Regional
ASEAN Nations Collaborate with Australia on Study Abroad Plan
All 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations [1] (ASEAN) have agreed to participate in Australia’s New Colombo Plan [2], which encourages and helps finance Australian students to study at universities in Southeast Asia.
Foreign Affairs Minister Julie Bishop said she was pleased with the development, and that close ties between the ASEAN members make it logical that Australian students study at universities in Southeast Asia rather than in countries like the United States.
A pilot of the New Colombo Plan began earlier this year in January, with more than 1,300 Australian undergraduate students studying in the region with government support. Under the original Colombo Plan, tens of thousands of students from Southeast Asia studied in Australia during the 1950s to 1980s.
– Special Broadcasting Service [3]
August 9, 2014
Top Chinese-Speaking Universities to Form ‘Pine League’
Top universities in Taiwan, China, Hong Kong and Singapore are planning to strengthen ties and promote academic, arts and sports exchange under a collaboration that will be known as the ‘Pine League.’
Students and faculty members of the National Taiwan University (NTU), China’s Peking University and Tsinghua University, the University of Hong Kong and National University of Singapore participated in a four-day sports meet in Taipei in August as a precursor to the official launch of the league.
The universities, ranked as the top five in the Chinese-speaking world, were all interested in pushing for the Pine League in order to promote information exchanges and cooperation, according to an NTU news release.
– CNA [4]
August 25, 2014
Australia
Strong First Quarter for International Enrollments
A strong recovery is underway in Australia’s international education sector. In the first four months of this year, the number of overseas students beginning programs in Australia rose by 18.1 percent compared with the same period last year.
All sectors of the industry are experiencing strong growth except the smaller schools sector. Up to April this year, 156,318 overseas students had begun programs, the largest figure since the peak of the last international student boom in 2009.
– Australian Financial Review [5]
June 30, 2014
Nigerian Student Numbers Double in a Year
This year, nearly double the number of Nigerians are studying in Australia compared with last year, many of them engineering students planning to work in their country’s oil industry. By the end of May there were 923 Nigerian students enrolled in Australia. Over 600 are in universities with nearly 250 in vocational education.
The University of New South Wales (UNSW) has seen massive growth, with 34 Nigerian students starting programs this year, compared with 12 last year and only four in 2012. “It’s a zero to hero market,” said Aleksandr Voninski, executive director, international. So much so that in UNSW’s student intake for the about-to-commence second semester, Nigeria will be ahead of traditionally strong source countries such as Singapore, Thailand and Taiwan.
UNSW now has a permanent representative in Nigeria, Walter Ngwu, who said there was strong demand for overseas education in Nigeria. Its 129 universities could only accept an intake of 520,000 students each year, compared with about 1.6 million students who sit the university entrance exam. Most Nigerian students have traditionally gone to the United Kingdom, where the country is the third-largest supplier of students after China and India. However, the UK’s decision to clamp down on post-study work rights for international students has caused Nigerians to consider other destinations, Mr Ngwu said.
– The Australian Financial Review [6]
July 7, 2014
China
Further Reform of University Entry Examination
Another reform will soon be made to the gaokao, China’s high stakes national college and university entrance examination. Besides the reform of the English component, there is a new move to make it – and high schooling in general – more relevant to the labor market, in light of graduate un- and under-employment.
While there is still concern that the education system does not encourage innovation and creativity, there is also a demand for technicians with a higher education qualification that can support the move up the value chain of production. To encourage students to pursue a more technical and vocationally oriented education and career path, China will soon unveil a reform plan for the gaokao that will divide it into two separate test modes, one for technically inclined students and the other for more academically oriented students.
The technical gaokao will lead to higher technical and professional education – specifically towards admission at 600 technical and professional colleges and universities. It will target technically inclined students, and is meant to appeal to those who want to become engineers, senior mechanics and so-called high quality laborers. It will assess students’ technical skills, as well as textbook knowledge.
China wants talented workers in engineering, mechanics and related fields to gain an education that goes beyond mere skills training and demands more expertise – in short, skilled workers better equipped with academic knowledge. To aid this process, the government plans to transform 600 local-level public universities into higher technical and vocational universities that will significantly alter the differentiation and stratification of the public system of higher education.
– University World News [7]
June 17, 2014
International Universities to Advise Chinese Government
Six international universities have come together to advise the Chinese government on how to absorb the lessons learned from Sino-foreign university collaborations, in order to develop and modernize China’s higher education sector.
Known as the Sino-foreign Cooperative University Union, the new grouping was announced by Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University [8] (XJTLU) after its inaugural meeting at XJTLU’s campus in Suzhou, Jiangsu province, in early June. The group also includes the University of Nottingham Ningbo, New York University Shanghai, Duke Kunshan University, Wenzhou-Kean University and the Chinese University of Hong Kong in Shenzhen.
A high-level delegation from the Ministry of Education and Foreign Affairs Ministry officials took part in the inaugural meeting, which is expected to convene annually. But observers note that Western university leaders either based in China or overseas were not present – highlighting that this was a meeting mainly of Chinese officials and university presidents who are members of the Communist Party, advising the government on broader policies.
