UK wants more Indian students in British varsities: Diplomat

British Deputy High Commissioner Bruce Buckneil today said the UK would like to host more students from India.
Britain has 5,000 people of Indian origin working in UK universities, Buckneil told PTI.
"We are having a diverse population of students but we would like to have more students at our international standing universities," he said on the sidelines of a programme here.
Asked about competition from many other countries for enrolment in British educational institutions, Buckneil said, "We have some of the best universities in the world. We want to have the best students in the best institutions, which already have a lot of Indian students."

Asked if immigration norms could impact the inflow of students, he said each country has its own laws and immigration rules are constantly being reviewed.
Buckneil said 14,000 tier-4 student visas were granted to Indian nationals in 2017, a 27 per cent rise from the previous year, while 5,000 short-term study visas were also approved during the period.
"The UK has 18 visa application centres in India, more than any other country," he said, underscoring the importance Britain accorded to India.