Regional

Globe’s Stock of Internationally Mobile Students Continues to Grow and Diversify

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development has released its annual Education at a Glance report, detailing data on such topics as educational attainment, employment rates by level of education, funding for educational systems, and student mobility across the 34 OECD member nations as well as for 10 additional countries with emerging economies.

The report finds that in the United States a large proportion of adults have attained university-level education (at 43 percent, the fifth-highest rate among countries in the analysis), although the postsecondary educational attainment rate is increasing much faster in many other countries.

The U.S. continues to host more international students than any other country but its share of the population of globally mobile students continues to fall. In 2012, the U.S. attracted 16 percent of all international students, compared to 23 percent in 2000. Meanwhile, the total number of students enrolled internationally in a higher education program has more than doubled since 2000, climbing to a new high of 4.5 million students in 2012. About half (53 percent) of these students are from Asia.

The report also found that regional over global student mobility is growing. The trend is reflected in the increasing internationalization of tertiary enrollment in OECD countries as well as high intra-regional student mobility. Patterns of student mobility are shifting, with new destinations emerging, although Europe remains the top destination region, hosting 48 percent of all international students. North America is second with 21 percent, followed by Asia with 18 percent.

– Global Education Digest
September 2014

Bolivia

Three Indigenous Universities Graduate First Batch of Students

Bolivian President Evo Morales awarded degrees to the first graduates of the country’s three indigenous universities recently at a joint graduation ceremony, asserting that they would fight colonialism as well as honor the memories of indigenous Bolivian heroes.

In early August, Morales gave the keynote address to the 118 indigenous students who were receiving degrees and certificates from either Tupac Katari Aymara University, Apiaguaiki Tupa Guarani University, or Casimiro Huanca Quechua University.

– Indian Country
August 23, 2014

Brazil

Sao Paulo Universities Dominate Domestic Ranking

A new edition of a third-annual Brazilian university ranking was published recently. The RUF (Ranking Universitário Folha), is compiled by one of the country’s leading newspapers, Folha de São Paulo.

The RUF rankings are based on 5 basic and weighted criteria: 42 percent research (with 8 different indicators), 32 percent teaching quality (4 indicators), 18 percent labor market evaluation (from a survey with almost 2000 professionals responsible for recruiting to the labor market), 4 percent internationalization (2 indicators) and 4 percent innovation (1 indicator).

There are more than 2,200 higher education institutions in Brazil, but only 195 of them are officially accredited as universities. The new ranking evaluates 192 of them, and, not surprisingly, the public universities dominate the top positions, with only 8 private universities in the top 50 (the first one in 18th place). It is worth noting that the private universities that reach good positions are not-for-profit organizations, and usually religiously affiliated.

The top 10 spots are occupied by 4 universities in São Paulo, 1 from Minas Gerais, 1 from Rio de Janeiro, 1 from Rio Grande do Sul, 1 from Santa Catarina, 1 from Brasilia, and 1 from Paraná.

– Inside Higher Ed
September 15, 2014

Chile

Congress Approves Tax Bill to Fund Free University Education

Chile’s congress approved tax increases as the government looks to fund free education from primary school to university, while the opposition accuses it of endangering 30 years of economic growth. The bill, passed in September, needs to be signed into law by President Michelle Bachelet, with the tax changes introduced gradually over the next four years.

The legislation seeks to raise $8.2 billion, or 3 percent of gross domestic product, through higher taxes on companies and the closure of loopholes for wealthy individuals. Bachelet says the revenue will fund spending on education and health care, helping to narrow inequality in Latin America’s wealthiest nation. The opposition says the prospect of higher taxes has contributed to a drop in investment and the weakest growth in five years.

Bachelet came to office on pledges to provide free education for all following three years of student protests that had brought hundreds of thousands onto the streets.

– Business Week
September 20, 2014

United States

Study Highlights Top Source Cities for International Students

Seoul is the largest city of origin for international students coming to the United States, something of a surprise considering enrollments from China have skyrocketed in recent years, while those from Korea have been on the wane.

A new analysis of international student visa approvals from the Brookings Institution traces where international students on F-1 visas are coming from and where they are going at the level of the city. The report, “The Geography of Foreign Students in U.S. Higher Education: Origins and Destinations,” analyzes data on F-1 visa approvals included in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) database, obtained by Brookings via a Freedom of Information Act request.

The report also analyzes government data on work authorizations for students on optional practical training (OPT), a period of 12 to 29 months post-graduation in which students are permitted to stay in the U.S. and work in their field of study. The analysis found that 45 percent of international students pursue OPT in the same metro area as their college or university, with the proportions being much higher for big cities like New York and cities with specialized labor markets.

The list of top 20 source cities included seven from China, with Beijing (4.3% of total) and Shanghai (2.5%) ranking two and three behind Seoul; 5 from India, with Hyderabad (2.3%) ranking fourth; and two from Saudi Arabia, Riyadh (1.5%) being the fifth-ranked overall. Taipei (1.4%), Hong Kong (1.1%), Kathmandu (0.9%), Singapore (0.8%), and Ho Chi Minh City (0.7%) also featured in the top 20.

Other main points in the report include the finding that the number of international students on F-1 visas grew dramatically from 110,000 students in 2001 to 524,000 in 2012, that they are concentrated in U.S. metropolitan areas, and that they disproportionately study science, technology engineering and mathematics (STEM) and business fields.

– Inside Higher Ed
August 29, 2014

NACAC Publishes Guide to Working with Agents

The professional association for college admissions advisers, NACAC which represents 14,000 members, has published a guide that is designed to help its members make decisions with regards to engaging education agencies overseas.

NACAC unveiled details of its guide, International Student Recruitment Agencies, on the eve of its 70th national conference, where it was presented to its membership. The guide was planned when NACAC initially revised its Statement of Principles of Good Practice (SPGP) to permit members to use commission-based recruitment practices when working internationally (this practice is not permitted domestically).

Intended as a blueprint for sensible engagement with agencies, the guide covers chapters on how to vet agencies, how to deal with contracts, legal requirements and signs of good practice/warning signs. NACAC is also developing a related resource for international students and parents, with an anticipated publication date of early 2015.

– The PIE News
Sep 18, 2014

Graduate Enrollments Propped Up by International Students

First-time enrollment at U.S. graduate schools increased by 1 percent between fall 2012 and 2013, driven by 11.5 percent growth in new international students and despite a 0.9 percent decrease in U.S. citizens and permanent residents, according to a new report from the Council of Graduate Schools. Currently, about 20 percent of new students at U.S. graduate schools are on a temporary visa.

Total enrollment at U.S. graduate schools (not just first-time) fell by 0.2 percent between fall 2012 and 2013. The CGS report includes extensive data broken down by field, degree level, and student demographics.

– Council of Graduate Schools
September 22, 2014