British universities have been urged to provide better support for students from China to promote integration on campus amid concerns about “ethnic crowding”.
Chinese students make up a quarter of all international students and the £2.3 billion they pay in tuition fees each year play a key role in supporting the UK's cash-strapped higher education sector.
However, the Higher Education Policy Institute (Hepi) paper said Chinese students faced serious and clear challenges when studying in the UK and vice-chancellors needed to do more to support them. are. “Some Chinese students feel that they are being treated as a source of income rather than as valued members of the community,” it warned.
According to Hepi, one of the issues affecting integration is Chinese students' poor English conversation skills. They also don't use WhatsApp or Instagram, relying instead on Chinese social platforms like WeChat and Little Red Book.
“Chinese students are not familiar with media platforms and apps used in the UK and therefore continue to rely on domestic Chinese apps, increasing the potential for ethnic clustering,” the report said.
Another problem is that Chinese students are often concentrated in large numbers at particular institutions, resulting in them interacting with other Chinese people. This problem is exacerbated by limited opportunities to live in diverse households.
Hepi's report also reflects the frustrations of Chinese students, drawn from interviews with 100 students from 20 institutions and experts from the UK and China, and found that they are unable to attend other universities. We warn you that you may choose to do so.
“Respondents lamented the university's lack of efforts to understand and support the community,” the newspaper said. “These perceptions, coupled with a tightening Chinese economy, could reduce the attractiveness of UK higher education institutions among Chinese students, leading them to choose to study elsewhere or may choose to remain close to
The number of Chinese students admitted to undergraduate courses through the university admissions service has fallen by 1.9% this year, according to figures released by Ucas on Thursday. It peaked at 18,500 in 2022, but fell to 17,405 last year, and fell further to 17,070 in 2024, a 7.7% decline over two years.
Josh Freeman, policy manager at Hepi University, said: “The international environment is changing and UK universities can no longer rely on increasing numbers of Chinese students.”
“But these students and the high tuition fees they pay are critical to the long-term financial health of many institutions, meaning institutions must work harder to attract and retain them. There is.”
The paper suggests that universities introduce a “buddy system” that pairs domestic and Chinese students to create better integration. It also calls for more targeted career support for Chinese students who find it more difficult to find employment after studying in the UK.
The report's author, Pippa Ebell, a China expert and researcher based in Guangzhou, said: “All international students face challenges when moving to an unfamiliar environment, but Chinese students are facing challenges. There is evidence to suggest that the problem is deeper and clearer.”
“If more support is provided to help Chinese students integrate into society, not only will they have a better experience, but our campuses and British society as a whole will benefit.”
A spokesperson for Universities UK, which represents more than 140 institutions, said: “International students are an important part of the UK higher education community and bring a wide range of experiences to our campuses.”
“Our university's popularity with international students is evidence of our strong reputation in the sector, and our university is well-practiced in mitigating the risks associated with operating in global markets.”
