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

6. Overall findings 
6.1 Reflections on impact beyond student experience 
Hitherto most studies considering the benefits of UK international higher education have 
focused on students and their perceptions of their student experience. Our new study 
extends the evidence base to perceptions from alumni, building on recent quantitative 
research with non-EU international graduates around three years after graduation (BIS, 
2012), which reported very positive perceptions of their career benefits after graduation. 
Our study provides deeper, qualitative evidence from alumni who are further into their 
career and personal trajectories (over five years post-graduation), but also on a much 
wider range of benefits and impact in their lives, from which we can also infer benefits 
more generally to their home countries and especially to the UK. 
For the alumni themselves, we have identified tangible personal benefits in relation to their 
career progression and/or change, their position in society and especially their personal 
growth, not least the development of extensive networks of social and potentially future 
professional contacts. As higher-performing and more highly skilled employees they bring 
benefits to their employers and home countries’ economies (or indeed to any country in 
which they choose to work). They bring impact in the formal of societal development where 
they work in education, development and capacity building and which will grow as they 
progressively become more influential members of their society, and amplify some benefits 
through their personal influences. 
For the UK itself we have identified, through the alumni: 

tangible economic benefits of additional trade with existing UK enterprises, and the
establishment of new international partnership ventures and new overseas offices for 
current UK businesses; 

the potential for far more future benefit through the global network of links between the 
alumni and with contacts they have made in the UK;

existing active international collaborations in research and education, and the potential 
for more in future; 

continued support for future HE exports, as they personally recommend others to 
participate, on the basis of their own positive experiences, for economic benefit but 
also allied academic benefits; 

additional trade from the alumni and those they influence through allegiance to British 
brands, including tourism to the UK; 

enhanced perceptions of the UK, its people and culture, especially increased trust in 
the UK which supports cultural and political ties but also future economic benefits; 
The very large and growing global network of UK alumni, predisposed to trust the UK, its 
people and enterprises, based on their positive personal experiences, offers huge potential 
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The Wider Benefits of International Higher Education in the UK 
to deliver great impact to the UK over time, as they progress in their careers to more 
senior and influential positions. That trust is crucial, as it is known to underpin trading 
relationships, collaborations and mutual understanding (British Council, 2012). This army 
of ambassadors seems to embody Nye’s notion of soft power (Nye, 1991), enhancing the 
UK’s reputation and extending cultural and diplomatic influence. 
Given the qualitative nature of the research, we have not tried to estimate the economic 
value of either known tangible benefits to date or potential economic impact. However, 
given the early career stage of these alumni, and the individuality of progression and 
circumstances, it is likely that the overall potential future impact from alumni will be far 
greater, although its extent is well beyond simple economic calculation.