GLOBAL: What international students want to study

Predicting where future international students will come from and what subjects they go abroad to study has become a mini-industry in receiving countries such as Britain and Australia, where some courses are highly dependent on overseas student fees.

Delegates and experts at the British Council's Going Global conference, held in Hong Kong from 11-12 March, agreed that demand for overseas courses from Asian students will carry on rising.

"Overall demand for international education will continue to grow in the low single digits in the next decade," said Tony Pollock (pictured), Chief Executive of IDP Education, an international student placement service.

However, subject choices may be changing as sending countries like China and India become more affluent, students from Singapore prefer to study at their own excellent universities and Malaysia reduces the number of government scholarships for students on expensive overseas courses.

Medicine and related courses in the West have long been popular with students from India, Malaysia and Hong Kong, while business-related degrees and engineering have been the top choice for students from China, Taiwan and Vietnam.

This is according to a survey of 5,000 prospective international students in 14 countries by Hotcourses, a web-based company that advises students on course choice internationally. 

Students from Pakistan are looking for high quality courses in engineering and technology, and Indonesian students are looking at the natural sciences. 

South Korean students, on the other hand, go abroad to study creative arts and design, while students from India and Malaysia are interested in social sciences and communications, said Mike Elms, Chief Executive of Hotcourses. 

However, patterns are changing in key markets such as China, which last year sent 440,000 students to study abroad, overtaking India as the top sending country.

Prospective students from major Chinese cities may be broadening out the subjects they want to study abroad, according to research by the British Council - information which could also be important for decisions by a number newly emerging regional higher educational hubs on what courses to offer to attract international students. 

The British Council's Education Intelligence Unit research into prospective students' intentions in the coming years found that there have been shifts in the most popular subjects chosen for study in the UK in the last two to three years. 

Students from China are still most likely to study business administration and engineering and technology at overseas universities, but growth in the number of students selecting these subjects is slowing while students from China wanting to study mass communication and documentation, and creative arts and design, has shown much bigger growth. 

"We were trying to capture the student decision-making process before the student embarks on a course," said Janet Illieva, head of research at the British Council in Hong Kong. "For China we have seen decreased demand for engineering."

"There has been a shift in demand towards non-traditional subjects in China at the city level," she said. This was most evident in large cities such as Beijing and Shanghai. "We think this is because of the rise in the middle class in these cities. While in the medium-sized cities, there is definitely a rise in those who say they want to study engineering." 

For example, one in four prospective international students in the city of Shenyang want to pursue engineering. In Nanjing, Xi'an and Chengdu the rise was 17% to 18%, taking over where Beijing was a decade ago. These are also cities where there has been a rise in heavy industry and manufacturing, Illieva said.

Students from China saying they want to study mass communication has risen by 81% since 2008, a possible reflection of the burgeoning use of the internet. Prospective Chinese students wanting to study creative arts has risen by 54% during the same period, compared to 25% to 29% growth for business and engineering. Architecture, building and planning has seen 35% growth in interest from China in the last two years. 

Mass communication has soared to become the third most popular choice for Chinese students wanting to study overseas, rising from 8th most popular in 2006-07. Creative arts has risen to fifth place behind social studies compared to ninth place in 2006-07.

The findings have implications for universities hoping to replace declining applications at home with students from overseas, particularly in science and engineering. 

But Hotcourses' Mike Elms said the key motivator for students looking for courses abroad is "to get a better education. They want a higher quality course than is available to them in their own (education) market," he said.

source:http://www.universityworldnews.com/article.php?story=20110318130504251

Forging new relations with institutions

Project English aims to provide every teacher and learner with skills, ideas, and access to the best resources from the U.K., says Mr. Sellers.

The British Council has expanded its programmes in the country by implementing several educational and cultural projects over these years. Paul Sellers, the new Director of the British Council for operations in South India, says that the council is keen on building relationships with a variety of institutions and people in India through its ongoing and forthcoming initiatives. In an interview to The Hindu-EducationPlus in Kochi, Mr. Sellers, who had earlier held senior positions with the British Council worldwide, elaborates on a wide-range of topics related to the council. Excerpts from the interview:

How good is the demand for U.K. higher education among students in India? How do you plan to tap the growing opportunities in the Indian higher education sector?

The demand for U.K. higher education keeps increasing every year. We had a 16 per cent increase last year. There are around 15,000 Indian students going to the U.K. [every year] to study the undergraduate or postgraduate programmes offered by the universities in the country. That is the number of students on our record. It is probably more than that. Interestingly, Kerala accounts for around two-third of the number. It is the biggest among the States. The largest number of students come from Kerala. We attribute this to the good school education and literacy.

