MARKET NEWS AND MEDIA REVIEW
BULLETIN:
28TH FEBRUARY – 13TH MARCH 2015
Compiled by Jamie Aston
Contents
Summary Section
Full Articles
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UK
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USA and Canada
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Australia and New Zealand
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Asia
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International
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UK
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USA and Canada
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Australia and New Zealand
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Asia
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International
Page 2 of 40
Summary Section
UK
Back to top
Prince William honours Chinese UK alumni :: The Pie News ::
3rd March
Chinese alumni, who studied their degrees in the UK, were given royal treatment today at
the British Council’s first Education UK Alumni Awards in China.
UK rebrands ‘HTS’, moots rating most compliant sponsors ::
The Pie News :: 10th March
The term ‘Highly Trusted Sponsor’ will no longer be used to denote a UK education
institution’s eligibility to sponsor Tier 4 visas from April 6, the Home Office has confirmed.
And, according to a source close to The PIE News, the Home Office is considering bringing
in a top-level rating for the most compliant providers later in the year.
UK losing HE market share, says British Council :: Hot House
Media :: 26th February
The UK’s market share of international students on higher education courses in comparison
to the major English-speaking competitor destinations is likely to continue falling, according
to a new British Council report.
USA and Canada
Back to top
"Generation Study Abroad" aims to double US students
studying abroad in 5 years :: Study International :: 4th March
Generation Study Abroad, as the campaign is called, hopes to serve as a catalyst to
encourage Millennials to turn their well-documented love of travel into a passion for studying
abroad. The initiative has set a target of doubling the number of US students studying
overseas over the next five years.
Page 3 of 40
New visas make it easier for students to travel between Canada
and China :: Study International :: 12th March
In the latest step to open exchange and travel between China and countries in the Americas,
China and Canada have reached a reciprocal agreement to provide 10-year, multiple-entry
visas for citizens traveling between the two countries.
Canadian language providers rally in face of tough policy :: The
Pie News :: 13th March
It hasn’t been an easy year for Canadian language providers as new policies came into effect
last June that abolished their rights to the study work co-op programmes, and placed more
responsibility on provincial lawmakers, further fragmenting already disjointed governance of
the sector. However, at the Languages Canada conference this year, providers were
optimistic that with a unified front, they can compel change on a national level.
Australia and New Zealand
Back to top
Australia moots stricter VET regulation :: The Pie News :: 2nd
March
Changes have been proposed under the new National Vocational Education and Training
Regulator Amendment Bill 2015 in Australia, in order to crack down on higher risk VET
providers and enable others to meet new quality standards.
Tapping Into Australia's Education Potential :: Bloomberg
Businessweek Middle East :: 4th March
Universities in the US and UK have long been among the top choices for UAE students
heading abroad to study. After the September 11 terrorist attacks, however, many
international students withdrew from American colleges because they felt US perceptions of
them had changed and because visa requirements became tougher.
New strategy for boosting graduate job prospects :: University
World News :: 11th March
Page 4 of 40
With 30% of new graduates still looking for work four months after leaving university and many
taking much longer to find a full-time job in their field of study, Australian business leaders
have joined with the nation’s vice-chancellors to launch a “national work integrated learning
strategy”.
Asia
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The China challenge: Diversification and managing risk in
international education :: ICEF Monitor :: 3rd March
It might be the biggest “What if?” in international education. What if Chinese demand for study
abroad changes? Or, more drastically still, what if something happens to significantly alter the
nature and scale of outbound student mobility from China?
Indian government to draft new education policy :: The Pie
News :: 4th March
The director of education at the British Council in India has called the country’s new education
policy discussion points “very encouraging” because of the inclusion of internationalisation of
HE as a top 20 priority.
App to aid in checking international student’s identity :: The
Star :: 8th March
Education Malaysia Global Services Education Malaysia Global Services (EMGS) in
collaboration with Percetakan Nasional Malaysia Berhad (PNMB), has introduced a mobile
application which will aid law enforcement agencies, namely the police and the Immigration
Department in checking the authenticity of an international student’s identity and validity of
the student’s visa in a briefing to law enforcement agencies on Thursday.
International
Back to top
World Reputation Rankings 2015 results :: Times Higher
Education :: March
Page 5 of 40
The Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2014-2015 list the best global
universities and are the only international university performance tables to judge world class
universities across all of their core missions - teaching, research, knowledge transfer and
international outlook. The top universities rankings employ 13 carefully calibrated
performance indicators to provide the most comprehensive and balanced comparisons
available, which are trusted by students, academics, university leaders, industry and
governments.
MAP: Where Are All World's International Students Moving
From and To Around the World :: movehub :: 23rd February
This map shows the countries where all the world's international students are moving from
and to using the most recent data from UNESCO, published in May 2014. The primary colour
shows the ranking of a country based on the number of outbound international students. The
inner colour of the circle shows the ranking of a country based on the number of inbound
international students.
How do you measure success in international education? :: The
Pie News :: 6th March
Bigger, better data means that institutions can have a much greater understanding about
conversion of enquiries and post-graduation outcomes, for example. But how do those in the
sector choose to measure efficacy and success when delivering an international education
experience? Beckie Smith finds out.
What are universities becoming? A plea from the future :: The
Conversation :: 12th March
The role of the university as a place of education and research, as an employer, and as an
important part of the social landscape has changed dramatically in the last decade.
Page 6 of 40
Full Articles
UK
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Prince William honours Chinese UK alumni
By Natalie Marsh :: The Pie News :: 3rd March
http://thepienews.com/news/prince-william-honours-chinese-uk-alumni/
Chinese alumni, who studied their degrees in the UK, were given royal treatment today at the
British Council’s first Education UK Alumni Awards in China.
At the ceremony in Shanghai, students were honoured by the Duke of Cambridge, who is
currently on his first visit to China.
He gave a speech congratulating the finalists for their outstanding achievements after
graduation and thanking them for their contribution to strengthen ties between the UK and
China.
Winners from a group of 400 nominees were announced for awards in three categories: The
Professional Achievement Award, The Entrepreneurial Award and The Social Impact Award.
“It was very inspiring to attend the Education UK Alumni Awards and see such outstanding
individuals who have excelled not only as students, but also as professional, entrepreneurial
and social leaders following their graduation,” said Barbara Woodward, the British
Ambassador to China.
“Their accomplishments are testament to their talent, the quality of a UK education and the
benefits of spending time abroad.”
During the event, Zhang Xin, CEO of SOHO China, was announced as the British Council’s
UK Alumni Ambassador.
SOHO China aims to advance education as a means for alleviating poverty, and has recently
launched SOHO China Scholarships, which will support financial aid for Chinese students at
top international universities.
With more than 135,000 Chinese students currently studying in institutions around the
country, China is the UK’s biggest inbound market.
Page 7 of 40
The British Council has chosen China, India and the US to focus its initial efforts in it alumni
outreach campaign announced last year.
