Regional

Australia and Japan to Boost Educational Exchange

Representatives of more than 100 Japanese universities have been briefed about the Australian government’s new strategy to increase engagement with Asia, raising hopes that mobility between the countries will improve.

Representatives of Australian Education International (AEI), a government agency, held a roundtable with the heads where the Australia in the Asian Century strategy, released last October, was discussed. The plan calls on Australia to build trade ties with its Asian neighbors through to 2025, with educational exchange viewed as key to this.

At the roundtable, the Japanese institutions expressed interest in the new AsiaBound grants scheme, which will fund 10,000 Australians to study in Asia on exchanges or language courses from 2014. Plans to promote Asian languages in Australian schools could also encourage outbound mobility in time.

– The PIE News
July 29, 2013

Australia

Australia Most Expensive Country for Foreign Students

According to a recent study commissioned by HSBC Bank, the estimated annual cost of studying in Australia is US$38,516 (£24,936), which compares with $35,705 in the United States and $30,325 in the UK. Australia has similar tuition fees for international students to the U.S., at around $25,000, but living costs are higher.

By contrast, overseas students pay just $635 in tuition and less than $6,000 in living costs in Germany, making it the least expensive place to study out of 13 countries surveyed. Annual costs were all below $10,000 in Russia, Taiwan, China and Spain.

Malik Sarwar, HSBC’s global head of wealth development, said: “With rising affluence, particularly in developing markets, and an increasingly competitive workplace that demands quality skills and a global outlook, we expect appetite for international education to continue to grow.”

– Times Higher Education
August 13, 2013

Short-term Study Abroad Options Crucial in Promoting International Mobility

As Australia positions itself to increase student mobility in the ‘Asian century,’ a study has found that short-term study options, as opposed to semester-long programs, are important in encouraging enrollment in Asian study opportunities, and in moving away from a “US centric model.”

Short-term study programs are important to steer “Australian student mobility away from the Americas and Europe, specifically away from international student exchanges with US, UK and Canada, where students can study in English at a Western university, presumably bringing back to the Australian university credit for four subjects just like they would have studied in Australia,” says the Australian Outbound Mobility: Snapshot report published by the Strategy Policy and Research in Education.

It points out that Asian destinations dominate short-term programs and training experiences overseas, greatly contributing to diversity in Australian student mobility. Asia only makes up 15 percent of long-term study experiences compared to 52 percent of short-term programs and 44 percent of internships or practical training experiences. Due to students’ tendency to study in Western, English speaking countries, “short term international study programs and international placements are important in diversifying Australian student mobility,” the report concluded.

– The PIE News
August 27, 2013

China

Chinese Students Look to U.S. Liberal Arts Colleges

Recently, liberal arts colleges in the United States have seen an increase in the number of Chinese applicants. The China Liberal Arts College Tour, an event which connects liberal arts college admissions officers to prospective students, is seeing more Chinese students from Beijing, Shanghai and Wuhan in Hubei Province interested in these schools.

This year, the tour invited 16 colleges, and had received more than 600 online applications for college interviews as of early August. “The number of applications doubled compared with 2012,” Xu Yining, event organizer and recent Grinnel College grad said. “2013 is really a big year for us.”

The reason for the recent surge in interest may be in the key differences between liberal arts colleges and bigger universities, according to Global News, with the former emphasizing a well-rounded curriculum in the humanities and sciences.

– Global News
August 11, 2013

China to Hold First Inbound Mobility Conference

More than 200 Chinese and Western institutions will convene in Beijing this fall to attend a conference promoting in-bound student mobility. The two-day Study in China Conference aims to “promote bilateral education and culture exchange between China and the world”—with those participating looking to form new academic partnerships and student exchange programs.

One day of the conference will overlap with ICEF’s annual Asia workshop. “The Study in China Conference has a focus on inbound international student mobility, as well as exchange and partnership opportunities,” Rod Hearps, Vice President at ICEF told The PIE News.

The recent surge in investment at Asian universities is led by China, which has the highest number of institutions on QS’s Asian rankings. Most students studying in China come from countries in the region including South Korea and Thailand. However, traditional study destination markets have also been making moves to increase student numbers in China. Last month the British Council announced a campaign to see at least 15,000 UK students in China by September 2016. Meanwhile, a study released by the Institute of International Education 
earlier this year showed that the U.S is on track to meet its goal of sending 100,000 students to China by 2014. Australia also announced an Asia Bound  grants program last year.

– The PIE News
July 31, 2013

U.S. University Announces China Medical School Plans

The University of Cincinnati says it is partnering with another university in Chongqing to open a medical school there as the school looks to increase its links to China.

Tom Boat, vice president of health affairs and dean of UC’s College of Medicine, told The Cincinnati Enquirer that the university and a partner institution are applying to local governments in Chongqing this summer to start the International College of Medicine.

