How to attract Chinese students: four tips for overseas universities

“Chinese parents and students are in an investment mindset when they are looking to study overseas”

Susan Fang, CEO of Academic Powerhouse, writes about what Chinese students and parents look for in an overseas university. Part of OxBridge Holdings, Academic Powerhouse is a leading educational consultancy providing independent and professional advice on all aspects of UK education as well as all aspects of China and Far East education.

Studying overseas has become a fashion, a new normal in China.

According to China’s Ministry of Education, 459,800 Chinese students went abroad in 2014, an 11.1% increase over the year before. China has now become the world’s top source of overseas students, with 14% of the global total.
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Work and Study in Ireland – changes to visa regulations

 “Several schools offer learner protection with no real policy in place. In the past, students have paid fees and been left out of pocket when the school closes”

Graham Gilligan, Managing Director of Welcome Ireland, gives a whistlestop guide to the major changes to Irish immigration laws in an overhaul of the English language industry.

Last January 1st the Irish government were planning on introducing reforms to immigration laws which would change the popular one-year visa to a new eight-month visa, primary aimed at overhauling the English language industry and addressing immigration abuse.
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Making e-learning a force for social inclusion at a global level

“E-learning is different. It’s about creating tools that simultaneously engage the learner and challenge their ways of thinking”

Jeremy C Bradley is the Director of Academic and Student Affairs at InterActive, a global e-learning service provider. He has experience working in an educational hedge fund that provides scholarship and resource capacity to historically black colleges and universities; at an independent day school; and as Creative and Development Director for a multi-state educational and social services organisation.

‘We need to bring learning to people instead of people to learning.’ – Elliot Masie

Learning has never been so easily accessible and flexible as it is now. Thanks to online learning, today’s students, professionals and corporations enjoy a completely different relationship with education than the previous generation did less than two decades ago. But, certainly, there is a lot more to it.
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Recruitment agencies are the good guys in the UK’s teacher shortage crisis

“Britain has a teacher recruitment crisis. So far, so uncontroversial”

Rob Grays, Managing Director of Prospero Teaching, writes about the role that teaching agencies provide in addressing teacher shortages – despite the bad press they might get.

Britain has a teacher recruitment crisis. So far, so uncontroversial. It’s had one for years, but the government has suddenly decided that Something Must Be Done.

And it’s a global problem. The US has a teacher shortage, as do Australia and New Zealand. Even Hawaii!
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ALTO pricing initiative and the threat of commoditisation. Is there really a risk?

“Plenty of schools nowadays fall into the trap of making assumptions about what students need, offering the broadest range of options possible”

The language travel industry is trying to get a step ahead by standardising the method schools use to deliver pricing to agents across the globe. Caetê da Silva, social business designer at Taea ry, writes about how ALTO’s plan for an industry standard for language travel bookings could help schools to innovate.

I remember a few years ago I was discussing this issue with some industry colleagues, including Mr. Carlos Robles (former BELTA president). By the time my main question was: Why do agents have to, one by one, input several pricing systems for the same school, many times during the year, manually?
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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.

UCL and international branch campuses: the start of a global trend in the sector?

“It is hard to create such a uniquely British university experience outside of the UK. Taking advantage of successful institutions abroad and creating strong partnerships is perhaps the easier and more effective option”

Christopher Airey, managing director of Diversity Travel, a travel management firm which specialises in travel in the academic sector, writes about UCL’s recent announcement that it is closing two overseas branches, and explored whether this points to a wider industry trend.

Christopher Airey 2University College London recently announced it will be closing down its international branch campuses in Australia and Kazakhstan, and will be reviewing its operations in Qatar. Rather than trying to recreate a UCL overseas, the university is looking to forge connections with existing institutions already in their target locations. By the end of next year, UCL is hoping to establish three ‘anchor partners’ to take advantage of existing facilities and expertise.

Dame Nicola Brewer, UCL’s vice-provost for international projects told the Financial Times: “What we’ve concluded is that you simply can’t recreate the UCL experience… in a niche operation overseas.”

“What we’ve concluded is that you simply can’t recreate the UCL experience… in a niche operation overseas”

Brewer’s comments address the cultural constraints of creating an international branch campus where ‘British-ness’ is part of the product offering. However, as Brewer says, it is hard to create such a uniquely British university experience outside of the UK. Taking advantage of successful institutions abroad and creating strong partnerships to provide a British education in a local setting is perhaps the easier and more effective option.

But does UCL’s move suggest the start of a global trend in migration in the sector?

As a firm that specialises in arranging travel in the academic sector, we are always keen to follow how institutions are developing or looking to develop overseas. There are currently 44 UK branch campuses across the world, and according to The Observatory on Borderless Higher Education, this figure is set to rise over the next five years.

According to the British Council, UK students too are now moving overseas. In a recent poll, the organisation found that more than a third of students they interviewed at undergraduate level were more interested in studying overseas, and in a similar study found that 28,640 students went abroad to study or take up an internship last year. Perhaps this is due to the bigger issues in UK higher education overall: the rise in fees.

With the significant rise in tuition fees through the last coalition government, it seems that students have started questioning the real value of their degrees. Students are becoming more acutely aware of university fees and are looking for alternative options through governments overseas. Some governments like Brazil currently offer EU students free access to higher education, providing an incentive to migrate.

“With the significant rise in tuition fees through the last coalition government, it seems that students have started questioning the real value of their degrees”

Studying abroad for the same degree they would attain in the UK could, in fact, become the added value students will come to demand from an academic institution.

Administrations in other regions are providing opportunities for UK institutions to take advantage of this. Governments in Southeast Asia are willing to finance establishments looking to build international branch campuses as part of their in-country global hub ambitions, and Gulf states too are hoping to grow branch campuses in the region.

While the latest figures suggest that UK students are migrating in favour of a more global experience, the UK is expected to be at the top of countries receiving inbound students – and the OBHE predicts that 28,000 additional foreign students will be attracted to the UK by a British education by 2020 with growing numbers coming from India, Nigeria, Pakistan and Malaysia.

While this is a great opportunity for the UK economy, could limited places on courses lead to missed opportunities for UK institutes? Could a better presence in other countries help institutions supply to any anticipated surge in demand?

Perhaps the future is a more international way of positioning courses for University students which can allow for flexibility. Hult International Business School, for example, now has a one-year MBA that allows students to rotate between Boston, Shanghai, London Sao Paulo, San Francisco, Dubai and New York. Similar opportunities are provided by Manchester Business School which boasts five campuses overseas.

“UCL’s closures of International Branch Campuses does hint to a change in direction for ‘internationalising’ higher education”

UCL’s closures of International Branch Campuses does hint to a change in direction for ‘internationalising’ higher education. In a recent survey conducted by EAIE earlier this year, it was revealed that opening branch campuses are now the lowest internationalisation priority for universities, suggesting the limited amount of courses offered makes them unsustainable.

However, in the same survey, respondents still saw the importance of internationalising higher education with the most important reasons being to improve the quality of education and to prepare students for a global world. Although UCL is closing international branch campuses, it seems to be exploring more effective ways to have a global presence.

In order to compete on a global scale, it is clear that institutions need to think about all opportunities for growth and providing a British education overseas, indeed, holds a wealth of opportunity.