UK desperate for students

Degree discounts, iPads, football match tickets and other gifts are to be given away to students to attend UK universities as the post Brexit situation escalates further.

The consequence of losing international students

With the series of actions against international students by Theresa May, major UK news organisations reported that universities in the UK are offering various types of gifts in forms of gadgets and tickets to attend Premier League matches in an act to lure students to study in UK universities and to address the serious decline in the number of students post Brexit as UK's economy heads to an uncertain destination along with the hike in tuition fees.

Interestingly, some institutions are offering discounts for certain courses if students manage to get siblings and/or partners to apply.

Experts at Undergraduate Courses At University And College (UCAS) stated that the number of UK 18 year olds this year is fewer compared to past years, which means the UK is at risk of facing a shortage of talent, and faces the inability to meet national workforce demand. Young people in the UK face a difficult decision: study in college and bear the burden of a hefty student debt, or struggle to find a job without college qualifications.

How desperate can things be?

The University of Sheffield is offering their top A-level students a free master's programme if these students enrol in the university's undergraduate programme while Kingston University is knocking off 25% of their tuition fees to attract students to enrol into their master's degrees. A master’s degree in the University of Sheffield may costs up to £10,000 Pounds.

Many UK universities have confirmed that a significant number of international students have cancelled their placements or declined the study offers while a survey found that a third of international students are unlikely to choose the UK as their study destination.

Malaysian institutions

Currently, Malaysia is doing better than ever when it comes to attracting international students. The country has approximately 135,000 international students from 160 nations in public and private universities and hopes to attract at least 200,000 students by 2020. As of today, Malaysia is considered one of Asia's hottest study destinations.

According to statistics available in Malaysia Education Blueprint 2015 - 2025 (Higher Education), the population of students in higher learning institutions in Malaysia is 1.42 million students at foundation, diploma, degree, and postgraduate levels. Public universities are the home of 545,000 students, private universities have about 455,000 students, vocational education institutions 248,000 students, and other higher learning institutions 172,000 students.

By 2025, the nation hopes to be among countries with the highest rate of enrolment in the region with a target of 2.5 million students by 2025.

Malaysian universities have previously tried to introduce methods to attract students by offering gifts like gadgets and other giveaways. However, there was a swift action by the authorities to stop such activities. Authorities in Malaysia encourages institutions to provide aid for students in the form of tuition discounts and scholarships to attract more students.

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