Not-So-Foreign^©
A Bulletin for International Education Professionals
Volume 8, Issue 28; August 26, 2009

1)  THE PLAYING FIELD – Caught in the net: US universities rated highest on web presence
2)  ABROAD PERSPECTIVE - Irish students seek their luck further afield
3)  OVER THE COUNTER - UNESCO ranks China highest for students internationally
4)  GLOBE TIPPING – Travel light, travel smart

1) THE PLAYING FIELD – Caught in the net: US universities rated highest on web presence

US universities scored high according to the 'Webometrics Ranking of World Universities', an initiative belonging to CSIC, the largest public research body in Spain.

CSIC is attached to Spain's Ministry of Education and rates Universities according to their web presence and is aimed at motivating universities and scholars to have a web presence that accurately reflects their activities.  As a result, acclaimed universities such as Yale and Princeton were rated lower than was expected whilst universities that have embraced the net such as the University of Toronto (placed 28th) excelled.

Although US universities dominated, 6 Canadian universities placed in the top 100 with a few surprise contenders from developing countries rating well, such as the University of Sao Paulo (placed 38th).

Sources:
http://www.webometrics.info/

http://www.universityworldnews.com/article.php?story=2009073110481178

2) ABROAD PERSPECTIVE - Irish students seek their luck further afield

A new EU education report reveals a sharp jump in Irish undergraduate and postgraduate students studying abroad.

The report suggests that there are 18,000 Irish students studying in Europe and 5,000 studying in the US, with figures almost doubling between 2002 - 2006.  Much of the increase is attributed to post-graduate students, for whom the economic downturn means an ever-shrinking job market at home.

The report also revealed that Ireland is above average in the number of people with tertiary education qualifications, with the growing paucity of employment opportunities creating further demand for post-graduate study.

3) OVER THE COUNTER - UNESCO ranks China highest for students studying internationally

UNESCO'S Global Education Digest 2009 has placed China as the country with the most students studying internationally. 

The Digest was published following UNESCO'S second World Conference on Higher Education held in July this year in Paris.  The digest indicates mobility of international students, with China topping the list with approximately 421,000 students in 2007.  This is followed by India with 153,000, Republic of Korea with 105,300, Germany with 77,500 and Japan with 54,500.

The US, WITH 21.4% of the world's mobile students, is the largest host country, with the UK coming in second at 12.6% followed by France, Australia, Germany and Japan, with Canada placing 7th at 2.5%.

The most popular subjects for international students are Business and Administration programs with a large majority, followed by the Sciences and then Engineering. 

44% of international students abroad will be in Bachelor's programs with another 40% pursuing their Masters and only 7% accounting for advanced research.

Sources:
http://www.uis.unesco.org/ev.php?ID=7738_201&ID2=DO_TOPIC

http://www.uis.unesco.org/template/pdf/ged/2009/UIS_press_conference_presentation.pdf

4) GLOBE TIPPING - Travel light, travel smart

Are you making a brief trip but tempted to take everything but the kitchen sink?  With a bit of careful planning, you can pack one small bag and save yourself a lot of effort.

The key to travelling light is to understand your requirements.  Put down on paper all the events which you are likely to attend on your trip.  This allows you to select a suitable variety of clothes, shoes and accessories to match the formality of each event.

This and more tips available at:
http://www.career-intelligence.com/management/HowToPackLight.asp

Not-So-Foreign^© is a publication of Higher-Edge
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