Cambridge Education Group (CEG) placed international students UK at the heart of PIE Live Europe 2025, sponsoring the flagship International Student Roundtable on 12 March, London.
From visa reform to student accommodation, the session delivered fresh data and lived experience for anyone eager to study in UK this year.
1. Student Voices at the International Student Roundtable
Learners from OnCampus centres in London, Aston and Hull joined policymakers and sector leaders to explore the realities of coming to Britain for higher education. They compared routes to the UK student visa, discussed daily life in a new culture and underlined how peer advocacy can shape institutional policy. One delegate summarised the mood: “Global study builds bridges and future leaders.”
2. Visa Policies & Post-Study Work Routes: What’s Changing?
Demand for the UK student visa rose again in early 2025, while searches for the post study work visa UK and the alternative UK graduate visa spiked ahead of summer graduation. Roundtable panellists called for faster processing times, clearer guidance on required funds and an annual review of the Graduate Route to keep the UK competitive.
3. Student Accommodation in the UK: Real-World Challenges
With purpose-built stock unable to match demand, student accommodation UK dominated conversation. Students urged universities and private providers to publish transparent cost breakdowns and create more short-term leases that align with visa start dates. Affordability remains critical given the rising cost of studying in UK for self-funded learners.
4. Adapting to UK Academic & Cultural Life
Beyond paperwork, participants swapped tips on living in UK as an international student, from navigating NHS registration to mastering seminar-style teaching. Many praised campus support teams but asked for additional mental-health provision and “buddy” schemes to ease the first-month transition.
5. Building Career Pathways Through Industry Links
Students welcomed CEG’s commitment to embed live projects, internships and employer talks across OnCampus curricula. These initiatives create practical experience that strengthens post-graduation job searches and supports eligibility for the post study work visa UK.
6. Conference Highlights Beyond the Roundtable
PIE Live Europe offered a packed schedule:
- Opening UK-policy plenary with Charley Robinson, Jess Lister and Rupert Daniels set the scene for reforms to graduate work routes.
- Migration Advisory Committee update (Brian Bell, Simon Marginson) supplied fresh data on the regional impact of overseas students.
- A Eurovision-themed “Winner Takes It All” panel delivered rapid-fire snapshots of European policy shifts.
- BUILA Town Hall provided practical marketing tips for new source markets, while Re-building Bridges (Shivani Bhalla, Rebecca Hill) showed how institutions are realigning strategy after geopolitical shocks.
Connections that count
Guided by OnCampus Global leaders Ross Wainwright and Georgina Jones, CEG delegates networked with:
- Ed-tech and mobility innovators Migrates, Alumnify, Duolingo
- Long-standing university partners and future collaborators
- Fellow international-education professionals who share CEG’s commitment to student success
One new CEG team-member summed it up: “PIE Live captured the expertise, energy and humour that power our sector.”
Next steps
Armed with fresh insights, CEG will now act on student feedback. Using roundtable insights to refine induction, housing advice and scholarship offers for international students UK. To streamline visa guidance, CEG will publish a step by step checklists for both the UK student visa and UK graduate visa. Additionally, CEG plans to expand industry links, strengthening pathways from classroom to career. This will maximise the benefits of UK’s post-study work visa. Monitoring costs will also be a priority, regularly updating fee and housing data so applicants can budget the true cost of studying in UK.
