Ireland
Newspaper Claims Irish Students Being Shunned in Favor of Foreigners
In a somewhat sensationalist article, the Sunday Independent claims that Irish students are being forced to look for university places in Eastern Europe because non-EU students are snapping up high-demand places at Irish universities in fields such as medicine and pharmacy. Citing figures recently released by the Higher Education Authority, the weekly claims that the more than 12,000 foreign students currently studying at Irish universities are forcing Irish students with lesser secondary school qualifications to seek places abroad. According to the HEA figures, there are now 2,400 students coming to Ireland from the US, 1,130 from Malaysia and 1,100 from India and China.
- The Sunday Independent
November 18, 2007
Norway
Norwegian Students Staying Put
The number of Norwegian students opting to study overseas continues to drop. Statistics show that over the past four years the numbers have fallen by approximately 3,000 students. Association of Norwegian Students Abroad (ANSA) believes that the high loan component, which students have to take to cover tuition fees, is partly to blame.
- Universitas
September 12, 2007
Sweden
80% of International Students Say 'Yes' to Sweden
Eight out of ten students from abroad would recommend to others Sweden as a study destination. According to a survey by the National Agency for Higher Education and the Swedish Institute, the three major reasons for choosing Sweden are high quality programs, English as language of instruction, and the absence of tuition fees. Another finding of the survey is that unique (often interdisciplinary) programs that have ties with research and industry are very appealing to international students.
- Swedish Institute
October 2007
Slovakia
All but 4 Universities to Introduce Tuition for Overseas Students
Only four of Slovakia’s 20 universities will refrain from introducing tuition fees for foreign students in any of their study programs, according to the Hospodárske Noviny daily newspaper. The four named universities are University of Economics in Bratislava, the Catholic University in Ružomberok, the Technical University in Zvolen and Košice-based University of Veterinary Medicine.
Most universities will announce their tuition costs at the end of December. Those that are already known range between US$530 and $1,460 annually.
- Hospodárske Noviny
October 31, 2007
United Kingdom
Overhaul of Britain's Undergraduate Degree Classifications Imminent?
The way British universities classify undergraduate degrees is ready for an overhaul, according to a report issued in October by Universities UK, which represents British universities’ vice-chancellors, and the Guild of Higher Education, which represents higher-education colleges.
The current system grades degrees according to different classes: first, upper second (2:1), lower second (2:2), third, pass, or fail, and the system has been in place for more than 200 years. According to the report, Beyond the Honours Degree Classification, the system is “no longer fit for purpose,” saying it “cannot describe, and therefore does not do full justice to, the range of knowledge, skills, experience, and attributes of a graduate in the 21st century.”
With ever increasing percentages of students being awarded first and upper second degrees (now almost 60 percent), especially at top universities, concerned commentators increasingly have been warning of the perils of grade inflation. It is these voices that helped prompt the review, which began in 2004. The report recommends that a new Higher Education Achievement Report be carried out by 2010. The new classification would provide a detailed two-page breakdown of marks in exam papers and courses, akin
to a U.S.-style transcript, as well as the European Diploma Supplement, which British universities are required to introduce as part of the European higher education reform movement, or Bologna Process. To begin with, the new Higher Education Achievement Report would coexist with the traditional honors classifications.
- BBC News
October 16, 2007
University Renamed
The University of Central England in Birmingham has been renamed Birmingham City University.
- Birmingham City University news release
October 2007
Malaysian University Begins Classes in London
While generations of Malaysians have studied in Britain or followed British-style degree programs at home, in October Britain’s first Malaysian university opened its doors in Picadilly in the heart of the capital. Not only is Limkokwing University opening a campus in London, but earlier this year the Kuala Lumpur-based institution opened a large branch campus in Botswana (see January issue of WENR).
That campus was opened by film star Mel Gibson and already has an enrollment of 5,500 students. In addition, the international university has a campus in Beijing and Jakarta, while also looking at opportunities in Phnom Pen, the capital of Cambodia. It also has reportedly had invitations from other African countries and the small European nation of Macedonia.
The inaugural student roll in London counted 300, and officials are looking to grow that to 800 within three years. Students pay annual tuition fees equivalent to US$13,500 for degree programs ranging from animation and games technology to journalism and interior architecture. The university has several British staff and already collaborates with UK institutions - Thames Valley University for music, Bedfordshire (media) and Anglia Ruskin University (business and ICT).
The 6,000 students at Limkokwing University of Creative Technology in Kuala Lumpur come from 150 countries, mostly from the developing world, but increasingly from Europe, where governments like those of Denmark and Germany are keen to expose young people to the culture and business of Asia.
- The Guardian
October 24, 2007
New Diploma on the Horizon, Confusion Abounds
According to recent OECD figures, just 78.5 percent of Britain’s 15-19 year olds are still in education, either full-time or part-time; below the OECD average of 81.5 percent and even further below the EU average of 85.2 percent. In a bid to appeal to those dropping out after their GCSEs (General Certificate of Secondary Education), the government is getting ready to introduce a new qualification from next year: the Diploma program. However, the British public reportedly knows little about the new qualification, despite the fact that 40,000 places will be on offer from next year as an alternative to GCSEs and A levels.
