AUSTRALIA & NZ
WESTERN AUSTRALIA’S ECONOMY SUFFERS A MASSIVE BLOW OF $1.7B DUE TO INTERNATIONAL STUDENT WIPE-OUT
The COVID-19 crisis has caused a massive impact on the economy of Western Australia, with a wipe-out of 80 per cent of the international student market here. The state economy has lost a whopping $1.7 billion, along with about 4400 jobs already lost amid the crisis. The future looks bleak as the country may not lift international travel restrictions anytime soon.
UAC IN AUSTRALIA LAUNCHES CREDIT MANAGEMENT TOOL
Universities Admissions Centre has come up with a game-changing solution to the management of academic credit, which is the biggest challenge for students and universities in Australia. Victoria University will be the first university to implement the UAC Advance credit management system by the end of the Year. This innovative automated system will streamline the academic credit management process.
JOB CUTS BY LA TROBE AFTER AUS$165M REVENUE FALL
The pandemic has hit the La Trobe University in Melbourne hard, as it has lost a whopping $165 million in revenue this year due to fewer enrolments of international students. The university relied heavily on international education revenues. But it was forced to resort to job cuts due to the losses it has sustained during the COVID-19 pandemic.
NO CHANGES TO NEW ZEALAND BORDERS FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
New Zealand’s minister of education stated that the country has no upcoming amendments in plans for normalising the flow of international students again. Although the government approved for an exception of international tertiary students earlier this year, it failed to materialize when border restrictions began, and these students were caught offshore.
UK
OUTRAGE OVER THE U.K. GOVERNMENT CUT ON EDUCATIONAL ARTS FUNDING BY 50%
The U.K. government’s decision to cut funding for educational art and design programmes by 50% has sparked widespread outrage from artists and cultural commentators. The move came amid a shift of focus on strategic priorities amid the coronavirus pandemic. According to the government, arts, performing arts, or music do not come as priorities for them at this stage.
GLOBAL WALES TO PRIORITIZE EUROPE AS KEY MARKET
Global Wales, the international education partnership in Wales, looks ahead to building stronger and lasting connections with educators across borders through its new International Learning Exchange Programme. The initiative, announced in March this year, has a massive government aid of £65 million over the upcoming five years up to 2026.
USA & CANADA
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS CONTINUE ARRIVING IN THE US DESPITE PANDEMIC
Many schools and universities across the US turned away international students from in-person classes last year due to the COVID-19 crisis. But Coosa Christian School has decided that it will be a flag-bearer for bringing them back this year. It has already got an excellent response, with the number of international students being more than expected.
ACE LOOKS FOR TRAVEL EXEMPTION CLARIFICATIONS
Education associations in the US look for clarification on whether international students’ continuing education in the country will be permitted to enter as a part of the national interest exemption. Students and academics from China, Iran, South Africa, Brazil, the UK and Ireland, and the European Schengen area are subject to the exemption. The rule applies to F-1 or M-1 visa holders whose academic programmes start from August 1, 2021, onward.
PR APPLICANTS IN CANADA ARE ELIGIBLE FOR WORK PERMITS
A recent announcement by the Canadian government stated that international graduates who have applied for the recently launched permanent residency will also be eligible for open work permits during the waiting period for their PR application results. This one-time permit will apply to graduates from Canadian institutions, healthcare workers, and people in other designated essential occupations.
INDIA
NEP-2020 IS ALIGNED WITH THE ASPIRATIONAL GOALS OF INDIA
According to K. Kasturirangan, Chairman, National Education Policy-2020, India is all set to have the highest population of young people over the next decade. More than 50% of people less than 35 years of age will look for high-quality education. The NEP-2020 has been crafted to align with the modern aspirational goals while staying true to Indian values, systems, and ethos.
GUJARAT TO TIE UP WITH CAMBRIDGE BOARD
The department of education of Gujarat is gearing up for collaboration with the UK-based Cambridge Board. Further, it seeks to change the curriculum of the state board to add an international touch to schooling in the state. The transition to an international curriculum may lead to a switch from the NCERT model, which will be a major development for the state’s education system.
SAFETY PLANS FOR OF INDIAN STUDENTS BY RUSSIAN UNIVERSITIES DURING PANDEMIC
In a recent announcement, Russian medical and engineering colleges have listed a slew of safety measures to ensure the well-being and academic continuity of Indian students. These will be implemented even if the pandemic and related travel restrictions intensify. These institutions are already in contact with Indian medical colleges and hospitals to offer clinical training to students in India amid travel restrictions.
AICTE COLLABORATES WITH TABLEAU TO PROVIDE TRAINING IN DATA SKILLS FOR COLLEGES
Collaboration between the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) and the leading Analytics Platform ‘Tableau’ is all set to provide Modern Data Analytics Skills training to educators and students. The initiative aspires to cover more than 10,500 higher educational institutions affiliated with AICTE.
