Exploring the link between student mobility and academic career choice in an EU context – Are we undervaluing the long-term contribution of EU students, researchers and academics in the UK?

With flows of EU students to study at UK Universities considerably down since the UK left the EU, but overall International student numbers remaining buoyant, there are important questions to be asked around the value of EU students to the UK’s Higher Education sector and broader economy. 

Studies consistently show that the overall economic contribution of International students to the UK is positive, and that this was even the case for those EU students who were paying the same price-capped fees as their UK classmates, with net revenue from spending on accommodation and living expenses, as well as contributions to tax revenue for those who worked while studying, more than compensating for costs incurred through subsidised fees and use of public services. But to look at the economics of students taking degrees purely on the basis of revenue and spending during their time studying at University is to simplify the picture and inevitably underestimates overall benefits because a considerable number of International students opt to stay on in the UK to work and live. The British Council’s EU Insights hub was keen to explore this question, with a particular focus on the contribution made to the UK by EU academics who opted to take up positions at UK Universities.  Our aim was to identify a suitable research partner who, after identifying a cohort of 30 established UK-based academics from three European countries (France, Portugal and Poland), would delve more deeply into their reasons for opting for the UK to pursue an academic career, and in particular the extent to which that option was influenced by earlier experiences of mobility during their undergraduate or post-graduate studies. The resulting report, produced by our research partner The Portuguese Association of UK-based Researchers (PARS-UK), in conjunction with the Polonium Foundation of Polish academics in the UK and The French Education and Research Network FERN-UK, is now available for download by our registered users. 

The importance of pre-career mobility

Full-degree pre-career mobility experiences were seen as a crucial factor in the interviewees’ decision to remain abroad after their studies to pursue an academic career in the UK. Those academics who studied at Post-graduate level in the UK were particularly strongly influenced by that experience, with none of the interviewees having left the UK after their studies before taking up positions at UK Universities. The study also highlights the strength of links forged with individual institutions during degree studies, with over half of these senior EU academics remaining in their alma mater to pursue their academic career. HESA data in the report highlights the importance of International staff for UK research, with over half of all academics who conduct research at Top-ten TES-ranked UK Universities being International, and over half of those being from EU countries.

Senior UK-based EU Academics see reasons for hope, as well as concern, for UK Higher Education

In general, the EU academics interviewed for this study maintain their positive view of the UK Higher Education environment, and highlight a number of strengths which influenced them to pursue a UK academic career. These include the reputation and superior quality of UK HE institutions, greater availability of funding, the use of English as a universal language, and greater opportunity for academic advancement compared to the country of origin, specifically for Polish and Portuguese academics. This includes access to better and more modern equipment, a more heterogeneous environment, career progression based on merit and broader networking of researchers within HE institutions. The job market is also an important factor, with the UK presenting more opportunities for early-career researchers than the country of origin. In UK HE institutions, the recruitment process is also seen as more flexible and transparent when recruiting from overseas.
Despite this positive view of UK Higher Education, the study uncovered a number of important concerns. When questioned about the main threats they perceived to the UK HE system , academics mentioned a general drop in research funding available, as well as a continuing lack of clarity for many stakeholders, in the context of Brexit. This is already resulting in a considerably lower number of study applicants from the EU. While overall international applications have in fact risen, there is concern regarding the decreased diversity of student intake, and in some cases the preparedness of International students from very different school backgrounds as they adapt to UK academic life. In the long term, it is broadly felt among this group that without intervention, UK HE institutions will continuously feel more isolated from the EU academic environment, and from the benefits that the relationship carries.

Without doubt EU academics continue to play a vital role in the UK Higher Education sector, where they have contributed greatly to the quality and breadth of research and teaching that make UK Higher Education both attractive and enriching. This study, commissioned by the British Council and carried out by established networks of UK-based EU academics, makes a valuable contribution to the dialogue around how we value the mobility of students over the medium to long-term. Further research is needed on the links between student and academic mobility and their longer-term impacts on the UK economy, its intellectual capital and knowledge security.  With the study also uncovering signs that some senior EU academics are opting to leave the UK for other markets, it is important to understand whether this is in fact a trend, what factors are driving it and what policies and strategies are required to retain top researchers as well as the funding and talent they attract.