Regional
Branch Campuses Low Priority for European University Internationalization Plans
Opening branch campuses is now the lowest internationalization priority for European universities, according to a recent study, prompting suggestions that the much talked about market may have reached its peak.
In a survey conducted by the European Association for International Education, just 1 percent of respondents who worked for universities said that they had witnessed a substantial increase in branch campus activity at their institution in the past three years. Twelve percent said they had seen an increase, while 53 percent reported no change and 1 percent said branch campus activity had decreased.
This puts branch campuses at the bottom of the list of 15 internationalization trends that the EAIE asked about, with institutions focusing instead on strategic partnerships and student mobility. The report, The EAIE Barometer: Internationalisation in Europe [1], was based on 2,411 responses from across the European Higher Education Area, mainly from employees of higher education institutions. The question about internationalization trends was answered by 1,365 university staff.
– Times Higher Education [2]
May 28, 2015
Finland
New Government to Introduce Tuition Fees for Non-EU Students
Finland’s new coalition government plans to introduce tuition fees for students from outside the EU and the European Economic Area at its universities, it announced in May. A position paper on immigration confirmed the incoming three-party coalition’s intention to bring in fees, as well as to back labor-based immigration. However, it also indicated that other measures will be taken to encourage international students to study in Finland.
“We will encourage graduates to remain to work in Finland through tax deduction rights, for instance,” the paper states. “We will advance the domestic employment of international students who have studied in Finland, with an emphasis on Finnish language skills.”
Tuition fees have been a contentious issue in Finland, and a proposal to introduce fees for non-EU students from 2016 was dropped in January this year, despite apparent support from universities for the idea. Student groups have been the most vocally opposed to the plan, and two of the country’s student unions have strongly condemned the recent announcement, branding it a “serious mistake.”
The two main unions warned that the number of international students coming to Finland to study may fall, as they have in other Nordic countries where tuition fees have been introduced. There are currently around 20,000 non-EU students at Finnish universities and polytechnics, according to Finland’s Centre for International Mobility.
– The PIE News [3]
May 28, 2015
France
New ‘Mega University’ Set for 2015 Opening
After decades of planning, a new generation of students and researchers will start their first full academic year in September 2015 at the University of Paris-Saclay [4], a huge, ambitious project that will bring together a group of 19 higher education institutions alongside a business cluster on the outskirts of the French capital. It has been dubbed the French Silicon Valley.
The rationale behind Paris-Saclay is to reach the same size and level of excellence as Harvard, MIT, Oxford and Cambridge. With its higher education institutions already attracting 15 percent of the potential research budget in France, Paris-Saclay looks set to give birth to one of Europe’s top multi-disciplinary universities.
Formally incorporated in 2014, the University of Paris-Saclay has federated together two universities, ten grandes écoles (professional schools in engineering, agronomy, telecommunications, life sciences and management), and seven national research institutions – or at least some of their laboratories. The institutions are a mix of private, public and non-profit. Some are non-selective public universities that cover a wide set of disciplines, while others are highly selective.
Covering the whole scientific spectrum from education and basic research to technology and development, the university is strongly linked to a technological cluster [5] set up in Saclay in 2004. The campus has already attracted giant global firms such as EADS, Siemens, EDF, Thales and Danone, as well as more than 300 small and mid-size firms. The MIT Technology Review [6] already lists Paris-Saclay as one of the eight world innovation clusters.
The first full academic year will start in September 2015, but the campus already hosts 300 research laboratories and 15,000 faculty and doctoral students, and 10,000 master’s students. Together, its institutions will offer 17 doctoral programs, eight schools from law and political science to biology and medicine, and 49 masters programs.
– The Local [7]
May 28, 2015
Norway
International Enrollments Up as Country Considers Tuition Fees
The issue of whether or not to charge students from outside Europe tuition fees is a contentious one in Norway, for reasons ranging from social ideologies to labor market dynamics. And it is becoming a significant issue, as Norway attracts ever-increasing numbers of international students.
In 2003, the number of foreign students in Norway was less than half what it is now. In 2012 there were 19,249 foreign students studying in the country, representing nearly a tenth (8.5%) of Norway’s university student population. Growth has mainly come from the Ukraine (a 751% jump) in recent years along with Nepal (+648%). Poland, Denmark, and France also registered as significant growth markets. The biggest source countries for Norway’s higher education institutions, however, remain Sweden (1,676 students in 2012), Russia (1,061), Germany (968), China (907), and Denmark (861).
