|
British universities are estimated to be raking in UK£2 billion (US$3.18 billion) a year from their UK satellite campuses, accounting for almost 10 per cent of UK universities’ total income.
This is actually more than the estimated UK£1.9 billion (US$3 billion) earned from international fees for non-EU students studying at a UK-based institution in the 2007-2008 academic year, according to figures attributed to Universities UK.
According to the figures released by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (Hesa), 196,640 international students are currently enrolled at an offshore campus, with each student paying full fees of £10,000+ (US$15,949+) per year.
The majority of these were enrolled on undergraduate programmes (67 per cent) with the rest on postgraduate programmes. Just under half (45 per cent) of students were studying for qualifications offered by UK institutions in collaboration with foreign partners, while 51 per cent were on distance learning courses.
Forty-five per cent were studying in Asian countries with another 23 per cent in EU countries. Four countries – Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia and China – accounted for 37 per cent of offshore provision between them (in that order).
Students from outside the EU are a particularly lucrative source owing to the fact they are charged higher tuition rates than their European peers. Offshore campuses like the University of Bolton’s Ras al Khaimah campus in the United Arab Emirates and Middlesex University’s Dubai campus offer alternative pathways for UK and international students and help encourage international student exchange. Adopting identical syllabuses to their UK partner institutions, lectures are also delivered in English, with academics often transferring between the two sites.
The University of Nottingham – which runs franchised operations in both Malaysia and China – is reported to have 3,500 international and 57 British students registered at its Ningbo campus in China, while its Malaysian outfit intends to grow student numbers to 6,000 by 2012.
Christine Ennew, Pro-Vice Chancellor for internationalisation at the university, told The Times Online of the benefits of offshore delivery: “As a university we get access to a very good cohort of students who wouldn’t otherwise be at a UK university,” she said. “It brings in a broader community of students and it helps us build our profile internationally.”
Number of foreign students jumps four-fold in Korea
According to a newspaper report in the Korean Times, the number of foreign students applying to study at a Korean institution has risen four-fold over the past five years.
An estimated 63,952 foreign students were said to have enrolled at a Korean college or university in 2008, up from 49,270 in 2007.
The government is hoping to grow this number further by offering incentives such as a new internship programme, upgraded campus facilities, and a comprehensive online support system. It also plans to expand upon its scholarship scheme and increase the availability of its Korean language test.
However, the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology announced it would strengthen admission guidelines in a bid to discourage students who intended to abuse the system. “We will set guidelines for universities in foreign student admissions. For example, [students] are required to pass a minimum fourth level in the Test of Proficiency in Korean (TOPIK),” said Koh Kye-seok, a ministry official.
Officials predict overseas admissions stand to top 78,000 in 2009.
New vocational training centres for India
Manipal Education – an education services provider based in India – has collaborated with City&Guilds, a major UK provider of occupational qualifications, to launch a chain of vocational training centres in India.
Designed to redefine the way in which education and training is delivered in the subcontinent, the new centres – aptly called IndiaSkills – will offer short, relevant and effective training courses in a wide variety of vocational fields including hospitality and retail. Work placements for successful graduates and English language training will also be made available.
Anand Sudershan, MD and CEO of Manipal Education, said the initiative was exactly what “learners, employers, training providers and the government had been crying out for”.
Speaking at the launch, India’s Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Shri Harish Rawat, added that there was a definite “mismatch” between current skills training available to Indian students and the sort of skills training global companies required. He said that skills development was key to the country’s economic growth. “In order to sustain the high rate of economic growth, and also for the social economic upliftment of our people, we need to pay serious attention to skills development in our country, with an eye on emerging skills,” he stated. “With a proper skills development strategy, the youth can be converted into a great national asset.”
Launched in October, the innovative business model, 49-per cent owned by City & Guilds, will enable students to graduate with a recognised qualification.
News in brief
Kaplan expanding access in Australia
Kaplan Inc – the American-owned education provider – and the University of Adelaide in Australia are reported to be setting up a university partnership. Pending the approval of relevant governmental parties and the Higher Learning Commission in the USA, the collaborative outfit hopes to introduce groundbreaking e-learning technologies that will enable students from all over Australia to enrol and study remotely. “Bringing together a world-class Australian university…with one of the world’s biggest, most innovative education providers…will provide local and international students with a wider range of study options to fit their different needs,” said the Premier of South Australia, Mike Rann.
New HQ for IB
The International Baccalaureate (IB) has relocated to new premises in The Hague, the third largest city in the Netherlands. The new global centre for Africa, Europe and the Middle East will employ a 300-strong work force that will continue to develop the IB programme. “The Hague is a world renowned city of peace and justice and is associated with many of the values of the IB,” said Director General, Jeffery Beard. It is hoped IB programmes will be rolled out to 2.5 million students in 10,0000 schools by 2020.
IIE meets UAE dignitaries
The Institute of Independent Education (IIE) – a non-profit organisation specialising in higher education and exchange services – has met with the UAE Minister of Education to discuss areas of cooperation. Delegates gave ministry officials a presentation outlining other successful cooperative projects including their administration of the King Abdullah Scholarships in Saudi Arabia. IIE has already developed strong working relationships with other institutions in the Middle East & Africa region.
|
|
