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

L'Oreal to award scholarships to woman students

New Delhi: Global cosmetics giant L'Oreal's Indian subsidiary on Thursday said that it was extending its corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative of sponsoring women science students to the national capital region (NCR).

"We are going to extend our program, which currently focuses on just young women's education in science in the state of Maharashtra, to the NCR region," a senior L'Oreal executive told the sources from Paris.

According to the official, the company gave scholarship worth Rs.2.5 lakh to five women students in Maharashtra. The number of scholarships will now be increased to 10, with the addition of five woman students from the NCR.

"Around 30 girls from Maharashtra have benefited from this project which was started seven years ago," the official said, adding that the total cost of the project would be around Rs.25 lakh per year.

The company, one of the largest producers and sellers of cosmetics products in the country, also said it was happy that the winner of this year's company sponsored fellowship is an Indian woman.

Jyoti Panda, 28, who just completed her Ph.D in biotechnology from the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology in New Delhi, is one of the 15 recipients of the 'Unesco-L'oreal International Fellowship', which grants $40,000 to young women researchers.

"She will be doing her research at School of Pharmacy, University of ColoradoDenver, Aurora, in the US," a company statement said.

source:http://indiaedunews.net/Delhi/L'Oreal_to_award_scholarships_to_woman_students_13637/

India No. 4 in World's Best Education Destination list

It is an ill-kept secret that Indian education standards are among the best in the world. But now, it's official. India stands at number 4 in the list of most desired education destinations.

The Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC), the body which conducts GMAT recently conducted a survey, which pegged the United States and the United Kingdom at No. 1 and 2, but what has come as a real surprise is India's rank. The third most powerful Asian nation has been placed at the 4th most desired place to study management courses.

GMAT is one amongst the top B-school entrance test which is conducted at global level. Canada has secured the third position in the lot. Even Spain and Israel have appeared in the list among the top preferred destinations for B-schools.

 

Source: http://education.in.msn.com/news/article.aspx?cp-documentid=4611231

France wants to 'reinvent' English language teaching from age three

Children could start learning English in France's nursery schools from age three as part of a strategic review of language education launched by education minister Luc Chatel.

Chatel announced last month that he wanted to "reinvent the learning of English" in schools. He said a team of specialists were examining a range of options aimed at boosting young people's skills in English and other foreign languages.

Specialists would investigate starting learning from age three, he said. "We have been experimenting with this and there have been some good results," he said.

He also wants to develop online language learning and to encourage more secondary school children to go on language-study trips to English-speaking countries.

But the minister's commitment to high-quality language teaching has been called into question. As part of cuts to education budgets announced last month, schools are likely to lose up to 1,000 specialist language assistants from classrooms from the start of the next academic year.

According to the Le Monde newspaper, educationalists are sceptical about using computers for language learning from such a young age. "Putting three-year-olds in front of computers?" asked Christian Chevalier, general secretary of the SE-Unsa teachers' union. "We are not opposed to developments in teaching that are useful. But you need a human to impart knowledge. Only a high-quality teacher who can speak English can teach the language," he said.

Source:  http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2011/feb/08/tefl-france 

IIM-Calcutta to boost research and upgrade lab

The Indian Institute of Management-Calcutta (IIM-C) plans to utilize the Rs.20 crore special budgetary grant to help students do research in global finance markets and to upgrade its financial research and trading lab.

Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee announced the special grant to the IIM-C in the union budget he presented to the Lok Sabha on Monday.

"The money will help us upgrade our financial research and trading laboratory into a world class facility. The fund will also help students for further research in global finance markets," Ashok Banerjee, professor of finance and head of the lab, said on Monday.

The lab was set up on November 18, 2008, to support advanced applied research in financial markets and equip finance managers with the mathematical and conceptual theories.

"Lot of money is required for further research in the global finance markets. So, this money will help the students to a large extent," Banerjee told the sources.

"The grant will help us obtain important softwares and global market data. Right now this is going on a small scale. The special allocation will give a boost to our upgradation and research projects," he said. IANS

Source:http://indiaedunews.net/IIM/IIM-Calcutta_to_boost_research_and_upgrade_lab_13611/

Global standards required in agriculture education - Pawar

New Delhi: Minister for Agriculture and Food Processing Industries Sharad Pawar has called for evolving global standards to enhance quality and relevance of agricultural education and research in the country. 

Addressing a two-day conference of vice chancellors of agriculture universities and directors of ICAR institutes here today, Pawar said, "Requisite models of public-private partnerships must be evolved for educational activities as well as for development, application and flow of technologies from lab to the market place and for strengthening of National Agricultural Research and Education System infrastructure through active interface with the industry." 

He stated that, "In order to effectively address the emerging needs of agricultural sector, we require highly competent human resources. In this context, Global schools, demand-driven curricula, student centered and problem solving approach in curriculum delivery, effective co-ordination of multi-commodity and multi-disciplinary research in entire production to consumption chain of agricultural commodities and capacity building through training at the national and international level, are some issues which need priority attention."

"I am glad to share with you that the Council is contemplating a National Agricultural Education Project for which a committee is already working to suggest reforms andrenewal of higher agricultural education in the country," he further added.

Referring to the revised course curricula now implemented in agricultural universities, Pawar said that new curricula focuses on development of knowledge, skills and attitude. "To make it demand driven, new courses have been added including the Experiential Learning with the objective of entrepreneurship development in students," he stated. 

He called upon the vice chancellors to expeditiously take steps for adoption of the Model Act developed by the ICAR for agricultural universities. 

