are welcomed and valued.
The Russell Group of leading British universities also welcomed the clear message from the government that talented students from around the world would find a warm welcome here and hoped these positive comments would draw a line under previous political rows.
Founder of the #WeAreInternational campaign and international education provider Study Group’s Executive Director of External Affairs Ruth Arnold said,
“The Minister’s speech was music to the ears to all of us who have taught and supported international students and who count them as our inspiration and our lasting friends, whether they go on to careers around the world after graduation or make a vital contribution in the UK.
“As the Minister rightly said, these people are brave. They move to a new culture, far away from their homes and their families.
They take a leap of faith, hoping to develop new skills and chase new horizons. Over the years I have seen that in practice and the way that studying in Britain has opened up so many new opportunities and possibilities for them. We should honour that endeavour, the work of families to support such students, and we do. As the minister had promised, we will do everything we can to help them succeed.”
The full speech is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/bridget-phillipsons-speech-at-the-embassy-education-conference