Off the beaten pathway: why UK universities should open up to more partnerships

“It may be that the rapid adoption of embedded pathways by UK universities is a case of hungry institutions in an international restaurant ordering the only menu item they understand, as opposed to the best dish”

University pathway programmes for international students have been the subject of much debate in recent years. The UK pathway market is flourishing, but universities should consider they’re limiting their options with a single partner, argue Prateek Aneja and Ryan Craig, vice president and managing director at University Ventures.

One of the most remarkable developments in UK higher education over the past decade has been the rapid adoption of embedded pathway programmes by universities. Embedded pathways serve international students through Foundation Year programmes – including EFL training and development of general academic preparedness – that are located on or adjacent to campus, are operated by commercial providers, and guarantee progression to students who achieve at the requisite levels.
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How Trump’s immigration ban may lead to uniting America and the world

“The United States’ image was compromised by the executive order, but there’s another side to this story: fortunately, the public outcry was immediate and widespread”

Donald Trump’s executive order on immigration was damaging and divisive. But the US is refusing to be divided, argues Jill Welch, deputy executive director, public policy at NAFSA: Association of International Educators.

When President Donald Trump signed his executive order on immigration in his first week of office, US and international citizens alike were alarmed to see a country that has prided itself on being a nation of immigrants, suddenly turn its back on those fleeing violence and shut its doors on those seeking opportunity with the mere stroke of a pen. This does not represent the America that we aspire to be.
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What do we mean when we say international experiences develop graduates’ employability?

‘Employability’ is one of the most frequently used buzzwords in international education sector, and underpins a great proportion of the work educators do. But what does it actually mean, and how do we measure it? Stella Williams, a lecturer in psychology and researcher at Newman University Birmingham, has developed a framework to bring some clarity to an often hazily-defined concept.

The term ‘employability’ is often used as a throwaway line: jargon which is chucked into the mix to show the importance or relevance of something, frequently used without clarification of what we mean by it. So it is unsurprising that we can relate it to international experience. But what exactly do we mean when we say international opportunities develop a graduate’s employability?
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We need a genuine global marketplace to share innovations in education

“Great innovations are happening all over the world and the best ones, once validated, could spread fast if we are open to them”

Innovations in education are taking root all over the world – but they don’t always spread, because the education sector remains stubbornly local, argues Saku Tuominen, Creative Director of HundrED, a project to share innovative projects and best practises in K-12 education with the world for free.

The world is global. The world of education is not.

If we agree that the purpose of school is to help kids flourish in life, no matter what happens – or don’t totally disagree with it – we can easily see that there are massive challenges facing our current education system. Possibly the biggest of them all is the increasing amount of uncertainty.
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Comparing the US and UK: contrasting trends in international education

“The biggest challenge for British universities is that its top two source countries — China and India — are not driving enrollment growth”

International student enrolments in the UK have flatlined, with Indian students continuing their downward slide, according to the latest statistics published by the Higher Education Statistics Authority last week. But how does the picture compare in the US?  Dr. Rahul Choudaha, co-founder of research and consulting firm DrEducation, shares his analysis.

The following table shows the shape of international student trends in the UK and US in recent years, based on data from HESA and IIE’s Open Doors report:

US IIE and UK HESA data on international student statistics - Dr Education
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Emerging markets turn a keen eye to international schools

“With such huge demand from expat and local parents alike, it’s unlikely we’ll see this growth decrease any time soon”

Carolyn Savage, Head of International Education at Winter’s International School Finder, weighs in on why it is that so many parents in emerging economies are keen to send their children to an international school.

The international schools sector has been growing rapidly in recent years, and with increased globalisation this trend shows no signs of slowing down. Successful British schools are opening more sister campuses overseas to fulfil the surging demand for English education. This demand has been particularly intense in territories such as China and Saudi Arabia, where local parents are becoming increasingly keen to join the expatriate community and benefit from the advantages an international school education can offer.
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If we want more underrepresented students to study abroad, we can’t treat them all the same

“When I studied abroad in Argentina and France, I was one of few that one would classify as a visible minority. In both programs, almost everyone who participated came from middle- and upper-middle-class families”

When discussing how to increase participation in study abroad, we often talk about ‘underrepresented students’ as if they’re all the same – we need to take a different approach, argues Richie Santosdiaz, an economic development expert for PA Consulting and passionate advocate for international education.

When we talk about increasing participation in study abroad among underrepresented student groups, we must first understand what an underrepresented group is.
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Treat the Trump phenomenon like a study abroad experience

“We’re international educators, mostly drawn to the field to advance the notion of embracing the ‘other’. In this case, the ‘other’ happens to be a guy with ideas very foreign to our own”

There are many in international education who aren’t delighted at the prospect of Donald Trump becoming president, but the field is all about embracing the ‘other’ – so perhaps we should apply the same approach, argues Cheryl DarrupBoychuck, US director of institutional relations at INTCAS .

Aah, democracy.

Those pendulum swings can be painful but powerful pushes to new perspectives.
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Marketing mistakes education institutions make in China (and how to avoid them)

 “Hosting Chinese marketing content on inaccessible websites is wasted effort and never going to work”

Jonathan Kalies, Head of CRM at eduFair China, summarises the mistakes made by international institutions when marketing in China, with some suggestions added for improvement.

Having worked across a number of professions within international recruitment and education in China, one aspect that intrigues me most is how international institutions market themselves in China.

Understanding the China of today seems to be a key issue here. Though there are some fantastic marketing campaigns out there which have managed to break through the ‘Great Wall’, mistakes invariably do occur. I’ve whittled them down to four key areas…
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Let’s expand “study abroad” to include more than just “study”

“It felt like we were saying that, to get from A to B, we can only use cars – no buses, no trains, no innovative, alternative modes of transport”

By Mark Overmann, Vice President of External Affairs, InterExchange, reflects on IIE’s Generation Study Abroad goal to study abroad – and says that in order to meet it, educators must start thinking beyond the traditional model of study abroad.

I left the recent IIE Summit on Generation Study Abroad in DC excited, inspired, and more sure than ever of one key idea: reaching Generation Study Abroad’s “moonshot” goal of doubling the number of Americans studying abroad can only happen if we expand our notion of what “studying” abroad actually means. I’m not suggesting that we pad the numbers. But I am suggesting that we broaden our definition of “study abroad” to also include a variety of international programs that are educational and experiential in nature, but not necessarily academic.
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