“The union is designed to explore issues of common concern by sharing experiences and best practices,” XJTLU said in a statement.
“Similarly, the annual [university presidents] forum is expected to strengthen communications among union members and to enhance the influence of the Sino-foreign Cooperative University Union over the reform and development of higher education in China.”
Sino-foreign joint ventures are “a new thing” in higher education in China and as such they face new problems such as how to have greater autonomy in admissions, how to deal with college entrance exam scores, financial support and other issues that ordinary Chinese universities do not have to grapple with. All six universities involved, commonly regarded outside China as foreign branch campuses, are legally independent entities formed as joint ventures with Chinese universities but with the international partner having total academic control and a level of autonomy unknown among the vast majority of China’s universities. Most other foreign branch campuses have been set up as internal colleges of Chinese universities and are subject to their jurisdiction.
XJTLU and Nottingham Ningbo follow the British system while NYU Shanghai, set up as a joint venture with East China Normal University, and Duke Kunshan University, set up by Duke in the United States and Wuhan University, are based on a U.S. model.
– The Chronicle of Higher Education [9]
June 24, 2014
China’s Position As A Major Destination Country for Education Growing
According to the findings of a recent survey of over 800 education agents and 2,000 students worldwide there is a growing interest in China as a study destination over traditional non-English speaking destinations. There is also more promotion of online courses and a slight dip in applications made via education agents despite overall high levels of satisfaction among students.
Education agents are promoting study destinations in Asia more than traditional destinations Germany and France, according to the survey results [10] from INTO, a recruitment and pathway provider for UK and U.S. universities.
“What we have noticed is the rapid increase in Latin American and sub-Saharan African agencies promoting China,” the report states. China specifically has seen a huge promotional increase among agents with 20 percent of the 880 surveyed INTO partner agents across 63 countries saying they sent students to the country, up from 3 percent in last year’s survey. There has also been a large increase in Latin American and sub-Saharan African agencies promoting China, according to the report’s authors.
Growth of transnational education, improved quality of local universities and increased degree programs offered in English are also attracting students to the region the company said. INTO has been heavily promoting its centers at Nankai University [11] and Dongbei University of Finance and Economics [12] since they opened in 2012.
TNE hotspots in Asia also ranked higher than France and Germany among agents, 28 percent of respondents said they sent students to Singapore and 22 percent to Malaysia. Still, English speaking education superpowers make up the top destination countries for agents, with 78 percent saying they send students to the UK, 77 percent to the U.S. and 51 percent to Australia.
– The PIE News [13]
July 9, 2014
Top Russian University to Establish China Campus
Russia’s most prestigious university will open a branch in China, in the country’s rapidly developing Shenzhen free economic zone. In August, representatives of Lomonosov Moscow State University (MSU), Beijing Institute of Technology and the local administration signed an agreement to create a joint university in Shenzhen.
The project is aimed at training skilled professionals in China using MSU’s advanced educational programs and standards. The construction of the university facilities, the campus and the operations of the academy will be funded from the Shenzhen budget.
Moscow State University will be providing its educational programs, standards and best practices, as well as some of its leading lecturers and professors. Lectures, seminars and tutorials at the joint university will be conducted in three languages – Russian, Chinese and English. After completing their education program, graduates will receive two diplomas – one from Moscow State University and one from the joint university.
– RT.com [14]
August 11, 2014
India
Engineering Degrees Get International Seal of Approval
Engineering degrees from India will now be recognized as equivalent to those across 17 countries including the United States, Japan and Australia. In June, India became a permanent member of the Washington Accord [15], an international agreement for accrediting undergraduate engineering degree programs, ending a 14-year campaign for membership.
International mobility of engineering graduates from Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) has not been an issue given the global recognition of these institutes, but this has not been the case with the graduates from the 1,300-odd other engineering colleges in the country.
With India becoming a permanent member of the Washington Accord, Indian engineering graduates will be considered to have met the academic requirements necessary to take up the practice of engineering in any of the signatory countries. The Washington Accord aims to promote mobility and quality assurance across countries.
– Economic Times [16]
June 14, 2014
Government Puts a Halt to Delhi’s Experiment with 4-Year Degrees
Delhi University’s attempt to switch to four-year undergraduate degrees from a three-year British-style model has been thrown into chaos after it was ordered by the University Grants Commission (UGC) to revert back to the old system. A number of its constituent colleges were thus forced to defer undergraduate admissions.
Delhi University adopted a controversial new four-year undergraduate program last year – pulling away from the standard three-year degree in the rest of the country. It was the only university in the country to move all its undergraduate degrees to a four-year program although other universities have been considering a switch.
The UGC gave the university just one day to implement the directive, and ordered college principals to “strictly follow” the three-year system.
“Any deviation or contravention shall be viewed seriously by UGC and may attract action under the UGC Act including withdrawal of grants to the college,” according to a letter delivered by hand to each principal of the university’s 64 constituent colleges.
