The University has been forced to examine its attitude towards international students as a result of recent research highlighting the failure of British universities to help international students integrate with those from the UK.

Over 30,000 international students in Britain were questioned in the survey and their experiences were compared with those of 8,500 international students studying in Australia, the Netherlands, South Africa and the United States. Integration between international and home students was found to occur much more easily in these countries than in the UK.

UK universities fail to promote "mutual understanding and social interaction between UK and international students" according to Keith Herrmann, deputy chief executive for the Council for Industry and Higher Education, which commissioned the research.

Gillian Wallace, Cambridge University's international officer, justifies the lack of specific welfare specifically for international students - who make up over a quarter of all students in the university - by claiming that "their welfare is not always separate from other forms of student welfare. The colleges and in particular the tutorial system are the main ways in which international students are supported."

There is not really any help adjusting to the new environment. We are left alone to handle the situation

Wei Shen Aikh, a Natural Science student at Queen's, complained that international students "are left alone to handle the situation" and there was "not really" any help with adjusting to a new environment. He knows many who simply "didn't integrate" and relied on cultural societies to make friends of the same nationality.

The university's report made over 25 different recommendations for improving the experience of international students. Problems highlighted in the report include students having to pay £1500 in order to take an essential English language course. Despite the recommendations, this fee still stands, and many students experience serious difficulties financing this on top of the existing fees.

Amiya Bhatia, an Indian SPS student, feels that international students have "a hard time initially...but the college system provides a lot of indirect support because of the way in which it mixes up students of all backgrounds within a close knit community."

Yashita Tripathi, an Indian business student at Anglia Ruskin, mainly spends time with other international students because she has found it difficult to make links with UK students.

According to Gillian Wallace, Cambridge's international officer, "progress has been made in various areas. The International Office now organizes a Lent orientation programme as well as a Michaelmas one and also produces an annual A-Z guide for international students."
Johanna Mitterhofer, International Officer for the Newnham JCR, is a strong advocate of an extra freshers' week for international students.

"For some of them it is the first time they have come to Britain," says Mitterhofer. "Many things that are obvious and familiar to UK students can seem very strange. It does take some time to settle into a completely new environment and to get used to a different culture as well as a different language."

For the international student, social difficulties coexist with financial ones. Recent research carried out for the Higher Education Policy Institute found that more than a quarter of overseas students from outside the EU said that their degrees were poor or very poor value for money.


International student night at Soul Tree

Under the current system EU students are classed as home students, but non-EU students pay £9,000 to study arts subjects, £12,000 for sciences and £22,000 for clinical subjects every year. This does not include the additional £4000 college fee in Cambridge.

Alison Richard, the vice-chancellor, issued a statement saying that she wishes Cambridge "to attract the attention of bright, inquiring students whatever their background and wherever they may be."

Carl Gobel, the CUSU international representative, responded: "I don't think high fees and limited bursaries are the right way to achieve this. Undergraduate students find it very hard to cover significan t amounts of their tuition fees; often only small college grants of a few hundred pounds are available."

International students often turn to companies and businesses for funding, but these come with an unavoidable catch. Voon Kiat, a Malaysian overseas student, is studying engineering and has a scholarship from a company in his home country. This means that he must return to work in Malaysia after his degree, something he says he is starting to feel "unsure" about having committed to.

In response to allegations that the university relies on international students to gain extra funding, a Cambridge University working party report into international student recruitment, selection and support was launched. The study, headed by educational pro vice-chancellor Profesor Melveena McKendrick, claimed that in fact "international students place major demands on resources" .

The report defended the university, claiming: "Cambridge 's interest is not in increasing numbers for financial gain, but in recruiting for student quality. The pursuit of quality is costly and further reduces the financial benefit of admitting overseas students."

Whilst Alison Richard says she is keen to "take Cambridge to the world", there is currently no one responsible for international recruitment in the University. According to Wallace, the International Officer, this is because the university is in the "fortunate position of being able to select, rather than needing to recruit."

Camilla Temple