University efforts to reduce their dependence on China have stalled or reversed, a report has revealed.
The report, written by the former universities minister Lord Johnson of Marylebone and published by King’s College London’s Policy Institute, warns that it will be almost impossible for the UK to disentangle itself from joint research with China.
The threat from China means that diversifying the international student population at British universities is an essential risk-reduction strategy, the paper suggests. However, they face considerable challenges.
China has become the world’s largest spender on research and development and UK universities benefit from the higher tuition fees paid by Chinese students. The report says that the government should provide clearer guidance to universities on how to manage their engagement with China
