Trump's tariff wars...long post.

[edstraker123]

3 hours ago, Obrienp said:

I don’t wish anybody to lose their job. However, a lot of the current financial difficulties of HE in the UK have been caused by the fall in foreign students in recent years. These students were a real cash cow for Universities because they paid absolutely top whack. The cash flow from foreign students may well have been hiding the systemic flaws and mismanagement in HE in the UK and England in particular. Whatever the case, with less money coming in, there is bound to be an adjustment in the sector.
 

The reduction in foreign student numbers is in large part due to the immigration and other policies of the last government. The Conservatives set about making the UK a less attractive place for foreigners to come to study. They also devalued the UK’s stock globally making it look less welcoming and frankly less prestigious. Unfortunately, the current Government doesn’t seem to be doing a lot to repair the damage: educating foreign elites is a projection of soft power and influence, as is foreign aid

I absolutely agree - the foreign students were a necessity given that home students fees nowhere near cover the costs of delivering the courses in a lot of areas and to increase fees to what they actually need to be would be political suicide. Labour have made things worse in an already difficult market with the increased employer NI and  are now considering restricting post graduation visas making the prospects of studying here even less appealing to foreign students, presumably to appease more right wing leaning voters. Mismanagement and managerial bloat is rife throughout the sector and I really think it has lost sight of what it is here to do. I think a lot of the redundancies currently happening are also an attempt to cut costs to fund partnerships with Indian institutions given the Chinese cash cows are running out.

Its sad as both me and the Mrs have both spent our careers in the sector and to witness its demise is really tragic. Many institutions employ thousands of staff so if any go completely under it will have a devastating effect on the local community.

 

The Trump effect though might be a positive as more students turn their back on studying in the USA and come here instead

Edited 7 hours ago by edstraker123

[ped]

10 minutes ago, edstraker123 said:

 

 

The Trump effect though might be a positive as more students turn their back on studying in the USA and come here instead

Surely most of them voted for him, so maybe not?

[TimR]

Covid wreaked havoc on a world that was Just In Time. 

 

Old people think young are lazy.

 

The young are disenfranchised not lazy.

 

The food companies are pumping empty calories into people who are addicted to their output.

 

Working in an office is seen as more important and more valuable than being a doctor, nurse, cleaner, cook or farmer.

 

The gold standard measure of being successful is owning a house, with a nice car in the drive and two foreign holidays a year.

 

And Trump is going to solve this by getting people to pray to God and the US flag?

 

People need to get off their Smart Phones, exercise, eat well and protest.

 

 

 

 

[Al Krow]

If the US ends up with tariffs on EU goods (and vice versa) which is starting to look likely.

 

But Starmer secures a trade deal with Trump that avoids a tariff war between the UK and US, and given that we have an excellent trade agreement in place with the EU and with the Trans Pacific nations, then go figure: the UK suddenly becomes a great place to set up shop! Labour's growth agenda could be about to get a massive shot in the arm. Watch this space.