The Diplomas will be taught in secondary schools and colleges, and are to be academic in style but related to vocational themes. The BBC says the stakes for the Diploma are high, stating that the “prize is a solution to many of the problems in secondary education.” However, the news outlet warns that “it could all go wrong, leaving behind yet another failed initiative aimed at 14-19 year-olds.”
Focusing on job-related learning in areas such as engineering, construction, IT, and health, the Diplomas were originally described as vocational and as "specialized." However, that notion might cause the new Diploma to be seen as second-class. Therefore, the government decided to drop the "specialized" from the name and insist they are "academic" not "vocational" qualifications.
The BBC states that a “simple, clear message is urgently required … and if pupils and parents don't start to hear about, understand, and most importantly respect, the Diplomas, they will not choose them.” A review planned for next year, which was expected to recommend that A-levels be withdrawn completely and replaced with a diploma system modeled on the International Baccalaureate, has been delayed until 2011. The two sets of exams will now run side by side for at least five years.
- BBC News
September 21, 2007
Look to Middle East or Miss 'Golden Opportunity'
Universities in the United Kingdom have been urged to evaluate campus options in the Middle East’s Gulf states or miss a "golden opportunity,” according to an expert on Middle Eastern higher education interviewed by the Times Higher Education Supplement. Chris Davidson is concerned that British universities are not making the most of the current opportunity to move into the region's growing higher education market for fee-paying students and says the UK needs to act quickly if it is to capitalize on the market ahead of the US.
"There is a golden opportunity inextricably linked to very fresh demands for a knowledge economy," said Dr Davidson, a lecturer at Durham's School of Government and International Affairs who has acted as a consultant for the Dubai Government. Dr Davidson highlighted opportunities in the UAE capital - Dubai - and Qatar, which have both built large dedicated education zones for foreign universities to operate in.
He said that, although Middlesex and Heriot-Watt universities had opened campuses in the Dubai Government-backed Knowledge Village and Academic City, none of Britain's top universities had taken up the challenge. "It needs to be done as soon as possible if the UK is not to lose out. There will be a major US university in the UAE within one to two years, maximum," Dr Davidson said. Meanwhile, the Qatar Government-backed Education City on the outskirts of the capital Doha includes five US university campuses but no British presence.
- The Times Higher Education Supplement
November 9, 2007
New Checks Imposed on non-EU Researchers
As of November 30, foreign science students are required to apply for approval if they want to study “proliferation-risk” subjects, which has some worried that students could be deterred from studying in the UK. The Academic Technology Approval Scheme requires that non-EU graduate students who need a visa and want to study “proliferation-sensitive” subjects for more than six months apply in advance for a “clearance certificate” online. Previously, the Foreign Office was alerted by universities voluntarily about applicants from "countries of concern".
This affects some fields of biological and physical science, engineering, mathematics and computer science. In 2005-06, approximately 124,000 graduate students came to study in the UK, 22,630 of whom studied in the fields affected - but not all in "proliferation-sensitive" areas. The system will look at where the students come from, what they want to study and what they intend to do with the knowledge. It will run alongside the existing visa system but those who are not given clearance are unlikely to be successful in their visa applications.
The registrar of the Royal Society of Chemists, Tony Ashmore, told his organization's own publication Chemistry World in March that there was a security issue that needed to be addressed. But he said the UK must remain "open to students and academics from around the world" and that they were extremely important to the country's international competitiveness. He said, "It really depends on how the Foreign Office implements the new system.
"If the vetting is restricted to a small number of countries that attract relatively few students, then the impact might be quite small. "But if the scheme catches large numbers of students indiscriminately it could put people off coming to this country."
- Border and Immigration Agency
November 13, 2007
International Students Worth $17 Billion to UK Economy
A record 157,000 overseas students began classes at British universities and colleges last year. The Home Office said in November that total international enrollments boosted the British economy by almost £8.5bn (US$17 billion) a year. More than 25 percent of immigrants to Britain are students, compared with 20 percent five years ago. The number of first-year foreign students has doubled since 1998, when 77,000 arrived. Last year's total was an 18,000 increase on 2005. Each foreign student is estimated to be worth more than £15,000 to the UK in fees and living expenses. But there are fears that the income stream may slow as new rules on student visas come into force next year.
- The Independent
November 16, 2007
(Scotland)
'World Class' Center for Engineering Research to be Created
A major new research partnership was launched in Scotland in November as the nation bids to ensure its future as a leader in engineering research. A new center for research is to be created through the collaboration between 10 Scottish universities including Edinburgh, Glasgow, Strathclyde, Aberdeen and Dundee, and with financial backing to the tune of more than US$55 million from the Scottish Funding Council over the next five years. A further $210 million will be invested by the participating universities, which will pool their
expertise, resources and industry connections to create the center. The other universities taking part are Heriot-Watt, Napier, Glasgow Caledonian, Paisley and Robert Gordon.
- The Herald
November 8, 2007
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