Trump’s immigration and tariff policies have sparked uncertainties. How is it likely to impact the education sector and the overall economy?
If you listen to Donald Trump, there's a lot of bluster. What does Donald Trump want? He wants a successful American industry. The guy who is busy ripping the US federal government apart at the moment is a South African. He is not an American.
Elon Musk is a South African who studied in Canada and went to America. That helped him. He has done quite well out there. In fact, the growth of America has been fueled by successful immigrants.
The reality is people from all over the world built North America and actually the two World Wars fueled the American economy. So the idea that America can do it itself I think it's just disingenuous.
How are these policies likely to impact the American economy and the people?
Show me a country that's cut itself off from the rest of the world and done well. There is none. The world has become very interdependent. I don’t know what the situation was like here in India but in the UK during Covid we ran out of toilet paper because it all came from different countries.
Trump is now off doing his big experiment, which didn’t work well for President Xi Jinping in China. If it didn’t work well for China I don't see a reason why it will work well in America. I think these tariff things are going to push up prices in the US.
Not just the US. The environment doesn’t seem very welcoming for the foreign students in the UK, Canada and Australia also. How do you see this development?
Immigration globally is an issue. The global immigration at the moment is probably around 300 million people, four times the size of the UK. That is going to scare people.
For example, in the UK, when we try to have conversations about education, people start talking about immigration. However, most people don't realise that the biggest increase in immigration in recent years is students.
I don't think most British people care about students coming because they know a lot of students will go back and students add something to the economy because they're bright. In the US, the climate is still quite warm and amenable. Schools have amazing facilities.
So America to me still feels like a good bet. The challenge will just be the Indian sentiment. Indian students and their families are very sensitive. If they don’t feel welcome, they vote with their feet.
Do you see any perceptible change in the UK government policy for Indian students?
The relationship between Britain and India is not the same as it used to be. India is up and coming and Britain is receding in the world. The previous UK government did a lot of damage. The new government is keen to change that. But they are slower than I would like.
Historically, Chinese students dominated overseas programmes, but for the first time ever in the UK, Indian students have become the largest international student community.
Instead of sending its students abroad shouldn’t India strive to attract more foreign learners?
I don't think the Indian government at the moment wants international students. Its priority, which it should be, is Indian students. There are more talented Indians than the educational places in India.
If you have twice as many universities as you have today, only then I think you will be able to absorb the top Indian students. So you have to create capacity in India. That's the challenge the governments have to deal with.