Government publishes International Education Strategy

The strategy is built around three core ambitions:

• to increase the UK’s international standing through education and make the UK the global partner of choice at every stage of learning
• to continue to sustainably recruit high-quality international students from a diverse range of countries
• to grow exports for the UK’s education sector to £40 billion per year by 2030

In this briefing we look at each of these three ambitions in turn and what the government is planning to do to achieve them. 

To increase the UK’s international standing through education and make the UK the global partner of choice at every stage of learning

Strengthening education diplomacy through strategic government partnerships

The government plans to do this by leveraging the UK’s diplomatic network and British Council presence, including using British diplomats with expertise on local politics to  facilitate education partnerships and supporting growing sectors such as TNE and AI.

To achieve this the government is rolling out a new diplomacy‑led approach, by appointing Heads of Missions to act as Local Education Champions and deploying additional expertise to overseas missions through new Higher Education Regional Advisers to help  international partners to strengthen evidence‑based policymaking and implementation.

Expanding access to UK education through transnational education

Transnational education (TNE) is where any level of study is delivered in a country other than where the awarding institution is based – so in this context awards by UK institutions to students who are studying outside the UK, via collaborative provision; distance, flexible or distributed learning or at an overseas partner or on an overseas campus.

The latest figures on TNE shows a 7.8% growth in UK HE TNE students to 645,335 studying for UK degrees while based in 210 different countries.

The government says that by working with a new Education Sector Action Group, regulators, quality assurance bodies, the British Council and the overseas network, it will identify and remove barriers to sustainable TNE growth and support UK institutions to engage with opportunities. It will also ensure that UK institutions deliver the highest quality of TNE provision by raising awareness of the legal, financial and security risks of operating overseas through sector‑led action plans and ensuring that UK institutions understand their role in managing these risks.

The Education Sector Action Group, which features heavily in the government’s strategy, will bring together industry, government, and representative bodies from across the education sector to tackle key concerns and identify opportunities for partnerships. Each representative will lead on an action plan, published within the first 100 days of appointment to ESAG, outlining how their members will support delivery of the three ambitions of the strategy.

Championing the UK as a global leader in research and science and technology

This will include promoting the UK as a destination for collaboration and top talent (such as through the recently launched £54 million Global Talent Fund to attract world‑class researchers and their teams to the UK), promoting UK research leadership through the Science and Technology Network  and supporting UK institutions to build mutually beneficial research partnerships.

Empowering young people through global mobility

This is about creating opportunities for more young people in the UK to study, work and volunteer abroad – rather than global mobility into the UK. The examples given are rejoining Erasmus+ from 2027, the Turing Scheme and US‑UK Fulbright Programme.

A modern approach moving from aid to expertise and leveraging more finance

Here the government is looking to establishing new Centres of Expertise, and providing targeted assistance for inclusive, high‑quality education, in particular in relation to  tackling global education challenges, including improving access for women and girls, strengthening foundational learning, and embedding climate adaptation and resilience.

Making UK qualifications the global benchmark

The aim is to reinforce the UK’s position as a global leader on qualifications through trade deals and international agreements.

To continue to sustainably recruit high-quality international students from a diverse range of countries

A strategic approach to sustainable international student recruitment

The government will encourage institutions to diversify their recruitment (reducing reliance on any single country) and will work with the sector (through the new Education Sector Action Group) to support institutions in putting the student experience first, including strong support systems, adequate infrastructure and access to local housing.

It will also work with the sector to ensure that recruitment of international higher education students is done in a way that maintains quality and student experience, including considering factors such as skills and entry requirements, whilst respecting institutional autonomy.

Maintaining a competitive offer

This is about ensuring the UK’s offer to international higher education students remains globally competitive and aligned with the UK Government’s wider immigration and skills priorities. Reference is made to the retention of the Graduate Route (albeit on the reduced duration of 18 months); the capped expansion of the High Potential Individual  route to include those graduating from the top 100 international institutions; the Global Talent visa and, as part of wider reforms to the higher education system, the introduction of the international student levy on English higher education providers from Academic Year 28/29 (which will be “fully reinvested into higher education and skills”).

The government says it will “continue to welcome genuine students who want to benefit from the UK’s world‑class higher education system, while taking firm action against those who seek to exploit our immigration routes”.

Promoting the UK as a global study destination

This will be done through the Study UK campaign, delivered and co-funded by the British Council as part of the GREAT Britain & Northern Ireland campaign.

To grow exports for the UK’s education sector to £40 billion per year by 2030

In 2022, education exports were worth £32.3 billion and the aim is to increase this to £40 billion by 2030.

Unlocking the full potential of our education sector

Whilst higher education accounted for the bulk of the 2022 export figure at £23.7 billion, the government is keen to point out that the fact that TNE accounted for £3 billion, schools contributed £980 million, English language training  £560 million, further education exports totalled £190 million, and education products and services (including EdTech) added £3.89 billion. This highlights the breadth of the UK’s international education offer and the opportunities for further growth,

Creating opportunities for UK education providers

The government will support the International Education Champion (Professor Sir Steve Smith) to drive education export growth and partnerships in the focus countries (India, Indonesia, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, and Vietnam) and will also prioritise opportunities in China and Hong Kong.

It has also identified the potential for greater UK investment in international private education and the overseas network will continue to identify where UK investment can make a meaningful contribution to growing the private education landscape.

Promoting the UK’s education offer globally

Through the new Education Sector Action Group, the government will work with the sector to:

• showcase UK providers at international trade shows and missions;
• deliver expert‑led training via the UK Export Academy; and
• provide guidance on market entry, regulation and partnership development

Providing financial tools to support export growth

This will include UK Export Finance unlocking finance to support UK exporters; the government launching new products and digital services and working with a wider range of banks and non‑bank lenders in order to better support small and medium‑sized education providers and the establishment of the Ricardo Fund to remove regulatory barriers and unlock export opportunities.

Driving growth through sector-led action plans

The new Education Sector Action Group will share market intelligence, resolve barriers, align priorities and produce a tailored action plan to grow export revenue and contribute to the shared £40 billion target.

How Eversheds Sutherland can support institutions with their international strategy

Eversheds Sutherland’s large education team has extensive experience of advising education institutions and providers on the set up of international collaborations and joint ventures to:

• deliver programmes (in a variety of ways including joint delivery and joint awards);
• share staff and/or students;
• market to and recruit international students;
• provide pathway opportunities for students into higher education; and
• to establish international campuses and study centres.

International collaborations of any type are complex projects. They will likely require corporate, employment, immigration, regulatory, tax, procurement, property and competition advice and our multidisciplinary team have supported dozens of institutions (both public and private) on the successful implementation of their international ventures. Our UK project leads work alongside our dedicated education teams based out of our offices in the Middle East, China and the US (or by accessing our network of specialist teams in other jurisdictions around the world (including India)) to assist institutions with local law issues and to engage with overseas regulators in respect of their collaborations.

Please do get in touch if we can assist with your institution’s next collaboration.