World Education News and Reviews

Sept./Oct. 2002

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Regional News

Africa

Illiteracy Still a Problem in Asia and Africa According to a recent United Nations report, worldwide illiteracy is diminishing, with the rate estimated at 23 percent today compared to 45 percent 50 years ago. Although this improvement remains a remarkable achievement given the fact that, over the same period, the world population has risen significantly, there are still significant disparities. Illiteracy rates remain the highest in Africa and Asia. In 1995, for example, 19 countries had an illiteracy rate of at least 70 percent. Fourteen of those countries were in Africa and five were in Asia. Moreover, the number of illiterate people is rising in southern Asia, sub-Saharan Africa and the Arab states. Director-general, of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Federico Mayor,recently called on all governments concerned "to redouble their efforts to spread adult education and literacy." He said solidarity between industrialized countries and developing countries should to be strengthened, suggesting that non-government organizations (NGOs), the private sector and voluntary groups could play pivotal roles toward this end. — BuaNews (Pretoria) Sept. 9, 2002

ANGOLA

16,000 Children Without Education

More than 16,000 children in the central province of Bié are not in school due to a lack of classrooms and teachers. According to local authorities, most school facilities were destroyed during the recently ended civil war.

A dearth of textbooks and other educational materials has exacerbated the situation. Government officials told reporters they are dealing with the crisis by building new schools.

— Angola Press Agency (Luanda)
Sept. 3, 2002

ETHIOPIA

Four Colleges to Assume University Status

Mekelle University College, Bahir Dar University, Jimma University and South University will soon be upgraded to full-university status.

Currently, the four institutions are designated as university colleges linked under the umbrella of a single university. These schools will soon function as autonomous, full-fledged universities, bringing the total number of universities in Ethiopia to six.

One senior-level education official cautioned that although the institutions have met the required criteria to assume university status, they must improve the quality of education they provide.

The presidents of the four university colleges said that upgrading their institutions will allow them to provide education geared toward addressing local problems.

— Walta Information Center
March 2002

KENYA

New Nursing Degree Offered

Kenyatta University currently offers a new international degree in nursing.

The new program will be offered in conjunction with Emory University's School of Nursing in the United States and the Lilian Center for International Nursing in Great Britain.

The bachelor of science in community health and nursing will be offered through Kenyatta's Open Learning Center. It will include hospital-based residential sessions.

— The East African Standard (Nairobi)
Aug. 17, 2002

New Mombassa University Announced

The government recently announced plans to build a new university in Mombassa in early 2003. Talks with the Saudi Arabian benefactors were scheduled to take place in mid-September.

The project is being seen as a major education boost for the Coastal Province, which has continued to record better performance every year.

In addition, a group of church-based organizations are set to establish a university at Maandani in the Kilifi district. The construction of the campus will be funded by U.S. donors, as well as by Methodist, Anglican and Baptist churches from all over the world.

— The East African Standard
Sept. 9, 2002

Three Colleges to Absorb WUST Faculties

It was recently announced that at least three colleges in Western Province are to be upgraded to offer different faculty courses for the new Western University of Science and Technology.

The colleges include Sangalo College in Bungoma, Kaimosi College of Technology in Vihiga and Sigalagala Technical College in Kakamega.

According to officials, the purpose of the move is to prevent overcrowding at the university's main campus.

— The East African Standard (Nairobi)
Aug. 28, 2002

MOZAMBIQUE

Canadian Aid Package Targets Education

Canada recently agreed to donate 35 million Canadian dollars (about 22.3 million US dollars) to bolster Mozambique's education sector. The money is earmarked for two different programs: The first, scheduled to be launched in 2003-04, will improve access to and the quality of basic education, and the second will be geared towards strengthening education support services.

Canada is regarded as the country's largest partner in terms of providing school materials for primary education. Canadian cooperation with Mozambique also covers the sectors of rural water supply, micro-credit, transports and communications and the fight against HIV/AIDS.

— Agencia de Informacao de Mocambique
Sept. 6, 2002

NIGERIA

Only 5 Obafemi Awolowo Degree Programs Gain Accreditation

The National Universities Commission (NUC) has accredited only five academic programs offered by Obafemi Awolowo University, (OAU).

The NUC granted interim accreditation to 37 courses and denied approval to eight others. The five degree programs given full accreditation were in agriculture, civil engineering, mechanical engineering, electronic engineering and nursing science. Programs denied accreditation were not listed.

— This Day (Lagos)
Aug. 20, 2002

At Least 15 Killed in Attack on Students

Several armed men burst into a classroom at the University of Nigeria campus in Nsukka and opened fire on students taking engineering examinations. At least 15 people were killed in the June attack, witnesses and police said. Several other people were seriously injured.

Officials blamed a university secret society believed to be targeting a rival student group.

The assailants used three cars to flee the engineering complex. Police have arrested two students, Enugu Police Commissioner Nwachukwu Egbochukwu said.
Several university officials and students, speaking on condition of anonymity, said they counted 15 to 18 bodies, most of them students but including at least two lecturers. Nigeria's daily Vanguard newspaper reported 18 killed.

The Nsukka campus and another in Enugu were closed indefinitely after the attack.

Rivalries between student movements at Nigerian universities have been blamed for hundreds of deaths in campus clashes since the early 1990s.

— The Associated Press
June 19, 2002

UGANDA

New Catholic University to be Established

The Brothers of Christian Instruction (BCI) recently announced plans to establish a university campus in Kisubi.

A BCI spokesman said he had concluded talks with Uganda Martyrs University, Nkozi, to help set up the country's second Catholic-based university. It is not yet known when construction will begin.

The BCI also plans to build a new comprehensive school at Bubule.

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni hailed the organization for supplementing government efforts in providing quality education.

— New Vision (Kampala)
August 20, 2002

ZAMBIA

Faculty Strike and Student Demonstrations Lead to Closure of College

A faculty-led strike and student demonstrations closed Evelyn Hone College on Aug. 18. Armed police officers ordered all students to vacate the campus.

Students were angered by the fact that they had paid their fees but could not attend classes because lecturers were on strike. School officials said the campus had suffered significant damage resulting from the student unrest but provided assurances that the college would reopen for the third term on September 16, 2002.

— The Post (Lusaka)
Aug. 19, 2002

ZIMBABWE

University Graduates Face Bleak Future

President Robert Mugabe presided over the the University of Zimbabwe's August graduation ceremony, officially launching more than 4,000 graduates into a dismal job market.

With the country mired in severe economic crisis, the majority of graduates will be unable to find sustainable jobs. A record unemployment rate of 70 percent, soaring inflation currently pegged at 122 percent and international isolation are all clear signs that the economy is on the verge of collapse.

Although the government has poured billions of dollars into education since gaining independence in 1980, Zimbabwe remains a poaching ground for countries around the world seeking cheap professionals. Most university graduates take the earliest possible opportunity to leave the country for greener pastures in the United Kingdom, United States and New Zealand.

— Zimbabwe Standard (Harare)
Aug. 20, 2002

Americas

Study Abroad Still Popular After Sept. 11 Attacks The following is a brief overview of the Institute of International Education's online survey about how the September 11 terrorist attacks affected international educational exchange. For a complete analysis of the survey results, the news release and a summary of the discussion board responses, please visit the IIENetwork Web site at http://www.iienetwork.org. Major Findings of the Electronic Survey for Fall 2002: • International educational exchange continues to be seen as equally or more important after September 11, 2001, than prior to the attacks. Ninety-eight percent of the international education professionals responding said that international educational exchange, including study abroad, is regarded as more important (46 percent) or equally as important (51 percent) on their campuses in the aftermath of September 11. These findings confirm the initial response of educators polled six weeks after the attacks last fall, when 97 percent reported that international education is of equal or greater importance on their campus. • Study abroad is more popular than ever. Approximately two-thirds of the educators reported that 2002-03 applications for study abroad have either continued to increase or remained the same on their campus. Forty-two percent of the respondents saw an increase in the number of U.S. students applying for study abroad programs in 2002-03, and 31 percent reported no noticeable change in the number of applications or requests for information on study abroad. • International student interest continues to increase. Asked about the number of applications from international students for the 2002-03 academic year, 41 percent of the respondents reported an increase and 32 percent reported no noticeable change. While it is too early to report final enrollment numbers for the current academic year, international student enrollments appear to be steady or rising, with 33 percent of respondents reporting that the total number of international students enrolled on their campuses has increased since last year and 35 percent saying they have not seen any noticeable change. • Enrollments of students from selected major Islamic countries are generally holding steady. However, some educators reported a dramatic decrease in enrollments of students from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, and one institution reported a double-digit drop in Indonesian students. For complete survey results, go HERE.

