AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND
COVID-19 SURGE THWARTS STUDENT RETURN PLANS IN AUSTRALIA
New South Wales in Australia recorded an unprecedented surge in the number of Covid-19 cases on July 29. Following this, a month-long lockdown has been imposed in the Greater Sydney region at least August 28. The new development has once again hindered the plans of international students planning to return to Australia. NSW has also decided to put the return plan on hold for now.
MICRO-CREDENTIALS MARKETPLACE REVEALED BY AUSTRALIA
Australia will soon have its micro-credentials marketplace as the Universities Admissions Centre won a government grant to set it up. The Microcredentials Marketplace is an online platform set up by the Department of Education, Skills, and Employment and is worth $4.3 million. This user-friendly platform aims to enable learners to understand how to leverage shorter course credits to attain a larger qualification and/or skill-set.
NEW ZEALAND’S LINCOLN UNIVERSITY TARGETS GREATER REACH IN AFRICA
Lincoln University, an agricultural teaching institution located in the Canterbury region of New Zealand, aspires to increase the intake of international students from Africa. It has joined hands with M Square Media to take this initiative forward. The university offers a range of niche and specialised programmes to attract more international students, specifically from Africa.
WELLINGTON UNIVERSITY STRENGTHENS ITS OFFSHORE OFFERINGS
Victoria University of Wellington’s international partnership is all set to provide central Viet Nam students access to its world-class scholars. The partnership will allow students to pursue courses in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL). These students will start with Wellington courses online with the University of Foreign Language Studies – The University of Da Nang. They will have the option to complete the courses on the Wellington campus after border reopening.
UK & EU
UK UNIVERSITY CHAMPION PVC-IS TO DRIVE INTERNATIONAL STRATEGIES
According to new research, UK universities should include Pro vice-chancellors international at the executive table to contribute to internationalisation strategies. They should also have an active role in maintaining the global objectives and international reputations of the institutions. The research also established the barriers that hinder the PVC-Is from reaching the top of their careers.
EU AND US TRAVELLER QUARANTINE EXEMPTION WELCOMED IN THE UK
The recent announcement by the UK government regarding the quarantine exemption of fully vaccinated travellers from the EU and the US has been widely welcomed by education stakeholders in the country. The new measures recommend that fully inoculated travellers from the ‘amber list’ countries will be allowed to travel to England, Wales, and Scotland without quarantining on arrival from August 2.
KENYAN UNIVERSITY COMES TOGETHER WITH GERMAN STEM INITIATIVE
The German Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development is supporting an international graduate training program for which it has picked a Kenyan university. The Nairobi-based Strathmore University will run the Industry Immersion Programme, which is designed to prep up the brightest STEM graduates for a smooth transition from academia to industry.
HSBC UK TO SUPPORT STORMZY SCHOLARS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE
A new philanthropic collaboration between HSBC UK and the #Merky Foundation will support 30 Black students with a £20,000 scholarship annually to study at the University of Cambridge. #Merky Foundation is a charity founded by British musician, Stormzy. These scholarships will cover the tuition fees and maintenance costs for ten new students each year during the next three years.
USA
LANDMARK BACKING BY THE US GOVERNMENT FOR INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION
The US departments of State and Education have made a recent statement supporting the international education ambitions of the country. The initiative promises to promote the country as an academic destination and highlight the benefits of international student engagement. Further, federal agencies will ensure a safe and secure environment for international students, scholars, and educators coming to the country.
INDIA
TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS ARE A CONCERN EVEN AS CANADA IS A TOP DESTINATION FOR INDIAN STUDENTS
As Indian students gear up for the fall session of 2021, major international destinations such as Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore still have travel restrictions in place. Not surprisingly, Canada has emerged as the top study abroad destination for Indians this year. But the extended travel ban is now a serious challenge for Indians, as their future hangs in uncertainties.
GOAN STUDENTS TRAVELING ABROAD IN LARGE NUMBERS FOR STUDY
According to Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, a growing number of Goan students are opting for international education. He stated that he is proud of these students at a webinar conducted for Class XII pass-outs. The webinar was conducted to introduce students to diverse streams of education in addition to the regular ones.
NEET-UG TO BE CONDUCTED IN DUBAI AND KUWAIT FOR THE FIRST TIME
The Ministry of Education will conduct the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test in Dubai and Kuwait for the first time. It has announced new examination centres for the Gulf region as a step to help NRI parents and students struggling with their international travel plans to appear for the examination in India. Students will no longer have to worry about travelling overseas to appear for the examination.
CBSE CLASS 12 RESULTS OUT WITH NEARLY 100% STUDENTS PASSING
The long wait for students of Class 12 finally ended with the declaration of results by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE). 99.37 per cent of the students have passed this year, a figure much higher than 88.78 per cent in the last year and 83.40 per cent in 2019. The results have been calculated on the basis of a 30:30:40 formula due to the absence of physical exams amid the second wave of the pandemic.
NEW-TECH SKILLS FOR 7,500 STUDENTS BY DXC TECHNOLOGY AND NASSCOM FOUNDATION
DXC Technology and NASSCOM Foundation have collaborated to launch the Employability Skills Programme for training 7,500 underserved students. DXC Technology has taken it up as a social initiative, choosing students from 35 tier II and tier III colleges in Telangana, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Maharashtra. The programmes will include new-tech such as Data Science, Internet of Things, Artificial Intelligence, UI-UX design, and Cybersecurity.
INDIAN EDTECH UNICORN LANDS TO TARGET BASIC EDUCATION IN BRAZIL
The Brazilian private education market is being targeted by several EdTechs, with 550 Brazilian startups already working in the field. BYJU’s, the leading Indian online teaching platform, announced its launch in Brazil on July 28. BYJU’s is one of the most valuable startups in India and it is all set to target the Brazilian educational landscape.
ADITYA BIRLA WORLD ACADEMY TO EXPAND ITS CAMPUS INFRASTRUCTURE
Aditya Birla World Academy (ABWA), a leading International School in Mumbai, recently announced the expansion of its school campus. The school is among the top 3 international schools in India and has an impressive growth trajectory. It will invest in infrastructural development to add two new sections in Grade 11 and one each in Grade 8 and Grade 9.
BRAZIL
5,000-BED STUDENT HOUSING PROJECT TO BE LAUNCHED IN BRAZIL
Brazil will launch a 5,000-bed student housing project to cater to a growing number of freshman, medical, and mobile students in the country. The project will be handled by VBI Real Estate, a leading real estate market investment fund manager, in collaboration with Uliving, a student housing provider. It involves an expected investment of up to R$800 million in the next seven years.