Possibly the demand for courses in certain subject areas isnot met even though there are very good higher educational institutions in South India especially in health care and engineering.

And IT is also coming up. British Council institutions around the world have always had a mission to promote the U.K. as a higher educational destination.

Increasingly, we want to build sort of mutual links between U.K. universities and India. We make it easy for the U.K. universities to come and present themselves before Indian students by holding U.K. education exhibitions. We also work closely with the British High Commission so that they can give information on visa requirements, which is an important issue. We are conscious of the competition from Australia, South East Asia, and Europe. The U.K.'s niche is often the postgraduate programmes that complement the undergraduate programmes students pursue here especially in niche subject areas.

One of the ways forward is to link educational institutions in India and the U.K. so that students have a real choice where to study and from where they get quality education.

Do you think that the move by the Indian government to allow foreign universities to open shop here would pave way for the entry of higher education providers in the U.K. to India?

I think definitely there is an opportunity. The new legislation is a positive step forward. I see the U.K. institutions going for joint ventures in India. Some would set up their own campus. But I understand it requires a lot of investment. Some universities thrive on that — Middlesex, Nottingham and some others. They already have campuses in China and the United Arab Emirates running successfully. The reputation of universities is very often based on its locality or presence. The best option, the low-risk model, is to have joint programmes and exchange of faculty and students. And again here British Council intends to help by maintaining the contact with the Indian universities. We can put them together when institutes in the U.K. want to go for joint collaboration.

Do you think that the visa restrictions imposed by the U.K. government would impact genuine applications for higher education?

No, definitely not. There is no barrier at all in terms of the standard students who want to pursue a programme in the U.K. on a bonafide basis especially in undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. What the U.K. government has done is to tie-up some of the loose ends in the legislation. It is a fact that some students heading to the U.K. for short-term programmes like language courses are not necessarily going for that sole purpose. We encourage students to come. The student with the right qualification is offered a place in the U.K. in the right institution.

What is your advice to students who are searching for data on the higher educational opportunities in the U.K.? How would they be able to identify fake agents and agencies?

They should go through the British Council web site (www.britishcouncil.org). We have a database of all the universities in the U.K. And this list is vetted and guaranteed by the British Council. It also gives a breakdown of the courses and subjects specialised by each university.

If you are lucky enough to be in a place where you have access to one of our U.K. education exhibition, you can talk directly to the representatives of the universities.

I think the vast majority of agents do a really good job, as they assist the students in finding their right course.

If their advice and data match the initial research you have done on the basis of the British Council web site, it is more likely that they can help you. Do not pay fees upfront without a written guarantee and a contract or paper work. I believe nearly a dozen agents based in Kochi have passed the British Council training for agents.

We offer them a special training. Another thing to do is to check whether they are accredited by the council. It is not mandatory. But it is yet another guarantee.

Could you elaborate on the ongoing ‘Learn English' project initiated by the council?

Project English, a regional initiative on English language teaching (ELT) and training, was launched in November 2007 with the commitment to provide every teacher and learner with skills, ideas, and access to the best resources from the U.K.

A target of indirectly training 7.5 lakh teachers in India from 2007-12 has been set. We have currently reached 74 per cent of the target. Since November 2007, we have trained 4,266 master trainers, 5,56,166 teachers and 28 million students through this initiative.

We are in the middle of a very productive contract with the Kerala government to train teachers of English in the public sector.

The methodology is to train a cadre of master trainers. In the past 18 months, we have trained 300 master trainers. They have trained over 6,000 teacher trainers. These trainers have taught two lakh students in Kerala so far.

We do have similar agreements with nine State governments including Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. Our aim is to get as close as to the end user — the student.

The council keeps a quality control over the programme. Considering the huge demand in India, our ambition is to become more high-tech with learning of English. We are now researching and investing in English through mobile phone technology and online programmes. Picking the right technology is the key.

One technology might be right for Europe but may not be right for India. Mobile phone market in India had outstretched. Our Internet provision is very good. It will help in increasing your capabilities in learning English. There is a whole range of free materials on the council's web site on learning English.

The focus is still on the teacher. There are very good teacher support materials on the web site.

We already have the Cambridge teacher training course. And we are looking for ways to transmit a similar course through television.

source:http://www.hindu.com/edu/2011/03/08/stories/2011030850030100.htm

Education Series on Australia

Australian Trade Commission has plans to work for the energy and food security of India. Michael Carter, Consul-Commercial, Australian Trade Commission, who was here in connection with 'Australian Education Excellence Showcase 2011,' an education series organised by the Australian Government, said that some of the Indian companies already acquired coal mines in Australia.

