Page 12 - ELG1707 Jul Issue 449

NEWS .

Trump and Theresa:
putting off international
students?

about US and UK immigration ‘Staying silent – and you don’t want to give
By Claudia Civinini
students more reasons to check
International students are ‘upset’
Mr Waxman explained that
policies and could head elsewhere out the competition.’
if universities fail to show their now is a really universities in the US could see
friendly side, a survey suggests. students divert to Canada next
The findings reveal that year.
‘unwelcoming’ foreign policies are To counteract this adverse
changing students’ perceptions bad idea’ atmosphere, institutions need to
– and possibly decisions – even emphasise the support they offer
when they don’t directly affect to international students in their
them. marketing material, for example,
‘International students are US and UK universities must go on a or give reassurance about campus
registering their distaste,’ said safety, he said.
Ben Waxman, chief executive of charm offensive as international students’ Most importantly, institutions
Intead, one of the two student- need to get a welcoming message
marketing companies behind the concerns about Brexit and Trump lead across to international students
research. them to ‘check out the competition’ worried about the unwelcoming
‘They are asking, “Why policies of their destination
are you closing your doors to countries.
internationalisation?”’ asked before the 2016 presidential the UK,’ said Mr Waxman. ‘So ‘Campaigns like
The survey, conducted in elections. it is likely they are not going to #WeAreInternational in the
February by Intead and FPPEDU But the percentage of Mexican follow through with this level of UK are helping,’ Mr Waxman
Media and presented last month, students who said they would emotional response. However, explained. ‘Universities need
received responses from over not study in the US has actually they may start looking more to reassure students that have
57,400 prospective international fallen, from 80 per cent in 2016 to seriously at other destinations reasonable doubts. Staying silent
students. 61 per cent this year. – Australia, Canada, Germany now is a really bad idea.’
Many of those in non-EU Similar percentages of all
countries said they were less likely students surveyed said they would
to study in the UK because of be less likely to choose the US Less likely to study in Less likely to study
Brexit. This included 43 per cent as a study destination due to the the US after Trump in the UK
of respondents from India and 39 US government’s travel policies. elected following Brexit
per cent from Nigeria – the fifth- A total of 59 per cent of UK
and sixth-largest source markets students said they would be less UK: 64 % India: 43%
for the UK higher education likely to study in the US for this
sector. reason. Brazil: 63 % Nigeria:39%
As for the US, the election of The picture is quite grim, but
Donald Trump seems to be making how likely are students to follow
some students think twice. About through? Mexico: 61% Indonesia:34%
60 per cent of respondents from ‘International students are
Brazil said they were less likely to upset, and this was an occasion India/Indonesia: 51% Mexico: 25%
study in the US – up from 49 per to vent their anger against
cent when the same question was foreign policies in the US and Source: FPPEDU Media and Intead
12 July 2017

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