British universities may be relying too heavily on students from China and other countries to bolster strategic disciplines such as science and engineering, according to new research.
Key subjects that are vital to the knowledge economy but vulnerable to fluctuations in student demand include biological, physical and computer sciences, engineering and technology, agriculture-related subjects, languages and maths, according to UK Universities, the vice-chancellors' umbrella group.
Geoffrey Crossick, chairman of UK Universities' longer-term strategy group, said: 'A particularly interesting finding is that these subjects have higher levels of enrolment from non-British students than is generally the case.'
Twenty-one per cent of students in these subjects are from outside Britain, according to the annual trends report, 'Patterns of Higher Education Institutions in the UK'.
High levels of enrolment from international students from outside the European Union appear in engineering and technology, some biological sciences and agricultural sciences. Non-British students are particularly prominent at postgraduate level, making up to 71 per cent of taught postgraduate enrolments and 48 per cent on research programmes in 2005-6.
Professor Crossick said: 'This analysis shows again the importance of international students for the financial health of British higher education, but also for the renewal of disciplines. We cannot assume that these trends will continue.'