[Back to top]
Page 8 of 40
UK rebrands ‘HTS’, moots rating most compliant sponsors
By Beckie Smith :: The Pie News :: 10th March
http://thepienews.com/news/uk-rebrands-hts-moots-rating-compliant-sponsors/
The term ‘Highly Trusted Sponsor’ will no longer be used to denote a UK education
institution’s eligibility to sponsor Tier 4 visas from April 6, the Home Office has confirmed.
And, according to a source close to The PIE News, the Home Office is considering bringing
in a top-level rating for the most compliant providers later in the year.
“There are plans to bring in special ratings for those sponsors that are considered to be the
most compliant,” the source said, with the caveat that any changes in legislation currently
under discussion are dependent on the outcome of the UK’s general election in May.
As of April, institutions that are licensed to recruit international students will be designated
‘Tier 4 sponsors’, and those currently designated ‘A-rated sponsors’ – the preliminary status
before becoming HTS licenced – will be named ‘probationary sponsors’.
“These terms better reflect the nature of the different types of sponsor status,” a Home Office
spokesperson told The PIE News.
However, as well as rebranding, from a legal perspective, the change in terminology will make
it easier to further amend the rules surrounding Tier 4 sponsorship in future.
There is no clear indication of how the Home Office would determine which providers are
most compliant if it were to go ahead with a new rating system, but our source, who asked
not to be named, said “there was talk of” affording special status to institutions whose visa
refusal rate stays under 5% as one possibility.
Using this as a benchmark could be problematic, however, as providers have already voiced
concern over the decision to drop the number of visa refusals an institution can have to 10%
last summer, saying the policy was a blunt instrument that may penalise institutions that fall
foul of administrative errors or subjective decisions.
“To be honest I don’t think [the Home Office] really know how they envisage the criteria to be
defined,” the source added.
Sponsor inspections may also be used to determine this status.
All references to HTS status were removed from the Immigration Rules in a Statement of
Changes issued at the end of February.
“This change does indeed better reflect the different types of sponsor status and the reality of
the current relationship between the Home Office and the education sector,” commented Alex
Proudfoot, Chief Executive of Study UK, which has called for a fundamental review of the
student visa system in its recently published manifesto.
Page 9 of 40
“Even the greatest aficionado of ironic language would fail to consider as ‘Highly Trusted’
institutions which are required to comply with over 200 pages of regularly changing policy
guidance, descended upon without notice by teams of compliance auditors, and subjected to
a blunt annual statistical assessment which can lead in short order to a catastrophic collapse
in business,” he told The PIE News.
“Sadly, trust has long since left the student visa system.”
The Statement of Changes also puts in place a rebrand of the ‘student visitor visa’ to the
‘short-term student visa’ that was announced last year.
The rebrand is one of the key objectives of the Statement of Changes, it states, and will
ensure “that the routes are conceptually clearer for those undertaking short courses”.
The Home Office will be issuing further guidance later this month that reflects the changes in
terminology.
[Back to top]
Page 10 of 40
UK losing HE market share, says British Council
By Hot House Media Staff :: Hot House Media :: 26th February
http://www.hothousemedia.com/stmnews/news/150226-UK-losing-HE.html
The UK’s market share of international students on higher education courses in comparison
to the major English-speaking competitor destinations is likely to continue falling, according
to a new British Council report.
The report, which compares the most recent UK data from the Higher Education Statistics
Agency, UK Home Office statistics on student visa issuance and comparative figures from
the USA, Australia and Canada, says that although the number of new enrolments grew in
2013/14 for the first time in three years, market share still declined.
Jeremy Chan, author of the report and Head of Research and Consultancy in East Asia for
the British Council, said the UK could be returning to a natural level. “It is possible that perhaps
the UK higher education sector overheated from 2009-to-2011, in which case the recent
three-year decline in market share is a course correction rather than a sign of lagging
competitiveness.”
Chan said that in 2012/13 the UK was the only one of the four major destinations to decline,
which suggested “some internal shock” explained the weakening competitiveness, rather than
an external drop in demand for international education.
Page 11 of 40
According to the data in the report, the UK’s share of new enrolments among the four
countries declined from a peak of 36 per cent in 2010/11 to under 33 per cent last year.
The US higher education system has outpaced all other markets by a considerable margin
since 2009, and Chan said with typically longer courses, the US outperformed the UK by a
larger margin than headline enrolment figures tend to express. The US had 7.5 per cent
growth in new enrolments in 2013/14, according to the annual Open Doors report from the
Institute of International Education.
Canada is the only one of the four countries to have registered growth in enrolments in every
year since 2005, said Chan, while Australia was the “Jekyll-and-Hyde story” with the deepest
declines and now biggest increases. Australia recently had 14.5 per cent commencement
growth in the 2014 calendar year, according to recently released data from Australian
Education International.
“That the UK higher education sector returned to growth in 2013/14 is therefore cause for
cautious optimism, but it remains unclear whether this growth was a result of favourable policy
changes in the UK offer or simply the result of a rising tide lifting all boats,” said Chan.
In the most recent international higher education mobility data from the OECD relating to
2012, the UK retained a market share of 13 per cent of the 4.5 million international students
on higher education courses overseas.
[Back to top]
Page 12 of 40
USA and Canada
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"Generation Study Abroad" aims to double US students
studying abroad in 5 years
By SI News :: Study International :: 4th March
https://www.studyinternational.com/news/generation-study-abroad-aims-to-double-usstudents-studying-abroad-in-5-years
A new campaign supported by the Intsitute of International Education (IIE) is aiming to make
Millennials the "study abroad generation" -- and it only has a few years to do so.
Generation Study Abroad, as the campaign is called, hopes to serve as a catalyst to
encourage Millennials to turn their well-documented love of travel into a passion for studying
abroad. The initiative has set a target of doubling the number of US students studying
overseas over the next five years.
As IIE points out in its information about the program, international experience has become a
vital part of a 21st-century education. It is also becoming an increasingly important component
of professional development, as employers are constantly seeking workers with international
skills and experience -- especially language skills.
So why, then, do less than 10 percent of US students take advantage of the opportunities
presented by study abroad?
Realistically, there are a number of factors that impede students from embarking on a
semester abroad, from financial constraints to degree requirements. However, study abroad
experts want students to know that these apparent restrictions can often be overcome with
thoughtful planning.
Some numbers are already encouraging. Millennials (the generation born between the early
1980s and early 2000s, roughly) are already studying abroad at a higher rate than any
previous generation. According to IIE's 2014 Open Doors Report, which analyzes data about
students abroad, the number of US students participating in study abroad programs has
tripled over the last two decades, and participation rates are currently at an all-time high.
Even more positive is the fact that a large number of those students come from STEM
(science, technology, engineering and math) majors, which have historically been
underrepresented among study abroad programs.
