Morning, Thursday, 18th September 2025
Online
This conference will focus on the future for international students in the UK.
It will bring stakeholders and policymakers together to assess the direction of government policy and priorities going forward, including around visa policy, net migration levels, and proposed changes to the Graduate Route, with the Government expected to publish an Immigration White Paper shortly.
We expect discussion on key considerations for the UK’s International Education Strategy currently under review, and the work of the recently reappointed UK International Education Champion.
Looking at priorities for supporting sustainability in the UK’s HE sector, sessions will examine best practice and latest thinking on strategies for enhancing recruitment, particularly in light of recent restrictions on student dependents and the impact of migration policy on enrolment patterns. The current role of international students in supporting financial resilience, and how this can develop in the future, will be a key focus.
Delegates will discuss what will be needed from policy, regulation, and the sector itself to address barriers to international student recruitment - such as visa route complexity, post-study work opportunities, and cost of living concerns - and to improve the wider competitiveness of the UK’s educational offer in terms of course quality and teaching.
Further sessions will discuss priorities for improving international student experience, with a focus on sustaining high-quality standards in teaching and research within an increasingly crowded and demanding global market. Delegates will look at how to ensure wider factors are in place in UK HEIs which serve key student needs - such as attractive and modernised facilities, housing and accommodation, tailored academic resources, integration support, and campus cultures that support diversity and provide a welcoming environment for new arrivals.
With the agenda currently in the drafting stage, overall areas for discussion include:
- policy: assessing direction - visa policies, proposed Graduate Route changes, and net migration levels - UK’s International Education Strategy - priorities for the UK International Education Champion
- application processes: streamlining and reducing complexity - improving transparency of timelines - mitigating administrative burdens - clarity on eligibility frameworks
- HE funding: stability and assessing multi-year funding models - predictability in allocations - mitigating sudden financial shortfalls - supporting strategic long-term planning
- access: refining application deadlines - timely release of funds - support for disadvantaged students - enhancing targeted support measures - promoting equitable student participation
- sector alignment: HE and FE priorities - placement design to suit diverse providers - options for funding that reflects sectoral differences - cross-sector engagement and incorporating feedback
- staff exchanges: staff mobility options - enhancing cross-institutional learning - best practice in sharing international best practice - improving professional development routes
- inward mobility: managing reciprocal exchange flows - institutional readiness - accounting for capacity constraints - maintaining global institutional reputations
- EU engagement: examining potential youth mobility pathways - prospects for new UK-EU youth mobility schemes - re-evaluating Erasmus+ participation - addressing immigration concerns - options for strengthening cultural and academic ties
- regulatory coordination: aligning visa policies with exchange objectives - reviewing post-study work thresholds - consistent immigration frameworks - supporting future global strategies