Boat said the new institution will advance research and clinical studies and likely would result in some Chinese students coming to Ohio. Chinese sources will pay most of the operating funds for the initial startup, but some UC professors will go there to teach.

Establishing the college will give UC researchers a big boost in attracting funding, Boat said. “The increases for research dollars worldwide are going to happen in China and India. Not here,” he said. “The kinds of things where they have big populations, it will be a tremendous advantage in doing clinical studies there.”

He said UC soon will start trying to raise $100 million, mostly in Asia, for a new building on a suburban campus. The university and some UC professors already have partnerships with universities in China.

– Associated Press
June 7, 2013

U.S. High Schools Target Chinese Students as Fewer and Fewer Take Gaokao

An increasing number of Chinese students intending to study abroad are forgoing the national college entrance exam, the gaokao, entirely, according to Chinese and international media, and U.S. high schools are increasingly looking to attract those students.

Over the past five years, figures for those taking the gaokao have been declining quite dramatically, from a peak of 10.5 million in 2008 to 9.15 million in 2012, due in part to the shrinking number of young people in China. In Beijing, 72,736 students registered for the June administration of the gaokao, a decline from 126,000 in 2006, China Daily reported.

A group of US public high schools headed east for a “brand promotion” trip to China this summer with the mission to change the minds of Chinese parents and potential students who think that enrolling in expensive private schools in the U.S. is the only way to go.

“I am flying out to China on July 19,” Lesley O’Connor, principal of San Luis Obispo High School in California, told China Daily. “We will be in various cities during the ten-day trip, and I am sure that I will meet many wonderful parents and potential students.” O’Connor will make stops in Guangzhou, Wuhan, Hangzhou, Shanghai and Beijing.

Other public high schools represented on the trip to vie for potential Chinese students include: Kokomo High School of Indiana, New York State’s Berne-Knox-Westerlo Secondary, Oak Park High School in California and Natick High in Massachusetts.

“Today, many parents are supportive of their children’s aspirations to study abroad at a younger age, because it makes it much easier for them to enroll in a good American university,” said Zhang Meng, a senior manager at CACDIY International, a Beijing-based organization that helps Chinese students study abroad.

– China Daily
July 3, 2013

Hong Kong

Chicago to Move Asia MBA Program From Singapore to Hong Kong in Search of Better Opportunities

The University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business will move its Asia Executive MBA program from Singapore to Hong Kong, making it the latest institution to move a program away from the city-state. The Singapore campus, which opened in 2000, will stop accepting executive MBA candidates, though the university said in its announcement that it was exploring space options for holding some activities in Singapore after the program moves.

The university, after consulting with staff, decided to move the campus to Hong Kong as it was seen to afford more opportunities for students, alumni and faculty to develop relationships across Asia, a spokesman said.

“The proximity to China, the world’s second-largest economy, is particularly attractive,” the school’s dean, Sunil Kumar, said in a statement.

– Wall Street Journal
July 11, 2013

Hong Kong Ranked Third Best City in World for Undergraduate Education

Hong Kong, long renowned as a global financial hub, is increasingly making strides in the field of international education. The city was named the third best city in the world in terms of overall returns from overseas undergraduate education in a study by The Economist Intelligence Unit, an arm of The Economist Group, and sponsored by the Bank of Communications.

According to David Line, managing editor for Asia at the Economist Intelligence Unit, “Hong Kong is an appealing place to study … It offers a high quality academic and social experience, but is open to foreign investors.”

The study measured more than just raw educational quality; it also considered returns on financial investments, education costs, the availability of work experience opportunities and the accessibility of visas, as well as the social and cultural experience a city offers.

Hong Kong ranked below only Montreal and London in the “Sea Turtle Index,” an index that benchmarks 80 cities worldwide on the potential returns that can be gained from overseas undergraduate education in each city.

– South China Morning Post
July 11, 2013

India

Students Deferring Foreign Study Amid Economic Uncertainty

As the Indian rupee slides in value and the cost of studying abroad expands beyond reach for many, an increasing number of Indian students are deferring admissions decisions in a bid to wait out the rupees slide and in hopes that it will soon strengthen, reports the Times of India.

International education counselor Pratibha Jain said several students were putting their admissions on hold in light of the devaluing currency. “The dollar is up. Jobs are no guarantee. For many, education is an investment. When students and their parents are looking at the returns on investment, things look bleak.” This has led Roseann Runte, president and vice-chancellor of Carleton University to encouraged UNESCO to create a fund to protect students from any country studying abroad from extreme currency fluctuations.

“An international fund would be like an insurance policy protecting students and offering them and families security,” said Runte.

– Times of India
August 23, 2013

An Exam for Foreign Students Looking to Study in India

India plans to establish an entrance exam for foreign students seeking admission to institutions in the country, even as it lobbies international rating agencies to improve the rankings of its universities.

