Ben Macpherson said he recognised that universities across the UK are facing “significant financial and operational challenges” and warned that “difficult decisions” lie ahead for institutional leaders.
But he urged the sector to resist pessimism and instead embrace “a sense of co-creation that we can improve policy, and that we can have influence on others if we work together”.
His speech at the British Universities’ International Liaison Association (BUILA) conference came as universities across the UK grapple with new Basic Compliance Assessment (BCA) metrics, declining international enrolments, visa “brakes” on certain countries, mounting pressures on university finances, as well as a political climate where immigration is routinely kicked around in public debate.
“International students remain critically important,” said Macpherson, “not just to the sustainability of our universities, but to the diversity and vibrancy of our institutions and our economy and society.”
Students, he said, “enrich not just our classrooms and our campuses, but our societies and our local economies… many who come to our shores to study remain, and we wish more could remain to contribute their skills to our workforce and our communities.”
In the same week as the minister’s speech, research from the Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI) and Kaplan International Pathways was published, laying out the financial contributions international students make to the UK.
International students who began higher education in the UK in 2024/25 are expected to generate a net economic benefit of £40.4 billion over the course of their studies, with every 10 students contributing around £1m to the UK economy, the report found.
I want to make a clear call today… to push the UK government to get behind the sector more strongly, to make the changes that are necessary, and to support our world-class university sector much more strongly
Ben Macpherson, Scotland’s tertiary education minister
Issuing a clear call to action, the minister invited the sector to help turn up the volume in Westminster: “I want to make a clear call today, and to stand behind you in solidarity, to push the UK government, the next UK government, to get behind the sector more strongly, to make the changes that are necessary, and to support our world-class university sector much more strongly.”
“The challenges facing higher education are real. We cannot deny them. But the opportunities are also significant if we pivot and do the right thing and embrace the opportunities, new markets, new collaborations that are ahead,” the minister added.
Speaking to The PIE News on the sidelines of the conference, BUILA vice-chair Stuart Easter said the sector now needed to “develop a much broader narrative about the value of international students; one that moves beyond their fiscal contribution and better articulates the social, cultural and civic impact they have within local communities”.
“That’s a story the whole sector can tell more effectively together,” said Easter.
BUILA is seeking to “celebrate local talent, global impact” by amplifying stories from its member institutions that show how international students “enrich local communities, drive innovation, contribute to research and skills, and strengthen the UK’s global reputation”.
Easter also pointed to a shift in how institutions are responding to today’s policy and compliance pressures.
“The compliance challenges institutions face today cannot sit with one team alone,” he said. “Success depends on a whole-institution approach – from recruitment and admissions through to student support and successful outcomes.”
“That shared accountability extends beyond institutional walls and, through BUILA’s membership, enables a whole-sector practitioner approach,” he added. “That collective responsibility will be increasingly important as the policy landscape continues to evolve.”
