As reported in the I newspaper, Chinese students are enrolling at UK universities in record numbers. In fact, over the past five years their numbers have increased by a whopping 50%. Further proof, if it were needed, that English is indeed today’s lingua franca.
While this may be good news for the coffers of UK education institutes, there is concern in Government about the possibility of over-reliance on the Chinese market amid growing tensions between the UK and China. Addressing this issue back in December, former universities minister Jo Johnson called for an increase in Indian students at UK universities. And, according to the Higher Education Statistics Agency, there has also been an increase in students coming from India to study in the UK over the past five years.
The third largest number of overseas students from non-EU countries come from Nigeria, while Italian students made up the largest cohort of EU students coming to the country to study.
