Oxford: Government Is Failing Universities on Visa Reforms and Postgraduate Support

The Oxford Vice chancellor has warned the government that if the visa rules are tightened then there is a serious risk to the academic reputation of the Oxford University. The vice Chancellor Mr. Andrew Hamilton has asked the government not to make the visa rules strict for the foreign students who come to study in the US universities.

The other reason for the decrease in foreign students is the lack of financial support for the postgraduate degrees for students studying at Oxford University. The foreign students are facing difficulties in the getting the visa to the Oxford University. The new rules and regulations are posing a major problem to the academic health of the University.

The Vice chancellor mentioned that the assurances provided by the ministers to work in combination with the higher education sector and UK border agency to remove the problems faced in the global intellectual exchange.

After the 9/11 attacks there was a major hit on the student visas; the slack was almost 20 percent. The government has restricted the entry of the bright academics who are heeding students who may serve the US as well. The Vice Chancellor has also warned that there was no attention paid to the postgraduate studies. There has been no support from the government’s side and the support provided to the best foreign students is harming the Britain’s long term economic competitive edge.

The Vice Chancellor also explained that the research base of UK was depending critically on the talented graduates. The research students are the considered as the engine for major research experimentation. They work with the best known academicians and hence Oxford recruits the best academics.

Professor Hamilton had mentioned that in the last year Sir Adrian Smith said that the postgraduate education sector has to be developed rigorously. The response to this by the government was that it did not plan any further changes or increase in the postgraduate funding; still they may review the matter.

The Vice Chancellor has requested that the government take necessary steps to reduce the limitations and the rules and regulations imposed on the visa process for the foreign students as this is harming the economic competition and moreover the research activities have also become stagnant as there is very little financial support from the government for the bright academic students to study at the expensive Universities.