INDIA
CBSE BOARD EXAMS 2021- CLASS 10 STANDS CANCELLED, CLASS 12 IS POSTPONED
The 10th and 12th Board Exams for Central Board of Secondary Education 2021, which were scheduled to start from May 4, 2021, will not be held on the said dates. While class 10 exams stand cancelled, class 12 exams have been postponed till further notice. Much to the relief of parents and students, the decision came in the wake of a sudden increase in the number of Covid-19 cases all across the country.
MASSIVE COVID SURGE IN INDIA, CBSE AND JEE POSTPONED
The massive Covid surge in India brought some hard decisions by the Union Education Ministry. It first postponed the CBSE board examinations and has now decided the same for the Joint Entrance Examinations (JEE). The JEE exam was scheduled to be conducted on April 27, 28, and 30, but the National Testing Agency (NTA) has been asked to put it on hold.
AUSTRALIA
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS COULD MAKE IT BACK TO NSW IN 2021 UNDER LOCAL QUARANTINE PLAN
In a bid to revive the plummeting international education sector, the NSW government is planning to get students from overseas back to the universities under a local quarantine plan. Under the proposal, student accommodation in Sydney’s CBD will be converted into quarantine lodgings for students to get the tertiary education experts back on track once again this year.
‘FLOW-ON EFFECT’ ON SUBURBAN ACCOMMODATION COST DUE TO FEWER INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS IN THE COUNTRY
Property prices in the suburbs near Australian universities are taking a blow, vacancy rates are high, and the rents are falling as well. It is the result of the restrictions on international students due to the closed border policies of the government. The hardest-hit areas are NSW and Victoria suburbs, which earlier had international students as one in three or four residents.
NEW ZEALAND
THE UNIVERSITY OF AUCKLAND COLLABORATES WITH QS TO FOSTER FAIR ACCESS TO EDUCATION INTERNATIONALLY
The University of Auckland collaborates with QS (Quacquarelli Symonds) to host the EduData Summit (EDS) from 8-11 June. The event will have educators and data scientists discussing the opportunities to foster a more equitable education system for fairer access to education for under-represented groups. It will serve as a common platform for data scientists, strategists, and CIOs to come up with best practices using big data, predictive analytics, and learning analytics.
USA
BIDEN QUIETLY RELAXED IMMIGRATION BAN ON H-1B AND H-2B WORKER VISAS
American immigrants got good news as President Biden quietly relaxed immigration bans imposed by former president Trump on H1-B and H2-B worker visas. These visas apply to foreign skilled workers who have desired skills that are not available in the domestic labour market. The ban expired on the scheduled date at the end of March without hype or fanfare.
MINORITY ENGINEERING STUDENTS TO GET EARLY SUPPORT FROM CORNELL
In a first-of-its-kind virtual meet held on March 4, Cornell’s College of Engineering welcomed the new engineering doctoral students hailing from diverse backgrounds, such as Latino, African American, and indigenous populations. The objective of the event was to show that students of colour and from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds have an existing support network within the college.
THE MELLON COLLABORATIVE STUDIES IN ARCHITECTURE, URBANISM AND THE HUMANITIES (AUH) TO BE EXTENDED WITH A GRANT OF $1.2 MILLION
The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation has given approval to a grant of a whopping $1.2 million for extending the Mellon Collaborative Studies in Architecture, Urbanism and the Humanities (AUH). The interdisciplinary seminar series at Cornell will continue for three years and focus on equity and social justice.
EUROPE
PETRSU AND THE UNIVERSITY OF LA ROCHELLE SIGN AN AGREEMENT FOR COOPERATION
Petrozavodsk State University (PetrSU) and the University of La Rochelle have signed a memorandum and an agreement on cooperation. It is the first time that the procedure has been conducted in an online format. The MOU aims to establish teaching, scientific, and research contacts between the two universities. They will follow the principle of reciprocity and mutual interest to establish and develop academic cooperation.
CANADA
STUDENTS FROM UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO PART OF FIRST CANADIAN TEAM THAT WON URBAN DESIGN COMPETITION
Two students from the University of Toronto are a part of the team of Canadian students that won the prestigious Urban Land Institute/ Gerald D. Hines Hines Student Competition. The top prize in the contest has gone to a non-American team for the first time. The winning team also had students representing York University and Ryerson University.
GEORGIAN COLLEGE STILL TAKING INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS WHILE FOLLOWING VERY STRICT PROTOCOLS
Georgian College in Canada is still taking international students while following stringent safety protocols to deal with the pandemic crisis. But the numbers coming in from abroad are far lower than usual. A popular destination for international students, the college has more than 2,500 students from overseas in a normal year, but admissions this year have trickled to a fraction.
