The Demand for International Students - Worldwide
The demand for international students is dominating Euro-American tertiary education markets for both onshore and offshore operations as universities, from Scandinavia to Asia become increasingly desperate for international fee-paying enrolees.
Australia is no exception.
The United Kingdom is reporting 33,000 fewer international students this year with the Financial Times last month stating that the Russell Group’s University of York announcing it would, due to revenue concerns, relax entry requirements for international students. Other Russell Group members are also supposedly in the ‘easier international student access’ controversy (University World News, Hans de Wit and Philip G Altbach 20 February 2024).
In the Netherlands, growing political unrest around burgeoning international student numbers has now changed the country’s approach to acceptance of international student growth – though its institutions remain dependent on their revenue.
And South Korea, once a place of fierce competition for undergraduate university places, is desperately seeking funding by joining the ever-growing list of nations relying on international student revenue to support their institutions.
In contrast, Canada is currently undergoing pushback with an immediate 35% cut to student visas whilst Australia has its own go-slow visa processing issues associated with international student arrivals. Added to the possibility of a related wealth tax upon international revenue the revenue’s main beneficiaries (the GO8) are facing sleepless nights.
Globally, there appears to be strong and increasing downward pressure on tertiary entry standards as the dependency upon international student revenue grows
A lesson here is that New York University Abu Dhabi is investing heavily in attracting top academic student talent and in ensuring its reputation. To do so fits its business case and market positioning as a leading private university. However, when compared to the Russell Group and some of our Australian public institutions, the reliance upon international revenue appears to have gone beyond clever financial supplementation and become – an addiction.
If the only cure is vastly increased federal government funding to commonwealth universities, then an easy recovery is not a likely outcome. The excuse that universities everywhere have played the same game does not, ultimately, inspire great confidence in the foresight of our Sector when it comes to international students.
Emeritus Professor Jim Mienczakowski is a Higher Education Consultant specialising in transnational operations and governance.
Emeritus Professor Greg Whateley is Deputy Vice Chancellor of UBSS and Chief Executive Officer of GCA