CANADA

Canadian Universities Benefit from 9/11 Aftershock

The number of foreign-student applications at the University of British Columbia (UBC) rose 43 percent this year to 4,029, compared with 2,814 in 2001. Simon Fraser University and the British Columbia Center for International Education have also reported substantial increases in foreign-student enrollments since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the United States.

University officials attribute much of the increase to fallout from the attacks. Amid current security concerns, they say, many international students fear that getting a visa to study in the United States would take too much time and bother. Canadian schools are taking advantage of the situation and marketing themselves as inexpensive and viable alternatives to U.S. colleges and universities.

According to the Canadian Bureau of International Education, more Arab governments are considering sending their students to Canadian institutions of higher education than they were a year ago.

The biggest surge in applications has come from the Muslim world. At UBC, for example, applications from Bangladesh rose 342 percent, while those from Nigeria increased 271 percent. Likewise, applications from Kuwait are up 300 percent; those from Saudi Arabia and Oman were up 250 percent and 200 percent, respectively.

With the implementation of policies designed to restrict immigration, and amid reports of isolated but well-publicized incidents of anti-Muslim harassment after the terrorist attacks, many international students, particularly those from the Muslim World view the United States as being hostile to foreigners.

— The Vancouver Sun
September 2002

UNITED STATES

New York to Reinstate Tuition Breaks to Illegal Immigrants

The New York Legislature this summer approved a plan to reinstate tuition discounts to illegal immigrants. Under the new provisions, illegal immigrants who have attended at least two years of secondary school in New York are eligible for in-state tuition rates at public universities. To qualify for the reduced tuition fees, the students must pledge to acquire legal-immigrant status.

In 2001, the federal government decreed that public universities in New York could no longer offer in-state tuition fees to illegal immigrants unless Americans from other states were given the same discount. Other states, including California, also prohibit illegal immigrants from attending public universities at the low rates charged to residents.

— The Times Higher Education Supplement
Aug. 9, 2002

Thousands of Muslims Barred from Entering the U.S.

A new policy implemented by the Bush administration has prevented tens of thousands of Muslim men from acquiring visas to the United States. Under the policy, male visa applicants between the ages of 16 and 45 who come from any one of 26 specified countries must be approved by officials in Washington, DC. Most of the countries are in the Middle East, but the list also includes Pakistan, Malaysia and Indonesia.

Currently, there is a backlog of approximately 100,000 visa applications pending approval by the FBI and CIA. According to some diplomats, the policy is creating tensions in the very countries the Bush administration is trying to win over in its fight against terrorism.

Most of the visa applicants are college students and business executives, according to American diplomats. Many of the students went home for summer vacation and now find they are unable to resume their studies. Business executives and civil servants have reported being denied visas to attend conferences and sales meetings in the United States due to the crackdown.

The Malaysian-American Commission on Educational Exchange reports that several hundred Malaysian students admitted to U.S. universities have not been able to get visas. The majority of the students are ethnic Chinese who don't pose much of a security threat but have been blacklisted anyway because of their country of origin. In addition, at least 400 students from Indonesia have been unable to enter the United States for the start of the school year. U.S. diplomats say that the policy is not doing much to improve the country's image abroad.

— The New York Times
September 2002

Cardean University to Offer New Online MBA

UNext Inc. plans to offer master's of business administration courses through its subsidiary, Cardean University. The new initiative aims to capitalize on the surge in the number of adult students, which always increases during a recession, while diminishing the company's dependence on corporate clients.

Although UNext has been selling its courses to corporations for two years, it will soon include among its clients more established educational institutions such as the University of Phoenix Online and DeVry University's Keller Graduate School of Management.

However, there are several obstacles to overcome. Analysts say Cardean faces stern competition from bricks-and-mortar universities offering online degrees and from institutions that mix classroom and Internet-based learning. The University of Phoenix, for instance, offers both on-campus and online degree programs.

Accreditation poses another possible problem. Although Cardean is recognized by a distance-learning accrediting body, it needs to enroll more students before it can obtain accreditation from a more prestigious organization.

The average cost of a Cardean MBA will be $30,000. Keller Online's MBA costs $25,920, and the University of Phoenix's costs an average of $23,000.

— Chicago Tribune
Aug. 6, 2002

Asia/Pacific

AFGHANISTAN

University Completes Post-Taliban Term

Despite Spartan conditions on campus — there is no water or electricity, students must use outdoor toilets and walls are pocked with bullet holes — Kabul University recently concluded its first post-Taliban semester. Approximately 20 percent of the students enrolled for classes this year are women, who had been forbidden to attend under the Taliban regime.

English language was one of the most popular subjects offered, and it was standing-room only in many classrooms.

The university's chancellor explained that most of the Islamic extremists who dominated the campus fled following the collapse of the Taliban government, while the rest have been driven underground.

The chancellor hopes extensive economic assistance from the United States and other Western countries can help rebuild the university and train the young professionals the country desperately needs. Twenty-three years of war have robbed the country of its best doctors, engineers and technicians, who left to work in Europe and America.

— CBSNEWS
June 2002

AUSTRALIA

Education Sector a Vehicle for People Smuggling

More than 6,000 overseas students have been expelled from Australia over the past year for visa irregularities, and 100 English-language colleges have closed — 33 of them in New South Wales — amid concerns that the education sector is being played by people smugglers to smuggle people into the country.

After a project targeting colleges that are bringing people into the country who have no intention of studying or who fail to meet study requirements, Sen. Kim Carr said, "Many colleges were legitimate, but there was a significant underbelly with people organizing scams who should be prosecuted. It is not the students, but those involved in organizing this criminal activity, that should be prosecuted."

— The Sydney Morning Herald
July 1, 2002

New School of Music in Adelaide

The Elder School of Music — the result of a merger of the University of Adelaide's Elder Conservatorium of Music and Flinders Street School of Music — opened in February. The school remains part of the University of Adelaide and provides students with a comprehensive range of programs in music theory and practice.

— Education Travel
April 2002

BANGLADESH

Tech University Closed Indefinitely

Student protests at the University of Engineering and Technology have forced officials to close the country's premier engineering institute indefinitely. This is the second university in two months to be shut down in the capital, Dhaka.

The decision was made after a day of battles between students and police officers. There had been tension on the campus since a female student was shot down by a stray bullet during a gunfight between two rival pro-government student organizations.

Although the campus is closed, nearly 30 students remain on a hunger strike, which began in August. In early September, four of the students were admitted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital in critical condition.

The University of Dhaka was closed temporarily in July, after 70 students there were injured in clashes between police and protesters.

— The Chronicle of Higher Education
Sept. 27, 2002

CHINA

Five-Year Plan Will Pump $731 Million into Higher Education Projects

As part of the "211 Educational Project," the Chinese Ministry of Education will inject 6 billion Yuan (US$731 million) into higher education.

The goal of the project is to transform approximately 100 Chinese colleges and universities into research bases for the country's economic, technological and social problems. The initiative will use an information service system to make more efficient use of each school's existing infrastructure and software.

The project has been running since 1996 and has already received 18 billion Yuan(US$2.2 billion) from the government which has helped to greatly improve the teaching and research conditions at many universities. Statistics show that by the end of 2000 student numbers had increased 90 percent. The number of instructors with doctorate degrees had also risen, by 109 percent.

