"The starting point should properly be recognition of the
strength of UK humanities and social science teaching and
research", Sir Adam Roberts said in his
annual speech.
"The international standing of research in our disciplines. The
Times Higher league tables, to cite only one source, show a larger
number of UK institutions in the top 100 worldwide for humanities
and social science than tables for other subjects; The ability to
attract the most talented researchers from home and from overseas
and to support them throughout their careers; The capacity to
attract excellent students, undergraduate and postgraduate, from
all over the world. The majority of overseas students in the UK are
studying our disciplines - contributing to the health of our
universities and our economy."
Lowering standards to attract foreigners
"At the same time we face risks. I should mention briefly the
risk, highlighted in some recent newspaper reports, that UK
universities, in their recruiting of non-EU students, may be
lowering their standards and treat foreigners preferentially. There
is a strong collective interest in ensuring that this does not
happen."
"Much the most immediate and serious concern relates to barriers
to researcher and student mobility. The Academy is concerned that
the government's current immigration policies - and the perception
thereof, which is a serious problem in itself - are having a
potentially damaging impact on the free flow of academic
interchange and the ability of the UK to recruit the most talented
overseas researchers and students."
Cost of strict immigration policies: £3.6
billion
"The Academy has repeatedly called for action to be taken to
address the perception that the UK is 'closed for business' as
regards a wide range of academic exchanges. In our most recent call
- on Postgraduate Funding - the Academy drew attention to the
damage that might occur to the supply of students from overseas,
resulting from the government's current student visa requirements.
The government's own risk assessment, undertaken last year,
estimated that over four years the policy could cost the UK (in a
worst-case scenario) £3.6 billion, including the loss of student
tuition fees to universities and other direct, as well as indirect,
financial costs."
"So I repeat here the call the British Academy made earlier this
month that the immigration policy for overseas university students
should be changed - overseas university students must be removed
from the net migration statistics. They are a separate and distinct
category and should be recognized as such."
Reputation HE sector unscathed
"Even if, like all worst-case scenarios, this is overstated, it
is surely folly that such obstacles have been placed in the way of
UK higher education's capacity to attract overseas students and
academics. Apart from anything else, UK higher education is one of
the most successful and effective sectors of our economy and
national life - and one which unlike the banks and much of the
city, has managed to keep its hard-earned reputation reasonably
intact when all around are losing theirs in a morass of recession
compounded by scandal."