The Human Resource Development Ministry will allow institutions offering engineering and similar programs and other universities, including private ones, to participate in the project, said two government officials with knowledge of the development.

The ministry will “start an international entrance exam for aspiring students from foreign lands”, said SS Mantha, chair of the All India Council for Technical Education, the technical education regulator in the country and the body that will conduct the test.

– Live Mint
May 27, 2013

Japan

Japan’s Global ACE Gives Youth Global Work Experience

The Japanese government has launched a program that will support young people to travel abroad to undertake internships, volunteering, working holidays or overseas language training.

Commissioned by Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW) and implemented by the Japan Association of Overseas Studies (JAOS), the Global Action for Careers and Employability (Global ACE) aims to boost the employability and vocational skills of under-35s. Yukari Kato, Executive Vice President of Ryugaku Journal Inc., one of the country’s oldest education agencies, said that Japanese companies are keen to recruit people with overseas work experience.

She added that work and study abroad is “indispensable for the globalization of Japan”.

Encouraging Japanese youth to go abroad has become a key goal of the current government. Earlier this year, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe revealed his “Abeducation” plans to internationalize the country’s higher education system, which included scholarships to double the number of students at foreign universities to 120,000.

– The PIE News
August 19, 2013

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka Reiterates Goal of Attracting More Foreign Studies

Sri Lanka says it still aims to become an international education hub by 2020, despite signs earlier this year that the plans had stalled. With an eye on regional hubs such as Singapore and Malaysia, the Higher Education Ministry announced it wanted to attract more foreign branch campuses and convert local universities into world-class institutions.

“We wish to transform Sri Lanka into the most cost effective and quality education hub in the region,” Dr Nawaratne, secretary of the ministry of higher education, said.

“We offer quality higher education degrees, diplomas, masters and PhDs at an affordable price. In addition, the expenses for foreign students in Sri Lanka are much cheaper compared to other foreign countries.”

A 2012 paper from the World Bank said that Sri Lanka offered a variety of attractions for international students, such as beautiful scenery, a multicultural society, the possibility of education in English medium, modest prices and “positive government.”

However, it also identified weaknesses and threats including “inadequate facilities on many public campuses, recurrent strikes, insufficient information on quality, and a limited reputation for academic research”.

– Sunday Observer
July 25, 2013

Foreign Universities Welcome

Private and foreign universities are welcome in Sri Lanka, according to Higher Education Minister SB Dissanayake in addressing the international partnership conference of the University of Wolverhampton in June.

Minister Dissanayake stated that “in Sri Lanka, even though 125,000-130,000 students get qualified to enter state universities, only 25,000-35,000 actually gain entry. The higher education of those left out should be fulfilled by some sector; therefore, the participation of foreign and non-state universities is important to fill the breach.”

The minister said free education was being taken for granted in Sri Lanka.“But due to lack of resources, the higher education needs of each and every student cannot be fulfilled. This traditional view needs to be changed and foreign or non-state sectors should be invited to create more opportunities for students in Sri Lanka.”

– Daily News
June 26, 2013

Taiwan

Ministry Launches Plan to Improve Employability of Graduates

A plan designed to bolster the employability of graduates from Taiwan’s vocational schools was unveiled in July. Under the project, industry and vocational institutes around the country are being encouraged to work together to design programs tailored to meet labor market needs.

“Firms should nominate the institute with which they wish to work and consult on curriculums, teaching materials,” an MOE official said. “In addition, they should make available experienced staff as instructors and offer internship and employment opportunities to program graduates.”

Under the plan, which commences its trial run this year, the MOE is financing 20-25 programs at a cost of NT$20 million (US$666,667).

“From 2014 to 2017, we will subsidize 400 programs to the value of NT$175 million annually, with the expectation of producing at least 6,000 graduates per year to meet industry needs,” the official said.

– Taiwan Today
July 11, 2013

Uzbekistan

Government Lists 7 International Branch Campuses, in Addition to 58 Domestic Universities

Currently, there are 58 universities in Uzbekistan, including 28 in Tashkent, six in Samarkand, four in Andijan, three in Bukhara and Namangan, two in Fergana, Nukus and Karshi, and one in Termez, Urgench, Navoiy and Kokand, according to data released in a decree by Uzbek President, Islam Karimov stating that admissions quotas would remain at the same levels for 2013 as last year.

In addition to domestic universities, there are also seven branches of foreign universities operating in the country, and to which admission quotas are defined separately. The international branch campuses are: Westminster International University, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Gubkin Russian State University of Oil and Gas, Plekhanov Russian Economic University, The Management Development Institute of Singapore, The Polytechnic University of Turin (Italy) and a representative office of Nagoya University (Japan).

– Trend
June 20, 2013