Not-So-Foreign^©
A Bulletin for International Education Professionals
Volume 8, Issue 39; December 2, 2009

1)  THE PLAYING FIELD – Report urges national standards for colleges, universities
2)  ABROAD PERSPECTIVE - Private foreign universities in the UK offer international students more for their money
3)  OVER THE COUNTER - Three-year China-Africa partnership a go!
4)  GLOBE TIPPING – Money matters abroad

1) THE PLAYING FIELD – Report urges national standards for colleges, universities

A study by the the Canadian Council on Learning concludes that Canada should set standards by which to evaluate the quality of its post-secondary institutions.

With increasing student mobility, national standards would help Canadian higher education institutions distinguish themselves from competitors and ultimately attract students, according to the study.

Differences in standards at institutions is commonplace in much of the world, but in Canada, the public system which levels the domestic playing field, confuses those on the outside looking in and trying to figure out where to go.

"When we tell people in Asia that almost all of Canada's public universities are a similar world-class standard of teaching (especially for undergraduates), folks just look at us with this incredulous gaze, and think we are making it up," says Mel Broitman, Higher-Edge Managing Director in Asia.

Beyond Maclean's magazine's annual rankings of Canadian universities (which is controversial as it is), no single standard exists to help students decide where to attend or institutions to demonstrate the efficacy of their services. Similarly, the study recommends established standards would also help students transfer credits from one post-secondary institution to another.

Source: “Report urges national standards for colleges, universities”,
Canada.com, November 24, 2009

2) ABROAD PERSPECTIVE - Private foreign universities in the UK offer international students more for their money

Global competition is growing right in the heart of domestic markets. Foreign universities such as India's Amity University and Malaysia's Limkokwing University are both setting up shop in the UK and undercutting traditional British universities in price and quality.

As a result of the current credit crunch and most recent contemplation of lifting the cap on tuition fees, UK universities may have to compete with foreign private universities ready to offer more for less to students looking for a bargain.

With the validation of degrees earned from these new private institutions by established public UK universities, such as the arrangement commencing in September 2010 between Amity University and UK's Anglia Ruskin, international students would pay tuition fees at Amity that are £3,000
(5,216.46 CAD) lower than if they attended the public university.

Amity is the biggest private university in India. An Amity official told Higher-Edge that the institution has designs on becoming the biggest university in the world in terms of students. So it won't just be that for UK universities they have to compete in India to get a student who might stay home and go to Amity - now a British student might stay home and go to Amity.

Nothing quite depicts how competitive the coming years will be for international education as the global movement of institutions, and especially Asian ones going West. It does follow a growing trend of the growing presence of Asian industrialist who are buying up Western interests.

Source: “Why private universities represent good value for money”, The
Guardian, December 1, 2009

3) OVER THE COUNTER - Three-year China-Africa partnership a go!

China and 49 African countries have reached a three-year strategic partnership agreement in science, technology, higher education and sustainable development.

The plan includes: cooperation between 20 Chinese and 20 African higher-education institutions; a boost to the number of scholarships offered to African students to 5,500 by 2012, training of 3,000 African doctors, nurses and administrative personnel; 100 joint research and development projects; and an opportunity for 100 post-doctoral students to conduct scientific research in China.

Moreover, China will grant $10 billion USD to African countries,  in a combination of low interest development loans and forgiveness of previous debts.

4) GLOBE TIPPING - Money matters abroad

When traveling abroad it's often tempting to take everything but the kitchen sink; electrical adapters, cultural reference guides, local SIM cards, etc.

Local currency usually falls off this laundry list of items. Although ATM's have become common features at most international airports, you can never be certain about their availability, compatibility or user-friendliness. 

To avoid confusion and disappointment, it's always a good idea to have some local currency on hand before arriving at your destination.

But a word of caution - unless you are getting a friendly exchange rate, then don't buy too much of that local currency in your home country. The rates are never good.

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