“Australia has been known for advance agricultural practices and we are ready to transfer the same to India,” he said. In the educational sector, the Curtin University of Australia already entered in to a collaboration with Chennai Business School.

According to Carter, the collaboration with Indian and Australian Educational institutions will take a fast face once the Foreign Education Bill under the consideration of Indian Parliament is passed.Leading Australian universities participated at the education fair in Kochi to disseminate contemporary information about Australian education, especially on the academic programs, scholarships, student experience, safety measures and career paths in Australian educational institutions to prospective students from India.The showcase featured senior representatives and faculties from over 15 leading educational institutions from Australia, including the Curtin University, RMIT, Deakin University and University of Western Sydney.

Source: http://expressbuzz.com/cities/kochi/education-series-on-australia/251907.html

Global design competition for Nalanda University

New Delhi: As the historic Nalanda University is set to be rebuilt, Vice Chancellor Gopa Sabharwal said on Monday that a global design competition for the building's architecture will be announced in three to four months.

Talking to reporters in Delhi at a press conference, the newly appointed vice chancellor said that the new university will be built on an area of 446 acres, 10 km from the site of the ancient university of Nalanda in Bihar. 

"The university will be built in Rajgir, which is 10 km from the site of the historic Nalanda University. A global designing competition will be announced in coming three or four months for finalizing the architecture," Sabharwal said.

The Nalanda University Bill was passed by the parliament during the monsoon session in August 2010 and a notification for its creation was issued in November.

While the work for creation of infrastructure has already begun, the construction of the building and other details will start once the designs are finalized.

"The design must get ready by next year. We will try to built it as soon as possible but it is difficult to give a time frame," she said. 

The university, which will be an international state-of-the-art institution, will have post graduate courses in six disciplines.

The course include Buddhist studies, philosophy and comparative religions, historical studies, international relations and peace studies, business management in relation to public policy and development studies, languages and literature and ecology and environmental studies. 

Talking about the courses, Nalanda mentor group chairman and Nobel laureateAmartya Sen said that the courses like Buddhist philosophy and religious studies aimed at connecting the modern university to its historic past when Nalanda was the centre of learning that attracted students from all over the world.

"Courses like Buddhist studies, comparative religion, literature and history will connect it to its past. I hope some day we can also include astronomy in the courses as it was taught in the ancient Nalanda University," Sen said.

Asked about the absence of science related courses, Sen said that creation of infrastructure was one of the main reasons for this.

"You cannot teach science without a lab, so infrastructure was one of the main reasons why we have stressed on humanities. In the course of time, science courses will get included," he said.

While the government of India has created an endowment fund for the creation of the university, the project has also attracted contributions from many other countries including Singapore, Australia and China.

"We got $7 million from Singapore, $1 million from China, Australia is funding a chair, while Laos has given $50,000," Sabharwal said. 

Speaking on the occasion, Foreign Minister of Singapore George Yeo said that the aim was to create a university to facilitate exchange of ideas. 

"It will be a place where human beings gather and each contribute to development of others," Yeo said.

source:http://indiaedunews.net/Universities/Global_design_competition_for_Nalanda_University_13563/

Student Visas for Australia

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Information on student visas and how to apply.

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Parents or relatives can apply for a visa to stay in Australia as the guardian of a student who is studying in Australia.

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Education Providers

Australian schools, colleges and universities can find information about their obligations to international students when offering them a place in a course.

Education Agents

Education agents can find information on how to lodge visa applications for international students who want to study in Australia.

More Information for Students

Information on bringing family, working while studying, extending your stay and changing course or education provider and document checklists.

Related Information

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 source : http://www.intstudy.com/visaaus.htm

Geology, a career for outdoor enthusiasts!

