Month: October 2015

Meaningful international experience is not limited to study abroad alone

“If you really want to nail down your intercultural competencies in the context of your profession, go abroad as a graduate”

Maria Baum is currently teaching abroad in Ecuador with UBELONG, after studying abroad, obtaining a master’s degree in international education from NYU and working for IIE in New York. She writes about how her experience while studying acted as a catalyst for working abroad, and the value of heading overseas post-graduation.

How can we get more Americans to study abroad in college? This question stands at the forefront of the international education sector and has prompted a range of responses in the United States, but the opportunity for meaningful international experience is not limited to study abroad alone.
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‘Fitting in’: the emergence of short-term programs

“I did not consider anything less than a year to be considered a real exchange. How could you master a language, build relationships, and integrate yourself in a community for anything less than at least a few months?”

After writing for The PIE Blog on the unexpected challenges that can crop up during a homestay, Mary Beth Brungardt writes about the value of short-term study abroad.

It has been exactly one week since I arrived to China. Today I joked with a friend that I have not used a fork in seven days, which led to a discussion recapping everything we have learned in such a short period of time.

The growing popularity of short-term study abroad programs has started a debate among professionals and educators in the field. Are these short-term programs more than just an ‘academic trip?’ Does the length of a program dictate whether or not we should label the experience as ‘study abroad?’

There appear to be two trending categories of short-term participants: those who are unwilling to spend extended periods of time away from home, and those who are restricted by certain curriculum requirements. As a result, summer, May, and ‘J’ term programs are becoming increasingly popular among university and high school students. These programs allow us to “fit” the experience into our schedule, and require less commitment.

“There appear to be two trending categories of short-term participants: those who are unwilling to spend extended periods away from home, and those who are restricted by curriculum requirements”

As a junior in high school, I packed my bags and headed out to Spain on a year-long program. At the time, I did not consider anything less than a year to be considered a real exchange. How could you master a language, build relationships, and integrate yourself in a community for anything less than at least a few months? By the time you establish a routine, it would be time to go home.

Despite these disadvantages, short-term programs play a critical role in international education. Spending a few weeks abroad will inevitably not give you the same return as a year. Relationships and integration in the community require time. Languages are not mastered overnight. The bottom line is that you cannot compare short and long-term programs. Each program type has different goals and expectations. But if a student can only study abroad for a short amount of time, catering to this need continues to support our greater mission: raising cultural awareness and understanding.

Coincidentally, my internship project at CIEE revolved around its high school summer abroad program. Reading the feedback from students made me realize how powerful a 3-4 week experience impacted their outlook on the world. They kept blogs. Posted on social media. They shared their experiences and became global ambassadors by educating others of a world very different than their own.

When I told people that I was going to study abroad in China for a semester, I got a wide range of reactions. The people who had previously visited Asia thought it was a brilliant idea. They raved about the amazing food, business opportunities, and endless city nightlife. Those who thought I was “brave” or “a bit extreme” had never traveled here before. They told me stories they had heard from a friend of a friend who went there once back in the ’80s. They expressed how dirty and unsafe they believed the country to be. They brought up one or several of China’s well-known weaknesses.

“If a student can only study abroad for a short amount of time, catering to this need continues to support our greater mission: raising cultural awareness and understanding”

After being here a week, it is impossible for me to even tap into everything there is to know about this city. But there are a few things that stand out.

Each morning when I wake up, the city’s daily air quality score sits at the top of my app notifications. On my walk to campus, I pass a local hole-in-the-wall food market, whose smell and appearance remind me of the poverty-stricken markets I saw in Morocco. At every crosswalk, I am thankful for the pedestrian rights and protection laws that exist in the United States. When at a restaurant, I always order a beverage that is sealed.

However, there is so much good about this country that people do not know. Let me tell you about my Chinese language tutor, who bends over backwards to help me pronounce tones correctly. Or how approachable people on the street are when you need directions. And did I mention that Shanghai has one of the cleanest metros I’ve ever seen? Not to mention the incredible malls, history, architecture, restaurants, and rapidly emerging middle class.

Seven days isn’t everything, but it’s something.

International schools bet on Myanmar’s future

“Foreign investment has not only begun to reshape the city as cranes swing across the skyline, but also created increased demand from expat and Myanmar families who want to educate their children to an international standard”

Piers Lloyd, has worked in international education in Myanmar for the past two years, mostly recently working in international schools to improve enrolment. Here he writes for The PIE Blog about the shifting market.

The international school market in Myanmar is expanding as international education providers enter the market, betting on a positive outcome for this year’s election.

In the past decade, the number of international schools has risen from one or two shady institutions to the world’s leading international schools looking to set up on all corners of Yangon, Myanmar’s commercial capital.

The growth reflects the influx of international trade to Myanmar in response to a wave of economic and political reforms that have helped bring an end to most international sanctions.

Foreign investment has not only begun to reshape the city as cranes swing across the skyline, but also created increased demand from expat and Myanmar families who want to educate their children to an international standard.

Decades of isolation have crippled Myanmar’s education system. State schools and universities crumble with neglect and a lack of funding, meaning that parents with high aspirations for their children have to turn to private education.