— People's Daily
Sept. 17, 2002

Academy of Sciences Launches a Long Distance Educational Link

The Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), China's largest graduate academic institution, switched on a long-distance educational communication system connecting Beijing and Shanghai as part of a "knowledge and creation" project.

Considered China's premier academic body and research center for natural sciences, CAS has set up research branches all over the country in the hope of creating a superhighway of scientific information and resources. In the next decade, CAS hopes to promote the full use of its resources to spread scientific knowledge, create a scientific spirit and promote scientific methods.

CAS will spend five to 10 years building an information platform for electronic science, which will help scientists carry out research in a suitable environment, and boost national and multi-subject cooperation and exchanges.

— People's Daily
Sept. 4, 2002

Fraud Spurs Suspension of Computerized GRE

With 25,000 new full-time students going abroad every year, according to UNESCO, fraudulent documents have become a growing problem in China. Security breaches and cheating schemes on the computer-based Graduate Record Examination (GRE) exams have increased in recent years.

To combat the fraud, Educational Testing Services (ETS) has had to temporarily suspend the electronic GRE General Test and reintroduce paper versions in China.

— Overseas, Overwhelmed
Sept. 11, 2002

INDIA

JIMS Develops IT Management Degree

The Jagan Institute of Management Studies (JIMS) in Rohini has introduced a new, four-year bachelor's degree in computer-aided management (BCAM) in affiliation with Guru Nanak University in Amritsar. The degree program focuses on information technology and how managers can use it effectively.

The program joins JIMS's flagship courses in postgraduate diploma of business management and its newer three-year programs: bachelor's in business administration (BBA), bachelor's in certified accounting (BCA), and master's in certified accounting (MCA), in affiliation with the Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University.

All JIMS programs are designed to develop skills in two areas: education and the development of interpersonal skills.

— The Times of India
Sept. 9, 2002

Beware of High School Certificates

Recruitment of students from India has always been an area loaded with pitfalls, especially in regard to verifying credentials.

High school board certificates should be looked at closely. Due to the nature of the marksheets being used at present there is no way to distinguish a fake transcript from the real thing. In case of doubt, contact the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) to verify that marksheet roll numbers coincide with the CBSE's records.

Another option is to ask students to provide pass certificates in addition to their marksheets. Verify the details on both documents are consistent and that the seal and signature are the same.

CBSE has plans to introduce in 2003 a new marksheet, which will have identifiable characteristics when held under a special light.

— Overseas, Overwhelmed
Sept. 11, 2002

European MBA Now Available in India

Indian students looking for a prestigious European MBA, but who do not have the funds to pursue it abroad, now have the chance to receive one through the Global Business School (GBS) in New Delhi. GBS is offering France's Ecole Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées (ENPC) MBA program in India.

The ENPC is available as a general MBA or with a specialization in information technology. The program focuses on five key study tracks: information technology, international finance and economics, international marketing and strategy, leadership and general management.

— The Times of India
Sept. 9, 2002

Sylvan Learning Systems to Build New University

Sylvan Learning Systems (SLS) is planning the development of a university near Hyderabad in the state of Andhra Pradesh.

A memorandum of understanding has been signed between the government of Andhra Pradesh and SLS for the development of a 250-acre site. The new university will specialize in career-oriented fields such as hotel management and information technology.

— Education Travel
April 2002

IT Education Alliance Moves into India

U.S.-based Aptech and its global academic partner, Australian-based Southern Cross University (SCU) have launched an information-technology degree program in India.

The program, which is operational in approximately 20 countries, including Nigeria, Egypt, Iran, Malaysia, Fiji, Sri Lanka and China, with more than 1,000 students currently enrolled, incorporates the latest technology framework into the curriculum of a three-year bachelor's degree on campuses worldwide. It is hoped 500 Indian students in select metropolitan areas will take the course.

On completion of a total of 24 credits, students are eligible for a bachelor of applied computing degree from SCU.

— The Times of India
Sept. 9, 2002

INDONESIA

Islamic University to Open in Jakarta

The governments of Indonesia and Sudan are working together to open later this year a university in Jakarta specializing in the teaching of the Koran, Islamic banking and economics.

Faculty will come from both nations, and the Sudanese government will provide some financial assistance. According to Indonesia's Minister of Religious Affairs, Said Agil Husin al-Munawar, Sudan has already provided 70 scholarships for Indonesian students to study in Sudan and Egypt during the current academic year.

— Education Travel
April 2002

JAPAN

New Test to Ease School Application Procedure

International students wishing to study in Japan will soon have to sit a standard aptitude test, which will assess their suitability for entry. The test, which will be administered by the Japanese government, is being introduced to make the application procedure speedier, more consistent and easier to understand.

There will be 18 test locations: eight in Japan and 10 elsewhere, mainly in Asia, where 90 percent of the country's foreign students live.

The new test is part of a plan introduced by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology to increase the number of international students studying in Japan to 100,000 in the next 10 years. Chinese students currently make up 56 percent of the international student body of 78,812, according to the ministry.

— Education Travel
April 2002

Cutbacks to Hit Foreign Students

Japan's 78,000 international students are bracing for severe budget cutbacks. Starting in April, national-university tuition fees for international students will increase 7.2 percent.

Student aid at the more expensive private colleges will be cut 10.3 percent. Since 1987, the government has provided up to 30 percent funding annually to full-time international students at these institutions.

— The Times Higher Education Supplement
July 19, 2002

MALAYSIA

Zimbabwe Begins Student Exchange

Starting in August 2002, about 150 Zimbabwean students will be enrolling in various Malaysian short courses and degree programs. The first intake of students, which will enroll primarily in computer programming courses, will be in October; the second will be in January.

The exchange program was coordinated by Binary College of Malaysia, a youth organization called Tact and the Department of Youth Development, Gender and Employment Creation.

Degree programs include diploma in business administration, bachelor of arts in business administration, bachelor of commerce, bachelor of science in business administration, diploma in personnel management and advanced diploma in marketing.

Binary College President and Chief Executive Joseph Adaikalam said the first intake would determine whether the school would open a branch in Zimbabwe. "Depending on the demand of the various programs, we can set up a computer school in Zimbabwe," he said.

— The Herald (Harare)
Aug. 29, 2002

NEW ZEALAND

'Code of Practice' Markets Kiwi Educational System

All educational institutions in New Zealand enrolling foreign students now have to sign a code of practice, which was created by the New Zealand Ministry of Education for the care and well-being of foreign students.

The code covers topics such as the provision of up-to-date and accurate information, ethical recruitment procedures and general care and grievance procedures.

New Zealand is looking to promote itself as a provider of quality education. It appears the country is trying to distance itself from the heavily criticized Australian product , which has been accused of rampant commercialization of its higher education sector.

— Overseas, Overwhelmed
Aug. 7, 2002

PAKISTAN

New Commission to Police Higher Education

In early September this year, the government established the Higher Education Commission (HEC) to replace the University Grants Commission. The new commission will evaluate, improve and promote the country's system of higher education by formulating policies and priorities for colleges and universities. In addition, the commission will evaluate institutions' performance levels.

HEC will also set the criteria for accrediting new institutions, including those that are not part of the state educational system. It will set up national or regional evaluation councils or authorize any existing council to carry out accreditations, including their departments, faculties and disciplines, by giving them appropriate ratings.

The commission will also advise the federal and provincial governments on proposals for granting a charter to award degrees in both the public and private sector.

— Dawn
Sept. 12, 2002

SINGAPORE

Singapore to Guide the U.S. in Teaching Math and Science

Singapore has a worldwide reputation in mathematics and science, and the United States is hoping to learn a little from the Southeast Asian nation. Singapore was ranked No. 1 among 38 nations in 1995 and 1999 by the International Mathematics and Science Study.

