With over 200,000 international students in 2019/2020, Spain is one country that has been able to cement their presence as a premier international higher education destination in the world. This number also includes more than 55,000 students in mobility programs like Erasmus. To support these students, Spain also has built a great higher education infrastructure that includes 76 universities out of which 45 are funded by the state while 31 are run by the Catholic Church or private players. Some of the best higher education institutions in Spain can be seen in the world famous cities of Madrid or Barcelona and all this did make higher education in Spain an attractive option for international students for many decades. Mobility programs such as Erasmus has played an integral role in increasing the international appeal of higher studies in Spain but a concerning fact is that over the last couple of years, there has been a decline in the number of students using these mobility programs to pursue their higher education in Spain.

Aside from this, the fact that no Spanish University was ranked in the Top 100 of 2021 World University Ranking has adversely impacted the appeal of international higher education in Spain. Other than that, tough competition from other countries has also resulted in many students opting for international higher education destinations other than Spain. With higher education in Spain at a crossroads, let’s analyze the major challenges Spanish higher education is facing and how the Spanish Government is addressing those issues.             

Brain Drain, a Real Concern

Brain drain refers to the emigration of trained or qualified individuals form country and according to a recent Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS) survey, Spain, as well as, Italy has the highest brain drain in the European Union (EU). Also, a study found that around 90,000 qualified graduates who had studied in Spain in the last ten years have left in pursuit of better job opportunities. Some of these countries that graduates from Spanish universities go to are the UK and Germany. Another alarming statistics shows that over the last two decades, Southern as well as Eastern European countries such as Spain, Italy and Greece have been adversely impacted by brain drain more when compared to Northern or Western countries in Europe. Aside from leaving Spain to look for better career prospects, graduates also believe that the public spending is either insufficient or is poorly allocated in Spain. As a measure to reverse this trend and bring back talented people into Spain, the government has come up with a unique ‘Return to Spain’ strategy. And under this initiative, grants as well as discounts are offered to scientists and entrepreneurs in order to attract them back to the country.        

Focusing on Africa to Improve Student Recruitment

Countries like Italy, Ecuador, and France bring the most international students to Spain. Yet another crucial foreign student market for Spain in Africa is Morocco with over 7,000 students enrolling in Spanish higher education institutions in 2019/2020. Going forward, Spain is aiming to focus more on Africa, specifically Sub-Saharan African countries like Ethiopia, Nigeria, and South Africa for student recruitment. There are two factors which made Spain focus on these countries and they are: a) only 352 students who pursue Master’s came to Spain from the Sub-Saharan African region, and b) the median age of this massive area is 19.5 years which offers a great opportunity for Spain to not only attract a larger pool of international students but also to develop skilled workers who can contribute to the Spanish economy.     

In the ‘Focus Africa 2023’ document, the Spanish government is showing its clear intention to build greater diplomatic and economic ties with African countries. And aside from the afore-mentioned Sub-Saharan African countries, Spain is also aiming to focus on countries like Ghana, Kenya, Angola, and Tanzania to name a few. Over the last decade, China also had a similar approach where they poured billions into Africa which has helped the country to strengthen its economy with a skilled workforce. The investments made by China in Africa also had a significant impact as between 2011 and 2017, the number of African students in Chinese higher education institutions grew by 258 percent while countries like France and the UK recorded a dip. Recently, Spain also conducted a government initiated seminar series called ‘Cooperacion Academia Espana – Africa’ where experts talked about how Spain can increase the population of African students amidst tough competition from other countries.        

The New University System Law (LOSU) 

For Non-EU applicants who aspire to enroll for Master’s or PhD programs in Spanish universities, the bureaucracy involved in the process has made it hard to get in and this meant that, many students started to opt for other countries to pursue their higher education. Aside from this, the fact that, even after completing their studies, students aren’t guaranteed residency in Spain also made many students re-consider their choice of choosing Spain as their international study destination. With that said, owing to the forecast that, by 2035, higher education institutes in the country will likely lose up to 20 percent of students who are between the ages of 18 and 29 is making Spanish authorities to rethink their approach. And through the new University System Law (LOSU), the Spanish government is aiming to make higher education in Spain more appealing for international students. Talking more about the same, Universities Minister Joan Subirats, stated that “Among the plans for the new University System Law (LOSU) is that the residence permit to study in Spain will no longer have to be requested every year, as is the case now, and will instead be extended for the duration of studies,”. He also added that they are trying to find ways to retain the talent that they have trained so that the students can keep their residence status and look for work for two years.           

As of now, there are more than 500 million people who speak Spanish and a recent study found that, by 2025, the US will be the country with the most Spanish speakers. And Subirats as well as many other policy makers in Spain believe that the increasing popularity of the Spanish language will help Spain to attract more foreign talent. This coupled with the proactive approach taken by the Spanish government to improve global partnerships and renew international student regulations in the country shows their clear intent to be a top-notch international education hub.