Some 270,000 students have been vying for 54,000 places at the university’s 64 colleges – some of the most competitive institutions in the country. Students currently following the four-year program are now uncertain how their degrees will be structured. The UGC said it was working on a plan to assist some 60,000 students who started the four-year program last year shift to the three-year system.
– University World News [17]
June 26, 2014
One-Third of Medical Degree Programs Barred from Enrolling Students
The Medical Council of India (MCI), which regulates medical degrees in India, announced in early June that almost a third of medical degree places across the country would be scrapped in order to improve the quality of medical education.
The MCI withdrew permission for 15,890 of the 49,950 MBBS undergraduate medical degree seats in medical colleges, saying the institutions had failed to maintain the minimum infrastructure requirements, or had poor faculty-to-student ratios. Colleges had until June 15 to appeal and show they would be able to comply with MCI standards by July. But it emerged that 6,300 places could still be culled, with institutions unable to meet the strict criteria. Government-funded medical schools were the worst affected.
In addition, MCI looked set to deny permission for up to 50 new medical colleges that would have added between 5,000 and 7,500 more undergraduate places. With competition for places already intense, teachers said candidates were panicking, as the number of places at many medical institutions was still unclear. India has some 390 medical colleges. Just over 180 are government run.
– University World News [18]
June 26, 2014
Kyrgyzstan
Universities Face Closure
Reform of Kyrgyzstan’s higher education sector could mean shutting down an unknown number of ‘superfluous’ universities as early as the start of the academic year in September, according to a recent article in Central Asia Online.
The discussion comes after years of concern on the part of President Almazbek Atambayev, who suggested reducing the number of universities in 2012. Kyrgyzstan has 52 universities, 31 of them state-owned. In late May, the cabinet announced its intentions to conduct significant reforms.
“We’re still monitoring universities to figure out which ones don’t meet [our] standards, after which we’ll revoke their licenses,” Education and Science Minister Kanat Sadykov said at a forum on comprehensive educational reform. “It’s still too early to single out specific ones.”
– Central Asia Online [19]
June 13, 2014
Myanmar
New Law Requires Private Universities to Offer State Curriculum
Private universities will have to offer the same curriculum as state-run universities under a new education law, a senior official from the Department of Higher Education has told The Myanmar Times.
But private colleges, of which there are approximately 10, and the opposition National League for Democracy have already signaled their opposition to the section of the law. Currently private universities are responsible for their own curriculum and many receive assistance in developing their programs from foreign universities. This will change after the National Educational Bill, which was submitted to parliament earlier this year, is enacted, said the official, who asked not to be named.
“By the time the National Education Law is enacted, the curriculums of those private universities have to be [the same as] those of the state-owned universities,” the official said.
– Myanmar Times [20]
July 3, 2014
Philippines
Private Universities to Benefit from Increased Access, Both Domestically and Internationally
Tertiary education has expanded exponentially across the Philippines in recent years, particularly in the private sector, with much of the growth driven by a healthy increase in foreign enrollments. Among domestic students, demand at the tertiary level is poised to grow due to ongoing reforms aimed at improving access to the primary and secondary education system.
In May 2013, President Benigno Aquino introduced the Education for All program, which mandates one year of kindergarten, six years of elementary school education, four years of junior high school and two years of senior high school for all students.
About 2.5 million students are currently enrolled in postsecondary institutions across the Philippines, with private universities making up some two-thirds of tertiary education providers. In 1996, there were less than 1,000 private providers, so there has been significant growth over the last 20 years. The Philippines’ Commission on Higher Education (CHED) announced in May that 353 of the estimated 1,683 private higher education institutions operating in the Philippines had asked to increase their tuition fees for the 2014/15 academic year.
The overseas influx has prompted many providers to raise their tuition fees – a move criticized by some, but seen by several institutions as a necessary means of meeting increasing long-term demand. The number of foreigners studying in the Philippines rose from 26,000 in 2011 to more than 61,000 in 2012, according to the Bureau of Immigration.
– Oxford Business Group [21]
June 16, 2014
Vietnam
Transnational Providers Will Have to Work Harder for Vietnamese Students
Transnational higher education providers in Vietnam are having to work harder to attract students and some international investors are bailing out as cross-border education appears to be losing favor after almost a decade of strong growth, reports University World News.
This wane in popularity comes as the Vietnamese government has worked hard to regulate the cross-border education industry over the past two years. In June 2012 the Ministry of Education and Training (MoET) fined three foreign-affiliated institutions – Raffles Vietnam, ILA Vietnam and ERC Vietnam – US$10,000 each for offering degree programs without a license.
The government has tightened regulations governing foreign-linked education providers. In late 2012 it issued so-called ‘Decree 73’ covering cross-border education to set common standards. Under the decree the government would allow only qualified and committed foreign partners by setting a minimum rate of investment per student.
Local reports indicate that some foreign invested education establishments have “quietly disappeared from the market” after failing to attract enough students and others have been sold to local Vietnamese buyers, according to a report on the news site http://Vietnam.net [22] in June.
– University World News [23]
June 26, 2014