Challenge and changes in the framework of UK higher education

This thesis is being written at a time when there is considerable debate about the influence on net migration to the UK in the context of the UK’s policy for Brexit, the UK’s strategy for leaving the European Union. Comments from the National Union of Students (NUS) reflect concerns at how leaving the EU will affect the appeal of the UK to EU and non-EU international students (NUS, 2016, p. 1):

“The appeal of studying in the UK has reduced significantly in the past few years and this decline looks set to continue alongside the uncertain economic and social landscape that surrounds Brexit.”

My thesis endorses the need for studies of the type intended to identify means to improve both the appeal to Nepalese students and to document their experience of studying a Business Studies course in UK higher education. Additionally, the research includes views from different groups of participants on the cancellation of the UK’s two-year post-study work visa (Gov.uk, 2012). Suspicions about students overstaying their visa entitlement post-graduation may have proved counter-productive to the appeal of UK education. Bell, the Deputy National Statistician for population and public policy at the Office of National Statistics (ONS) led an investigation (Gov.uk, 2017a) into whether students were leaving or staying in the UK post-graduation which confirmed that a new approach was needed to estimate the movement of students.

The view of the UK Home Secretary, confirmed to the MAC, was that the UK Government wanted to continue attracting international students to study in the UK. Universities UK (UUK) stated that they, “want to provide students with a world-class education so that they can achieve their full potential” (Universities UK, 2017b. p. 1).

46 In August 2017 it was reported that work by the ONS into whether students were leaving or staying post-graduation in the UK (Gov.uk, 2017a, p. 1):

"Crucially the report demonstrates two things: first, that many people do not simply immigrate for study and leave afterwards; their lives are more complex - some people arrive on a work visa and legitimately change to a study visa and vice versa and second, there is no evidence of a major issue of non-EU students overstaying their entitlement to stay."

An earlier White Paper had claimed that the intention of the UK Government would be a, “radical improvement and expansion in the information available to prospective students” Gov.uk, 2011a, p. 6). Improving the information available would include more details of specific courses at individual institutions and graduate employment prospects. Universities should consider how they work with business across their teaching and research activities to support improvements to teaching, employer sponsorship as well as innovation and enterprise.

It has previously been stated that, “Universities always have been and remain unequivocally committed to delivering this [putting students at the heart of the system]” (Universities UK, 2011a, p. 3). The research for this thesis has acted on a recommendation in the Deloitte Report (2015) of an increasing need to listen to, “a louder student voice, become more flexible to attract the best students in a highly competitive market. Universities [are] now, more dependent financially on the student than before” (Deloitte, 2015, p .9).

It was seen in a survey into student academic experience by The Higher Education Policy Institute and Higher Education Academy (HEPI/HEA, 2014) UK students who said their course was not providing value for money increased from 18% in 2012 to 33% in 2014. This may have contributed to the change that was made as to how UK universities were

47 to be evaluated. In November 2015, the UK Government set out proposals to introduce a Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF). The purpose of the TEF was to deliver better value for money for students, employers and taxpayers (Department for Business Innovation and Skills, 2015). In their response to the TEF, UUK stated that (2015, p. 3):

“One of the strengths of the UK higher education sector is its diversity. Students are a diverse population with different priorities, backgrounds, needs and prior attainment on entry. The TEF needs to recognise this diversity and teaching excellence should not be driven centrally as this will risk leading to homogeneity. The TEF can only be effective if it recognises the vital autonomy of institutions and their need to be responsive to students across diverse settings and through diverse modes of delivery.”

In 2016, the UK Government introduced the first TEF with results published in June 2017. Whilst the TEF drew attention to the need for institutions, “to be responsive to students across diverse settings and through diverse modes of delivery” (Universities UK, 2015, p. 3), the Deloitte report emphasised the need to, “strike the balance between research and learning - with increasing calls to place learning and the student at the forefront of universities’ approaches” (Deloitte, 2015, p. 10). The Deloitte report (op. cit.) asked questions as to whether universities should employ more teachers, train researchers in teaching skills, or recruit people with skills in both. The Deloitte report also noted that the TEF will, “place further focus on the quality of teaching in universities” (Deloitte, 2015, p. 17). However, there was no reference to how teaching diverse groups of home and international students might differ.

From the report by Deloitte (2015) on the key issues facing the UK higher education sector, three principal points were especially relevant to UK universities offering Business Studies courses to international business students. The issues Deloitte (op. cit.) raised related to: (i) global market (ii) student expectations and (iii) attracting and recruiting the best (teaching) talent. The Deloitte report (op. cit.) drew attention to the forecast for

48 increasing numbers of international students and the importance of institutions performing well in a global market. In a global economy our domestic students should also benefit from attending institutions that can offer a global perspective to enhance employability. Institutions should work to uphold, enhance and take this global reputation into new territory drawing students from abroad where it makes strategic sense to do so.” (Deloitte, 2015, p. 4).