Together, the two countries are studying how mathematics is being taught in U.S. schools. Already, 140 American schools are using Singaporean textbooks, and the study could pave the way for wider use of materials from Singapore.

Foreign academics have praised Singapore's mathematics textbooks for teaching the subject in an imaginative way. Concepts are presented in a visual manner, and the syllabus allows students to draw on what they have previously learned to help them understand more complex ideas.

The learning will not be a one-way process. Singapore is aiming to develop its thriving life-science industry and is seeking U.S. expertise in the area. To accomplish this, award-winning science teachers from the United States will go to Singapore to share their ideas and methods for success. There will also be more exchanges between prestigious universities and colleges.

— The Straits Times
Sept. 11, 2002

SOUTH KOREA

Korea Looks Abroad for More Students

The Ministries of Planning and Budget and Education and Human Resources Development will spend US$800,000 to lure foreigners to study in Korea.

Web sites full of information on Korean universities, a new online application system and measures to simplify Korean universities' entrance procedures are already in place. Changes in the law have made it possible for international students to work while attending school.

Currently, Korea's largest market is from Asia. Tuition and living costs are cheaper than in the United Kingdom, United States and Japan. The government hopes lower costs and a quality education will draw large numbers of students from countries such as China, Vietnam and Indonesia to Korea.

The government's efforts to attract more overseas students come at a time when there are only 6,000 foreign students studying in Korea, compared with 150,000 Koreans studying abroad.

— Education Travel
April 2002

Europe

FRANCE

Chinese, French Universities Sign Cooperation Agreement

Beijing Normal University and Ecole Supérieure de Paris have signed a cooperation agreement aimed at strengthening both universities' competitiveness. The institutions are considered top teacher-training institutes in their respective countries.

— People's Daily
Sept. 8, 2002

GERMANY

Bilateral Agreement to Aid Indian Universities

The Indo-German Export Promotion Project (IGEP), a bilateral trade program of the Indian and German governments, has developed a strategy to increase business between the two countries.

Various educational institutes across India hope to gain strong support for their human-resource development programs through the project. Currently, the IGEP is cooperating with different educational institutes in India to provide technical assistance and to help organize seminars and workshops.

— Hindustan Times
Sept. 16, 2002

Initiative Aims to Boost Number of Foreign Students

The German Ministry for Education and Research has agreed to finance the Joint Initiative for the Promotion of Study, Research and Training. The program, involving 35 different institutes and organizations, was launched in 2001 with the aim of increasing the number of international students choosing to study in Germany.

The project hopes to increase foreign students' knowledge of German culture, mentality and language and to establish future economic relationships. Toward that goal, tuition for international students in public universities is free.

Further encouragement for foreign students will include new rules governing the length of time that overseas students can work in Germany. Currently, the law allows students to work 90 days. The new law, as of January 2003, will allow students to work 180 half-days, with the possibility of an extension with permission from the local employment office. Students graduating from a German institution will be allowed to work in the country up to five years.

— Overseas, Overwhelmed
Sept. 18, 2002

IRELAND

Dublin School Teams Up with Chinese University for IT Training

A new software school at Fudan University in Shanghai is partnering with University College Dublin (UCD) for information-technology training.

The majors being offered are system software, network services and software engineering, with more than 300 students working toward their bachelor's and master's degrees.

Irish professors will teach one-third of the major classes, which will have about 50 students each. Students will receive bachelor's degrees from both institutions.

Teacher training will be a joint effort, as will cooperation with international software giants such as Microsoft, IBM and Intel.

— People's Daily
Sept. 4, 2002

ITALY

Classrooms Take On Circus Atmosphere

The University of Rome La Sapienza is using circus tents to ease classroom overcrowding. With 150,000 students, a dearth of classroom space and a new policy requiring mandatory class attendance, lecture halls are packed beyond capacity.

The first tent to be used will be large enough to accommodate 1,700 students, and will be divided into 17 lecture spaces. The tents will eventually be replaced by new buildings, part of an expansion plan, which when finished will triple the size of the university.

The University of Rome is one of Europe's largest institutions of higher education.

— The Chronicle of Higher Education
Sept. 6, 2002

MALTA

Maltese Universities Fear That EU Accession Will Leave Them Awash with Foreign Students

The University of Malta is getting ready for the country's likely accession to the European Union (EU) in 2003. Maltese citizens do not pay fees for their tertiary education, so university policymakers are concerned that membership will mean EU citizens will enjoy the same tuition-free benefits.

Currently, the university has 500 foreign students, thanks to a successful Erasmus program that allows international students to spend between a semester and a year in Malta, and Maltese students to do the same at a partner institution. Entry into the EU will bring increasing numbers of foreign students to Maltese shores, and university policymakers fear that these numbers will be more than they can cope with.

As EU nondiscrimination rules stand, once Malta becomes a member, students from EU countries will be charged fees only if Maltese students are too. A possible option is to reserve a number of places for Maltese students on the basis that the university provides the only opportunity for tertiary learning on the island.

— The Times Higher Education Supplement
June 28, 2002

SWITZERLAND

IBO Fights Fraud With New Documents

The International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO), based in Geneva, has recently introduced a new series of documents in an effort to combat fraudulent reproduction. Diplomas, certificates and other official documents will all be redesigned to better protect the IBO and its authorized schools. A number of the new designs are printed on paper with security features, from small overall designs that are not easy to copy, to silver threads that turn black when photocopied.

More information can be found at the official Web site, which also has a listing of member IBO schools, as well as information on its programs.

— IB World
August 2002

UNITED KINGDOM

International Baccalaureate Gaining Momentum

Controversy over the revamped A-level has prompted officials to look further at possible alternatives to the current structure. According to former Education Secretary Estelle Morris, a version of the broad-based international baccalaureate is still in the mix as a possible replacement of the current AS- and A-level system.

Agreement on a broader curriculum for 16- to 18-year-olds exists among government ministers. In February, a green paper on education for 14- to 19-year-olds proposed a "matriculation diploma" for secondary-school graduates. This diploma would display an array of qualifications, including A-levels, AS-levels, GCSEs (General Certificate of Secondary Education) and vocational skills. Ministers debated privately at the time whether or not to name it as a baccalaureate, but decided against it.

An estimated 45 independent schools have already begun to move toward the European style by offering the international baccalaureate. In Wales, the baccalaureate is being piloted in 19 schools ahead of its formal introduction next year, and head teachers are pressing for it to be introduced in England.

The attraction of the international baccalaureate is that it offers great breadth while retaining compulsory elements not only in core academic subjects but also in community service. Students must study six academic subjects over two years. Three subjects are taken at "standard" level (about the same as AS-level), and the other three at "higher" level. They must include English, math, science, humanities and a second language.

Debate for a new system of secondary education comes amid scandal about A-level grading and 11th-hour alterations of grade boundaries by the Oxford, Cambridge and RSA exam board.

— The Education Guardian
Sept. 23, 2002

Recent Name Changes, Mergers

• Cheltenham and Gloucester College of Higher Education is now University of Gloucestershire.

• The University of Lincolnshire and Humberside is now University of Lincoln.

• On Aug. 1, London Guildhall University and University of North London merged to become Metropolitan University.

— Department for Education and Skills
August 2002

Middle East

EGYPT

New German and French Universities Accused of Elitism

The German University in Cairo (GUC) is scheduled to open Oct. 2003 — with English as its main language of instruction.

The project received €600,000 from the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and start up capital from 40 Egyptian investors to the tune of €15 million.

The university's enrollment goal of 5,000 students over the first five years is part of an effort by the German Ministry of Education to promote its tertiary institutions abroad, especially in developing nations.

All courses and degrees at the university are technical subjects, and although they will be taught in English, German as a second language will be heavily promoted. Fees will be about €5,000 a year.

There have been criticisms in the Egyptian press that the university and another new private venture, a French University in Cairo, will cater only to the elite. In response German officials who have stated that scholarships will be made available to highly gifted students with limited means. Students receiving financial aid should make up about 10 percent of the student population.

