IHEF 2024 forward look: Dr Diana Beech, London Higher

You will be talking at our session ‘Regional approaches to international strategies’. How do universities and organisations have to factor in their local context when devising their international strategy?

I am often quoted as saying the magic of the UK higher education sector lies in its diversity – not just in terms of institutional types, but also local geographies. There really is something for everyone in UK higher education, and universities would do well to recognise that prospective students are not looking at institutional offerings in isolation, but are considering them in the round alongside what else is on offer in local places.

This includes factors that affect the student experience, such as the social and cultural scene, the cost of living and accommodation supply, personal safety and transport options. Students from Global Majority backgrounds may also be looking to study in communities where they will feel at home and have access to appropriate faith groups and societies. As we know from our own research into why students opt to study in London, many students will also be looking at employability prospects in local places, including the availability of in-study work placements and post-graduation progression options.

London is a proudly global city and its institutions reflect this. What are some of the benefits an effective international strategy brings to your members?

London’s higher education institutions are world-renowned in their own right, but when they come together under a united regional brand, they represent a formidable force for good, not just within the London region but for the benefit of ‘brand UK’.

When prospective international students first contemplate coming to the UK, it is highly likely they will start by exploring options in London, given its iconic status as a city around the world. Yet they may only be aware of a handful of London’s 50+ universities and higher education institutions.

Bringing all of London’s institutions together in a regional international education strategy – as pioneered by London Higher in 2022 – is therefore a brilliant way to raise awareness of the many different study destinations and pathways on offer within the region and to encourage institutions to work together to boost London’s reputation and maintain its competitive advantage over other major world cities. This latter point isn’t just in our members’ interests either, but can work to the advantage of the whole country, as graduates from London go on to further study or employment in other UK cities and regions. Promoting London via its own international education strategy doesn’t just serve the needs of our capital city region, but acts in our national interest.

What are the challenges facing London institutions in formulating an effective international strategy?

London’s universities – despite being key ‘anchor institutions’ in their region, as shown through our interactive Civic Map – cannot deliver an effective international strategy alone. Improving the city for all students relies on partnership working with some of the region’s biggest players, such as partnering with the capital’s employers to enhance graduate employability prospects or working with the Metropolitan Police to enhance safety in local boroughs.

An international strategy will only work if other city stakeholders understand the benefits that international education brings to their own sectors and industries as well as to the region as a whole. In addition to this, the diversity of London’s higher education sector means that different institutions will want different results from an international strategy and this will inevitably mean that a London strategy will have to remain broad to appeal to institutions of different sizes and specialisms. It is, however, important that this isn’t seen as a weakness, but as something that enhances its utility and adaptability.

What role does London Higher play in developing, coordinating and advising London’s institutions on a coherent, city-wide approach to internationalisation?

London is a highly complex city region, with a need to coordinate initiatives across 32 separate London boroughs and the City of London, not to mention with a variety of different sub-regional groupings and industry consortia. This is a big task for any individual London institution to take on so that’s why, at London Higher, we’re using our strong links to City Hall and our permanent seat on the London Partnership Board to facilitate conversations with partners that will help us deliver on our international strategy and bring benefits to the region as a whole.

Our International Network also provides a space for our members to share experiences in the international education arena, and our big project for the coming months is to relaunch the ‘Study London’ brand, which will help promote London as a global study destination and provide London institutions with a toolkit to support the initiative coherently and consistently.

What other sessions at #IHEF2024 are you most looking forward to catching on 1-2 May? 

As CEO of an organisation representing London-based institutions, I am only too aware of the immense soft power emanating from London’s higher education sector coupled with its expertise in multiple industries and geopolitical issues. For this reason, I am naturally interested in the session on knowledge diplomacy and the role universities can play as influencers and actors in international relations. Since many London institutions have large international student and staff communities, and some even have campuses and TNE provision in other parts of the world, I am also eager to learn how universities are delivering on their responsibility to these students to enhance their employability prospects, not just in London but across global borders.

Join Diana, a range of other expert speakers and panellists, and over 300 higher education sector experts on 1-2 May 2024 at Senate House. Secure your spot while tickets remain.