Bosnia and Herzegovina

New Higher Education Law

The government of Bosnia and Herzegovina passed a law on higher education, July 30, which is designed to bring the country into line with other European education systems and to open it to the international community. The new law places funding for higher education in the hands of the regions instead of the federal government, a matter of much contention; however, the law does not solve administrative and legal inconsistencies in higher education governed by the Dayton Agreement, which was signed in 1995 to end three and a half years of hostilities in the Bosnian war.

Adoption of the law means diplomas issued by the former Yugoslav republic will now be recognized within the European Higher Education Area and potentially worldwide. Until the passing of the legislation, Bosnia and Herzegovina was the only one of 46 Bologna Process signatories not to have passed a modern law on higher education. Adopting such legislation was a requirement for the country as it seeks to move towards EU accession.

Under the legislation, the Agency for Education will spearhead improvements at the lower, elementary and secondary school levels. Another agency, CIRCA, will work on diploma recognition.

– Southeast European Times
August 2, 2007

Finland

Universities Allowed to Charge Foreign Students under Draft Legislation

The Finnish Government is drafting legislation to allow universities to charge tuition fees to overseas students from outside the European Union and the European Economic Area, the Finnish daily newspaper Helsingin Sanomat reported. Currently, Finnish law states that tuition for degrees must be free, making it difficult for the country’s higher education institutions to gain financially from educating foreign students as neighboring European countries have done.

– Helsingin Sanomat
September 2007

Germany

Universities Losing Appeal among International Students as Costs Rise

Germany has set a target of enrolling ten percent of university students from abroad, but costs have halted impressive progress toward that goal in recent years. Among the reasons foreign students are beginning to struggle financially are the introduction of tuition fees in certain states and the lack of federal support, in addition to few scholarships and limited access to academic loans. Tuition fees are not the only hurdle; rising costs for language courses, placement tests and application fees are also taking their toll on foreign students with limited financial means, which can add up to the equivalent of two to three months’ living expenses.

The number of international first-year students (not on exchange programs) dropped between 2003 and 2005 from 60,000 to 55,000. Consultants at the German Academic Exchange Service doubt that the rising fees are the main reason for the student decline. They see it as a natural slowing after an earlier boom in the number of new foreign students, as well as tougher entrance requirements and more safeguards against falsified documents.

– Deutsche Welle
September 15, 2007

OECD: More Students than ever Entering Higher Education Globally

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development released its annual data report on global education in September, and found that access to higher education is expanding globally. “Education at a Glance 2007,” provides a set of findings on the overall situation in the 30 OECD countries. Highlights of the report show that:

• Enrollments are rising generally, though growth has been strongest — more than doubling — in countries such as Korea, Ireland and Spain that have purposefully driven that growth through changes in policy.
• Graduation rates vary widely, with Austria, Germany and Turkey hovering around 20 percent and countries such as Australia, Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands, New Zealand and Poland at over 40 percent.
• Even as enrollments have expanded, there has been no significant change in the generally high pay or the generally low unemployment rates that the college educated enjoy compared to other groups, indicating that “the benefits of higher education have not deteriorated as higher education as expanded.”
• In countries where higher education has expanded the most, employment prospects for less-educated citizens had deteriorated, despite predictions to the contrary.
• In most countries, the number of science graduates is growing faster than the overall number of graduates.
• Between 1995 and 2004, growth in spending on education fell behind growth in national income.

Among many encouraging indicators for U.S. higher education, the report found that:

• The higher education entry rate — an estimate of the probability that a young person will enter higher education at some point in his or her life, based on patterns of first entry into college — rose to 64 percent in 2005, up from 57 percent in 2000. But only 54 percent of entrants to higher education in the United States obtain a degree, giving the U.S. (and New Zealand) the “lowest survival rate” among the OECD countries, which average 71 percent.
• Not only are younger Americans going to college at significantly lower rates than older Americans did — figures that have been well-reported — but the proportions of employed 25 to 34-year-olds in the United States who have a science degree significantly lag the OECD averages.
• While the United States remains by far the most popular destination for foreign study, the country is losing its market share of international students.

– OECD
September 18, 2007

Greece

Bill Introduced to Reform Postgraduate Funding

The Greek Ministry of Education has made public new plans that would introduce changes to the funding structure of graduate studies, prompting yet further student and faculty unrest. The draft bill aims to promote cooperation between Greek and foreign universities at the graduate level. It specifically seeks to develop more research programs in association with European universities, and to promote the exchange of researchers to help the Greek education system gain from foreign expertise.

According to the Education Ministry, the proposed law will give tertiary institutions more freedom by opening new avenues of financing. However, the Hellenic Federation of University Teachers’ Associations (POSDEP) has already voiced its opposition to the bill, stating that the government is attempting to further link the university with market financing, whereas they believe education should remain strictly within the public domain.

– ACA Secretariat
August 2007

Macedonia

Country Adopts New Primary Education System

Children starting the new semester in first grade this year are doing so under a new primary education system, one which begins a year earlier, at six instead of seven, and for a total of nine rather than eight years. The changes are aimed at bringing Macedonia in line with a majority of European countries, where students start school at five or six years of age.