The bachelors and masters degrees will be recognized in Germany and should be accredited in the European Union under the 1999 Bologna Declaration.

— The Times Higher Education Supplement
Nov. 1, 2002

ISRAEL

University of Latvia Degrees Are Under Scrutiny

The Israeli Education Ministry is no longer recognizing advanced degrees issued by the local branch of the University of Latvia. Any civil servant who received a pay increase on the basis of such a degree will lose it. Criminal investigations have found that the university frequently granted fraudulent degrees.

The American Burlington Academy in Israel is also coming under suspicion after arrests of top Teachers' Union officials suspected of fraudulently obtaining academic degrees and failing to pay their tuition to the academic institutions in which they were enrolled — branches of the University of Latvia and the American Burlington Academy in Israel.

— Ha'aretz daily
October 2, 2002

JORDAN

Advanced Nursing Degree Offered

Muta University's Princess Muna Nursing College near Karak has introduced an advanced degree in specialized midwifery.

The 36-hour program includes theoretical and practical training. The course is available only to postgraduate nursing students.

— The Jordan Times
Sept. 12, 2002

2,000 Students Will Transfer From Community Colleges to Public Universities

Under a new transfer system, 2,000 of the top-performing community-college students will soon be admitted to the kingdom's eight public universities.

The system will allow community-college students to transfer some earned credits toward a bachelor's degree at a state university. The top achievers on the Comprehensive Exam, a state-sponsored test for students who have completed a two-year degree at a community college, will be eligible.

— The Jordan Times
Sept. 19, 2002

LEBANON

Islamic School Enjoys 6 Years of Recognition

Islamic University of Lebanon, located in Beirut, was formally recognized by the Ministry of Education and Higher Education as a valid institution of higher education in June 1996.

For information about courses and programs, please visit the university's Web site.

— Correspondence from the Islamic University of Lebanon
August 2002

PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES

Colleges to Benefit Slightly from Saudi Aid

At a time when many Palestinian colleges and universities are on the verge of bankruptcy, the government of Saudi Arabia will soon be distributing US$200,000 grants to each of the 12 higher-education institutions on the West Bank and Gaza Strip. In addition, it is paying 75% of third- and fourth-year students' tuition and fees this year.

However, colleges and universities will still be seriously under-funded. In the past, Palestinian institutions relied heavily on tuition and fees, which the majority can now no longer afford. Universities have been taking the brunt of the economic shortfall and are subsidizing the cost of educating a large percentage of their student populations at a loss.

More than 85,000 students are currently enrolled in Palestinian universities scattered throughout the West Bank and Gaza.

— The Chronicle of Higher Education
Sept. 24, 2002

YEMEN

CALES Focuses on Small Classes

The Center for Arabic Language and Eastern Studies (CALES), a division of the University of Science and Technology in Yemen, offers three types of programs: private tutorials, two-student courses and small group courses comprised of three to six students. Students begin by taking private lessons and later join small groups of students. These programs generally last for one year, although shorter programs are also available.

— Correspondence from the Center for Arabic Language and Eastern Studies
August 2002

Russia & The Commonwealth of Independent States

Regional University to Service Central Asia A team of international scholars is creating a regional university that will serve some of the most remote and poverty-stricken areas of Central Asia. The University of Central Asia will bring secular education to the people of Tajikistan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. The university will offer degree programs based on a liberal arts and sciences curriculum. The programs are being created to serve a new elite in the hope they will provide leadership in the region. Fees will be charged. Alongside the degree programs will be a number of continuing and vocational education programs for civil servants, farmers and merchants to be offered at each of the three campuses. A treaty, ratified by the parliaments of Tajikistan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan has brought the university to fruition. The main campus at Khorog, in the Badakhshan region of the Pamir Mountains in Tajikistan, is already functioning as a continuing and vocational education center. It is expected to be fully equipped for undergraduate and graduate studies within the next four years. Two other campuses will be built at Tekeli, Kazakhstan, and Naryn, Kyrgyzstan. The institutions will offer equal access to all, and a woman, Dr. Raikhan Sissekenova, is directing the first phase of operations in Kazakhstan. Cost for the project is expected to reach US$200 million, and funding has come from a number of sources. The Aga Khan Foundation has pledged US$15 million, and governments in several countries — including Canada, Germany, Japan and Switzerland — as well as corporations and other foundations are expected to contribute. Students will get a grounding in English and computers before beginning course work. All undergraduate classes will be taught in English. Adult education programs, which will be taught in regional dialects, will respond to local needs in terms of language and subject matter, and will retrain civil servants and assist would-be entrepreneurs. — The New York Times Sept. 3, 2002

BELARUS

McDonald's, University Beef it Out

A turf war in downtown Minsk has broken out between a fast-food chain and Belarus' largest public university.

The land in dispute is home to a McDonald's restaurant, which is in the sixth year of a 40-year lease agreement with the city. The city has since acknowledged that it had no right to make the deal because the property is owned by Belarus State University.

Despite the school's claim to the land, the restaurant chain has refused to accept compensation from the university and will not consider proposals to relocate to other desirable locations. The company is seeking damages from the university.

— The Chronicle of Higher Education
Sept. 27, 2002

KYRGYZSTAN

British Partnership Results in Four New Books

The Kyrgyz Russian Slavonic University of Bishkek (KRSU) recently concluded a three-year academic partnership in journalism training with England's University of Westminster. The program was funded through the Department of International Development to develop higher education institutions in the former Soviet Union through partnerships with British universities.

Central Asian universities lack basic resources such as textbooks, adequate funding and qualified teachers, and practical training, which is widespread in Britain and elsewhere, is nonexistent at KRSU. Such deficiencies were addressed by the British partnership, which led to the publication of four textbooks on television and radio reporting in Russian by KRSU professors.

— The Times Higher Education Supplement
July 19, 2002

New Kyrgyz-Turkish University to Open in Bishkek

The foundations for a new campus of the Kyrgyz-Turkish University Manas in Bishkek were laid this summer. The construction of the largest student campus in Kyrgyzstan, situated on the territory of the capital's former airport, will cost an estimated $140 million.

It is set to be completed in 2010.

— Pravda
June 28, 2002

RUSSIA

Russian Medical Transcripts Recognized in the US

Ulyanovsk State University Medical Department and 58 other medical schools in Russia are to be included in the International Medical Education Directory, overseen by the US Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG).

May, of this year, saw graduates from the recognized colleges given the right to take ECFMG qualification exams.

— Pravda
June 14, 2002

St. Petersburg School Partners with 5 Belgian Universities

The Leti-Lovanium International School of Management, established twelve years ago by the St.Petersburg Electro-Technical University and the Catholic University of Leuven (Belgium), began a partnership with five Belgian universities recently: Antwerp University, Ghent University, the Flemish University of Brussels and Limburg University creating a new international management school.

Instructors from the five Belgian schools will work at the International School of Management in St. Petersburg, running the MBA courses and issuing diplomas from the participating establishments. Classes at the new school will begin in October, with an initial intake of 40 students, and tuition fees of US$4900 for the four-semester course.

— The St. Petersburg Times
September 2002

MBA Tour Heads for Russia

The World MBA Tour Virtual Fair is looking to include St. Petersburg and the North West Region of Russia in its schedule for 2003. The Virtual Fair is an online trade fair that gives access to a wealth of information on schools, programs and MBAs in general.

The event goes online a week before the actual event, giving those who wish to take part a chance to complete application forms that will allow access to the event. On the day of the event the fair is open for six hours and visitors can visit virtual booths, chat and interview with representatives from participating schools.

In the fall of 2002, the "physical" World MBA Tour will be visiting 32 cities across the globe with Moscow hosting the event on October 30 at the Radisson Slavjanskaya Hotel. Young Russians are registering in large numbers for the event with, according to an Oct.14 article in The Moscow Times, more than 1,000 Russians already registered to attend.