Geology is gaining popularity in line with the growth in the demand for fossil fuel and discovery of new reserves.
Fast Facts
Best Schools: Delhi University, Banaras Hindu University, Jadavpur University, University of Madras, Ranchi University.
Qualification: BSc, MSc in Geology
What you become: Marine geologist, Petrologist, Mineralogist, Geohydrologist, Hydrologist, Paleontologist, Seismologist
Recruiters: Geological Survey of India, Central Ground Water Board, ONGC, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited, Mineral Exploration Authority, Indian Space Research Organisation
How do mountains rise? How are rocks created and destroyed? These questions can be answered if we study Geology, a field-oriented, scientific discipline, which investigates the properties of the earth, its substances, shapes, processes and history. Geology is a multi-disciplinary subject, which includes study of minerals (mineralogy), rocks (petrology), the structure of the Earth (structural geology), volcanic phenomena (volcanology), landforms and the processes that produce them (geomorphology and glaciology), study of fossils (paleontology), the development of sedimentary strata (stratigraphy) and the evolution of planetary bodies and their satellites (astrogeology).
By studying the history, composition, changes that occur on the earth, geologists foresee how events, processes of the past influence the future, says Prof. Mallickrarjun Joshi, Professor, Department of Geology, Benaras Hindu University (BHU). A geology class all starts with rocks and minerals, which are not just stones but stories. For instance, the knowledge on the age of the rock would help a student of geology to identify the type of mineral. The study of rocks, minerals, mountains, earthquakes, volcanoes, rivers, glaciers, landslides and floods fall into this broad field.
What a geologist does
A geologist’s job involves two main functions: Exploration and Research. Exploration: Involves detailed identification of structures (mountains, rivers, rocks), investigation of the resources of a region (drilling into the ground to locate water, mineral, energy resources), predict future geologic hazards like earthquakes, floods, landslide.
Research: Compiles the data into a geological map, which shows the distribution and relationship of the properties. It is supplemented by laboratory investigation, where a geologist uses microscopic, electronic equipment and computing techniques to analyse samples collected from the field. After the analysis (which includes calculations) a geologist prepares a report.
A geologist’s work significantly includes - field activity, office-based data processing, report writing and project planning. The scope of the job depends on the work area of the company or organization, you work for. For instance, Pranjal who works as a Geologist with ONGC’s Oil Exploratory Division in Gujarat monitors the oil wells to locate how much oil can be extracted for developing process.
According to Soma Sengupta, Senior Advisor (Geology) at Directorate General of Hydrocarbons, majority of the geologists working in the petroleum and oil industries are involved in both exploratory and laboratory work. “Working in the field may mean spending long hours outdoors, doing exploration, surveying and production,” she said.
Entering the field
To kickstart your career as a geologist you must have completed an MSc in Geology. Most universities across the country offer a Bachelor’s, Master’s and PhDs in Geology. You must have completed 10+2 in Science to enrol for a BSc in Geology.
“A Master’s degree is enough for any entry-level positions. But an advanced degree like PhD will help you enter colleges to teach,” says Joshi.
BSc
A BSc focuses on the basic concepts of Petroleum Geology, Marine Geology etc.
MSc
It comprises both pure and applied geology, which focuses on the advanced learning of the fields. It builds upon the foundation laid during a BSc, by building a strong theoretical and practical framework. Writing a dissertation is one of the general requirements. According to Amit Sarma who works in the petroleum industry as a geologist in Noida, the theory learnt during his MSc helped him to put concepts into practice.
Further specialisation
After MSc, one can also opt for MSc (Tech)/MTech for specialisation in Geotechnical and Geo-environmental engineering etc., which are parts of Civil Engineering field. In order to be eligible, one must have a GATE score.
An added advantage for these students is that all institutes offer scholarships of at least Rs. 8,000 per month with a contingency fund of Rs. 10,000 per annum. Due to the increase in the demand of oil and natural gas and also because of new findings of reserves, the most recent trend spotted in many colleges is the rush towards taking up MSc Petroleum Geology/MTech Petroleum Exploration.
Qualities required for the job
* Ability to visualise
* Good scientific/technical skills
* Audacious as an explorer
* Physical fitness
* Ability to interpret statistical and graphical information
* Attention to detail
* Report-writing skills
Field trips
Since geology is related to environment, a large portion is taught outdoors. So, field work becomes an integral part of all degree programmes. It may include collection of geologic data, constructing a measured section, interpreting geologic structures and geologic mapping.
Geology and the environment
Geologists have an important role in preserving and keeping the environment clean as they assess natural disasters and its effects. Their activities include - monitoring waste disposal sites, preserving water supplies and minimising the threat to communities at risk from geologic hazards like earthquakes, landslides, volcanoes and tsunamis. Geological maps are important inputs for the generation of hazard maps. It helps the mitigation team to engage in disaster management in an efficient manner.
