2. What plans does the Welsh Government have to support Welsh universities? OAQ52647

Well, we recognise the importance of a thriving, world-class higher education sector to the economic and social well-being of Wales. We'll continue to provide support, of course, to the sector through the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales, which, together with our student support reforms, will create a stronger and more sustainable sector in Wales. 

I thank the First Minister for that response. I know the First Minister will agree that the continuing uncertainty over Brexit is having a massive impact on the university sector. Unfortunately, Welsh universities saw the biggest drop in the UK in the number of European Union applicants between 2017 and 2018. So, what help can the Welsh Government offer to the universities, which are obviously a crucial part of our economy in Wales, to halt or try to reverse this downward trend of EU students coming to Welsh universities? 

Well, I can say that the Cabinet Secretary for Education has announced several additional elements of funding for HEFCW over the next few years, including £6 million in 2017-18 to deal with the short-term implications of demographic change and in preparation for the implications of Brexit. We've also allocated £3.5 million to Global Wales too from the European transition fund to boost international marketing and links for the HE sector in Wales, and we'll look at further opportunities for the EU transition fund to support this sector. 

First Minister, clearly, the offer isn't strong enough at the moment. When you look at the figures, there's a 7 per cent drop from non-EU countries and a 10 per cent drop from EU countries coming to Welsh universities. Yet, England, Scotland and Northern Ireland all saw increases in the number of students enrolling in their universities. Rather than focusing on the money, which is welcome, how are you going to change the offer that actually starts getting more students coming to Wales, such as the other offers that are available in other parts of the United Kingdom and which are seeing increases in their enrolment numbers? 

Well, there is an issue, of course, which affects all of the UK, and that's the issue of what's being done with migration. Students feel unwelcome. Certainly, that's something I've picked up many, many times in terms of students from India—they feel unwelcome in the UK. It's also hugely important that we're able to access the academic staff that are needed in order for our universities to be competitive and, ultimately, that's what it's all about—the universities compete in a world market. I've already explained what we are doing in terms of universities in Wales and, of course, I very much encourage our universities to sell themselves abroad to understand that they operate in a world market and, of course, to make sure that more students come to Wales because of the quality of the university education that's available here. 

But the point is valid, isn’t it? There is something unique about the figures here in Wales because the rest of the UK has seen an increase of 2 per cent in the undergraduates coming from the EU while Wales has seen a reduction of 10 per cent. Now, the suggestion made by your own education Secretary, of course, is that the way that student support in Wales has changed now means that, in looking at that support, EU students may find, or have the perception at least, that they would receive less support than they would have done in the past. So, with that specifically in mind, what’s your Government doing to market the opportunities and support available to those students, because at the moment it’s clear that they’re not hearing the message?

Well, I believe it’s true to say that there has been an impact as regards changing the system of support for students. It’s quite natural that we should see that. It’s impossible to know whether that’s true or not until we’ve had this system for a few years and can therefore see whether this is a blip or whether it's a trend. First, of course, it is the universities’ duty to market themselves and, of course, to attempt to attract students into their universities. We, as a Government, have collaborated with universities and I have worked with a number of universities that have gone abroad in order to sell those universities globally. But what’s important, of course, to ensure is that they have the academic staff that can offer the kind of education we would wish to see, and, at present, what’s endangering that is the fact that there is no clarity whatsoever as regards what the status of academic staff from the EU and other countries will be and whether they will be welcome here or not. I hope that the welcome will remain.