Representatives from about 70 U.S. and European business schools are participating in this opportunity to sell their programs to eager Russians. Among the institutions participating include: Fuqua School of Business Europe at Duke University, Georgetown University, Goizueta Business Scholl of Emory University, New York University's Stern School of Business, The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, The University of Chicago Graduate School of Business, Oxford Brookes University, and INSEAD.

Many U.S. institutions report an increase in Russian MBA student enrollments over the past few years. The most recent executive MBA business class at Chicago University's European campus in Barcelona has eight Russian students — 10 percent of the total — according to the program's managing director, Glenn Sykes. Rosemaria Martinelli, admissions director from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, said the number of Russian MBAs in the program quadrupled from three in 2001 to 12 in 2002.

In the current Russian business climate an MBA is not a prerequisite to success, however, most analysts agree that in the future an MBA will become a must for those who want to succeed in business in Russia.

More information on the World MBA Tour can be found at http://www.topmba.com.

— St. Petersburg Times
September 2002

— The Moscow Times
Oct. 14, 2002

Education in Ontario, Canada, Undergoes Changes

by Robert Sedgwick
Editor, WENR

Education in Canada differs from province to province, owing largely to the country's regionalism and binational (French and English) character. In contrast to the French-speaking province of Quebec, Ontario's system of education has been strongly influenced by the Protestant church and by its historical ties to England. The first universities in the province, for example, were modeled after Oxford and Cambridge. In addition, Canada's close proximity to the United States, the diversity of its population and the influx of immigrants have all shaped the evolution of education in Ontario.

Education in Ontario is compulsory from age six to 16. The school year runs from September to June.

In 1984, a new secondary school curriculum was introduced. The Secondary School Graduation Diploma (SSGD), awarded to 12th-grade graduates, and the Secondary School Honours Graduation Diploma (SSHGD), awarded to 13th-grade graduates, have both been replaced by a single qualification called the Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD).

Ontario's first institution of higher education was Kings College (established in 1827), which later became the University of Toronto. In 1841, the Presbyterian-affiliated Queen's University was founded, followed by the University of Ottawa in 1848 and the University of Western Ontario in 1878.

The 1960s brought unprecedented growth to Canada's system of higher education with the establishment of several universities, including Laurentian University, Brock University and Trent University.

In 1967, Ontario's first 19 community colleges of applied arts and technology (CAAT) were founded. Today, there are 25 such institutions.

The provincial government has jurisdiction over education at all levels. Despite cuts in public-sector support and tuition increases, universities remain publicly funded.

PRIMARY EDUCATION

Duration: Grades 1 to 8

Curriculum: Reading, writing, arithmetic, science, social studies, music, art and physical education. Second-language instruction usually begins at this level.

SECONDARY EDUCATION

Duration: Prior to 1984: Grades 9 to 12
               1984-2002: Grades 9 to 13
               Starting in 2003: Grades 9 to 12

Curriculum: Core/mandatory academic courses in English, French, mathematics, science, Canadian history, Canadian geography, physical education and social studies; plus electives that have an academic, business or technical orientation

Leaving Certificate:

• (Grades 9 to 12) before 1984: Secondary School Graduation Diploma (SSGD) and the Secondary School Honours Graduation Diploma (SSHGD)

• (Grades 9 to 13) 1984 to 2002: Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) and the Ontario Academic Course (OAC)

• (Grades 9 to 12) Starting in 2003: Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) and the Ontario Academic Course (OAC)

For more information on primary and secondary education in Ontario go HERE

HIGHER EDUCATION

Ontario maintains a binary system of post-secondary education. The province's 18 degree-granting universities are distinct from the 25 colleges of applied art and technology (CAAT) in terms of requirements for admission, programs offered and qualifications awarded. In addition, accredited universities belong to the prestigious Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada while the CAATs do not.

Two new universities are scheduled to open in 2003: the Ontario Institute of Technology and the World Trade University in Toronto.

The province also has 14 private institutions of higher education with restrictive authority to confer degrees, in addition to 300 private vocational schools. The latter are registered with the Ministry of Education's Private Vocational Schools Unit and offer job-oriented courses in such fields as computer training and English as a Second Language.

Religious education tends to be privately funded and is limited in its degree-granting capacity.

Most institutions of higher education offer both undergraduate and graduate programs. Some, however, only offer undergraduate degrees, such as Brock, Trent and Nipissing universities.

The provincial government also supports an extensive open learning system, which includes distance education through Contact North, established in 1986, the Prior Learning Assessment & Recognition Group (PLAR) and the Franco-Ontarian Distance Education Network. Contact North delivers university, college and secondary-school courses to more than 110 communities across northern Ontario. Credit and noncredit programs are available through provincial educational television networks such as TV Ontario and the French TFO.

For a complete listing of distance education institutions in Ontario go HERE

UNIVERSITY HIGHER EDUCATION

There are approximately 260,000 students enrolled in Ontario's 18 public universities, the Ontario College of Art & Design and the Royal Military College.

• Brock University
• Carleton University
• Lakehead University
• Laurentian University
• McMaster University
• Nipissing University
• Ontario College of Art & Design
• Queen's University
• Royal Military College
• Ryerson Polytechnic University
• Trent University
• University of Guelph
• University of Ontario Institute of Technology
• University of Ottawa
• University of Toronto
• University of Waterloo
• University of Western Ontario
• University of Windsor
• Wilfrid Laurier University
• York University

Entrance Requirements

Admission requirements vary from institution to institution and from department to department within individual institutions. In general, however, students who plan to attend a university must submit a completed OSSD, and are required to take six Ontario Academic Courses, which are offered by secondary schools. Students must file their applications through the Ontario Universities' Application Centre.

In the tradition of the British Commonwealth, four-year (honors) degree programs in Ontario are specialized and provide more in-depth study in a major subject than most undergraduate degrees in the United States. First professional degrees are also offered at the undergraduate level.

There are different admissions requirements for adult students and foreign students.

Programs and Degrees

Stage I: There are two types of bachelor's degrees in Ontario: a General/Pass Bachelor's degree requiring a minimum of three years of full-time study, and an Honours Bachelor's degree requiring a minimum of four years of full-time study with a prescribed specialization. Undergraduate study programs consist of coursework, and there is no thesis requirement. The University of Toronto is phasing out the three-year General/Pass degree and replacing it with a four-year degree.

In addition to the degree programs described above, Ontario's universities also offer professional education in a wide range of fields. At the more established universities, such programs are fiercely competitive. Although most of these programs are four years in length, others are longer such as the bachelor of architecture degree (5 years).
Other professions require some academic preparation, specific prerequisites and/or a three-year or four-year bachelor's degree. They are:

• Bachelor of Laws: 4 years—after 2 years of university
• Master of Library Science: 2 years—after bachelor's degree
• Doctor of Medicine: 4 years—after 2 years of undergraduate study
• Master of Social Work: 2 years—after bachelor's degree
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine: 4 years—after 2 years of undergraduate study
• Doctor of Dental Surgery: 4+2 years—after 2 years of pre-professional study
• Doctor of Optometry: 4 years after pre-professional study

Stage II: The Master's degree usually takes two years of full-time study to complete. Some programs require a thesis, while others may be comprised entirely of course work (for example, a master's in education).

Stage III: The Doctor of Philosophy/Philosophiae Doctor generally takes three to five years to complete.

For more information on universities in Ontario go HERE

NON-UNIVERSITY HIGHER EDUCATION

Colleges of Applied Art and Technology (CAAT)

Admissions applications to CAATs in Ontario are processed by the Ontario Colleges Admissions Centre. The OSSD is required, and the programs lead to certificates and diplomas in occupational fields.

Credentials offered at CAATs

Certificate: less than 1 year and up to 2 years full-time.

Diploma: 2-to-3 years of full-time study.

Post-Graduate Diploma: 1 year of full-time study.