Geology meets engineering Geologists play an inevitable role in engineering projects. The meeting point of engineers and geologist is in the irrigation, nuclear power and communication projects like bridges, tunnels, roads etc. Every civil engineer has to get well-equipped with geology. According to Dr K.S Rao, Professor, IIT, Delhi, there is a wide application of geological principles in the areas like Geotechnical & Geoenvironmental, Hydraulics, Structure and Transportation Engineering. Prior to any building construction, an engineer has to determine the properties of soil. “To determine the stability of the structure, the engineers work closely with geologists to identify the type of bedrock at building sites,” he stressed.
Opportunities galore
Geology prepares you to be part of varied areas, right from resource management and environmental protection to mineral and oil exploration.
They can specialise in innumerable fields. A geologist can work in engineering and consulting firms, government agencies, mining companies, petroleum companies, museums. The UPSC conducts exams for placement in GSI, Central Ground Water Board etc. They also have an option to take up IAS/Forestry Service. PSUs like ONGC, Hindustan Zinc Ltd conducts All India Entrance exam for hiring Geologists.
With an advanced degree, a geologist will qualify for supervisory/ research/ teaching positions through NET in Universities or institutes.
Demand for geologists often mirror the price of geological commodities such as fuels, metals and construction materials. As rise in international oil price directly relates to Geology. The oil companies become more viable for exploration and this creates a major demand for Geologists in the market.
Kinds of geologists
Marine Geologist
Studies marine environment. With the help of remote sensing they locate old rocks and vegetations and effects on sea and atmosphere.
Petrologist
Conducts explorations for new oil and gas fields both the onshore and offshore activity. All types of survey like geophysical and seismic surveys are carried out before drilling.
Mineralogist
Identifies useful mineral in rocks and sea beds. It’s mostly work in the underground.
Geohydrologist
Locates and assesses sources of water and also find threats which can pollute the water.
Hydrologist
Studies underground sources of water and all related parameters to it like infiltration and pollution threats.
Paleontologist
Works with fossils (dead remain of creatures and plants). They estimate their age and try to find how the earth was at that time and what lead to their deaths.
Seismologist
Works with movement of Earth’s tectonic plates, which causes earthquakes.
Surveyor
Collects data about land and sea and maintain a database and keep monitoring the changes in data with past and present values.
They hire geologists
* Geological Survey of India (GSI)
* Central Ground Water Board (CGWB)
* Directorate of Geology and Mining (DGM)
* Indian Bureau of Mines (IBM)
* Defense Research and Development Organisation (DRDO)
* Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)
* National Geophysical Institute (NGRI)
* Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, Dehradun
* Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC)
Public Sector Undertakings * Oil & Natural Gas Corporation Ltd. (ONGC)
* National Hydro Power Corporation (NHPC)
* National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC)
* Minerals and Metals Trading Corporation (MMTC)
* National Remote Sensing Agency (NRSA)
* State Mining Corporation (SMC)
* National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC)
* NALCO
* Hindustan Zinc Limited
* Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL)
* Theri Hydro Development Corporation (THDC)
* Mineral Exploration Authority Private sector companies
* Broken Hill
* Rio Tinot
* De Beers
* Cairn Energy
* Reliance Energy
* Shell
* Service providers - Schlumberger, HLS
Money talk
Government jobs (GSI, CGWB) offers you a decent living style, while public sector (ONGC, HPCL, IOC ) offers handsome salary with good perks and better working conditions.
In both the private and public sector, a fresher with an MSc in Geology can expect a salary between Rs. 25,000-38,000. It will vary also based on the location of your work (metropolitan cities, areas prone to harsh weather conditions etc).
Opportunities abroad Besides the USA, Australia, Canada, the need for geologists is rising in developing countries. Indonesia, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait, India, Vietnam, Thailand, Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan require geologists for civil works such as the construction of highways, airports, dams, pipelines etc. “The Middle East, the goldmine for oil, is a paradise for geologists,” says Amit.
The flipside As a field geologist you may be placed in situations that will test you in every possible way. Be prepared to work in remote terrains and travel widely as project requirements dictate. There are instances when you might get dehydrated or injured, and most of the time you are not close to the city where you can get aid. Also, working in vulnerable areas (earthquake, flood prone) could be dangerous if he/she is not prepared for it. A geologist has to cope with potential problems which may occur during the construction of tunnels, dams and other gigantic projects. In the tunnels, inaccessibility to proper ventilation, radio connections, traffic lights would lead to accidents.
Filling the jobs in offshore oil fields is proving to be a major challenge. There are several reasons for reluctance: Not many people are willing to live in the middle of the ocean on an oil rig, extremes of temperature - either extremely cold (most deep ocean oil rigs) or extremely hot, sometimes both. If all these pitfalls do not scare you too much, then the field becons you with open arms.

source : http://in.education.yahoo.com/news/yeducareers360/geology-career-outdoor-enthusiasts-20110131