New Zealand: International Student Spending Escalates Dramatically in Two Years

Double-digit growth of international student enrollments has led to an uptick in spending and substantial economic impact in a short period. International enrollments grew by 13 percent annually between 2013 and 2015. Spending by international students in New Zealand increased by more than 50 percent over the past two years and reached NZ$ 4.04 billion (USD $2.95 billion) in 2015/16. International student spending now supports approximately 32,000 jobs. China and India are the biggest source countries of students, accounting for 35 percent and 16.4 percent of spending, respectively.

ICEF Monitor
February 2, 2017

China: Hong Kong and Shenzhen to Establish Joint Education and Technology Park

Hong Kong and Shenzhen plan to cooperate in building a technology and higher education park on territory formerly disputed between the two cities. The park will accelerate the economic and academic integration of the two cities, and help Shenzhen to reach its goal of doubling the number of higher education institution, and increase student numbers to 200,000 by 2025. The park, which will be four times the size of the already existing Hong Kong Science Park, is supported by universities and governments in both Hong Kong and mainland China, although it still needs to be approved by Hong Kong’s legislature. According to official sources, the world’s top universities, research institutes, and enterprises will be invited to set up branch campuses and facilities in the park.

University World News
January 20, 2017

Australia: Demonetization in India Expected to Lead to a Sharp Decrease in International Student Enrollments

The Association of Australian Education Representatives in India expect that a November 2016 move to clean up a cash-driven black market economy may lead to a decrease in Indian enrollments. The Indian government’s sudden decision to withdraw a number of widely used bank notes from circulation has overburdened Indian banks and caused delays in the processing of student loans. In the face of the demonetization efforts, millions of Indian citizens were affected. The Australian government now expects enrollments from the country to drop more sharply than initially anticipated. Despite some Australian universities willingness to extend payment deadlines for the February student intake, it is now feared that the demonetization will result in a 30 to 35 percent decrease in Indian students. As it is in many countries around the world, India is the second leading country of origin for international students in Australia, right behind China.

The PIE News
January 19, 2017

India: Proposed Bill Seeks Autonomy for India’s Institutes of Management

India’s federal government has introduced a bill that would free the country’s Institutes of Management (IIMs) from federal oversight and turn them into autonomous Institutions of National Importance. The move would affect the types of credentials the schools can offer. Under the proposed legislation, IIMs would no longer be limited to awarding postgraduate diplomas in business administration, but could now award full-fledged MBA degrees. Many postgraduate diplomas issued by IIMs are considered equivalent to MBAs in India, but are not always recognized as MBA degrees abroad. It is currently unclear when the legislation will be introduced in parliament.

Academics-India.com
January 2017

The Philippines: State Universities to be Tuition-Free

The government of the Philippines has increased its education budget from USD $8.7 billion to USD $11 billion in 2017 in order to eradicate tuition fees at state universities. The move, which has been described as “pro-poor,” will reduce costs for 1.4 million students at 113 public universities and colleges. Tuition-free education has been a long-term demand of the country’s student movement and some law makers. Scrapping tuition fees was a campaign promise of President Rodrigo Duterte and other candidates in last year’s presidential election.

University World News
January 14, 2017

Vietnam: Growth of University Sector Has Led to High Numbers of Unemployed Graduates

An estimated 200,000 Vietnamese university graduates are unemployed; they comprise about 20 percent of all officially unemployed persons in the country. The rapid expansion of Vietnam’s higher education is one factor: The number of higher education providers in Vietnam more than tripled in recent years, from 133 universities and colleges in 2007-2013 to almost 500 in 2015. This increase has led to an oversupply of graduates: The country produces 400,000 bachelor’s degree holders each year, but only absorbs 20,000 of these graduates into the labor market.

VietNamNet Bridge
January 12, 2017

Kazakhstan: Strong Growth of Outbound Student Mobility

The last decade has seen a rise in outbound student mobility from Kazakhstan – mostly to Russia. The number of international students from Kazakhstan has increased by 140 percent, with 66,623 Kazakhstani students studying abroad in 2015 as compared to only 28,249 in 2006. The mobility of Kazakhstani student is primarily limited to neighboring countries: 74 percent of students from Kazakhstan studied in Russia in 2015, followed by 7 percent in Kyrgyzstan. By comparison, only 3 percent of outbound students were enrolled at U.S. institutions in 2015.

ICEF Monitor
December 16, 2016

China: Chinese Government Introduces Nationwide Entrance Exam for Executive MBA Programs

In an attempt to crackdown on substandard quality, The Chinese government mandated standardized admission requirements for entry into the country’s executive MBA programs. As of December 1^st 2016, higher education institutions are required to use a government-controlled standard admissions test. Until now, universities were free to set their own admissions standards – a circumstance that resulted in programs with substandard or non-existent admission requirements. There are presently approximately 40,000 students enrolled in MBA programs at 230 institutions in China, many of which are offered in collaboration with foreign partner universities.

University World News
December 1, 2016