(19 March 2009)

The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, has today praised London’s universities and higher education colleges for defying the current economic downturn and increasing the number of international students studying in London by nearly 3,000.In 2007/8, 93,000 overseas students, from over 200 countries, chose the academic excellence that London’ s higher education sector offers. This equals the combined overseas student population of New York and Sydney contributing more than £1.5 billion to the capital’s economy and supporting nearly 45,000 jobs.

According to the latest figures from Study London, the body representing London’s 42 universities and higher education colleges, London remains the most popular destination in the world for international students. The Mayor will be meeting with a of group international students from London’s universities and higher education colleges. They are attending a City Hall reception to mark the significant contribution they make to the capital and the important role the higher education sector plays in the economy, particularly during the downturn.

According to the Times Higher Education ranking of the world’s top 200 universities London has four universities in the top 100, more than any other city in the world, and double the number of Boston. They are University College London, King’s College London, Imperial College London and the London School of Economics

As one of the world’s leading business centres many students come to London to study business related degrees. The capital is also renowned for the quality of its legal studies and the subsequent employment opportunities for graduates, with four of the world’s six largest law firms being based in London. Thousands of others come to study medicine at one of the capital’s five world-class medical schools.

The Mayor said: “London’s overseas students make a fantastic and valuable contribution to the diversity and vibrancy of life in our great city not to mention the support they give to our economy. There’s really no better choice with so many study options and a great social and leisure scene to enjoy. London is one of the few places where you can establish a global network of friends and colleagues and we are investing heavily in huge projects like the 2012 Games to make it an even greater city to live and work in over the coming decades.”