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Northern Ireland
international student
boom adds £1bn to
economy - report
2 hours ago

PA MEDIA

The number of international students in Northern Ireland

has nearly quadrupled in four years

By Robbie Meredith & Rebekah Wilson

BBC News NI

The number of international students at Northern

Irish universities has almost quadrupled in just four
years.

That is according to a new report on the economic

impact of international students in the UK.

It also suggested that, in total, international students

are worth nearly £1bn to Northern Ireland's economy.

The Department for the Economy (DfE) has

suggested there were about 15,000 international
students at Queen's and Ulster University in 2021/22.

That's compared to about 4,000 international

students in 2018/19.

However, some of the rise is down to Ulster University

(UU) courses in Birmingham and London, and a part-
time module for overseas nurses and midwives
seeking registration in the UK.

The new report into the benefits and costs of

international students to the UK economy has been
published by the Higher Education Policy Institute
(HEPI) and Universities UK International (UUKI).

Financial contribution
It looked at the overall economic benefits and costs
associated with about 381,000 new international
students from inside and outside the European Union
(EU) in higher education in the UK in 2021-22.

The analysis of the economic impact of international

students was carried out by London Economics, an
economy and policy consultancy group.

It calculated the financial contribution of

international students, including how much they
spent on tuition fees, accommodation and other
living costs during their studies.

It balanced that against costs including university

teaching and the extra pressure on public services.

The HEPI and UUKI report said that international

students who began courses at Northern Ireland's
universities in 2021/22 would provide a total
contribution of £0.95bn to the economy over the
course of their studies.

The report said that the UK was a popular destination

for international students for a number of reasons,
including the status of UK degrees, with postgraduate
qualifications especially popular.

It also said that they brought more than economic

benefits by "diversifying campuses" and "enriching
the learning environment".

'My own little family'

JULIEN KOLTA

Julien Kolta said Belfast is a home from home

For Julien Kolta, an Egyptian-born 21-year-old

medical student at Queen's University Belfast (QUB),
the idea of moving to the city seemed perfect.

She was raised in Dubai but said she found Belfast

"inviting, big enough to do a lot of different things"
but with a centre small enough to not be
overwhelming.

"I wanted to be in the UK. I had four options and

Queen's was the perfect fit," she added.

Ms Kolta said that while it can be a struggle to move

to a new place, Northern Ireland has become a home
away from home.

"I have friends from here and other international

students that chose to come here and they are my
own little family.

"When I go back to Dubai, I miss the people here so

much. They are so kind."

Those words were echoed by Chaudhary Hamza Riaz,

21, who moved to Northern Ireland from Pakistan to
study law, politics and international studies at UU.

CHAUDHARY HAMZA RIAZ

Chaudhary Hamza Riaz said people are more inclusive and

welcoming in Northern Ireland than he has felt anywhere
else

"I said let's go to where the opportunities are, and

they are here," he said.

"The people are inclusive and welcoming, much more

than anywhere else in the UK.

"When you try and be respectful and helpful to

people in Northern Ireland, it's paid back and
multiplied by two."

Both now say they could see themselves staying in

Northern Ireland long term.

"Right now, I want to stay here aer I finish

university," said Ms Kolta. "I've made a community for
myself here now; I hope to stay."

"If the opportunities remain as good as they are for

me now, I will stay here," said Mr Riaz. "But you have
to follow the opportunities, wherever they take you."

Increase in non-EU students

In Northern Ireland the number of students from the
Republic of Ireland has remained relatively flat, at
about 2,200, over the past four years.

But while there are relatively few students from

elsewhere in the EU, the number from outside the EU
has increased significantly.

Figures from the Department for the Economy for

2021/22 show that more than one in five students at
Northern Irish universities were from outside the EU.

In 2021/22, there were more than 14,500

international students out of 69,500 students overall.

In all, students from over 135 different countries were

enrolled in Northern Ireland, with the highest
numbers from India, China and the Philippines.

Non-EU students typically pay much higher tuition

fees than local, EU or UK students, spending between
£15,000 to more than £30,000 a year for courses in
Northern Ireland.

The HEPI and UUKI report also contains a breakdown

of the economic effect of international students by
each UK region and parliamentary constituency.

In Northern Ireland, south Belfast was the

constituency judged to benefit most as the highest
number of international students lived there.

Figures previously published by Northern Ireland's

two main universities show that international
students account for almost £70m of their income in
fees and grants.

QUB accounts show international students generated

£57m in fees and grants in 2021-22, while UU
received just under £12m in overseas student fees in
the same period.

Related Topics

Universities Ulster University

Students Queen's University Belfast

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