Early last year, the government started pushing for the introduction of tuition fees for non-EEA students to help offset budget cuts to universities. The move was widely protested by universities, student groups, and opposition groups in parliament, who argued that it was contradictory to the country’s internationalization goals and to its core social principles. The proposal did not proceed, yet not all Norwegians are content to continue with the status quo stance on international students in the country.
The Norwegian National Federation of Enterprises (NHO) is among the most vocal in saying that taxpayers should not have to subsidize foreign students studying and living in Norway – at least not without getting something in return. It would like to see changes made so that the international students who are accepted (1) can contribute to the Norwegian economy with in-demand skills and (2) should be encouraged to stay in the country after graduation.
It will be interesting to see how Norway directs its internationalization policies over the next few years. But for now, Norway will remain among the few Western destination countries welcoming international students to study with free tuition and no constraints on what they wish to study.
– ICEF Monitor [8]
April 10, 2015
Republic of Ireland
New Reforms Introduced to Tackle Student Visa Immigration Abuse
The Irish government introduced an interim list of approved providers in June, further restricting the number of programs that can be used for visa purposes, after a nine-month delay, as part of a raft of reforms to tackle immigration abuse in the sector. The new measures were proposed as a response to a series of English language school closures in Ireland, as well as the abuse of practices in the sector.
The government policy statement, entitled “Reform of the international education sector and student immigration system,” outlines the new measures which the government hopes will provide lasting change in the sector.
The first version of the new list will feature only higher education and English language providers. VET and further education programs will not be included. In addition, students doing a 25-week language program will have their immigration permission reduced from 12 months to eight months.
Other reforms include requiring higher education programs that wish to recruit international students to be accredited by Irish awarding bodies, or to have equivalent accreditation by an EU university. Learner protection will also be made compulsory, with all private providers needing to show evidence of their arrangements should there be a closure. In addition, providers receiving funds from students in advance will be required to have them held in an escrow bank account while the visa decision is pending.
– The PIE News [9]
May 26, 2015
United Kingdom
Universities Want to Experiment with GPA Degree Classifications
More than 50 higher education institutions have expressed an interest in running a US-style grade point average scheme alongside traditional degree classifications. Under the new system, outlined in a report by the GPA Advisory Group [10], an average mark ranging from 0 to 4.25 would be awarded next to the traditional British honors classification.
The group, which oversaw a one-year pilot of GPA at 21 institutions, calls for universities to run GPA for a trial period of five years alongside the current classification system, which in the past critics have labeled as being “not fit for purpose.”
The report, published by the Higher Education Academy in May, says the trial will give institutions the opportunity to monitor the effects of introducing the new system. Some may switch to using GPA alone as it offers a more detailed and accurate picture of how individuals performed throughout their studies, it says.
“A process of ‘dual running’ will allow institutions to adopt GPA within timescales that suit their institutional context while ensuring that a national system is retained,” said Sir Bob, who chaired the advisory group.
Under the scheme proposed by the group, graduates would receive one of 16 numerical marks up to 4.25, which would correspond to grades between A+ and F-. This compares with the five-level honors classification system, in which 70 percent of graduates earned either a first or a 2:1 last year.
– Times Higher Education [11]
May 28, 2015
Travel Abroad More Popular than Study Abroad Among UK, U.S. Students
A study of more than 7,000 U.S. and UK students shows that a high proportion of students who say they are not interested in study abroad would like to live or work internationally.
The British Council’s Broadening Horizons report highlights opportunities for educators to show students the benefits of studying abroad. The report has also found a greater interest in study abroad among U.S. students than their UK counterparts.
Over half of the 4,625 U.S. students surveyed for the report expressed interest in studying abroad, compared with just over a third of the 2,856 UK students surveyed, with the opportunity for adventure and travel shown to be a greater motivator than career enhancement. However, almost two thirds of those who were undecided or had no interest in study abroad said that they did want to travel or live abroad.
Costs, personal wellbeing and a lack of language skills were cited as the main deterrents to study abroad among both groups.
– The PIE News [12]
May 28, 2015
University College London Considers Closure of International Branch Campuses
University College London (UCL) is considering closing down its international campuses as it dismantles its bricks and mortar presence outside the UK in favor of creating partnerships with existing institutions overseas.
The decision, taken by Dame Nicola Brewer, UCL’s vice provost for international projects, reflects a growing concern among British universities about the cost of running satellite branches in new education markets. UCL will start winding down its Australian campus, which was originally established seven years ago, and is due to stop teaching in Kazakhstan this summer. Its campus in Qatar is under review.
