Cambridge University warns against drop in Indian students

LONDON: The Vice-Chancellor of the prestigious Cambridge University has warned political authorities in the UK against the increasingly unwelcome image of Britain among overseas students, particularly Indians.

Leszek Borysiewicz admitted that Cambridge had not been affected by falling applications, but cautioned that there was an emerging perception, particularly in India, that Britain was not welcoming.

"When I think of how my parents were welcomed to this country, I find that actually quite saddening. I do feel we are an open, democratic country and we should be setting the standards for the rest of the world, not hindering them," said Borysiewicz, the Welsh-born son of Polish immigrants.

Most recent UK Office of National Statistics ( ONS) data had indicated a sharp drop in foreign student numbers coming to study at UK universities, with Indians dropping by 38 per cent between 2011 and 2012, and those from Pakistan by 62 per cent.

In an interview with the 'Guardian' newspaper, Borysiewicz said he "abhorred" the idea of a strict net migration target, set by ministers at 100,000 a year, saying numbers "hide the true potential benefit that people coming to Britain can actually have".

He also urged a greater recognition of the value of bilingualism among first- and second-generation immigrant children, and warned that the decline in learning languages in the UK could limit the educational and career chances of poorer children.

The senior academic said "the most inspiring applicants come from children of immigrant parents who often valued education highly".

He also echoed calls from other vice-chancellors for Britain to remain within the EU, arguing that between 15 per cent and 20 per cent of major UK universities' research income now came through Brussels.

"The whole academic sector brings back more to the UK than the resource that Britain puts into these areas. These are very important sources of funding for our top institutions in this country," he said.

The VC said he was "in global competition" for both students and staff, and opposed migration targets not only for students but in general.

He added: "A university such as Cambridge competes with Princeton, Harvard, Stanford, much more so than other UK universities, and therefore anything that prevents us getting the very best students I believe would be to the long-term detriment of the UK.

"We should be looking at the capacity of individuals to contribute to our society here rather than have a political ding-dong over 'we brought in 10,000 fewer than you did'."