Page 13 of 40
However, studying abroad doesn't necessarily imply that students are spending a year in
another country or integrating intp another culture. According to Open Doors, just 40 percent
of students who studied abroad remained in their host country for at least two quarters or one
semester, while 60 percent students spent less than eight weeks away, on a summer or shortterm program.
On the other hand, some experts suggest that these statistics may indicate that universities
are offering more short-term and practical skills programs, reaching out to students who might
otherwise not choose to study abroad.
The report found that, in the 2012-13 academic year, 289,408 students from the United States
studied abroad for academic credit. The following year, that number was close to 300,000,
plus an additional 15,089 students who traveled for internships, non-credit work or to
volunteer.
Generation Study Abroad has set a target of 600,000 students for the 2017-18 academic
year. This number, which would include students abroad for both credit and non-credit
programs, would require an annual increase in participation of more than 14 percent -- a bit
of a challenge, when the current growth rate is around 2 percent.
The initiative is partnering with universities and governments to fund scholarships and
increase support for its campaign. A number of popular study abroad host countries, including
France, Ireland and Australia have already signed on to the campaign.
Though it remains to be seen whether the program will reach its targets, it is doing its part to
raise awareness of the importance of international education in today's globalized world.
“Study abroad is not a luxury,” said Daniel Obst, deputy vice president for international
partnerships at the IIE, “but an essential part of education.”
[Back to top]
Page 14 of 40
New visas make it easier for students to travel between Canada
and China
By SI News Staff :: Study International :: 12th March
https://www.studyinternational.com/news/new-visas-make-it-easier-for-students-to-travelbetween-canada-and-china
In the latest step to open exchange and travel between China and countries in the Americas,
China and Canada have reached a reciprocal agreement to provide 10-year, multiple-entry
visas for citizens traveling between the two countries.
The visas will increase business, tourism and travel between the two countries, as well as
benefiting students, faculty and educational institutions. They went into effect on March 9.
Universities and prospective students are already eyeing the new opportunities the visa will
offer for study, exchange and research abroad, as well as collaboration between academics
in the two nations.
“It’s a great step forward and will make it much easier for international education
professionals, faculty and students from Canada to travel to China,” Jennifer Humphries, vice
president for membership, public policy and communications at the Canadian Bureau for
Education, told The Pie News.
“Most likely it will increase the frequency of visits because Canadians will no longer need to
go through processes and fee payments on a regular basis,” she added. “I would imagine that
the change will lend impetus to collaborative academic projects and enhance the
attractiveness of bilateral study and research exchange.”
Chinese ambassador to Canada Luo Zhaohui praised the new visa rules in an op-ed in the
Globe and Mail newspaper, highlighting the various ways it would benefit Chinese and
Canadian students, travelers and tourists.
“This arrangement will further promote people-to-people exchanges,” wrote Luo, citing the
230,000 visas China issued to Canadian citizens in 2014, with 80 percent of them for business
purposes, tourism and family visits.
He also pointed out the benefits for Chinese students, the largest group of international
students in Canada, with more than 32 percent of all international students as of 2013. Luo
said the more than 100,000 students currently enrolled in academic institutions in Canada as
well as the 1.5 million Chinese living there were “eagerly looking forward to receiving longterm and multiple-entry visas”.
Canadian organizations also applauded the development. Stewart Beck, President and CEO
of the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada, said in an official statement that the arrangement
would “help build Canada's bridges with Asia.”
Page 15 of 40
According to Canada’s Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, more than 2,000 people travel
back and forth between the two countries every day.
The Canada agreement comes just a few months after a similar policy was implemented with
the United States, extending short-term and tourism visas to a maximum of 10 years and
allowing the expedition of student and exchange visas for up to five years for Chinese and
US citizens traveling between the two countries.
Travel and business agreements have been increasing in recent years, with Western
governments and companies aiming to increase trade with China. Chinese students account
for the largest populations of international students in English-speaking countries like Canada
and the United States, and Chinese tourists spend billions of dollars on international travel
each year.
[Back to top]
Page 16 of 40
Canadian language providers rally in face of tough policy
By Beckie Smith :: The Pie News :: 13th March
http://thepienews.com/news/canadian-language-providers-rally-in-face-of-tough-policy/
It hasn’t been an easy year for Canadian language providers as new policies came into effect
last June that abolished their rights to the study work co-op programmes, and placed more
responsibility on provincial lawmakers, further fragmenting already disjointed governance of
the sector. However, at the Languages Canada conference this year, providers were
optimistic that with a unified front, they can compel change on a national level.
With elections coming up in October, Gonzalo Peralta, executive director of Languages
Canada, told The PIE News that sector players realise now is the time to pull together in
advocating for friendlier policies.
“Internally the sector has never been more cohesive and united, so this is really positive
because it’s allowing us to build an advocacy platform that has impact and that will continue
to have impact for a long time,” he said.
“But advocacy is even more slow than marketing in terms of getting it out and that’s why we
have a longer-term vision in place that will see us really be able to influence policy to a greater
degree than in the past.”
Peralta confirmed the association is expecting a further drop in student numbers, following a
7% decrease in incoming numbers in 2013.
“We don’t see the numbers increasing, which is basically bucking the global trend of increase,
in particular destinations like Australia, New Zealand and so on,” he said.
“The reason for this is really simple: government policy.”
The curtailment of co-op programmes, which offered both language tuition and professional
internships, under the changes to the International Student Program brought in last year have
hit the sector hard.
“We calculated 15% of our numbers came from that programme. Some of that, of course, can
be regained through other programmes, which may have increased a little bit, but there’s no
doubt that it had a very significant impact on the sector.”
However, the sector has come together in the face of the changes, and the divide between
public and private providers is shrinking, he added.
Around a third of the association’s 227 members are in the public sector.
“There’s some very practical things like collaboration between the two in projects, initiatives
and partnerships,” Peralta commented.
Page 17 of 40
“And there are things that have really united them, like initially it was thought for example that
language core programmes… were more of a private sector [issue], but what we’re
discovering now is that it also takes the public sector.”
The organisation is even looking externally for lessons to be learned from Australia in
improving the ELT sector, as executive director of English Australia, Sue Blundell, was a
prominent figure at the Ottawa conference.
“I think the example that is set by Australia is when things go wrong you have to move into
action, and that’s what Australia did,” Peralta said.
“They took excellent data and used it to lobby the government and influence a change in
policy,” he explained.
Beyond the elections, Peralta said the association will focus 2015 efforts on growing relations
in the Brazilian market to the extent that a microsite has been developed specifically for
strategic partnerships alongside the newly launched Languages Canada site.
“Brazil is one of the six identified countries in Canada’s International Education Strategy, and
it’s the one where I think it’s a natural fit for Canada,” Peralta said.
“It seemed to make sense to move from that sort of market aspect where we see 18,000
Brazilians here every year to learn the language more to the partnership aspect.”