Post-Graduate Certificate: 1 year of full-time study

For more information on Ontario's colleges of applied arts and technology go HERE

TEACHER TRAINING

Since 1974, Ontario has had only one teaching certificate, the Ontario Teacher's Certificate (OTC), for all levels and types of education (elementary, secondary, vocational and occupational).

Prospective teachers are required to complete a three-year bachelor's degree, followed by at least one year of study in the Ontario Teacher's Program, leading to a bachelor's in education and the OTC. As an alternative, students can complete a bachelor of education program requiring four years of study.

An OTC in technical studies requires completion of a one-year teacher education program in technical studies. Admission requirements to this program include a combination of job-related experience and education within the field of technical studies.

All education faculties and teacher colleges in Ontario are now affiliated with universities.

WES GRADING SCALE

Grading scales may vary. Please refer to the grading scale on the transcript.

Feature

The Trade Debate in International Higher Education

by Robert Sedgwick
Editor, WENR

In most countries around the world, education has traditionally been viewed as a public good provided and guaranteed by the state. To consider it a moneymaking enterprise or a tradable commodity was nothing short of blasphemous. But in recent years, this attitude has been changing. As governments find themselves unable or unwilling to cope with the skyrocketing demand for education and training, foreign education providers have burst onto the scene to take up some of the slack and make some hard-earned cash at the same time.

Last year for instance, Sylvan Learning Systems, a for-profit education company based in Baltimore, announced plans to open an international institution of higher learning in India that will offer courses in information technology, hotel management, engineering, business and health sciences. It is Sylvan's sixth international venture and its first outside of Europe and Latin America. Both Sylvan and Apollo Group, Inc., the two biggest education companies in the United States, are quoted on the New York Stock Exchange.

General Motors currently offers courses and training programs in classrooms all over the world and also electronically, via distance-learning satellite. The company recently teamed up with Unext's Cardean University to provide online-learning opportunities to GM employees.

The first pan-Arab open university is scheduled to open in Kuwait in 2003. A Saudi development firm is funding the project, and British Open University will provide technical assistance and accreditation of degrees. With the click of a mouse, students from all over the Middle East will be able to download course materials and earn qualifications online. The new university is expected to enroll at least 5,000 students from all over the Middle East during the first year.

Not only is for-profit and online learning a growing international trend but competition between all education providers (traditional and non-traditional) has become more intense as well. Education, like other service sectors affected by globalization, is being incorporated into the market economy. Today many courses and degree programs are packaged and marketed just like other consumer goods, and students are increasingly seen as customers who have more choices than ever before.

Amid these developments the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) has stepped in to establish some guidelines while actively encouraging countries to open up their public systems of higher education to foreign competition. Some people are applauding these efforts. Others bemoan what they see as the encroaching "McDonaldization" of higher education.

Education for Sale

In the past ten years or so there has been a noticeable surge in the export of educational services around the globe. Online-learning courses, corporate-based education, branch campuses and franchises are all manifestations of the current trend. Although traditional, not-for-profit colleges and universities still provide the lion's share of higher education worldwide a new, market-oriented sector of education has been steadily gaining ground.

The technology revolution in the early 1990s greatly accelerated this trend, allowing education providers to beam their courses and programs to every corner of the world via the Internet. A student in Indonesia, for example, can now log on to the University of Phoenix Online, plug in a credit card number and be instantly enrolled in a computer science course. Today there are hundreds of cyber universities in operation, all trying to grab a piece of a potentially lucrative international education market.

Despite all the hype, however, online-learning still accounts for only a very small portion of cross-border trade in educational services. But experts are confident that the market will expand with increased international demand for higher education, greater online-learning possibilities and improved economic conditions among students.

The higher education market in the OECD countries is currently estimated at $30 billion annually. In 1999, there were 1.47 million foreign higher education students in these countries, an increase of more than 100,000 from the year before. The United States is the world's leading provider of educational and training services, followed by the United Kingdom and Australia. Germany and France, with their low fees, also attract large numbers of international students.

In the United States alone, education ranks among the top-five export services, generating an estimated $10 billion a year. However, this figure only includes revenues spent by foreign students studying on U.S. soil and does not account for all those enrolled outside the country with U.S.-based education providers.

The provision of U.S. training and educational services on foreign soil and in cyberspace is rapidly expanding. According to U.S. government sources, the global online-learning market — just for corporate training — is expected to grow at 50 percent annually to reach $23 billion by 2004. Hence, revenues from nontraditional modes of higher education for overseas students will soon exceed total revenues from foreigners studying on U.S. soil.

Moreover, experts predict that the online-learning trend will flourish in the post Sept. 11 era. Fears of a possible slowdown in the number of foreign students coming to the United States due to the current security crackdown have made distance-education initiatives especially attractive to education providers and international students alike. Currently 55 percent of higher education institutions in the U.S. offer one or more full college courses online.

At the same time, many problems and challenges have arisen as a result of increased commercialization and internationalization in higher education, particularly via the online-learning trend. Some countries have systematically inhibited the inflow of educational materials for political or cultural reasons, while others refuse to recognize degrees earned from foreign and private providers of higher education. Laws that restrict or prohibit foreign ownership of property make it difficult for education providers to set up branch campuses and franchise arrangements in certain countries.

Enter GATS

The rapidly expanding international education market, and the wave of protectionism it has spawned, impelled the World Trade Organization, through the General Agreement on Trade in Services, to include education in its list of services to be liberalized. Specifically, GATS is calling for the mutual recognition of credentials, the creation of common educational standards, the liberalization of professional accreditation and the eradication of barriers that inhibit or prevent cross-border exchanges in educational services.

GATS does not cover educational funding, admissions policies, scholarships, tuition or curriculum content. It is expected that governments will continue to play a dominant role in education.

According to U.S. trade negotiators, barriers that inhibit the flow of educational trade include the following: laws that recognize the state as the sole provider of education; restrictions on foreign ownership of higher education institutions; measures that prevent or severely curtail the accreditation of foreign education providers; non-recognition of degrees or credits earned through foreign education providers; restrictions on electronic transmission of courses.

Bernard Ascher, director of service industry affairs at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, made clear his country's position on GATS at a conference held in Washington, D.C. last May.

"The U.S. proposal is intended to provide assurance of market access and national treatment for providers of education and training on a commercial basis, as well as for cooperative ventures, which meet regulatory requirements of the host country," he said at the OECD/US Forum on Trade in Educational Services.

In addition to the barriers that inhibit the flow of educational materials, students and working professionals have also experienced difficulty in entering certain countries due to restrictions and even prejudices.

Barbara Nichols, chief executive officer of the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools feels that health professionals have a particularly hard time in this respect. "Many countries tend to have biases when granting licensure to foreign nursing professionals," she said. "These provisions [that restrict the licensure of professionals] should not be more burdensome than necessary."

For Nichols and others, the GATS agreement offers the best hope in guaranteeing the free cross-border flow of students and educated professionals. "What we need are fair and equitable standards that don't necessarily infringe on a country's right to regulate, but will prevent them from being arbitrary and capricious," she said.

Some institutions, however, say they have been conducting cross-border student exchanges and offering online courses overseas with few problems. For them GATS isn't much of an issue.

"It [GATS] really hasn't come up on my radar screen," said Scott Bass, dean of the graduate school and vice provost for research at the University of Maryland.

"We haven't experienced any restrictions in terms of student exchanges and enrolling students overseas in online learning programs. For us, distance education has no borders. Students are free to register and go online," Bass said.

Debate

The debate revolving around GATS and higher education is a divisive one, largely pitting students and universities against big business interests. Supporters of GATS argue that trade in educational services can create more providers and delivery modes, increase access and facilitate socio-economic growth through higher education. They further advocate that opening up markets to foreign education providers will bring people more choices and greater freedom. Ultimately, they envision a future in which coursework, lectures and academic resources are freely available and exchanged on the Web the way the Massachusetts Institute of Technology has recently done with its entire curriculum.

