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Volume 13, Issue 3 
COVER PAGE
FEATURE
REGIONAL NEWS PRACTICAL INFORMATION
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Regional News
Enrollments in postgraduate programs jumped from 70,000 to about 140,000 between 1989 and 1999. Last year, 27,500 students were working on doctorate or post-doctorate degrees, compared with 16,400 in 1989, an increase of 68 percent. Likewise, the number of students undertaking master's degrees in 1999 was 65,400, up from 45,000 a decade earlier (a 43.5 percent increase).
A greater number of women are also pursuing postgraduate studies. Female students now comprise 51.5 percent of all postgraduates. There are about the same number of women enrolled in master's programs as men, and it is estimated that they will actually exceed the number of male Ph.D. candidates in the near future.
As a result of increased enrollments in postgraduate programs, student-staff ratios are declining. A number of other trends are also contributing to the reshaping of university campuses around the country. There are proportionately more females than males studying at universities now, and cultural diversity is also increasing on campuses, thanks largely to the globalization of higher education.
— Campus Review
The need for faculty upgrading remains a major priority. Most of the staff do not work full-time, and the average salary for primary school teachers and university faculty is US$20 per month. As a result, even faculty members who are lucky enough to get extra teaching hours have to struggle to support their families. Students are admitted to the university by passing a series of national entrance exams administered each year by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport. In 1998/99, there were 4,577 students enrolled at the university, of which only 23 percent were women. The university is also in the process of adopting a credit system. It seems likely that 155 credits will be required for graduation rather than the average 120 required in the United States. Due to the lack of state funding, the government has also allowed the university to charge tuition fees to generate income. It is hoped that the income will improve academic quality by upgrading staff and faculty. — International Higher Education
Applicants for overseas study are chosen based on ability rather than job seniority. Deciding factors in the selection process include work skills and foreign language skills. The China Scholarship Council stated that the new contracts have so far been very successful in bringing students home after studying abroad. But according to the Ministry of Education, it is China's rapid economic growth over the past two years that serves to prevent scholars from staying in their host countries after graduation.
— China Daily
All courses will be offered online. Discussion classes and question-and-answer sessions will be conducted synchronously via the university's network exchange center. Although admission requirements to the new university will not be particularly demanding, students must pass a rigorous final exam to graduate. Applicants must hold an undergraduate degree in computer science or a related field.
Graduates of China Online University will be awarded graduate study completion certificates issued jointly by the Tsinghua Graduate School and School of Continuing Education. The university also plans to offer courses in cooperation with People's University and Peking University.
— China Online
— The Economist
Admission to the program requires:
1) A bachelor's degree or higher qualification from a recognized university;
2) Two years of teaching experience in a primary school or a secondary/higher/senior secondary school recognized by the central or state government, or Union Territory;
3) A passing grade on an entrance test, which will be conducted throughout India on Aug. 6, 2000.
— University News
— University News
Critics claim that private tutoring discriminates against those primary and secondary school children whose parents cannot afford it. Pupils who are tutored after school have a better chance of getting into top colleges, thus gaining access to better job opportunities after graduation.
In response to the court ruling, which declared the ban unconstitutional, President Kim Dae-Jung said the government plans to enforce stern tax audits against the rich to curb the widespread practice of expensive tutoring. However, this strategy has been widely criticized.
In addition, Education Minister Moon Yong-Lin suggested subsidizing students from low-income families in certain subjects such as English and computer science. The ministry recently established an ad hoc committee to debate the controversy stemming from private tutoring and has proposed a bill for legislation that would crack down on overpriced tutoring.
— Korea Herald
The university will be part of Universitas 21, an international association of 18 universities in 10 countries around the world. Earlier in the week, Universitas 21 announced plans to create a new higher education company with TSL Education, a subsidiary of News Corporation. It hopes to begin offering courses by late next year, although the director of the Universitas Secretariat in Melbourne could not say in what capacity they would be offered or at what cost.
The alliance between Aukland University, News Corporation and Universitas 21 will strive to become a major player in the emerging e-education market. Murdoch was confident "it would be a mutually profitable partnership of great universities."
Aukland University's International Pro Vice-Chancellor Dr. Christopher Tremewan said that News Corporation had the capacity to reach 75 percent of the world's population and would also supply "deep pockets." He further explained that the partnership is largely a response to declining government funding for research-intensive universities and the vast changes that have taken place in higher education in recent years.
Courses and programs offered through these institutions will not necessarily be developed by them. However, the alliance will endorse all qualifications.
— The New Zealand Herald
Hence, students who successfully complete these programs will be awarded their MBBS or BDS degrees by Karachi University.
— Dawn.com
A spokesman for NTU said the groundbreaking decision opens the door for other Thai students to earn qualifications from overseas institutions that offer academic programs at a distance. NTU, based in the United States, offers graduate courses via satellite in engineering, science, technology and management.
According to the Thai Office of Civil Service Commission, the average cost to send a student overseas for graduate study is $25,000 per year. In contrast, it costs between $15,000 and $24,000 to earn a degree at NTU.
— The Chronicle of Higher Education
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During the past 10 years, the number of students pursuing postgraduate studies in Australia has doubled. The recent groundswell is placing tremendous pressure on research facilities and resources, as well as on supervision.