Why study abroad?

Last week`s "World University Rankings" appear under the headline "Asia advances." So why do East Asian students go abroad to study, when they face so many difficulties?

In the rankings of the "Times Higher" newspaper, Seoul National University is now 47th, and in terms of life sciences it is up 16 places to 24th. South Korea now has 2 universities in the top 100, and 4 in the top 200. China also has two in the top 100, and 6 in the top 200. But this statistic is not adjusted for the size of country. In relation to population, South Korea does better than China.

Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia and Singapore have also done well. The University of Tokyo has moved up 15 places to 13th and Kyoto up 17 places to 20th. In the past, the top positions have been dominated by the United States, with the United Kingdom next. Like South Korea, the United Kingdom does remarkably well considering its relative size.



The Times Higher concludes this year that "the rise of Asia is in direct contrast to the U.S.`s fortunes." Cambridge University pushed Yale from second to third place. The "Observatory on Borderless Higher Education" talks of a "new global regionalism" which is challenging the status of the United States and the United Kingdom.

But league tables like this are limited. The big universities have large administrative departments working on the presentation of relevant statistics. Many of the smaller ones are outstanding specialist institutions. Whatever the league tables suggest, for an individual student the best university is the one that meets their particular needs, ensures their wellbeing, and provides support when there is an unforeseen crisis.

The decision to study abroad is not just about the quality of the universities. It involves a wide range of problems outside the university which can be very depressing for international students. A few true examples from Britain make the point.

The first hurdle is English language tests, such as IELTS. These have taken root with little questioning, and are now a major income earner for organizations such as the British Council, which have dubious accountability systems. Academics are not convinced that these tests are an accurate indication of language ability. I am sure I could not pass IELTS 7.0, because it tests a particular Americanized cognitive style rather than the English language.

Research from Imperial College last week found that "overseas students are better at English than the British." This is partly because of an absurdity in admissions procedures. A "British" student could be a recent immigrant or asylum seeker who has never learned English before coming to Britain. It is likely that soon all applicants will be tested for English, and then the problems with tests like IELTS will become more apparent.

The next consideration is high fees. These usually far exceed the cost of a course, even when domestic students are partly subsidized by the government. The truth is that universities use the income from international students to subsidize the tuition costs of home students. On top of that will be other high costs, from accommodation to a cup of coffee. Unlike East Asian universities where these things are underpriced to help students, in the United Kingdom they are overpriced to make money from students.



The next hurdle getting a visa. Like many other countries, the United Kingdom has now "exported its borders." In theory this is a good idea. The decision should be made while students are still in their home country, not by an immigration officer at Heathrow airport. But theory is not matched by reality.

There has been a large increase in the charge for a visa, which must be paid in advance whether or not the application is successful, and the applicant has no right to a proper explanation if the application fails. Poor administration is common. Applications from some East Asian countries, for example Japan, are being sent to other countries in South Asia for processing, presumably because office costs are lower there. The result is many weeks of unexplained delays.

In one case I had to involve the Queen in redressing practice by civil servants that was technically unlawful. As Head of State, the Queen is formally responsible for passports. The immigration office was keeping passports for up to three years because of inefficiencies, during which time the person concerned could not travel home, even if a parent was ill or had died.

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Within days of complaining I had a phone call from a polite civil servant who promised that the visa would be issued by the next day. She asked if that was acceptable. I replied that I thought it was disgusting. Just because I happen to understand international law with sufficient creativity to involve the Queen should not be a reason for a fast-track service.

Having gained a visa, the next problem is the immigration officer at the place of entry. The "exporting borders" policy means that now the only job for these officials is to check whether the person standing in front of them matches the descriptions and photos on the passport and visa. So why do they continue to ask young East Asian women if they have boyfriends in the United Kingdom? This question has no basis in the regulations, and having a boyfriend is no legal reason to refuse entry.

If this happens, give the answer that you assume the immigration officer wants to hear, and get the entrance stamp in your passport. Then ask the official his/her name, which should appear on the ID badge. Write it down, and if you have time, ask them to call their supervisor and make a formal complaint. Supervisors are usually more intelligent than the desk staff. Some are genuinely helpful.

In contrast, immigration officers at airports in East Asia are pleasant and efficient. When the immigration official completes the formalities in China, a row of lights illuminates on the desk and the visitor is invited to press a button to give the official a score of 1 to 5 for efficiency. I can predict with absolute certainty that the British immigration authorities would never introduce this system. Yet as a visitor, this makes you feel that a country is confident about the quality of its public officials?

Once you are in Britain, you may find that the police registration system is operated by unhelpful officers in a way that is even contrary to their government instructions. If you suffer theft of your property, you may find that the police officer does not seem to believe you and does not report the crime. But again, if you complain, you are likely to meet some of the best police officers in the world.

Of course, it is not all bad. The quality of teaching in Britain will usually be first class, and academic staff is usually helpful and friendly, valuing international students as partners and friends. In general there will be no corruption, and departmental politics will rarely affect students. And if you complain enough, you will probably even meet excellent government officials.

In the immediate future, East Asian students will still travel abroad to study. Recently, professor Xu Jialu, a former member of the Chinese National People`s Congress, said that the expanding economy demands "huge" numbers of highly educated young people. Because of the shortage of places in China, many will still need to seek their education abroad.

But that will change. Japan is already realigning the focus of its international recruitment to other countries, because it is well aware that Chinese universities are expanding and improving rapidly, and the status of an overseas qualification is declining. There is a joke in China that when students returned home in the past, they were "turtles" -- high value rarities which were in great demand. Now they are just "seaweed," something that drifts back across the sea in large amounts and only has functional value.

From what East Asian students abroad say about their home countries, there is a simple message about how to encourage Asian and other international students to study in Asia -- get rid of corruption and power-play in universities, and treat students as equal partners within the academic community.

The reason for international study should be academic and a desire to increase international understanding, not western countries making money because of avoidable failings elsewhere. As "Asia advances," British academics have two requests -- don`t blame us for what our governments do, and do invite us to come and work with you.







By Chris Williams