“We have learnt a huge amount from largely working on a consultancy basis in Kazakhstan, and working in Adelaide and Qatar, but I do think you have to think about what will be… financially sustainable,” Dame Nicola told the Financial Times. “[Having a physical campus] is very expensive, and if you only have a limited number of students it takes time to build up funding for research, and usually research funding only covers about 80 percent of costs.”
As it closes the Adelaide site, UCL has already made an agreement to work in partnership with the University of South Australia and hopes that this will be a model for relationships with academic institutions in regions such as China, southern Africa and Latin America. The university is aiming to establish three so-called “anchor partners” by the end of next year, with a view to awarding dual degrees, creating joint academic appointments and undertaking combined research projects.
Under her international strategy, changes will also be made to the recruitment of international students on the London campus. The intention is to shift away from the top five recruitment markets — China, the U.S., Hong Kong, Singapore and France — and towards other regions that are not so well represented. Two-thirds of the university’s annual tuition fee income comes from international students who make up 37 percent of the student population.
– Financial Times [13]
May 21, 2015
Huge 50% Jump in Number of Study Abroad Students
The number of students at UK universities who went abroad as part of their studies soared by 50 percent last year – a sign, say academics, that Britain might just be about to shed its image as a ‘language dunce’ because of the drop in the number of young people studying languages.
The figures show 28,640 UK students went abroad last year either to study or take up an internship as part of their program – up from 18,105 the previous year. They include 15,566 students on the Erasmus project – where students get to study or work for a year in another European country as part of a deal originally set up by the EU’s Lifelong Learning Program. This in itself was a 6.8 percent increase on the previous year.
Professor Rebecca Hughes, the British Council’s director of education, said: “This latest evidence confirms that a growing number of the UK’s students are recognizing the huge value to be gained from international experience. The UK needs graduates who have the skills and confidence to compete globally and can compete against foreign talent who may speak more languages and have wider international experience.”
– The Independent [14]
June 3, 2015
No Change to Student Visa Policy, Education Exports to Rise by Two-Thirds Says New Government
The newly elected Conservative government has set targets to increase education exports from £18 billion in 2012 (US$27.5 billion) to £30bn ($46 billion) by 2020, but has no plans to change the visa rules for international students, according to the new minister for universities and science, Jo Johnson.
The UK’s offering to international students is strong, Johnson said at the British Council’s recent Going Global conference, but has “suffered from misconceptions and, in some countries, misunderstandings.”
University leaders have criticized the previous coalition government’s policy on international students, arguing that its rhetoric, and the removal of post-study work visas – which allowed students to work for two years after finishing their program – was deterring international students from choosing the UK. Vice-chancellors have also called for international students to be removed from net migration targets. The number of Indian students coming to the UK fell from 18,535 in 2010-11 to 10,235 in 2012-13, according to a report by the Higher Education Funding Council for England [15].
Johnson defended the Home Office’s approach to international students, which has shut down 870 bogus colleges since 2010: “It is in the interests of everyone in the higher education sector to drive up quality and drive up standards.”
Johnson did not give details of how the UK would boost the value of education exports, but said the market has three business streams. “We have the component of education exports derived from income from students coming to study here; we have our institutions basing themselves overseas and then we have technology-enabled education exports.”
– The Guardian [16]
June 1, 2015
Scotland’s International Student Body Contributes $475 Million to the Economy
Last year, 34,670 students from outside the European Union (EU) traveled to Scotland to study at one of the country’s 18 higher education institutions, a report from Price Waterhouse Cooper found, contributing 312 million pounds (US$475 million) to the national economy, after accounting for use of public services.
But PwC warned that the British immigration system is viewed as particularly complex, impacting on international students’ overall experience of studying in the UK and making it difficult to secure work once they have graduated. PwC called on the UK Government to develop better data collection on migration so that “the real facts on inward and outward flows” can be charted.
It said the UK should follow the lead of Canada and Australia and classify students as temporary visitors, not migrants, and make it easier for international students to work in the UK for a few years after graduation.
– Herald Scotland [17]
May 28, 2015
Government Identifies 190 Bogus Universities
A government service exposing fake, online universities has identified 190 bogus institutions selling qualifications as part of a multi-million pound industry.
The Higher Education Degree Datacheck [18], commissioned by the UK Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, has discovered institutions such as the “University of Wolverhamton” (the “p” is missing) and Manchester University (University of Manchester is genuine) passing off degrees to unsuspecting students and willing fraudsters.
The international industry, peddling fake degrees sometimes unrecognizable from the real thing, is growing rapidly, with a 14 percent increase in the number of verifications carried out by the Datacheck service in the last year alone.
– International Business Times [19]
June 8, 2015