International students bring over 9,000 jobs to Wales 
Students from Europe and beyond make a huge contribution to Wales economy according to a report into the Economic Impact of International and EU students in Wales . The report quantifies for the first time the economic contribution to Wales of international and EU students at our universities, estimating that their presence in Wales adds £237m to Wales GDP and 9,230 jobs in our communities. The total is equivalent to 0.5% of the Welsh economy, which is a larger share than agriculture and on a par with Cardiff’s hotel and restaurant sector.
It was estimated that the 19,050 international and EU students in Wales in 2009/10 paid around £110 million in tuition fees, spent a further £79 million on living costs and a further £23 million was spent on visits to Wales by friends and family.
It was found that international students continue to contribute to the economy even after they complete their studies by: working for Welsh companies abroad; developing a predilection for Welsh products in their business and personal lives; returning to Wales for leisure to the benefit of the Wales’ tourism economy; recommending Welsh universities to their acquaintances; raising the profile of Wales’ universities and recommending Wales as a holiday and/or study destination to acquaintances.
The report, jointly commissioned by Wales International Consortium, the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales, and Higher Education Wales, was completed by Oxford Economics, a leading international consultancy and surveyed 22,000 foreign alumni from seven Welsh universities. The report was issued to coincide with a seminar on the regional economic contribution of universities taking place at the Wales Millennium Centre in March.
Katie Dalton, president of NUS Wales, acknowledged the important role international students play in the higher education sector.
She said, “We strongly believe that a diverse student population is an important contributing factor to an excellent student experience, and the presence of international students is key to creating a stimulating learning environment for both home and overseas students.”
Dr Peter Noyes, Chair of the Wales International Consortium and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Wales Newport, said:
“The contribution of international students to Wales’s economy is enormous and much larger than previously thought. What has not been fully appreciated before now is the added value that such students bring to the tourist industry in Wales and the extent to which they help raise Wales’s international profile when they return home. It won’t surprise us that international and European students speak highly of their experience at our universities and of Wales generally.”
Professor Noel Lloyd, Chair of Higher Education Wales and Vice-Chancellor of Aberystwyth University reinforced the intrinsic value of international students to universities, saying:
“EU and international students make a seminal contribution to each university in Wales in the diversity they bring to the campus and the varied perspectives they add to the learning environment. Every student - from wherever they hail - is a valued member of our academic community in their own right.”
To read the full report select here
Overseas students pumping £237 million into Wales economy - Wales On-line
Oversease students bring more to Wales than money - Wales On-line