A major innovation in the educational system is the introduction of English as a compulsory subject in the first grade. In collaboration with the British Council, a team of 18 trainers have themselves received training. They will then go on to train 190 English teachers who will work in schools. Macedonia suffers from a shortage of primary-school English teachers. Although the country has sufficient numbers of qualified instructors, it is hard to attract them to the school system where wages are low. Market demand for their English skills has increased in better-paid fields.

– Southeast Europe Times
September 4, 2007

Netherlands

International Student Numbers Increase

Although the overall tally remains small, the year-on-year enrollment increases in international students at Dutch universities and colleges are significant. According to the Volkskrant, 6,315 international students enrolled at Dutch tertiary institutions this year, an increase of approximately 1,000 from last year, and over 2,300 from previous years. According to the Immigration and Naturalization Service, a simplified visa application process has been beneficial in attracting international students.

– Volkskrant
August 30, 2007

United Kingdom

Difference between International Franchise Agreement and Branch Campus Arrangements brought to Light in Nottingham University Court Case

Nottingham University has been fighting a long-running court battle in a bid to prove that its Malaysia campus is an integral part of the U.K.-based university. The Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT), however, found that the University of Nottingham in Malaysia (UNMC) is a “franchise operation”, contrary to claims in Nottingham’s marketing materials that it is in fact an integral part, or branch campus, of the university.

In an unfair dismissal case brought against Nottingham by a lecturer, Geoffrey Williams, the EAT judgment said: “UNMC was said to be an integral part of Nottingham University, and the business school was referred to as ‘one school incorporating both the Nottingham and Malaysian campuses’.” But the tribunal ruled that “in truth, UNMC was not integral to Nottingham University but was a franchise operation conducted by a separate entity”. Although, Dr Williams lost his claim after the tribunal said it had no jurisdiction to hear his claim, as his employer was not based in Britain, the ruling helps shed some light on the difference between a franchise agreement and a branch campus.

UNMC is a joint venture in which Nottingham holds a minority share; the balance is held by two Malaysian firms. The university receives 10 percent of student fees from the venture and provides academic control over programs, sets exams and awards degrees. Nottingham’s China campus, a joint venture with Wanli Education Group, also has separate company status. A Nottingham spokesman told the Times Higher Education Supplement the China and Malaysia ventures were campuses in “academic terms” and were “absolutely not franchises”.

“A franchising operation is simply the licensing of a curriculum, with remote quality assurance. A condition of Nottingham’s decision to establish (these) campuses has been 100 percent control of academic matters,” he said.

Nottingham’s vice-chancellor, Sir Colin Campbell, said: “Franchise arrangements are too great a risk to reputation. That is why we have taken the overseas campus approach. Degrees awarded by Nottingham, whether in the UK, Malaysia or China, are exactly the same.”

– The Times Higher Education Supplement
September 7, 2007

Government to Match all Private Donations Made to English Universities

The British government has said that it will match any private donation made to English universities between August 2008 and July 2011. Institutions will be free to decide how to spend the extra money, subject to guidance and the wishes of donors. The initiative, designed to promote philanthropic donations and institutional fundraising within the tertiary sector, will be funded up to a total of US$400 million with caps for individual institutions.

– The Guardian
June 27, 2007

Less than 30% of Graduate Students in “Strategic” Subjects are British

In subjects considered “strategic” by the British government, just 29 percent of graduate students are from the UK with more than half coming from non-EU countries, according to a recent study by industry group Universities UK. The government says attracting foreign students is a matter of satisfaction, but Universities UK says more home grown researchers are needed. Strategic subjects are defined as those which are vital on the grounds of wealth creation, diplomacy, international relations and cultural grounds, such as science subjects, mathematics, technology, engineering and languages.

– Universities UK
September 13, 2007

Scotland

Heriot-Watt Enrolling Almost 60% from Overseas

According to an article in the Scotsman newspaper, Heriot-Watt University enrolls more than half its students from overseas. Over 10,000 study with one of the university’s 53 approved learning partners world-wide, with 7000 studying in Scotland.

– The Scotsman
September 18, 2007

Wales

Three universities Announce Independence from University of Wales, as Welsh system ‘Modernizes’

Aberystwyth, Bangor and Swansea universities announced their independence from the University of Wales in September. Although degrees from the University of Wales will still be awarded, the announcement is being hailed as a modernization of the university system in Wales. The University of Wales, founded in 1893, called it a “new era.” It is felt that the changes could help the universities’ ability to develop and compete for students.

Aberystwyth, Bangor and Cardiff were original founding members of the University of Wales, while Swansea joined in 1920, and it grew to a federation of nine universities and colleges. Two years ago, Cardiff University dropped out but remains an affiliated institution. Swansea said it wished to have “a full and mutually beneficial relationship” with a modernized University of Wales and would still be awarding its degrees for “the foreseeable future”.

All three universities have changed their names to reflect their new status. The developments also reflect major changes at the University of Wales, which will cease to be a federal institution. A review of its role, functions and structure was held in 2005. The university plans to still be accrediting and validating degrees, while also continuing to have a role in research and protecting and promoting the language and culture of Wales.

– BBC
September 1, 2007