And as more and more foreigners come to live and work in the country, the private education sector has responded to meet demand.

“And as more and more foreigners come to live and work in the country, the private education sector has responded to meet demand”

Until recently the residents in one of the new affluent housing developments in the neighbourhood of Hlaing Thayar, west Yangon, had only one option outside of the state education system.

It was a school called Early Years Centre, which claimed to offer international standard education but in fact fell far short of standards usually associated with the industry.

Now, the site of that school has been taken over by Pun Hlaing International School, which uses the English National Curriculum and is managed by Dulwich College International, a large international education provider advised by Dulwich College in London.

“An increase in quality International Schools is a key indicator that a city is open for business with the international community,” said Derek Llewellyn, headmaster of Pun Hlaing International School.

“In 15 years the change to an area like Hlaing Thayar has been tremendous, and the development will continue at this pace now that there is provision for the next generation of expat and Myanmar children.”

Dulwich College International, which already has a network of international schools across Asia, is constructing another purpose-built International School in a different housing development to the South-East of the city.

The arrival of these international schools is generally welcomed by the local population, but there is a worry that some of the more prestigious schools have little engagement with the local community.

“The arrival of these international schools is generally welcomed by the local population, but there is a worry that some have little engagement with the local community”

“It is very important international schools offer Myanmar language, culture and history classes,” said one international school parent, who was otherwise happy with the growing number of options for quality education.

In the past year, competing international school providers to set up in the city include The British Schools Foundation, adding to its roster of more than 10 schools worldwide, and EtonHouse International Education Group, a provider and franchisor of private schools based out of Singapore.

Not everyone is confident about the future of Myanmar. From 2014, Harrow International Management services managed a school in Yangon through the long-established Harrow School in Bangkok. They ceased operations and quietly withdrew from Myanmar this year, amicably severing ties with their local partner.

The providers that have chosen to continue operations in the city will compete with a selection of independent International schools, ranging in facilities and cost, and the quality of education they provide. One thing the majority do have in common though; they were not operating in the city over 10 years ago.

How important are international students to Australia’s universities?

“The prosecution respectfully presents as evidence recent shenanigans purporting to be informed policy debate about university funding, with a starting point of 20% reduction in government contributions”

Stephen Connelly, director of GlobalEd Services, a consulting firm specialising in international education and internationalisation, challenges the claim that Australian universities are too dependent upon the revenue international students bring.

Discussion about the significance of international students for Australian universities often centres around their revenue contribution, and the risk associated with maintaining or growing enrolment levels in a system with a greater proportion of international students than almost any other in the world.[1] This ignores the importance of international students in classrooms and on campuses around Australia, bringing different perspectives and helping local students develop a global mindset, including for about 15% of local students participation in overseas mobility programs.

Acknowledging the need for a more comprehensive appreciation of Australian universities’ internationalisation programs, this article continues the focus on enrolment and revenue, to clarify the extent of the reliance or otherwise of Australian universities on international students.

Each year, Australian universities report enrolment and revenue data to the Department of Education and Training. This data set is a rich source of information about enrolment, revenue, academic success and attrition rates. Of specific interest are proportions of students who are international, proportion of revenue sourced from international students, and academic success of students. 2014 enrolment data are now available, with finance data released around November each year.

In 2014, 24.3% of students in Australian universities were international.

Proportions of University Students who are International – all Modes

2014 24.3%
2013 24.3%
2012 25.2%
2011 26.7%
2010 27.4%
2009 27.6%
2008 27.0%
2007 26.1%
2006 25.9%
2005 25.3%

Proportions here include students studying outside Australia, either online, at branch campuses or in offshore partnership programs.

In 2014, 18.7% of university students studying onshore in Australia were international. Recently, growth in international students has not kept pace with growth in domestic students.

Proportions of University Students who are International – Onshore

2014 18.7%
2013 18.3%
2012 19.1%
2011 20.6%
2010 21.3%
2009 21.1%
2008 20.3%
2007 19.4%
2006 19.1%
2005 18.6%

Open Doors and OECD data show that Australia’s proportion of international students compares with 17% in the UK, 16% in Canada, and 4.2% in the US.

In 2013, 16.3% of total revenue at Australia’s universities came from international student tuition fees.

Proportion of revenue from international students

2013 16.3%
2012 16.4%
2011 17.5%
2010 17.6%
2009 16.7%
2008 15.5%
2007 15.0%
2006 15.0%
2005 15.2%

Does 16.3% represent unhealthy over-reliance? I don’t think so. There is risk involved in managing any revenue source. Far worse to be over-reliant on government revenue. The prosecution respectfully presents as evidence recent shenanigans in Australia purporting to be informed policy debate about university funding, with a starting point of 20% reduction in government contributions. Give me business risk any day.

“Does 16.3% represent unhealthy over-reliance? I don’t think so. There is risk involved in managing any revenue source”

Finally, international students commencing bachelor degrees in Australian universities in 2014 passed 85.2% of what they attempted in first year, higher than domestic students (83.4%), the third year in a row that international students have bettered their domestic peers. Australian universities pay attention to the academic success of international students.

 

[1] Australia in 2012 had the second highest proportion of international students among its undergraduate population of any OECD economy, behind Luxembourg.