> British universities got absolutely decimated by Brexit
It's likely heading for another cliff dive, as the UK government is constricting the supply of student visas (because immigration), and application numbers are nosediving.
I got a great education in the UK and think back on it very fondly, but these days I'd advise people to apply to the US instead. It might even be cheaper.
And also don't forget the student fees for international students have absolutely exploded. 10 years ago the fees for international students were £6k/year, now it's £30k/year. Like honestly, who can afford this, when you can study at most other EU universities completely free(or even get a stipend in fact).
>>as they UK government is constricting the supply of student visas (because immigration)
Can't stop myself thinking that it's probably at least partially because of scaremongering you see in newspapers about those lazy immigrants who pretend to be students but are actually coming to work here. Which ok, I'm sure is happening in places, but it can't be even remotely significant on any kind of scale, but the reaction now is to even further constraint our own supply of well educated people, it's madness.
It's extraordinary how determined the current UK government is to destroy its university sector. The economic and geopolitical advantages of having one of the world's best university systems are not only incalculable but also blindingly obvious. And yet apparently not too obvious to be missed by the caliber of person that currently makes up the cabinet.
There has been a precipitous drop in overseas university applications for the coming academic year. It was reported today that Cameron has warned Sunak that his visa reforms are likely to lead to university closures. The cabinet is aware of the problem but I don't think there is any limit to the damage Sunak is prepared to do when he believes it will improve Tory election chances.
We’re at 170 or so universities up from 90 or so pre-2000. I’m struggling to see the value in those universities and why the tax payer should be funding almost twice as many. Any other failing business would be allowed to go bankrupt and be wound up. Does any other country have such a massive increase in universities?
The new universities provide exactly the same kind of value that the old ones do, so I'm not sure why it's difficult to see what that value is (unless you just think universities in general are pointless). Countries should invest heavily in their comparative strengths. By any measure the UK punches hugely above its weight in global higher education. It's short-sighted beyond belief to throw that advantage away simply because some universities (a minority in fact) do not turn a profit in the simplistic sense that, say, a lemonade stand does. Moreover, if it is money you are worried about, then the measure that Sunak is proposing will only exacerbate the problem by cutting off a major source of funding.
The newer universities are, of course, not as good on average as the older ones. However, it takes decades, or centuries even, to build a world-class university. It would be a terrible mistake to close down these newer institutions simply because they have not somehow become competitors to the Russell Group or the Ivy League overnight. The short term cost saving (if there even is one) would amount to pennies in comparison to the terrible economic and social consequences to be passed on to future generations. But what hope is there of the current cabinet thinking further than the next few months?
It's likely heading for another cliff dive, as the UK government is constricting the supply of student visas (because immigration), and application numbers are nosediving.
I got a great education in the UK and think back on it very fondly, but these days I'd advise people to apply to the US instead. It might even be cheaper.