Critics of GATS say the "commoditization" of higher education would place profits above the public good and jeopardize student access and quality. There is also some concern that GATS could erode university autonomy and drastically reduce government subsidies for higher education. Students and teachers unions have done much to vilify the GATS agreement, saying it would force countries to dismantle their national education systems and adopt a homogenized system based largely on U.S. education.

Students in particular are concerned that the GATS measures aimed at privatization could jack up tuition costs, placing higher education beyond the reach of most students, particularly in the developing world.

"Whenever financial interests are involved, the groups that have no money are left out," said Jacob Henricson, former president of the National Unions of Students in Europe. "This not only relates to persons, but also to poorer countries that may see their whole HE [higher education] sectors being out-competed by international for-profit education providers."

In a free market environment, foreign and domestic providers would have to be treated the same, which could mean severe cutbacks in state funding for public universities.

"Education is a basic human right, and in order to create peaceful democratic societies, education — including higher education — is a tool that must be of disposal for all individuals, not only those with money," Henricson said.

Some of the bigger higher education organizations have remained cautiously critical. In response to GATS, several university associations in Canada, Europe and the United States recently issued a Joint Declaration on Higher Education and the General Agreement on Trade in Services. The declaration states, "Higher education exists to serve the public interest and is not a 'commodity,'" and that the "authority to regulate higher education must remain in the hands of competent bodies as designated by any given country."

"GATS is based on free competition, which excludes public and government services," said André Oosterlinck, vice-chancellor at the Catholic University of Leuven in Belgium. "The protesters fear that GATS will open the door to the commercialization of education and governments would lose their authority to guarantee education for all."

But proponents of for-profit learning insist that the new providers will not compete with public education and do not pose a threat to traditional universities.

"Private education and training will continue to supplement, not displace, public education systems," U.S. trade negotiator Bernard Ascher stressed. "This is not a proposal to privatize education!"

Others agree and largely attribute the success of non-traditional providers of higher education to the worldwide boom in life-long learning. The market for most distance education providers, they say, is not the cohort of traditional 18-22 year-old college students.

"Our primary target audience is working adults," Thomas Schumann of Michigan Virtual University told delegates at the OECD/US conference. "The statistics we have collected indicate that about 73 percent are women who because of job-related responsibilities they have…just simply do not have the time to go back in the evenings or weekends for courses."

Why has education suddenly been targeted by international trade agreements, and why all the fuss? The expansion of international trade in education has been taking place for many years now outside the framework of GATS and would probably continue to do so with or without a WTO brokered agreement. Moreover, commercialization in higher education is nothing radically new. American colleges and universities have been actively engaged in the international education business ever since career-oriented programs first began attracting foreign students following the Second World War.

"It would probably surprise most college admissions officials to learn that when accepting a foreign student for study in the U.S., she or he is committing an export," Robert Vastine, president of the U.S. Coalition of Service Industries, pointed out at the OECD/US Forum on Trade in Educational Services.

In the 1980s, American institutions of higher education began aggressively recruiting foreign students, marketing their degree programs overseas and setting up international student departments. Other countries quickly followed suit. In the United Kingdom, tuition fees for foreigners were introduced under the Thatcher government, and in more recent years Canada and Australia have become major contenders in their own right.

So packaging and marketing courses and degree programs to student "consumers" is hardly a groundbreaking concept. What has changed is the way education is delivered to the student. The Internet and email have made it possible for providers to reach greater numbers of students than ever before. As a result, there are more players in the field now and students have many more choices than they used to. Competition has become fierce. Globalization, shifting demographics and international agreements calling for greater educational exchanges have also been important factors. But fueling this trend more than anything else is demand, especially from some of the developing nations where education is seen as the key to achieving socio-economic progress.

The Educational Groundswell

Over the last quarter-century or so, the worldwide demand for education and training has mushroomed above and beyond state capacity and shows no sign of letting up. The tertiary student population in Asia alone is expected to grow from 17 million today to 87 million in 2025. Many countries are now actively encouraging private institutions, both foreign and domestic, to help absorb some of this demand.

In Malaysia, for instance, the government is equipped to educate a mere 6 percent of its population through public universities. The situation became so critical that a few years ago the education ministry began inviting foreign institutions of higher education into the country to help enroll students.

China only educates around 4 percent of its population and has similarly decided to allow foreign providers to offer joint degrees with local universities. Today, 36 percent of all tertiary students in China are enrolled in private institutions.

Thailand has a tertiary enrollment of 20 percent. "[I]n order to keep up with its need for higher education, [Thailand] would need to open a university of 20,000 every year," said Marjorie Peace Lenn executive director of the Center for Quality Assurance in International Education. As a result, she said, the country has had no choice but to invite foreign institutions into the country to provide educational services.

A similar trend is emerging in other countries. Recent UNESCO figures show that private education providers account for 55 percent of all new universities in Jordan, Sudan, Tunisia and Yemen. According to the same study, 70 percent of all universities in Kazakhstan are privately owned.

Supporters of the GATS agreement believe the influx of foreign education providers into low-income countries can do more good than harm. According to World Bank statistics, the richest 20 percent of the population in the developing nations capture more than 30 percent of total education subsidies while the poorest 20 percent receive only 8 percent to 15 percent.

"Low-income countries are falling behind in the knowledge economy and are in need of higher-level skills," said Harry Patrinos, senior educational economist with the World Bank. "Having more providers involved can only benefit those countries furthest behind. By expanding educational opportunities, you increase access. The GATS agreement will undoubtedly help, although it probably won't solve the problem entirely."

Quality and Transparency Issues

Another concern among GATS critics is the maintenance of quality in international educational services. Does a degree from one of the new for-profit/online education providers equal a degree from a more traditional, state-funded institution? How does one guarantee that imported courses and degree programs are quality products and that trans-border and virtual universities aren't just serving up educational fast food? Some education providers setting up franchises overseas have drawn criticism for selling their names to local institutions that don't provide quality education. In the U.K., guidelines have recently been set up to better monitor the franchising of educational services abroad.

There has also been a deluge of diploma mills offering bogus credentials since the Internet first allowed education providers to deliver courses and degrees online. Hong Kong has already established a system to track and approve educational providers, designed to root out all rogue schools and con artists. Greece has dealt with this problem by recently announcing it will no longer recognize foreign degrees, even from institutions that operate on Greek soil.

"There are some very valid concerns about quality assurance that are not recognized by proponents of free trade," said John Yopp, vice president of graduate and professional education at Educational Testing Service. "Universities don't like to think of education as just one more service to be traded. What will be the means for assuring quality of transnational education? This should be common ground for both sides."

Per Nyborg, chairman of the Committee for Higher Education and Research, Council of Europe, cautioned that GATS should build on already-ratified international educational agreements that guarantee quality assurances.

"Trade in educational services has been going on for a long time," he said. "Given the fact that several countries, including my own home country Norway, have already inscribed 'no limitations' on marked access to tertiary education under GATS, my argument is that GATS must respect the international conventions in [the] educational sector, such as the Lisbon Recognition Convention."

In addition, many members of the higher education community feel they have largely been shut out of the GATS talks and are not being given a chance to voice their grievances and concerns with respect to trade in educational services.

"I don't think there has been enough communication and active solicitation of input from educational associations such as ACE (American Council on Education) and NAFSA (Association of International Educators)," Yopp said. "There should be more engagement between the two sides, which actually have some common goals."

According to Yopp, the OECD/US Forum on Trade in Educational Services held in Washington last May was the first attempt to bring together all stakeholders. "If they had done that earlier, you wouldn't have this appearance of polarization," he said.

David Ward, president of the American Council on Education told WENR his organization is fully committed to free trade in services, people and goods but cautioned that all aspects of the agreement need to be clearly understood by all those who stand to be affected by it.

Like many others, Ward feels that ACE has not been adequately consulted on the issues being discussed in the GATS sessions dealing with education. "All may well work out in the end, but as representatives of higher education, we felt on the edge of negotiations that could have a profound effect on our member institutions," he said.