As the beginning of a new academic year approaches, across the world students are preparing once more to travel to study at leading universities. For many of those young people, their ambitions will take them for the first time to another country. And for many of those hopeful Indian students, their study destination of choice in the U.K. 

According to the Higher Education Statistics Agency, British Universities received 9,930 applications from students from India in 2021, a 30 percent increase on the previous year. During the academic year 2019/20, the UK universities were home to a total of 55,465 Indian students. These students come to Britain in search of a highly regarded education and the opportunity to live, study and now also work in a country that has a longstanding educational relationship with India. 

British universities understand that India is a nation of remarkable talent and our desire to collaborate and learn together runs deep. What makes this even more important is the nature of the problems we now face which cannot be contained or resolved by any single nation alone. Whether it is the development and production of vaccines to tackle a global pandemic, or addressing sustainable development goals from child health to food security and clean energy, we recognise the best solutions will be found together.

U.K. and India - Working together for good

In my own university of Lancaster this kind of in-depth collaboration is found across many subjects. Dr Jasmine Fledderjigann for example has a longstanding partnership with her colleague Dr Sukumat Vellakkal at IIT Kanpur on food insecurity and child and adolescent health. Their work together is informing policy at the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, World Food Programme, WaterAid India, Jharkhand State Food Commission, Kerala Planning Board, and National Foundation of India.

Indian graduates of U.K. universities - a positive force for global change

The graduates of my own university are no different - Indian alumni from Lancaster are CEOs of companies and work in tech, but they are certainly not limited to those more traditional graduate routes. The poet Debjani Chatterjee is a Lancaster graduate as was the international badminton player Rohit Murthy. What they all have in common with Indian alumni of U.K. institutions is the pride and affection they share when they recall their time as Indian students in the U.K. 

But it isn’t just British universities that change the life of Indian students and graduates. These talented people change us for the better. Our British universities are places of global connection, and rightly so. We draw strength from our global outlook, welcoming the brightest and the best students and staff from around the world. Our international connections drive forward our research endeavour, ensuring we remain at the forefront of progress.

A more welcoming policy to Indian students

Since the election of British Prime-Minister Boris Johnson, the U.K. has introduced a number of measures to support Indian students who choose to study in Britain, including:

• Post-study work visas  - The UK government’s graduate route allows eligible Indian students to seek work at any skill level for two years after graduation.
• Access to Covid vaccines free from the U.K. National Health Service - Anybody aged 18 or over in the UK is eligible for the Covid-19 vaccination for free, regardless of their nationality or immigration status.
• Removal of India from the ‘red list’ for Covid travel restrictions - There is now no quarantine requirement for Indian students travelling to the UK if fully  vaccinated with Covishield or another UK-approved vaccine.

U.K. International Education Strategy

The U.K. International Education Strategy is a new initiative to bring together all parts of government, universities and students to help ensure Britain remains an attractive destination for international students. This work is led by Sir Steve Smith, a former university leader now serving as the U.K.’s first dedicated International Education Champion.

The writer is Professor Andy Schofield, Theoretical Physicist, Vice-Chancellor, Lancaster University