[Back to top]
Page 18 of 40
Australia and New Zealand
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Australia moots stricter VET regulation
By Natalie Marsh :: The Pie News :: 2nd March
http://thepienews.com/news/australia-moots-stricter-vet-regulation/
Changes have been proposed under the new National Vocational Education and Training
Regulator Amendment Bill 2015 in Australia, in order to crack down on higher risk VET
providers and enable others to meet new quality standards.
The changes proposed in the bill include creating new quality standards so any problems with
VET providers or courses can be addressed. Furthermore, it extends the registered training
organisation (RTO) registration period to seven years, instead of five, which therefore enables
the Australian Skills Quality Authority to act on high-risk or lower quality providers.
It also requires that anyone marketing a VET course needs to identify which RTO is providing
the qualification.
“The Bill sends a clear signal that, when required, the Australian government will take strong
action against those who seek to take advantage of vulnerable students and taxpayers,” said
Senator Birmingham, the assistant minister for education and training.
“Passage of this legislation will enable the Australian government to consult with employers,
training providers and state and territory governments to deliver a new condition of registration
to address the specific quality concern within weeks, providing better protection for students.”
The Australian Council for Private Education and Training (ACPET) is backing the legislation
that was put to the Australian government last week.
Rod Camm, the chief executive of ACPET, says that requiring the RTO to be registered is
something that the students have a right to know. “This is good practice,” he told The PIE
News. “It is important that students know who they are entering an arrangement with.”
ACPET has previously been advocating for change in the VET sector: “We have been arguing
for action for some time,” said Camm. “This is the start of the process and more will need to
be done.”
In 2014, international enrolments at VET providers accounted for one quarter of total
enrolments across all sectors in Australia. Enrolments and commencements in VET
increased by 11.7% and 20.1% respectively on 2013 while India had the largest share of total
enrolments (18.8%) and of total commencements (17.7%).
Page 19 of 40
This proposed policy change comes after news that millions of Australian dollars have been
overpaid in the VET Fee-Help scheme, which was extended in 2009. A total of $60m has
been overpaid since then to the end of the 2013 financial year, which has been attributed to
the amount of subsidies being provided for certificate-level qualifications.
Improved data reporting is one of the many reforms currently being made in the VET sector,
along with $68m being given to ASQA and new trade support loans.
In addition, the announcement of a new National Complaints Training Hotline will see issues
and concerns from students or employers being responded to quicker than before. ACPET
previously emphasised the need for a national consumer complaints platform.
“These measures are necessary to protect both students and colleges from the harmful
impacts of a small number of poor quality providers who undermine the integrity of the entire
system,” said Camm.
“After a necessary and welcome period of consultation by the government, I think we can all
agree these reforms are urgent, and must be passed as soon as is practicable.”
[Back to top]
Page 20 of 40
Tapping Into Australia's Education Potential
By Lianne Gutcher :: Bloomberg Businessweek Middle East :: 4th March
http://businessweekme.com/Bloomberg/newsmid/190/newsid/453
Universities in the US and UK have long been among the top choices for UAE students
heading abroad to study. After the September 11 terrorist attacks, however, many
international students withdrew from American colleges because they felt US perceptions of
them had changed and because visa requirements became tougher.
In 2004, international enrolments in the US had their first absolute decline for the first time
since 1971, after the smallest increase in 2003, according to the Institute of International
Education. Enrolment from the Middle East dropped 9 per cent and from the UAE it declined
15 per cent.
As students, cast around for other options, it was universities and colleges in Australian and
New Zealand that benefitted, gaining popularity among Middle Eastern students.
Currently, about 1,000 students from the UAE study in Australia annually, according to Gerard
Seeber, Consul General and Senior Trade Commissioner for the Middle East and North Africa
at the Australian Consulate General in Dubai.
Declines at US colleges have since reversed but the emerging prominence of Australian
institutions in academic league tables is helping to keep interest high, according to Struan
Robertson, regional relations manager for South East Asia and Middle East at Swinburne
University of Technology. "We continually have more and more universities creeping up to
the top end of the rankings and I think that's becoming more and more recognised among
Middle Eastern students," he says.
Robertson has made six visits to the UAE in 18 months to establish links with colleges there.
And while Swinburne does not currently have any specific programmes in the UAE, initial
links typically lead to student exchange programmes and, over the longer term, joint degree
programmes, he says.
As well as the students who head to Australia to study, many are also opting to matriculate at
Australian universities that have campuses in the UAE.
One of the most established Australian universities is the University of Wollongong in Dubai
(UOWD), which has been in the city for more than two decades. The university launched in
1993 with seven students. This academic year, it has 4,000 students. UOWD now has 7,000
alumni, of which about 1,200 are Emiratis – many of whom now have senior jobs in
government and industry in the UAE.
Page 21 of 40
"UOWD has built very strong ties between the UAE and Australia," says Mohammed Salem,
acting president of the UOWD. "The fact that the university has that many alumni has given
us a very strong presence in the picture here in the UAE. These people know the Australian
system through the university and they are really looking at Australia as a strong partner."
According to the UOWD website, the external advisory board in the UAE has members that
include Mohamed Al-Shamisi, the acting chief executive of Abu Dhabi Ports Company;
Shaima Al-Zarooni, the chief executive of International Humanitarian City; and Mahmood
Al-Bastaki, the CEO of Dubai Trade FZE.
"You can feel that interest whenever we have government officials here from Australia,"
Salem says. "The feeling of the need to engage with them; they really want to collaborate with
Australia."
Seeber also recognises the important of cultivating graduates and plans to start an alumni
network in the UAE for people who have studied Australian universities following the “good
success” of a similar scheme in Saudi Arabia.
“The [alumni] that we speak to—they’ve all had a really positive time so we sort of try and
make contact with them and [explore] how we can jointly benefit from their education
experience: what they have learnt and how they are applying it here,” he says.
Another of the Australian schools that has a campus in Dubai is the SP Jain Global School of
Management (which though Indian in origin, now has Australian legal status). It set up here
in 2004, just after Dubai announced its ambitions to become a hub for education and
established Dubai Knowledge Village. The MBA course taught there was one of the first fulltime MBA courses in the region. “It was a huge hit,” says Christopher Abraham, the head of
the SP Jain campus in Dubai.
Since then, it has gone on to establish branches in Singapore (2006) and Sydney (2009) and
offers the first multi-city MBA globally. “Dubai, Sydney, Singapore—all these three cities, for
all the right reasons, are on a growth tangent,” Abraham says. “That’s where the synergy
comes in. They are growing economies with great opportunities and conducive business
environments. We are crafting global business leaders.”
[Back to top]
Page 22 of 40
New strategy for boosting graduate job prospects
By Geoff Maslen :: University World News :: 11th March
http://www.universityworldnews.com/article.php?story=2015031120042984
With 30% of new graduates still looking for work four months after leaving university and many
taking much longer to find a full-time job in their field of study, Australian business leaders
have joined with the nation’s vice-chancellors to launch a “national work integrated learning
strategy”.
