News
April 2007
Fourth Year of Record Figures
For the fourth successive year Wales has achieved record figures in numbers of international students choosing Wales for their higher education. Over 7,000 students have registered for study in 2006/07 which is an 8% increase on last year’s figure and a 20% increase in the last four years.
Of the twelve institutions that comprise the Wales International Consortium eight have recorded significant increases in international student figures. Individual institutions have made huge successes with both Swansea University and University of Wales Bangor securing 27% increases in and UWIC showing a 31% increase.
The international student recruitment market has shown serious signs of decline in recent years with the UK battling to maintain its place in the rapidly changing overseas study market -against the dominance of the US and Australia - whilst improvements throughout the world in education provision encourage many students to study in their own countries. Though it is clear from UCAS application figures for 2007 that the market has taken an upturn in the UK generally, Wales has continued to prove to be a popular choice evidenced by the steady and sometimes remarkable inclines that institutions throughout Wales have shown over the last three years.
Figures gathered by Wales International Consortium show that while larger institutions such as Cardiff University, Swansea University and University of Wales Bangor have continued to maintain significant shares of the market against the rest of the UK, other institutions have also made significant gains. In 2005/06 University of Glamorgan reported a 45% increase in the two years since 2003/04, whilst smaller institutions such as North East Wales Institute have made a rapid emergence into the market over the last three years reporting almost doubling their figures for the 2006/07 academic year.
Jane Davidson, Minister of Education, Life-long Learning and Skills, National Assembly for Wales said, “Wales is focused on the role it can play in the world economy and recognises that higher education is pivotal to its future success. We are now at a peak time of investment in our higher education, in both capital and in research investment. By offering courses that satisfy the demands of an internationally focused economy, we are also enabling international students to can find the education they require to meet the needs of their own countries developing industries. Higher education institutions in Wales are working collaboratively to open more research centres of excellence and offer more courses. We are extremely proud of our growing success in the international student recruitment market.”