Project 7: Globalisation and Higher Education

Contact:

Ms Teresa Casey, UCL and CEE Associate. Email: t.c.casey@lse.ac.uk

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Increased globalisation has not left the education system untouched. Completing education abroad is now more feasible, and also necessary for some occupations. In higher education (HE) in the UK, this is reflected in the demand for university places from foreign students. An increase in educational immigration is just one consequence of this phenomenon. Increased globalisation has also changed the skills demanded by employers in an increasingly mobile workplace.

An important issue in this context is the effect of an increase in overseas students in higher education on UK students. It is important to establish whether there is any evidence of a crowding-out effect in universities, such that places are now allocated to overseas students at the expense of home students. This is particularly relevant in the context of the recent funding crisis in HE, as foreign students contribute substantially more income to universities through fees. The other element of educational migration is that students may stay beyond graduation; this raises questions about high-skilled migration and a 'brain-drain' for developing countries.