The strategy involves “work integrated learning”, dubbed WIL, an umbrella term for a range
of approaches and strategies that integrate the theory a student learns at university with the
practice of work. It is aimed at improving the employability of graduates by giving them
valuable practical experience directly related to the courses they are taking.
Universities Australia, the national higher education lobby group, joined with the Australian
Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Australian Industry Group, the Business Council of
Australia and the Australian Collaborative Education Network to develop the National Work
Integrated Learning Strategy with the aim of enhancing “the productive capacity of Australia's
workforce, improve graduate job prospects and meet the skills needs of employers”.
Demand increasing
Belinda Robinson, chief executive of Universities Australia, said student demand for WIL was
increasing but often outstripped available opportunities. She said the new strategy created a
way for industry to play a practical role in giving students the skills and experience they
needed to match employer expectations.
"These invaluable 'hands-on' experiences help put a student's education in context and make
a real difference to the skills and capacity they can bring to the workplace,” Robinson said.
“Work integrated learning is about integrating theory with practical work experience and,
although well established in fields such as health and teaching, it is under-used in many
emerging industries – where the jobs and future demand could be greatest.”
The 12-page strategy document proposes action in eight key areas:
Provide national leadership to expand work integrated earning;
Clarify government policy and regulatory settings to enable and support growth in WIL;
Build support among students, universities, employers across all sectors and governments
so as to increase participation in WIL;
Ensure that investment in WIL is well targeted and enables sustainable, high-quality
experiences; stakeholder participation and growth;
Develop university resources, processes and systems to expand WIL and engage business
and community partners;
Build capacity for more employers to participate;
Address equity and access issues to enable students to take part;
Page 23 of 40
Increase opportunities for international students and for domestic students to study off-shore.
“Given the benefits of WIL to employability, workforce skills and productivity, supporting
industry and community-based employers and the economy, ensuring a sustainable increase
and broadening of WIL opportunities to develop our human capital is crucial,” the strategy
document says.
“Whatever policy and funding arrangements are in place, synergistic partnerships between
industry, community, educators and researchers need to be enabled. Ideally, those
partnerships will be deep and broad.
“They will draw on and leverage each partner’s expertise and strength, while respecting the
different mission and value each brings to the partnership – and to the nation as a whole –
shaping our future prospects.”
Collaboration needed
The document says that the extent to which Australia is able to adapt and develop, and
continue to deliver a quality of life that is among the best in the world, will depend in large part
on how well Australia’s institutions and business sectors collaborate.
“Those relationships provide the foundation of a coherent system where viable, innovative
enterprise can prosper. They also underpin community support, benefits and commitments
that are shared, and where individual aspirations can be pursued and fulfilled.”
[Back to top]
Page 24 of 40
Asia
Back to top
The China challenge: Diversification and managing risk in
international education
By ICEF Staff :: ICEF Monitor :: 3rd March
http://monitor.icef.com/2015/03/china-challenge-diversification-managing-risk-internationaleducation/
It might be the biggest “What if?” in international education. What if Chinese demand for study
abroad changes? Or, more drastically still, what if something happens to significantly alter the
nature and scale of outbound student mobility from China?
China has been a major driver of the global growth in mobility in recent decades, and it
remains the world’s leading source of international students today. No other country sends
as many students abroad, and none has had such a dramatic impact on the global
marketplace for education.
Yet the Chinese market continues to evolve, and we can only anticipate further change in the
years ahead. It has its own elite institutions and, for a growing field of prospective students,
names like Tsinghua and Fudan are educational brands to rival the top tier of institutions
abroad. The country has also become a major education destination in its own right,
particularly for students from within Asia.
These are notable shifts but important indicators as well as to how China’s role in the global
marketplace may continue to develop in the future. They also call attention to the fact that
many destination countries, and the institutions within them, have increasingly come to rely
on Chinese students.
The growth engine
The Economist reports that the number of Chinese applicants to the Georgia Institute of
Technology (Georgia Tech) “surged” from 33 in 2007 to 2,309 in 2014. The 37 undergraduate
students from China at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), meanwhile,
grew to nearly 3,000 in 2014. “Nearly a tenth of [UIUC’s] fall freshman class – 684 students
– hail from China,” reports Inside Higher Ed. In fact, the university is now home to more
Chinese students (nearly 5,000 in total) than any other US institution.
Page 25 of 40
These are striking examples but they also reflect a larger pattern of dramatic growth in
Chinese enrolment in the US over the last 15 years. There were 59,939 Chinese students in
the States in 2000 and 274,439 last year (an increase of 358%). The 2014 Open Doors
country report notes, “China remains the leading place of origin for students coming to the
United States for the fifth year in a row, and Chinese students now make up 31% of
international students studying in the US.”
The situation is similar in other major destinations, including the UK where it is particularly
acute at the postgraduate level. The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE)
recently observed, “Over 37% of the total non-EU entrants to postgraduate studies [in the UK]
are Chinese … A combination of continued growth from China coupled with decline or
decelerated growth from other countries has led to an overreliance on China at postgraduate
level.” Indeed, there are roughly as many Chinese students enrolled in UK masters
programmes as there are British students.
The British Council estimates that, over the next decade, China will account for nearly half
(44%) of the projected growth in UK postgraduate enrolment and adds, “The research, based
on available demographic and economic data up to 2012, suggests an increasing reliance on
Chinese and Indian postgraduate students to take up courses in the six main ‘destination’
countries for postgraduates: Australia, Canada, Germany, Japan, the UK and USA.”
Another recent report in The Economist expands on this global view: “At the end of 2013
nearly 1.1 million Chinese were studying abroad, according to the Ministry of Education –
more than three times as many as a decade earlier… Since at least 2009, China has provided
the most foreign students not just to the English-speaking countries of the developed world
but also to numerous others including France, Germany, Italy, Sweden, Finland, Japan and
South Korea.”
Back to “What if?“
Forecasts continue to point to ongoing growth in Chinese outbound in the decade ahead,
albeit not at the same dizzying pace as in the previous one. Leaving aside the prospect of an
acute political, economic, or public health issue – the global economic crisis in 2008/09, for
example, or the SARS outbreak in 2002 – that might intrude on such projections, what other
factors might shape Chinese demand over the longer term?
Forecasters look to broader economic, social, and demographic trends and there the
continuing strength of the Chinese economy, and the ongoing growth of the middle class, are
positive indicators still.
Page 26 of 40
The HEFCE, however, flags a looming demographic issue on the horizon in its report in
noting, “Our analysis of the United Nations Population Division data shows that China’s 20year-old population is expected to decline by 40% in the period from 2015 to 2020, compared
with the period from 2005 to 2010.” Brookings points to underlying issues with falling fertility
rates in the country and adds that, “In 2010, there were 116 million people aged 20 to 24; by
2020, the number will fall by 20% to 94 million. The size of the young population aged 20-24
will only be 67 million by 2030, less than 60% of the figure in 2010.”
