Ambitious UK International Education Strategy focuses on increasing international education by focusing on India, improving the international student experience and supporting opportunities in online education.

A focus on India is at the heart of the UK government’s renewed commitment to the importance of international education detailed in its latest International Education Strategy.

The Strategy reinforces the ambitious target of increasing education exports by 75% to £35 billion a year by 2030 and highlights Indian students and UK Indian education partnership as crucial to these ambitions.

The new U.K. Strategy focuses on:

* Increasing Indian and other international students in the U.K. and English language teaching overseas

* Ensuring “clearer, more accessible” information and advice tailored to international students’ needs

* Improving the application process for overseas students

* Improving the international student experience the academic experience

* A greater focus on the UK graduate outcomes and employability

* Identifying alternative student finance.

* Addressing market barriers to the growth of UK education exports to facilitate the expansion of transnational education

* Exploring options for a global UK alumni network.

The UK government and education providers will focus on developing greater international education opportunities in India as well as Indonesia, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia and Vietnam.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to reinforce this message in a planned visit to India later this year.

The Strategy also focuses for the first time on:

* Identifying and resolving barriers that prevent the recognition of online and blended learning internationally, an area of growing importance to international education.

The U.K. International Education Strategy was first published in March 2019 and was welcomed as a more positive and coordinated approach to international education, reinforced by the reintroduction of post-study work visas for international students in the U.K.

It is a joint report from the Department for Education and the Department for International Trade with cross-government support and has been developed with input from the U.K. education sector, international students and the International Education Champion, Sir Steve Smith.

The government will work on implementation with bodies such as UCAS, the U.K. Council for International Student Affairs, the Office for Students, Universities U.K. International and the Confederation of British Industry as well as pathway providers and international students themselves.

(Exclusive expert inputs by Emma Lancaster, Chief Executive, Study Group)