India has been named as one of five “priority” countries as part of the UK’s International Education Strategy to enhance the country education exports around the world.
In a keynote address at the International Higher Education Forum this week, UK Skills Minister Alex Burghart said that in the 2020-21 academic year, students from India rose 27 per cent – which he described as a “brilliant endorsement” of Britain’s improved student offer, including the Graduate route.
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The minister said: “The work of the International Education Champion, Sir Steve Smith, is integral to the continuing success in growing UK education exports.
“He is working across five priority countries: India, Indonesia, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia and Vietnam to open up export growth opportunities for UK education. We want to offer our full support for education exports and trade.”
He highlighted that the UK’s Department for Education is working closely with the Department for International Trade promoting education in Free Trade Agreements (FTAs), including the one currently being negotiated between the UK and India.
Burghart added: “Education, as one of the UK’s soft power strengths, has a pivotal role to play in delivering this ambition. One such example is the 2030 Roadmap for India-UK future relations, launched last year by the Prime Minister and Indian Prime Minister Modi.
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“Through this ambitious Roadmap, we will elevate the India-UK relationship and guide our cooperation for the next ten years covering all aspects of our multi-faceted relations through education exports.
“In 2020-2021, the UK welcomed 53,015 Indian students to the UK. I look forward to building on this success and our wider relationship with India.”
The minister also flagged the recently launched Turing Scheme, which is also being promoted across the world with ministerial level discussions in India and other countries.