The pool of university-aged students in China is expected to be notably smaller 15 years from
now.
Other factors will be in play as well, including the strengthening of the country’s higher
education system (which bears on the relative appeal of study at home as opposed to study
abroad) and the continuing development of the Chinese economy. But it is reasonable to think
that 10-15 years from now, Chinese outbound mobility may indeed operate at a different scale
and with different characteristics than it does today.
The challenge of diversification is ever-present in international education, both with respect
to achieving culturally diverse, global classrooms today and in terms of managing business
risk for the future. Destinations and institutions that rely heavily on Chinese students today
may especially want to sharpen their focus on that challenge to pursue greater diversification
in international enrolment in the decade ahead.
Scenario planning is one exercise that might help you get started. This technique will enable
you to map out alternative ways your recruitment environment could realistically develop. See
our previous guide to help you finetune your current marketing strategies to ensure you’re
prepared for the future… whatever it may look like.
[Back to top]
Page 27 of 40
Indian government to draft new education policy
By Sara Custer :: The Pie News :: 4th March
http://thepienews.com/news/indian-government-draft-new-education-policy/
The director of education at the British Council in India has called the country’s new education
policy discussion points “very encouraging” because of the inclusion of internationalisation of
HE as a top 20 priority.
For the first time in more than two decades, the government of India is drafting a new
education policy which will include reforms on the internationalisation in higher education,
digitisation of education and skills development.
The government has released 33 discussion themes– 13 for secondary, 20 for postsecondary– to the public for consultation, a process which the government expects could take
up to a year.
Speaking about the government’s new approach to internationalisation, Richard Everitt,
director of education at the British Council in India said: “It’s not whether it should happen,
but how to make it happen.”
Strengthening of vocational education; promotion of languages; integrating skills
development in higher education; promoting open and distance learning and online courses;
and engagement with industry to link education to employability are among other topics
available for discussion on the government’s website until the end of March.
International education stakeholders in the country say the list of proposed discussion themes
show the government is taking a relevant approach to modernise the current education
environment.
However, Lakshmi Iyer, Director and Head of Education for market entry specialist Sannam
S4, commented that in efforts to internationalise higher education, the government needs to
make clear its stance on allow domestic provider to partner with foreign institutions.
“As we face our capacity challenges in India, we also have a responsibility to offer a clear
framework that will make operating in India reasonably easy,” she said.
Iyer highlighted the country’s potential to become an education hub for students from Sri
Lanka, Afghanistan, Nepal, Iran and Africa given the right government support.
“We have traditionally attracted students from these countries and Africa, we can attract more
if we have international campuses that open up,” she said.
For years, foreign and domestic providers have been challenged by the government’s hard
stance on keeping foreign providers out.
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But, last month, in response to UK-based Indian billionaire G P Hinduja’s call on the
government to open its doors to foreign providers, Minister of Human Resource Development
Smriti Irani said she is prepared pick up a foreign provider bill that’s been in political stalemate
since 2010.
Iyer added that if the government is keen to recruit more inbound students, it needs to work
on transforming education hot spots into desirable places to live.
“One theme that I haven’t seen is infrastructure for education,” she said. “I think it is a key
issue as we are talking of opening up education cities. To make these cities attractive, local
infrastructure will also need to be developed to very high standards.”
Other discussion topics show shoots of opportunities for foreign providers particularly in
secondary school tuition, digitalisation and exam assessments said Everitt.
“On schools the three areas where the UK may have most interest is in teachers training and
quality improvement, schools quality and comprehensive education which includes, life skills,
citizenship and sports,” he commented. “There is a big push on digital, as we might expect–
further evidence that the UK should engage in this area not only through UK platforms, but in
India.”
Both Iyer and Everitt lauded the democratic approach the government is taking to draft the
new policy but agree that only time will tell how it translates into action.
“I wonder how much of a useful consultation this will be, rather than just part of a political
stratagem to seen to be closer to the people,” said Everitt.
Meanwhile, Iyer charges that after being elected by a majority mandate last year, Prime
Minister Modi has obligations to voters. “A lot of youth voted for Mr. Modi and he has promises
to keep,” she said.
“One of those promises is that of fulfilling the aspirations of middle class Indian youth whose
families attach tremendous value still to a quality education.”
[Back to top]
Page 29 of 40
App to aid in checking international student’s identity
By The Star Staff :: The Star :: 8th March
http://www.thestar.com.my/News/Education/2015/03/08/App-to-aid-in-checkinginternational-students-identity/
Education Malaysia Global Services Education Malaysia Global Services (EMGS) in
collaboration with Percetakan Nasional Malaysia Berhad (PNMB), has introduced a mobile
application which will aid law enforcement agencies, namely the police and the Immigration
Department in checking the authenticity of an international student’s identity and validity of
the student’s visa in a briefing to law enforcement agencies on Thursday.
The briefing session is meant to enhance awareness amongst law enforcement agencies on
the i-Kad for international students launched last year.
The mobile apps designed by PNMB allows both online and offline verification of the student’s
identity.
This will curb instances where students are detained over suspicion of their identities.
The i-Kad for international students contains information such as a student’s name, date of
birth, nationality, passport number, name of the institution which the student is registered with,
the student pass expiry date and a picture of the student.
“The i-kad is equipped with stringent security features to ensure it is protected against forgery.
Its unique design, biometric elements, security chip, SQR code and 2D barcode are some of
the security features built into the identity card.
“The mobile apps will be made available to officers, authorised by the respective agencies.
“Once logged in to the app, the law enforcement officer needs to scan the SQR code on the
back of the student’s i-Kad to access real time information on the student,” said a PNMB
spokesperson.
EMGS chief executive officer Mohd Yazid Abdul Hamid said in a statement, that the mobile
apps introduced allows law enforcement officers to check the authenticity of a student’s
identity, simply from using a mobile phone.
“This expedites the entire vetting process. Currently, when a student is detained on suspicion,
the police will request a letter from the Immigration Department to validate the student’s
identity and background information.
“This can take time, particularly if it’s a weekend or during public holidays,” he said.
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With this app, he said that police officers in the field can vet the student’s identity within
minutes while the desktop application which is linked to the EMGS portal can be used by
officers in police stations in the country.
“These initiative go a long way in enhancing international students’ security and welfare,” said
Mohd Yazid.
He said the number of international students in Malaysia has almost tripled in the past 10
years, from 46,000 students in 2005 to 135,000 students in 2015.
Law enforcement agencies and its officers play a vital role in the maintenance of a conducive
and safe education ecosystem for the international student community, he added.
