The slow processing of student visa applications from India, over the past few months, by Canada has predictably drawn a lot of attention in recent weeks. The sudden increase in rejection of student visa applications from developing countries – especially India— has also predictably drawn extensive coverage. Canada has firmly stated that the processing time of visa applications has increased significantly owing to the sudden rise in applications, and a significant backlog as a result of covid and that the refusal of student visas is purely on merit and can not be linked to racial discrimination.
In the midst of the above, an interesting statistic has emerged in the context of both US and UK – Indian students who were the second largest group within the International Student community in these countries, after Chinese students, for long, have been issued more student visas than Chinese students. If one were to look at the case of the US, Indian students have been issued 77,799 visas, for the period from January 2022-July 2022, while Chinese students have been issued 45,000 for this period. International students contribute well over $40 billion ($44 billion) out of which Chinese and Indian students put together contribute over half of this ($24 billion).
In the case of UK, for the period from July 2021- June 2022, 117,965 visas were issued to Indian students, while 1,15,056 visas were issued to Chinese students.
The US has been keeping a close watch on Chinese students over the past few years especially after professors in Confucious Institutes, on US campuses, were accused of spying (in 2021, the US senate approved a bill for keeping a close watch on the activities of Confucious Institutes) and there have also been instances of Chinese students complaining that they were unable to air their views, on sensitive issues, freely because they were being watched by fellow Chinese students. The Trump Administration had taken a number of steps to restrict the enrollment of Chinese students in certain courses citing access to sensitive technology (US also accused Chinese students enrolled in US universities of stealing sensitive research and intellectual property). One of the important steps was a proclamation in May 2020 which banned the entry of Chinese students having links with the People’s Liberation Army (PLA). Said the proclamation: “..actions by or at the behest of the PRC to acquire and divert foreign technologies, specifically critical and emerging technologies, to incorporate into and advance the PRC’s military capabilities.”
UK too has been looking to diversify its international student pool and reduce its dependence upon Chinese students with a number of policy makers flagging the increasing interference of China on British campuses, via Chinese students, as well as access to sensitive materials. A Foreign Affairs Select Committee report published in 2019 said: “There is clear evidence that autocracies are seeking to shape the research agenda or curricula of UK universities, as well as limit the activities of researchers on university campuses. Not enough is being done to protect academic freedom from financial, political and diplomatic pressure.” The report specifically pointed to the role of Confucious Institutes on UK campuses as well as Chinese students as a tool for political interference.
A report published in 2021, jointly by the Policy Institute at Kings College, Harvard Kennedy School and Institute for Scientific information highlighted a number of important points. First, 30% of the high impact research in UK in ‘crucial’ subjects – automation and control systems telecommunications – is done in collaboration with China.
Second, this report also highlighted the excessive financial dependence upon Chinese students. While the report acknowledges the need to have a reasonable relationship with China, it refers to the need for a ‘transparent two way flow of knowledge’ and the need to diversify student intake of international students.
While in the short run there are unlikely to be major changes in the context of the arena of international higher education, a few things cannot be ruled out. First, as the number of student applications from Indian students to Canada rises, the rejection rate could remain high, and if the UK and US adopt a more liberal visa regime for talented students from countries other than China, it is likely that a number of Indian students would start giving priority to US and UK ( especially if both countries focus on attracting individuals with specialized skills). Second, while for very long Chinese students were the largest group within the international student community, Indian students are closing in and could even emerge as the largest group if ties between China and Western countries continue to deteriorate as they have in recent years. Finally, for long Western countries de hyphenated linkages in spheres like education from their political relationship with China, this now passe. Political tensions have now begun to impact relations in other areas– including education.
[Photo by Pang Yuhao / Unsplash]
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author.
Tridivesh Singh Maini is a New Delhi based analyst interested in Punjab-Punjab linkages as well as Partition Studies. Maini co-authored ‘Humanity Amidst Insanity: Hope During and After the Indo-Pak Partition’ (New Delhi: UBSPD, 2008) with Tahir Malik and Ali Farooq Malik. He can be reached at [email protected].
