Page 55 - EW February 2023

But non-EU students fees are also important for institu-
tions outside the elite. Among post-92 universities, non-EU
fees account for about 14 percent of income in 2020-21, up
slightly from the year before. And there is significant varia-
tion in the proportion of total revenue that UK universities
outside the top 200 draw from overseas recruitment. Two
private institutions obtain a major share of their income
from this source — Regent’s University London and Rich-
mond, the American International University in London.
Beyond these, the University of the Arts London received
43.5 percent of its earnings from international students in
2020-21.
“Given that there is little evidence that these students
overstay their visas in large numbers, and that international
students are not high on the public’s list of concerns as far Prof. Tymofiy Mylovanov: 39,000 online followers
as immigration matters are concerned, the most straight-
forward solution would be to remove international students versity, his tweets are simple and profound. On the second
from net migration figures or at least to measure them in a day of the Kyiv blackout, he posted a video of students doing
more nuanced way,” says MillionPlus chief executive Rachel their work from a shelter and queueing up at the university
Hewitt. cafe. “But students are here, and classes are at full speed
Across all UK institutions, London universities are most (8.30 a.m). Therefore we must have our fancy coffee at our
reliant on the international market, drawing a quarter of cafe, which indeed is working,” he wrote.
their income from non-EU students. In contrast, such stu- In another tweet, he poked fun at Russia’s foreign affairs
dents account for just 9 percent of revenue in Northern minister Sergei Lavrov, simultaneously exposing the Krem-
Ireland. lin’s barbarity. “Lavrov is shocked by unisex bathrooms and
calls them inhumane. I am proud to report that all bath-
UKRAINE rooms at the Kyiv School of Economics are unisex... What’s
Evocative daily grind reports that blue water tank in our bathroom? That’s water to flush
toilets (when) Lavrov’s ‘humane’ country bombs us and our
WHEN THE PRESIDENT OF THE KYIV SCHOOL water pump system stops working.”
of Economics (KSE) began posting photos of his An economist, Prof. Mylovanov is keenly aware of the
daily life to social media in November, it was a gut link between people connecting emotionally with the con-
reaction. A day earlier, Russian air strikes had hit Ukraine’s flict and supporting Ukraine financially. His posts often
power grid, plunging the city into darkness. “I didn't have come with an appeal for donations. Already, they’ve had
a plan — I realised we had no heating and no water for a a sizeable impact.
while, and somehow I felt it would be interesting for the Recently, his followers donated £37,000 (Rs.37 lakh) to
world to know how people are trying to get through the buy gifts for orphaned and refugee children in Ukraine after
war,” recalls Tymofiy Mylovanov. he posted videos of a KSE student-led fundraiser, noting
The professor’s tweets have resonated with readers that the only thing standing in the way of upscaling it was
around the world. Mylovanov has accumulated more than a lack of funding.
39,000 followers and has become an in-demand commen- These days, he has more serious concerns — chiefly, how
tator for Western news outlets, explaining the war’s toll in Ukrainians will make it through a bitter winter. With Rus-
hard numbers and — even more importantly, he believes sian bombings leaving millions without heat or running
— providing a firsthand account of everyday life on the water, daily life has become unpredictable and exhausting.
ground. Because of the war, KSE colleagues have had to put in many
Previously Ukraine’s minister of economic development more hours, and Prof. Mylovanov worries about staff reten-
under the Honcharuk government and an adviser to its tion amid burnout. “It takes a toll on them,” he says.
president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Prof. Mylovanov knows Still, his deep pride in the institution comes through, es-
the value of good press. But he insists that his decision to pecially faith in his students, who are “very different” from
share his experiences is not an orchestrated PR mission. previous cohorts. “The people who go through school right
“I’m fighting my own battle, for the world to stay connect- now are going to be great generations of leaders. They get
ed to Ukraine. I want people to feel that we’re human. It's things done,” he says.
easier for people to connect with us when they see us in our
daily lives,” he says
Observations on the everyday minutiae and life at a uni- (Excerpted and adapted from Times Higher Education)

FEBRUARY 2023 EDUCATIONWORLD 55