...The music of the world is here
Dis city can play any song
They came to here from everywhere
Tis they that made dis city strong
-Benjamin Zephaniah from "The London Breed"
I. Why Should International Students Study Abroad in London?
London is renowned for its academic expertise among the UK's higher education institutions. Studying abroad in London will help international students experience different cultures, new friendships, and all the beauty and history that London has to offer. Going overseas is a time for students to improve their soft skills and hard skills such as time management, independence, and financial management.
According to Study in UK, there were many opportunities for international students in the UK after Brexit such as post-study work visas. To clarify, "the UK is introducing this new Graduate Route because they want to continue attracting the best and the brightest students from all over the world" (Study in UK). In addition, the graph below showed that there was up to 20.9% of international staff in UK universities, which also helps offer students a global educational system thanks to the diverse crew of staff (UUKI publications).
Moreover, London is a home for over 70 Nobel Prize Laureates (SOAS blog); therefore, studying abroad in London "means following in some impressive footsteps" (SOAS blog). Besides, social life and off-campus activities are also important to international students as they contribute to building a holistic experience of the study abroad time. Fortunately, London is home to "over 100 cinemas and 350 live music venues" (SOAS blog), and students can easily go everywhere with the tube system and buses. London is also a place of beautiful parks and many free entry museums where you can wander after classes. Students also have access to the books and resources in free public libraries.
Caption: My friends and I enjoyed boba tea in London! The food in London is also diverse and flavorful!
II. Current Status Quo - Diversity in London vs. outside of London
London has been changing for the better in recent decades. There have been so many people of color representing different aspects in London. Benjamin Zephaniah, a British poet, in his "The London Breed" poem, wrote about London:
A world of food displayed on streets
Where all the world can come and dine"¦
[...] And all religions can rejoice
With exiled souls and pioneers
The tube tongues language map also shows that London is a city of diverse languages with more than 24 languages spoken (Piggott, 2015). The diversity is not only shown in poems or advertising but also proved on data. Specifically, NHS (n.d.) has one of the most diverse workforces in the capital, with 44.9% of staff being from black and minority ethnic (BME) backgrounds, including the majority of doctors, nurses and midwives. However, the fact that London is such a diverse city does not mean that the UK is diverse. London is a unique and inclusive city, but in the UK, "only 28% of adults think UK businesses do enough to support diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in the workplace" (LLB reporter, 2021).
Caption: These are the most widely spoken languages (after English) at each London Underground stop (Bloomberg).
III. London - A Land for International Students to Come Study
The UK (especially London in particular) is a dreamland for many international students. In my personal experience, London is more open to talented people and is less competitive than the US. According to the statistics from the Higher Education Statistics Agency, around 485,645 international students were pursuing their degrees in the UK (Study in the UK).
In terms of non-EU international students, "32% of first-year non-UK students are international students arriving from China" (Study in the UK). "India comes second among the top countries of origin of non-EU students in the UK, with a total of 26,685 students", and the United States with 20,120 students (Study in the UK). In terms of EU international students, "Italy, France, Germany, and Spain have been sending most international students, respectively".
The reason why London attracts so many international students stems from the diversity of London's population. According to the London School of Economics and Political Science, "the capital contains around 40% of UK immigrants and has almost half the non-white population in England and Wales" (Nathan, 2012). In addition, in London, "schoolchildren speak almost 300 languages between them" (2012), which ensures the inclusion and the feeling of safety within the studying environment. The "˜diversity bonus' helps offer international students a variety of diverse experiences of activities and food, and that is why London has always been one of the top destinations for study abroad!
References
Collins et al. (1952). "˜Moslem' and "˜Negro' groupings on Tyneside. Retrieved from https://www.era.lib.ed.ac.uk/bitstream/1842/8351/2/Collins1952.pdf
Historic England. Culture. Retrieved from https://historicengland.org.uk/research/inclusive-heritage/another-england/a-brief-history/culture/
LLB reporter. (2021). Seven in 10 businesses need to do more to support diversity. Retrieved from https://londonlovesbusiness.com/seven-in-10-businesses-need-to-do-more-to-support-diversity/
Nathan, M. 2012. London businesses benefit from the city's "˜diversity bonus' "“ so current immigration policies are unhelpful. There should be a greater focus on workers' welfare. LSE. Retrieved from https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/politicsandpolicy/london-diversity-bonus-nathan/
NHS. (n.d.). London's workforce race strategy. Retrieved from https://www.england.nhs.uk/london/our-work/equality-and-diversity/london-workforce-race-strategy/
Piggott, G. (2015). Tube tongues language map. London Datastore. Retrieved from https://data.london.gov.uk/blog/tube-tongues-language-map/
SOAS Blog. 10 reasons why London is the best city for international students. University of London. Retrieved from https://study.soas.ac.uk/london-best-city-for-international-students/
Study in UK. International student statistics in UK 2021. Retrieved from https://www.studying-in-uk.org/international-student-statistics-in-uk/
UUKI publications. International facts and figures 2020. Universities UK. Retrieved from https://www.universitiesuk.ac.uk/universities-uk-international/insights-and-publications/uuki-publications/international-facts-and-figures-2020