International researchers enrich my working life and the UK’s R&D base: we should protect their contributions  

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This blog was kindly authored by Rhian Gruar, former PhD Student Intern at the Russell Group.

I am the only British person working in my research lab at the Francis Crick Institute, where we investigate the mechanism of DNA replication. In fact, I may be the only British student the lab has ever hired. So much of the work that has built the foundation of the lab was conducted by people coming to the UK on student visas – if you were to remove their contribution, you’d effectively gut the lab. And this isn’t a unique case; if you look across research-intensive universities in the UK and beyond, you’ll see this story repeated time and time again.

This international culture is part of what makes it so enriching to work in academia. Between the 10 people who make up my lab at the Crick, there are eight languages spoken fluently, and we regularly spend lunchtimes discussing events in our home countries (Hungarian politics has taken the spotlight recently). Beyond the social benefit, working within an international institution brings a diverse cohort of people, trained and educated across various countries with different strengths and perspectives, together to tackle challenging scientific questions.

At the Crick, 60 per cent of PhD students are international, and many of these students go on to contribute to the UK’s R&D talent base after finishing their degree. In doing so, they will contribute to the UK’s Industrial Strategy, whether that’s through continuing in academic research, transitioning to an industry role or using their knowledge and skills in other sectors. In fact, around 40 per cent of international postgraduate research students qualify in Engineering and Technology, Mathematics or Physical Science Courses, all vital disciplines to deliver a successful Industrial Strategy.

Many of the students who don’t remain in the UK and instead return home or move on to a third country will still contribute, albeit indirectly, to research and innovation projects in the UK. In 2023, over 60 per cent of papers written by Russell Group academics had an international co-author. Collaborations in academia are often initiated by personal connections and informal, international networks of PhD students are an essential part of this.

It is clear that international PhD students bring great cultural, economic and social benefit to the UK and institutions are keen to continue to recruit internationally alongside the pipeline of excellent UK students. However, there are increasing barriers to welcoming them to the UK. Many of our top universities and research institutions are based in cities with high cost-of-living, and financial barriers remain one of the top factors dissuading people from pursuing postgraduate education. On top of this, visa costs for researchers in the UK are very high and have increased disproportionately in the last few years. How can the UK make sure it’s still competing, and not driving talent away to other countries where the financial offer looks much more attractive?

Some of these challenges are deeply entrenched and will take a long time to counter, however, given the government’s growth aims, they should not be actively making it harder for institutions to take in international PhD students. The proposed International Student Levy (ISL), which would charge universities in England £925 for each international student they enrol, could weaken the UK’s position in the already competitive race for global research talent.

By including PhD students in the International Student Levy, the government is directly challenging its statement that “attracting and retaining top international research and innovation talent in the context of increasing global competition is an ongoing priority”. As such, the Russell Group is calling for PhD students to be exempt from the ISL. Doing this would serve to protect the UK’s research talent pipeline at a time when demand is growing, but enrolment of international and domestic postgraduate research students is falling. It would also secure a higher return on investment on public R&D spending as international PhD students help deliver publicly-funded research and drive UK innovation.

Dampening enthusiasm to study in the UK among a worldwide network of research talent would be a blow to the UK’s R&D-driven growth ambitions, and to our reputation in the global science community. In light of the growing competition for international talent, the government should not be making it harder for institutions to recruit the very international PhD students that make the UK’s research community what it is today.