26.11.2012. The London mayor, Boris
Johnson, has said government restrictions on overseas students are putting off
the brightest from coming to study in Britain.
During a five-day visit to India, Johnson
said the clampdown on overseas students and bogus colleges had sent out the
wrong signal and could hit the £2.5 bn revenue stream that British universities
earn from their fees.
Johnson told Indian students at Amity
University, south of Delhi, that he was pressing the government to set up an
educational exports commission to promote Britain's universities abroad and
help secure their future. One of its first tasks would be to examine whether
foreign students were choosing to study in the US, Canada and Australia instead
of Britain.
"The government is right not to open
the door to those who will simply be a drain on the state, but it's crazy that
we should be losing India's top talent and global leaders of the future to
Australia and the United States," he said.
