The British Government will “continue to ensure that our excellent education system remains a magnet for brilliant minds” Jo Johnson told 1200 higher education leaders from more than 70 countries gathered in London yesterday.Speaking at the British Council’s ‘Going Global’ conference in London, Jo Johnson said, “across all our international education activity, we have an ambition to grow. We are committed to increasing education exports from £18bn in 2012 to £30bn by 2020. We will not achieve that goal unless we continue to attract the brightest and best from around the world.”Jo Johnson admitted concern that there is a misconception of the UK’s attitude to international students, and the decline of student numbers from countries such as India. “It is a personal aim of mine to overcome misconceptions about the UK in such important countries.” Mr Johnson said.The new Minister reassured the audience that the UK was “open for business” to all genuine students. “Data tells a good tale. Once here, Indian students’ satisfaction rate is 90 percent. And most of those say they would recommend their universities to others. We will engage and explain. We will make clear that there is no cap on the number of students who can come to study in the UK and no intention to introduce one. Nor is there any cap on the number of former students who can stay on to work - as long as they have a graduate job.”The British Council’s Chief Executive, Ciarán Devane, emphasised to the international leaders that openness was the ‘’lifeblood of learning”, and even though it could be a source of discomfort, an open environment was essential for higher education to thrive. “It’s only right to recognise that openness can be a source of discomfort for people – a challenge to their sense of continuity and their understanding of the world. But I also think it is incumbent on all of us in the education sector to be clear that openness is the lifeblood of learning. Openness is the foundation for new ideas, it brings frank exchange, strong partnerships and isn’t afraid to champion innovation and new thinking – and in this environment, higher education through learning and research, can thrive”Ciarán Devane told the delegates that, “If there is a ‘global culture’ in any meaningful sense, it has connection, diversity and openness at its core.”“We acknowledge that all our futures are interwoven, that development and success come from mutual benefit and shared understanding. The best solutions to challenges are those created by pooling resources, finding the links between disciplines, and between different parts of the world sharing expertise and bringing a range of perspectives and experiences to bear on conventional ways of doing things.” 

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