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International
Back to top
MAP: Where Are All World's International Students Moving
From and To Around the World
By Sergiu George :: movehub :: 23rd February
http://www.movehub.com/blog/international-students-map
This map shows the countries where all the world's international students are moving from
and to using the most recent data from UNESCO, published in May 2014. The primary colour
shows the ranking of a country based on the number of outbound international students. The
inner colour of the circle shows the ranking of a country based on the number of inbound
international students.
The data covers roughly 200 countries for outbound students and only 125 for inbound
students, thus countries with no data are marked in grey (see all countries in table below). If
you're thinking of becoming an international student in the UK, check our Beginner's guide to
Studying in the UK and this article on Saving money on shipping for international students.
To see this impressive inforgraphic follow this link.
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Page 32 of 40
How do you measure success in international education?
By Beckie Smith :: The Pie News :: 6th March
http://thepienews.com/analysis/measure-success-international-education/
Bigger, better data means that institutions can have a much greater understanding about
conversion of enquiries and post-graduation outcomes, for example. But how do those in the
sector choose to measure efficacy and success when delivering an international education
experience? Beckie Smith finds out.
In discussions about what constitutes success in international education, one common thread
is particularly prominent. Described variously as “a well-rounded experience”, “broadening
horizons” and “an opportunity to grow”, it is now widely acknowledged that international
education is a multifaceted experience whose success hinges not only on academic
achievement but on a student’s personal development and enjoyment of the experience.
This discussion is founded in a consensus that these different facets are interdependent, and
that ensuring that students experience life outside the classroom is both a worthy goal in itself
and one that can boost student retention and benefit learning.
This is perhaps most apparent among language students, for whom opportunities to practise
their skills in the ‘real world’ are vital.
Carol Cregg, Director of Studies at Dublin’s SEDA English Language College, explains that
the college’s social programme provides invaluable opportunities for students with differing
levels of English to interact.
“If an elementary student has a friend in the intermediate class, this can be hugely motivating
for them,” she says. “Generally, whatever we can do to show students that learning a
language isn’t about filling in the gaps in a coursebook, it’s about communicating with
interesting people in a new way.”
As Kelly Franklin, Director of UNC Charlotte’s English Language Training Institute, notes, it
is students who consider their sole purpose of studying abroad to be just that – studying –
who are most likely to struggle.
“It seems these are the students who have the most difficulty when they face any challenge,
be it a difficult class or a broken fixture in their apartment, simply because they haven’t
developed any network of support or empathy,” he remarks.
The importance of building relationships and participation in a student community can
therefore hardly be overstated.
Page 33 of 40
However, such abstract concepts are difficult to quantify. Jennifer Falzerano, Director of
International Programmes at Lane Community College in Oregon, describes one of the
college’s key aims to provide students with “another lens from which to view the world and
see those who are different from them with curiosity and joy rather than fear”, but concedes
that “there isn’t a concrete numeric measurement for this”.
Instead, like many institutions, Lane looks to more easily quantifiable indicators such as
enrolment in extracurricular clubs, students opting to live in shared housing and engagement
via social media to determine whether students are engaging with the college community.
Similarly, at IE University in Spain, “one clearly sees the impact of having a highly diverse
and international student body” through participation in competitions, internships and
exchanges as well as the formation of on-campus international clubs, according to its General
Director for International Relations, Maria Eugenia Marin.
Surveys are another popular method for assessing these subjective facets of a student’s
experience, particularly in shorter programmes where longer-term metrics such as retention
rates or alumni employment are unavailable.
“I’ve always done exit surveys and/or interviews with my students,” says Mary Lou Hamish,
Director of Studies at Halifax ESL School. “I measure our performance more by what students
don’t say. If they had a good experience, they’ll tell you.”
These surveys can be used to determine a broad spectrum of factors, from students’ feelings
about using language skills “in the real world”, as at IH Budapest, or their confidence about
employability, as at Chichester College in the UK, whose exit and entry surveys revealed that
last year 92% of students felt their employability had improved during the course.
Higher education presents unique challenges due to the duration and enrolment size of
degree programmes. However, these also present more opportunities to collect comparable
data.
Two of the most obvious indicators of success in higher education are grades and graduate
employment rates. As Lakshmi Iyer, Director and Head of Education at market entry
consulting firm Sannam S4 points out, “Someone’s decision to undertake studying abroad is
often driven by the idea that it will help them stand apart in the local market and also help
them achieve a better standing in their chosen profession”.
Many institutions therefore focus on how well they can prepare students for the world of work.
At IE University, students can participate in entrepreneurial and management projects, as
well as summer volunteering projects in developing countries such as Ethiopia or Ghana,
which boosts employability while fostering “a greater awareness of the global reality that
surrounds them”, Marin says.
Page 34 of 40
However, student retention is arguably one of the most effective metrics for measuring
success in international higher education, given its duration and the principle that the more
effectively students’ needs and expectations are being met, the more likely they are to stay
on a degree course.
This was thrown into sharp relief for the University of West Florida when its international
student retention rate dropped from 95% to just 83% in the three years leading up to 201112.
“Many students felt isolated due to the location of our campus and lack of transportation to
other areas of the city. It seemed that most students were transferring to larger metropolitan
areas,” explains Rachel Errington at the university’s Office of Diversity and International
Education and Programmes.
Retention rates began to recover the following year after a raft of student support measures
was implemented, including a subsidised taxi service and peer mentoring programme.
The mentor programme was particularly successful, with 100% of participants saying they
would recommend it to other students.
Other universities have reported similar success with mentoring initiatives, with 85% of
participants at the University of California Berkeley indicating that a peer mentor programme
allowed them to participate more actively in campus life.
Some have even incorporated integration initiatives into their academic programmes. At
Pennsylvania College of Technology, international students can earn course credits through
mentoring newer students after a year of study, and Berkeley offers a credit bearing class,
The International Student Experience, Pathways to Academic and Personal Success, to help
students adapt to a university environment.
Where universities emphasise graduate employment rates, the corresponding metric among
pathway HE providers is the proportion of students that progress to higher education, which
Victoria Crane, Director of Student Learning for Kaplan International Pathways, calls their
“raison d’être”.
However, many institutions now look beyond this to see how their alumni are faring later in
their academic careers.
Like Kaplan, Northern Consortium UK is in “constant contact” with its partner universities,
according to Business Development Manager Georgina Jones.
It found that of the students who enrolled in NCUK universities after completing a foundation
year in 2010, 77% graduated with a 2:2, 2:1 or First Class degree, and programmes use direct
feedback from faculties to “enhance students’ learning experience” both in the pathway year
and in university.
Page 35 of 40
Jones described keeping in touch with alumni to this end as a “key strategic goal” of the
consortium, but one that comes with challenges.
“Our students regard themselves as alumni of the university they graduate from; whereas we
would like them to see themselves as alumni of both NCUK and the university,” she says. “In
the last couple of years we have reached agreements with universities to help us maintain
this contact with our students throughout their journey, and we hope to develop this further in
the future.”
