“UK Salaries Are a Joke”: UK Professor Says India Pays Better, Sparks Debate

Anant Sudarshan highlights the low pay in UK academia, losing top talent to Indian universities offering better salaries.

December 18, 2024: A UK-based professor has criticised the country’s low academic salaries, claiming he lost out on hiring top talent because a government university in India offered better pay. Anant Sudarshan, Associate Professor at the Department of Economics at the University of Warwick, took to X (formerly Twitter) to express his concerns about the diminishing appeal of UK academia due to unattractive wages.

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“UK Salaries Are a Joke”

In his viral post, Sudarshan wrote, “UK salaries are becoming an absolute joke, especially for contractual staff. I have failed to hire people eligible for the UK’s High Potential Individual (HPI) visa because a government university in India is willing to pay them slightly more in absolute terms.”

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He emphasized that while UK salaries are typically higher than Indian wages in absolute terms, the country is becoming increasingly unappealing to highly skilled individuals, particularly in academia. He also referenced Purchasing Power Parity (PPP), suggesting that while costs of living differ, UK salaries fall short when attracting the best talent.

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“To be clear—there is no comparison in absolute terms on average, and thus for most people (although PPP looks different). But on the margins, for the best people, the UK is now stunningly unattractive, especially in academia,” Sudarshan elaborated.

He also responded to queries about salaries on short-term contracts, explaining that some contract teachers in the UK earn approximately £30,000 annually. “PPP, that’s about 7.5 lakh rupees annually,” he noted.

Racist Backlash

Sudarshan’s comments triggered a wave of racist backlash, with numerous users urging him to “go back” or suggesting he hire UK citizens instead of foreign talent. “Maybe you should all go back!” one user wrote, reflecting rising anti-immigrant sentiment in the UK.

Responding to such comments, Sudarshan clarified, “The point isn’t whether someone is a citizen or not. The point is whoever is hired is paid too little—citizens don’t get more!”

A Broader Issue

The Warwick professor’s remarks come at a time when the UK is grappling with growing dissatisfaction over academic salaries, particularly for contractual and short-term staff. His observations highlight the challenges faced by UK institutions in competing globally for top-tier talent.

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Tags:
UK salaries, UK academia pay, Anant Sudarshan, Warwick professor salary debate, High Potential Individual visa, Indian universities pay scale, global talent hiring, UK immigration sentiment, Purchasing Power Parity, anti-immigrant backlash.