Dear Evisu Hu
I acknowledge receipt of your email received by this office on 14 September 2024.
Your request will now be dealt with under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and has been allocated reference FOI24-327 which should be quoted in all correspondence. We will respond to your request within 20 working days starting the next working day after receipt, therefore you can expect to receive a response no later than 14 October 2024.
In some circumstances a fee may be payable and, if that is the case, we will let you know. A fees notice will be issued to you, and you will be required to pay before we will proceed to deal with your request.

Finally, should you require the disclosure in an alternative format, e.g. screen reader accessible, large print etc, please let us know as soon as possible.

Yours sincerely

Swyddfa Ysgrifenydd y Brifysgol
Prifysgol Caerdydd
Ebost : [email address]

Mae'r Brifysgol yn croesawu gohebiaeth yn Gymraeg neu'n Saesneg. Ni fydd gohebu yn Gymraeg yn creu unrhwy oedi.

University Secretary's Office
Cardiff University
Email: [email address]

The University welcomes correspondence in Welsh or English. Corresponding in Welsh will not lead to any delay.

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Dear Evisu Hi,

I am writing in response to your Freedom of Information request dated
14^th September 2024.

For ease of reference, I have reproduced your questions below and set out
our corresponding responses.

I would like to request the postgraduate admissions data for all
departments at your institution. Specifically, I kindly ask for the
following information for each postgraduate program:

1.The total number of applicants.

2.The total number of offers issued.

3.The total number of applicants residing in China.

4.The total number of offers issued to applicants residing in China.

5.The names of educational institutions previously attended by Chinese
applicants who received offers.

6.The number of Chinese applicants who accepted offers.

7.The number of Chinese applicants who enrolled.

The University holds this information however we consider this information
exempt from disclosure under S43(2) of the Freedom of Information Act
entitled “Commercial Interests”. In particular, section 43(2) states that
information is exempt if its disclosure under this Act would, or would be
likely to, prejudice the commercial interests of any person (including the
public authority holding it).

 

The recruitment of both postgraduate Home and International students is a
very competitive environment where UK universities face competition not
just from each other but also from other institutions around the world.
Students are highly mobile and have wide choices over where they may
decide to study.

The release of information on postgraduate student numbers into the public
domain would be highly likely to prejudice the University’s commercial
interests, by allowing competitor institutions to undermine the
University’s recruitment activity. Disclosure of this information would
reveal details of the outcome of the University’s recruitment strategy and
to release this information into the public domain would enable our
competitors to benefit by copying our strategy or programmes. In so doing
this will affect the University’s ability to distinguish itself from its
competitors in a highly competitive market.

The release of information on applications and offers for the current
admissions period into the public domain would be highly likely to
prejudice the University’s commercial interests, by allowing competitor
institutions to undermine the University’s recruitment activity by
responding with different approaches to offer making, particularly in the
run up and during the confirmation and clearing period. We further
consider that releasing this information would be likely to influence
admissions practices of individual applicants, and this would be likely to
impact on recruitment offers and outcomes and potentially disrupt the
admissions processes across the sector and undermine the principles of
competition law.

Disclosure of this information would reveal details of the outcome of the
University’s recruitment activities and strategy and to release this
information into the public domain would enable our competitors to benefit
by adapting their offer making strategies and altering their behaviour in
the run up and during confirmation and clearing; as well as benefitting by
copying our strategy or programmes. In so doing this will affect the
University’s ability to distinguish itself from its competitors in a
highly competitive market.

Any loss of market share and reduction in enrolled student numbers would
have a significant impact on the University’s student fee income and would
further impact the University’s long term financial sustainability. As
public funding sources for higher education have declined, student fee
income has become an increasingly important source of income and is a key
factor in ensuring the University’s long term financial sustainability.
The ability for the universities in general, and Cardiff University in
particular as a major research intensive university in Wales, to compete
effectively in a global market is an important strategic objective as set
out by the Welsh Government in 'For Our Future: the higher education
strategy plan for Wales' and in the Welsh Government Policy Statement on
Higher Education which is available at:
[1]principles-for-change-post-compulsory-education-and-training.pdf
(gov.wales). It is also important that Cardiff University is able to
continue competing on an equal footing with similar large, research
intensive institutions in the UK and overseas.

Based on the above it is considered that the commercial interest of the
University would be likely to be prejudiced by release and as such the
Section 43(2) exemption is engaged.

 

In applying the Section 43 exemption the University has taken account of
the public interest as required by the Act. The University has reviewed
the arguments in favour of disclosing the information (openness and
transparency in public life) and found them to be outweighed by the
greater general public interest in protection of the University's
competitive edge and market positioning.

 

The University must consider the public interest test when applying this
exemption and this is considered below.

 

Public Interest Test

 

Factors in Favour of Disclosure

It is in the public interest to release information that provides a
greater public understanding of the way the University operates and its
provisions for future delivery of its services.

Factors in Favour of Non-disclosure

It is not in the public interest to release information that would be
likely to damage the commercial interests of the University by undermining
its ability to compete in the marketplace.

It is not in the public interest to release information that would reduce
the efficiency and effectiveness of the University by having the effect of
damaging the ability of the University to pursue its recruitment
strategies on an equal footing to other public and privately funded
education institutions.

On balance it is considered that it would not be in the public interest to
release this information and therefore the information will not be
released at this time.

I trust this information satisfies your enquiry.  Should you feel
dissatisfied with this response or the way in which your request was
handled you can request an Internal Review. This should be made in writing
within 40 working days of the date of this email. Please provide your
unique reference number of your request, information on why you are
dissatisfied and any detail you would like us to consider as part of the
Internal Review process. Email your request to [2][email address] where it
will be forwarded to the University’s Data Protection Officer who will be
responsible for overseeing the review.

If you remain dissatisfied following the outcome, you have the right to
apply directly to the Information Commissioner for consideration.  The
Information Commissioner can be contacted at the following address:
Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow,
Cheshire, SK9 5AF. Further information is available on their
website: [3]Make a complaint | ICO.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your interest in
Cardiff University. If you require further assistance, please feel free to
contact me.

Kind regards,

Swyddfa Ysgrifenydd y Brifysgol University Secretary’s Office

Prifysgol Caerdydd Cardiff University

Ebost : [4][email address]   Email: [5][email address] 

Mae'r Brifysgol yn croesawu The University welcomes correspondence
gohebiaeth yn Gymraeg neu'n in Welsh or English.  Corresponding in
Saesneg.  Ni fydd gohebu yn Gymraeg Welsh will not lead to any delay.
yn creu unrhwy oedi.

References

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