New public attitudes polling from the Campaign for Science and Engineering (CaSE) has found that a majority (52%) of the public want UK universities to recruit highly talented people from around the world, even if it means higher immigration to the UK.
Commenting on this latest CaSE public attitudes research:
“Our latest opinion polling reinforces how much the public value the UK’s R&D capabilities, and the crucial role of universities. Our world-class universities are facing a challenging time, with very real risks to their future. Uncertainty around international students has been a major contributing factor to creating this challenge, so I’m pleased that CaSE has been able to deliver some important perspectives from the public on the choices around this issue.”
“The good news is that our data shows that a majority of the public see international students coming to the UK as a positive thing. However, we know this is undoubtedly a polarising topic and even when we talk about the positive impact of international students, some segments of the public continue to feel strongly that immigration should be lower. Our data is a valuable reminder to all of us in the UK R&D sector that we must make a crystal-clear case about the value of immigration for R&D, and the benefits this can yield.”
Dr Alicia Greated
Executive Director of the Campaign for Science and Engineering (CaSE)
“Through our public attitudes polling we have tried to gain a deeper understanding of what the public think and feel about the big R&D-related issues of the day. This latest instalment of our polling, carried out during the election campaign, has shone a light on feelings about international students and researchers coming to the UK; an issue that is still very present on the policy agenda, and one that needs everyone with a stake in UK research to come together to address”
Dr Florence Young
Policy Officer, Campaign for Science and Engineering (CaSE)
Notes to editors
About the poll
CaSE commissioned a nationally representative poll of 4,100 UK adults from Public First, to explore attitudes to UK universities and their contribution to UK society and attitudes to international researchers and students.
These questions were part of a wider poll commissioned ahead of the General Election. The survey was carried out between 7 – 9 June 2024.
Graduate Route Visa
One of the immigration policy impacts we explored aimed to understand public attitudes towards the rules and purpose of the Graduate Route Visa, which gives international students permission to stay in the UK for at least two years after successfully completing an undergraduate or postgraduate course in the UK.
This visa scheme came under scrutiny and was reviewed by the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) in 2024. While the MAC advised the visa route should be retained in its current form in its final report, at the time of writing, the future of this visa option remains uncertain.
A key objective of the Graduate Route Visa, as set out by the Home Office, is that international students are able to stay in the UK for a limited time after they finish studying and contribute to the UK economy.
About CaSE
The Campaign for Science and Engineering (CaSE) is a charity that works to put science and engineering at the heart of the UK’s future. The UK’s leading advocacy group for science and engineering, our membership spans 110 scientific organisations, including businesses, universities, learned societies and charities, as well as individual scientists and engineers. Collectively our members employ over 336,000 people in the UK, and our industry and charity members invest around £32.2bn a year globally in R&D.
We collaborate with our members, partners and the public to lend our clear, expert voice to decisions about science and engineering. We specialise in developing non-partisan, responsive solutions that help research and innovation to thrive in ways that improve people’s lives and livelihoods.
Charity number: 1147492. Company number: 7807252.
This work was supported by the Wellcome Trust [222853/Z/21/]
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