Bis research paper number 128 The wider benefits of international higher education in the uk

Figure 5
Perceived extent of influence of UK HE degree experience on other aspects of 
graduates’ lives (
N
=80) 
The influence of their UK HE experience on the alumni themselves as individuals had 
been very strong (Figure 6). Over 95% of the group felt that they now thought differently as 
a result, and a similar proportion was now more confident in working or communicating 
with people in other countries. A large proportion (over 80%) now had a different (more 
positive) perception of the UK as a result of their experience, and almost as many 
continued to take interest in the UK culturally and politically. Perhaps most critically, over 
80% perceived a substantive impact on their confidence to make a success of their lives, 
which had presumably been a dominant underlying motivation for them. This was reflected 
in a similar proportion expecting now to have more influence on others in their home 
country.
These very positive results reflect the very positive attitudes and perceptions of almost of 
the alumni in the interviews. This was not believed to be the result of bias in the sampling 
of international alumni, for the reasons outlined in chapter 3. Previous research suggests 
perhaps 95% of international graduates were satisfied with their UK HE experience (BIS, 
2012), which is similar to the proportion with positive perceptions here.
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The Wider Benefits of International Higher Education in the UK 
 
Figure 6
Perceived extent of influence of UK HE degree experience on aspects of 
personal development (
N
=80). 
5.1.2 Semi-quantitative analysis of interview information 
It was possible to codify very simply the main attitudes and issues reported by the alumni, 
using the interview ‘portraits’ and transcripts. This gave broad trends of results across the 
100 alumni interviewed, a sample thought to reflect the range of types of international 
graduate but not aimed to be representative numerically. This also enabled some potential 
trends to be observed between different groups of graduates. 
On this basis, the following very positive issues were recorded from the sample of 
interviewed alumni’s UK HE experiences: 

Over 90% reported perceptions of greater personal credibility (over 65% to a large 
extent). This correlated closely with those who identified career benefits; 

95% reported that they felt the whole experience had been beneficial to them (60% to a 
large extent); 

Over 80% indicated some extent of positive emotional attachment to the UK (about half 
to a considerable extent), and this was almost universal amongst those with UK-funded 
scholarships; 

Up to 90% had recommended UK HE study to somebody else (60% to a large extent), 
across all the university types attended; 
Lower but still very substantial proportions cited other positive outcomes. In each of the 
following areas, about half of the alumni reported that, as a result of their UK HE 
experience: 

They now had some HE alumni in their professional networks (much higher amongst 
scholarship holders); 
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The Wider Benefits of International Higher Education in the UK 

They had changed their perception of the UK positively (all nationalities but especially 
amongst those from outside the Commonwealth); 

They travelled back to the UK for social purposes (higher amongst female graduates); 

The experience had enabled them to undertake a career change, especially common 
amongst those who had undertaken a taught Masters course (but somewhat less so for 
Chinese graduates); 

They had a particular desire to develop or improve their own country. This was very 
strongly the case for scholarship alumni and also correlated with those reporting a 
career change; 

They believed there was an economic benefit to the UK, again especially amongst 
scholarship alumni and also those reporting the highest perceived personal benefits; 

They were involved in their HEI’s alumni network to some extent. 
Of the 100 alumni interviewed, 27 had prior family experience (i.e. a parent, grandparent 
or sibling) of UK HE. This was seen across all of the nationality groupings used, other than 
the Chinese alumni (of whom none had such prior family experience). 
Only 15 alumni related any significant negative aspect of their experience at any time, but 
in several of these cases they now felt that an earlier negative impression had not been 
well-founded and did not sustain it. Most of these were male graduates from China and 
India, and a small number of mature graduates from high-income countries (who might 
have had high expectations) and related to Masters courses. 
Based on their recollections and descriptions of their HE and campus experiences, we 
judged that 15 or so alumni had had rather ‘narrow’ experiences while in the UK, such as 
very limited integration and/or little interaction with wider aspects of UK society. The 
majority of these alumni were from the Far East, including China, which could also reflect 
some cultural shyness or very high devotion to study. Many of them did report some 
positive personal benefits, including new friends made, but few of them tended now to 
‘think differently’ or had changed their perceptions of the UK.
A number of these observations are considered later in this chapter in discussion of 
emerging trends.