While the economic impact of international students cannot be denied, they contribute so much more to UK higher education than money. Nor are they a homogenous group.
International students bring in billions per annum to the economy, as highlighted in the recent report from HEPI, UUKi and Kaplan, but it’s imperative to recognize and address their multifaceted contributions, their cultural diversity, varied skillsets, and intellectual talents.
Refining the digital experience of international students can enhance the overall higher education landscape, bolstering institutional reputation and even encouraging an increase in applications from both the UK and abroad. To do that, we need to listen to international students themselves about how they experience higher education in the UK – and explore if a rethink of policy and strategy might improve their university journeys.
At Jisc, we are conducting four phases of research into the digital experiences of international students, and in April, we released a review of policy, academic literature and views from UK HE. Findings underline the clear need for institutional leaders to integrate international into digital (transformation) strategies, as well as with other areas, including equality, diversity, and inclusion, curriculum and assessment design, and technology-enhanced learning support.
