According to Universities Scotland’s report titled Scotland: A great place to study, live and work, each year more than 58,000 international students from 180 countries study in Scotland. About 91% of foreign graduates expressed their satisfaction with the study experience in the country. As many as 31% of students in Scottish universities are from other countries.
With focus on employability, the country’s higher education institutions provide good careers support services to students and help them connect with prospective employers. As per the UK Employer Perspectives Survey 2019, 78% of employers in Scotland who had hired university graduates from the country believed that they were well-prepared for work.
The UK government’s Graduate Route, announced in July 2021, is also applicable to international students in Scotland. It allows them to work or search for employment post their education for a maximum of two years. This is three years in case you are a doctoral student.
Nine out of 10 graduates are able to find work or study ahead within six months of graduation. Located close to cities like London and Paris, it offers opportunities to international students to explore some of the best things in Europe. Scotland’s universities currently have teaching, research and TNE partnerships in more than 100 countries, with a clear impetus to tie-ups between business and academia.
According to Nicola Sturgeon MSP, First Minister, Scottish universities “have always been keen to share knowledge, collaborate and learn from others. This is reflected in the higher education space with a range of global research collaborations, and multi-cultural campuses at our universities. Many foreign students develop a special connection with Scotland which they maintain long after leaving the country.”
Some of the popular universities include University of Dundee; University of Edinburgh; University of Glasgow; Robert Gordon University; University of Stirling; and University of Strathclyde Glasgow.
The country’s institutions indulge in a lot of research and innovation with 86% of the research submitted by Scotland’s universities being judged to be world-leading or internationally excellent in its quality.
Shirley-Anne Somerville, Education Secretary, says international students are a potential source of long-term immigration with an “overwhelmingly positive impact on Scotland’s
economy and society.”
“The income generated by the intake of international students in universities, most importantly the tuition fees from non-European students, has grown significantly and regularly in the last few years. This directly supports employment at institutions and provides a valuable income stream to support a wide range of teaching and research activity,” says Somerville.