Expressing happiness over increase in number of woman students in higher agricultural education in the recent years, he said that 60 new girls hostels in 38 agricultural universities have been completed that can accommodate 3,000 more girl students. 

The Minister said, "Degradation of natural resources and unpredictable shifts in climatic patterns have been impacting the farming practices. Competitions posed by globalization and opening up of economies, ethical issues of trade related intellectual property rights, genetically modified foods and organisms and enforcement of strict quality regimes need immediate attention while developing technically qualified manpower. More than ever before, knowledge coupled with skills has become imminent for enhancing agricultural production, marketing and trade."

He further added, Pawar said, "The infrastructure including the laboratories, farm and other facilities in some of the institutions are quite old and need renovation and upgradation. He said that though the ICAR supports agricultural universities to the possible extent to develop globally competitive infrastructure for technology generation and dissemination and human capacity building, the States should also rise to the occasion by extending adequate support."

The Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Processing Industries, Harish Rawat also addressed the conference. He said that agriculture in India, through research and technology development, has enabled the country, to increase the production of foodgrains by 4 times, horticultural crops by 6 times, fish by 9 times, milk 6 times and eggs 27 times since 1950-51. 

Rawat said, "The Department of Agricultural Research and Education extends, academic, professional, and limited financial support, to the state agricultural universities. Keeping in view the minimum essential requirements, which can bring about tangible changes at ground level, several new initiatives were put forth that needed greater financial support from the Government of India."

"The present era of partnership calls for enhanced collaboration between the agricultural universities and ICAR institutes, and other related agencies," he concluded.

source:http://indiaedunews.net/Today/Global_standards_required_in_agriculture_education_-_Pawar_13583/

CBI to investigate law college recognitions granted by BCI

New Delhi: Several affiliations that had been granted by the Bar Council of India (BCI) to various law colleges in the past five years are being investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigations (CBI).

BCI vice chairman R. Dhanpal Raj had been arrested by the CBI from his residence in Tamil Nadu after a probe into the affiliation that had been granted to Global Law College in Ghaziabad.

According to sources, cash amounting to about Rs.75 lakh had been recovered during the raids conducted against BCI officials that had been arrested in connection with the case. R. Dhanpal Raj has been remanded by the court in police custody till February 25, 2011.

An FIR had been filed against a member of the Bar Council of Delhi, R.S. Rana, who had allegedly entered into a criminal conspiracy by demanding money from Manish Tyagi in order to conduct the inspection of a law college and giving a favorable report for granting recognition to the college. A trap had been laid by the CBI and Rana had been arrested with Rs.1 lakh cash in his hands.

An anticipatory bail petition by R. Dhanpal Raj had been rejected by the Supreme Court.

source:http://indiaedunews.net/Law/CBI_to_investigate_law_college_recognitions_granted_by_BCI_13568/

IIMs trash HRD suggestions on teaching hours, smaller boards

 Faculty bodies at IIM-Calcutta and IIM-Bangalore have passed unanimous resolutions to set aside the reports which suggest reducing the size of IIM boards and societies and asking eachfaculty to teach for 160 hours a year.

Other IIMs are likely to follow suit seeking broader consultation on the proposed reforms.

They have trashed the HRD ministry-appointed committee reports on the new governance structure and teaching load, saying that they are based on incorrect data.

They believe that these recommendations are the outcome of several wrong assumptions andincorrect data and would not allow IIMs to become global leaders. These changes, if implemented, will have a negative impact on the morale of the faculty, IIM-B faculty said in a memorandum submitted to board of governors chairman Mukesh Ambani last week.

They have now called for a fresh panel involvingalumni and eminent academics to create a governance structure for long-term development of IIMs.

A five-member committee headed by IIM-Ranchi chairman R C Bhargava had recommended reducing the size of the IIM boards and societies by almost half, and allowing corporate bodies, individuals and alumni to become members of the IIM society by paying Rs 20 crore, Rs 5 crore and Rs 3 crore respectively.

The IIM-B faculty rejected the idea, saying that it will lead to a major structural change in the ownership of IIMs and would be completely against public interest. They believe that contribution for the society should be more in the nature of developing institutions rather than owning the institutions.

The dons at the elite Bschools have also taken exception to the HRD ministry's decision to fix a minimum teaching load for faculty which will be the same for all IIMs.

source:http://indiaedunews.net/Karnataka/IIMs_trash_HRD_suggestions_on_teaching_hours,_smaller_boards_13536/

IIT-Kharagpur to accept LSAT scores

In a move which could open the doors for aspiring law students from India and abroad to its campus, IIT-Kharagpur has decided to acceptLaw School Admission Test (LSAT) scores for admission to its 3 year LLB Programme in Intellectual Property Laws.

Disclosing the development, a senior faculty of the IIT's law school said, LSAT-India is administered by Pearson VUE, the global leader in assessments and testing. LSAT-India provides a standard measure of acquired reading and analytical and logical reasoning skills that law schools can use as one of several factors in assessing applicants.

LSAT-India is a standardised test designed for admission to Indian law school by the Law School Admission Council (LSAC), USA, which also administers the LSAT-global used by leading lawschools worldwide.

This is the first time that IIT Kharagpur has given recognition to LSAT and now it has the unique distinction of being the only law school in any IIT in India.

IIT Kharagpur's Rajiv Gandhi School of Intellectual Property Law (RGSOIPL) has been set up in collaboration with the George Washington University Law School.

Candidates from India and abroad with LSAT-India or LSAT-global scores are qalso will be eligible to apply for the programme.

source:http://www.indiaedunews.net/Delhi/IIT-Kharagpur_to_accept_LSAT_scores_13526/