Many institutions view students staying in touch after graduating as a mark of success. As
Shanin Dougherty, International Programs Specialist at Pennsylvania College of Technology,
says: “when a student feels a connection to or ownership of an institution, that is always an
indication that the institution is doing something right.”
However, few educators are confident that they effectively capitalising on the opportunity to
engage with alumni.
“Today, international alumni relations remains under-resourced, fragmented within different
departments, a last minute necessity, or only a virtual reality via social media networks,”
relates international alumni relations specialist Gretchen Dobson. “Incomplete, insufficient,
old and/or the lack of international alumni databases are their most challenging obstacles.”
Social media channels are a popular way to retain contact, but a lack of a formal infrastructure
to track alumni engagement can hamper institutions’ ability to track other metrics, such as
graduate employment statistics.
Related to alumni engagement, returning students and word-of-mouth referrals are often
considered one of the most reliable indicators of student satisfaction.
“Sometimes new students come straight to my office to introduce themselves as the brother
or cousin or friend of an alumnus,” Carol Cregg of SEDA College remarks. “For me, that’s
one of our best indicators of success.”
At CLLC, an English language school with branches across Eastern Canada, referrals from
former students have consistently been in the top three recruitment methods, its Executive
Marketing and Sales Director, Stefan Ferron, reveals.
“It shows us that students who do attend CLLC walk away happy enough to to tell their
friends,” he says. “It’s a very organic method of growth and it comes from simply treating the
students right.”
[Back to top]
Page 36 of 40
World Reputation Rankings 2015 results
By Times Higher Education Staff :: Times Higher Education :: March
http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/world-university-rankings/
or
Direct link to ranking table
The Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2014-2015 list the best global
universities and are the only international university performance tables to judge world class
universities across all of their core missions - teaching, research, knowledge transfer and
international outlook. The top universities rankings employ 13 carefully calibrated
performance indicators to provide the most comprehensive and balanced comparisons
available, which are trusted by students, academics, university leaders, industry and
governments.
You can view the full World University Rankings 2014-2015 top 400 below and explore the
criteria used to assess the world’s greatest universities, while our in-depth analysis of the
results shines more light on the data.
[Back to top]
Page 37 of 40
What are universities becoming? A plea from the future
By John-Erik Hansson, Nguyen Vu Thuc Linh, Ola Innset :: The Conversation :: 12th March
http://theconversation.com/what-are-universities-becoming-a-plea-from-the-future-37783
The role of the university as a place of education and research, as an employer, and as an
important part of the social landscape has changed dramatically in the last decade.
As PhD students from various European and North American academic backgrounds, we are
keenly aware of these developments and have been involved within or against them – often
both at the same time. One of the most pressing issues from our perspective is that of the
workforce in universities, especially the collapse of working conditions for many academic
and non-academic staff.
Professors, who once enjoyed excellent working conditions in Europe and North America, are
now being subjected to stricter, stranger, and more noxious standards. They are pressured
into constant external grant applications, and are threatened with severe sanctions if the
administration considers the results of this search inadequate. The case of Stefan Grimm, a
professor at Imperial College London who was found dead in September 2014 shortly after a
distressing email exchange about funding, is one tragic example.
Professors are increasingly being judged according to various forms of ranking, both state
sponsored (such as the Research Excellence Framework in the UK) and international ones
such as the Shanghai ranking and the Times Higher Education ranking of global reputation.
These rankings, as Cambridge historian Stefan Collini argues, do not actually reflect the
excellence of the research, or the quality of the university. And yet, they matter tremendously
to university administrators, students, and state officials.
Working conditions under strain
Of course, professors are not the only academic workers at a university. There are throngs of
other individuals involved in the production of knowledge. These include temporary teaching
staff, “research assistants”, or graduate students who often combine their own thesis-related
work with teaching and with non-thesis related “research assistance”. It has been argued that
some of these schemes provide valuable experience for graduate students, allowing them to
be more competitive in the clogged-up academic labour market.
But this experience can come with unpleasant strings attached, such as less than adequate
working conditions. Or teaching opportunities without pay, as recently proposed by our own
institution, the European University Institute.
Temporary teaching staff are frequently employed in dire conditions, as in the United States,
but also in the “social-democratic paradises” of Scandinavia. High competition, low pay, few
to no benefits and very unstable contracts have become the rule, rather than the exception.
In Norway, for example, as much as 20% of all university and college employees are hired
on temporary contracts.
Page 38 of 40
Such harsh conditions make it particularly difficult for members of historically disadvantaged
groups, such as women, people from lower social classes, and those with a migrant
background to succeed, as they are the ones most affected by the low pay and lack of
benefits. The result is a less socially and intellectually diverse university.
Labour issues boil over
We should not forget that an often neglected but huge part of the university-employed labour
force consists of non-academic staff. As an institution, the university does not simply produce
knowledge – it also consumes a vast amount of services. These run from university
administration to cleaning and catering.
The workers who perform these tasks are to a significant extent, the life-blood of the
university. And yet their important contribution often remains unnoticed even when their
working conditions, and therefore their livelihoods, are being attacked, as has happened in
recent years. As with young academics, those who are overwhelmingly affected by these
degrading labour conditions come from underprivileged backgrounds. They are often women,
migrants or both and do not usually have ready access to the media to fight back.
In late 2011, in Montreal, members of the McGill University Non-Academic Certified
Association went on strike for almost four months. They did so in opposition to a new contract
proposed by the administration. The university wanted wage cuts in real terms, and negative
(or dangerous) changes to benefit schemes including pensions.
Across the Atlantic in 2013, students and staff at the University of Sussex, occupied a medical
school lecture theatre, protesting against the university’s continued privatisation of services
that threatened working conditions of staff including porters, caterers and security workers.
State-led privatisation
The responsibility of national governments for “marketisation” and the drive for privatisation
in higher education is sometimes underestimated, both within and outside academia. Reforms
aimed at privatisation are very often the result of government intervention in the management
of universities, and have been imposed from the top down. This has been done by
governments of both the centre-right and the centre-left.
Similarly, resistance to these trends comes from both a diverse alliance of the radical-left,
who draw on theories of financialisation and neo-liberalism to explain our current economic
situation, and from more conservative scholars who see themselves as the protectors of
ancient academic tradition.
As young scholars, we are part of the university’s future. It seems evident to us that we should
ask questions about what universities are for. But in so doing, we must not forget to ask
another, bolder question: “what should universities be?”
Page 39 of 40
There is no “going back” to any perceived golden age, but it is beyond doubt that there are
aspects both of the academic tradition and of the post-war ideal of affordable or free higher
education that are worth defending. As institutions charged with the important task of
producing new knowledge, universities should not be desperately mimicking already outdated
forms of corporate organisation, but rather be leading the way towards something better.
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