gair rhydd
gair rhydd | free word Cardiff’s student weekly newspaper Papur wythnosol myfyrwyr Caerdydd Issue 1108 | Rhifyn 1108 4th December 2017 | 4ydd o Ragfur 2017
Cardiff Uni’s student paper | est . 1972
Italian Mafia: Mysteries, massacres and a Godfather p.10 Avatar therapy: Is it the future? p.19 Why you should accept and own your own flaws p.22
Xpress takeover raises £2,000 Huw Edwards donated £240 along with many others. More on page 4...
Photo credit: Keiran Manetta-Jones
The Brexit Effect
EU student numbers fall across Britain George Watkins
T
he number of students from the European Union applying to study at British universities has fallen by 4.4 % for the current academic year according to UCAS, with higher education institutions blaming Brexit for the drop. The decrease, equivalent to 2,375 fewer applicants, despite being near record levels, is a reversal of the continuous increases seen from 2012. If the trend set in previous years had continued, the figure was expected to be 10% higher than seen. Despite it being a relatively small drop, many recognised the potential im-
pact of Britain’s exit from the European Union. Alistair Jarvis, chief-executive of Universities UK, said: “The small fall in EU students suggests that Brexit is starting to deter EU students from coming to the UK.” He suggested that the governemnt prioritise removing barriers, whether financial or bureaucratic. from international students, to continue the appeal of the United Kingdom as a place to study. Some media outlets raied the issue of immigration and previous concerns that ‘Remainers’ had falsely expected a sharp drop in intake. The Sun ran a headline the day the news broke that “Project Fear” had failed, but ignored the drop in students from the EU, solely focussing on those from outside.
Applicants from non- EU countriessaw an overall rise, masking the fall in EU numbers to some extent. Their figure rose 2.8%, up to 76,380, a rise of 2,090 compared to 2016, the highest record for this group. The status of international students has been hotly contested across the political landscape recently, with an investigation by The Sunday Times revealing the prioritisation of international applicants over home students, with thousands of overseas students being given fast-track admission without taking an A-Levels or an equivalent. Universities Minister, Jo Johnson, was keen to calm concerns around the figures, noting that “A key part of the success of British universities is attracting
talent from across the globe”, also keen to emphasise the “important contribution” EU students make. Many students themselves are worried about their status in light of Brexit, both EU and non-EU. Former International Students’ Officer Vaishnavi Sayal was vocal about the “uncertainty” and “lack of clarity” offered by both the Government and universities themselves. Fees are a concern for many, worrying that they are being disproportionately affected on a financial level. Prashant, a third year Economics student, wanted to draw attention to this disparity, highlighting that “Most people who advocate for lower tuition fees only do so for home students”.
The International Student Experience p.28
The return of Five Minute Fun! p.34+35
Continued on page 4...