Russell Group welcomes government announcement on visa fees for international students
07 March 2007
Welcoming a government announcement (7 March 2007) on visa fees for international students, Chairman of The Russell Group, Professor Malcolm Grant, said:
“Overseas students bring significant benefits to our universities and to our economy. This announcement sends a very welcome signal of the government’s recognition of this, and of its intention to further develop the UK higher education sector’s competitiveness abroad.”
The government announcement, made on 7 March 2007, means student visa fees will be kept as low as possible to help encourage overseas students to come to the UK to study.
Note:
1. The purpose of The Russell Group is to provide thought leadership and strategic direction for the 20 major research intensive universities of the UK; we aim to ensure that policy development in a wide range of issues relating to higher education is underpinned by a robust evidence base and a commitment to civic responsibility, improving life chances, raising aspirations and contributing to economic prosperity and innovation.
2. Formed in 1994 at a meeting convened in the Hotel Russell, London, the Group is composed of the Vice-Chancellors/Principals of the Universities of Birmingham, Bristol, Cambridge, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle, Nottingham, Queen’s Belfast, Oxford, Sheffield, Southampton and Warwick, and Imperial College, London, King’s College, London, The London School of Economics and Political Science and University College London.
3. In 2004/5, Russell Group Universities accounted for 65% (over £1.8billion) of UK Universities' research grant and contract income, 56% of all doctorates awarded in the United Kingdom, and over 30% of all students studying in the United Kingdom from outside the EU. In the 2001 national Research Assessment Exercise, 78% of the staff in Grade 5* departments and 57% of the staff in Grade 5 departments were located in Russell Group Universities, and in 2004/5 Russell Group Universities were allocated approximately 64% of the total quality-related research funding (QR) allocated by the Funding Councils.