Make UK academia grate again

This blog was kindly authored by Professor Michael Mainelli, Chairman, Z/Yen Group and Chair of the Chartered ABS International Students Taskforce.

Study roam

The UK has long been a premier destination for international students – but as global competition sharpens, mobility patterns shift, and rival countries move quickly, the way ahead is foggy. One quip goes – ‘Now Trump has a tariff on shredded cheese.  He wants to make America grate again’. Perhaps UK academics, particularly business and management course leaders, should be grating again. Global education is a golden opportunity, and the ultimate scorecard is how well UK academics do in the global market.

In 2022, post-Covid, the world’s academic map shifted with quiet force when, after three years of uncertainty, more than 4.6 million international students enrolled across tertiary institutions in OECD countries – a testament to a generation crossing borders in pursuit of knowledge, opportunity, and belonging.

Several nations emerged as powerful magnets for advanced study. According to the OECD’s ‘Education At A Glance 2025’:

• The United Kingdom hosted roughly 675,000 international tertiary students, and more than a fifth of them –  22% % – were pursuing master’s degrees. That translates to nearly 148,000 international master’s students, a concentration that underscores the UK’s enduring reputation as a destination for accelerated, high-level academic specialisation.
• Australia, too, demonstrated a striking pull. Of its 382,000 international tertiary students, 23% were enrolled at master’s level – approximately 88,000 scholars engaged in postgraduate study. In proportional terms, Australia rivals the UK as a hub for advanced international education, transforming campuses into crossroads of global ambition.
• Germany presented a different profile. With 403,000 international tertiary students, 12% at master’s level, the country hosted about 48,000 international master’s candidates. The numbers reflect Germany’s distinctive appeal: strong research pathways, technical rigor, and accessible education drawing students seeking depth over speed.
• The United States, despite enrolling the largest overall international tertiary population – 874,000 students – showed a markedly smaller share at master’s level. With only 5% pursuing master’s degrees, the figure stands at approximately 43,700 international master’s students.

There are other markets too, Ireland, The Netherlands, Singapore, Hong Kong, or Canada. We see some very discerning analysis of through-life employment of MBAs and Masters in other countries – customer analysis that is sorely lacking in the UK. We see compelling initiatives to preserve national brand quality, for example Ireland’s launch in 2024 of TrustEd Ireland, a quality mark ensuring a high standard of education and learner protection for international students.

Tasks ahead

The Chartered Association of Business Schools recognised the importance of these shifts by creating a Taskforce on International Students in 2025. The taskforce is trying to coordinate business schools in order to:

• demonstrate the impact of the UK’s leading global position in business and management education and how this contributes to economies across the UK;
• help government manage international student immigration to gain public support whilst maximising its contribution to the growth mission and the UK’s soft power;
• enhance the value offered to international business and management students.

The Chartered Association of Business Schools October 2025 analysis, ’International Students: Country Competitor Analysis’, reminds us that the UK’s competitive edge is under pressure. Other countries are aggressively expanding transnational education (TNE) and flexible delivery models. Without strategic innovation, UK business schools risk ceding markets (and students) to institutions in Europe, the US, and Asia. The Chartered ABS analysis reminds us that a complacent position will lead to erosion.

The report emphasises that foreign students bring not only tuition revenue and economic spillover, but global networks, innovation potential and cultural reach – all crucial to the UK’s soft-power and talent base. However:

 the UK’s competitive edge is being tested. Higher tuition costs, rising living costs, reductions in post-study work options … more restrictive visa policies … worse perceptions of students’ welcome …

Hence, the UK must build on its brand (English language, world-class universities, global recognition) and reduce friction: clear, competitive pricing; streamlined visas; generous post-study pathways; and a student experience that feels welcoming and global.

The UK Government’s January 2026 ‘International Education Strategy’ reframes international education not just as inbound student recruitment but as a global export sector worth £40 billion annually by 2030. It’s no longer a question of doing more better. UK business schools must pivot from a reliance on traditional on-campus international student recruitment to a diversified global delivery model – prioritising TNE, strategic regional partnerships, international research collaborations, and digitally enabled offerings – while safeguarding quality and compliance. 

I cried when I wasn’t ‘in’

International brands need to inspire strong emotions. Brand identity is self-identity. There is a big difference between needing a cost-effective smartphone and lusting after a snazzy smartphone preferred by eight billion people. When were you last grated by:

• getting emotional trying to convince someone to do, or not do, an MBA or Masters programme in a particular country or school?
• a business school academic of the stature of Peter Drucker, Michael Porter, Clayton Christensen, Henry Mintzberg, Gary Hamel, or Charles Handy really annoying you with their opinions?
• a business theory gratingly too simple or too complex?

Business school academics should provide fuel for controversial opinions on emotional international issues such as the nature of the firm, the future of work, globalisation, employment, AI, leisure time, climate change, hunger, or inequality. Their teachings should inform discussion, and rile you up from time to time.

Whole brand

The UK needs to pitch the ‘whole’ not the parts. The UK is not just a host of universities, but a strategic hub for global talent, networks and growth. A stepping off point for a career back home and around the world. The UK can market itself as the stable, predictable alternative in a turbulent world of mobility. Emphasising rule-of-law, research strength, English language, global employer links, and a clear path to employability adds weight. 

So let’s do both. Let’s learn to pitch the whole brand while generating strong emotions. Our graduates should look to the UK brand as one that reinforces their identity. Perhaps ‘Educated in the UK’ badges should be as popular as US college sweatshirts.  Now that would grate.