Not-So-Foreign^©
A Bulletin for International Education Professionals
Volume 8, Issue 9; March 18, 2009

1)  THE PLAYING FIELD – Phuket: all play and no work
2)  ABROAD PERSPECTIVE - New Zealand competes for Chinese students
3)  OVER THE COUNTER - New UK initiative to attract post-graduates
4)  GLOBE TIPPING – Know your dough

1) THE PLAYING FIELD – Phuket: all play and no work

Some of the most popular destinations for international student recruiters are the ones which can double-up as holiday spots. Rio de Janeiro, Dubai, Kuala Lumpur, and Shanghai are a few. But it seems that the Thai island of Phuket is not going to make that list, at least not for the working side of the equation.

The Canadian Education Centre's recruitment attempt offering in Phuket last Sunday made it three strikes and you're out for recent forays there. Despite a five-star hotel setting in the busiest location on the island on a Sunday afternoon, only a handful of people showed up to see five Canadian school boards, one college and one university. Last year a New Zealand initiative brought a dozen institutions into a middle range shopping mall on a weekend and attracted a paltry turnout. In 2008 Australia spent by far the most on promotions, and despite dozens of roadside banners, the best venue (the leading shopping mall on the island), and an attractive booth/stall display/installation, the Aussie exhibitors could have spent almost all of their time shopping in the mall.

Phuket has only one international high school on the island which attracts expatriate families – the British International School. There are very few other families with children at other schools who can afford to send them abroad for higher studies.

No question Phuket is a major global tourist destination, but for student recruiting, it's very minor league.

2) ABROAD PERSPECTIVE - New Zealand competes for Chinese students

While discretionary spending is decreasing around the world, education officials in New Zealand remain confident because education spending in China is not seen as discretionary. A cultural focus on education and personal advancement combined with poor tertiary education infrastructure in China sends thousands of Chinese students overseas every year.

New Zealand enjoyed the fruits of a drastic increase in students from China in the early 2000s, but according to Education New Zealand chief executive Rob Stevens, those students formed a “bubble” that was “never going to last.”

"We were the first Western country to open the door to recruiting Chinese students. Other countries had quite high barriers mainly due to political reasons,” says Stephens. But when competitor countries relaxed immigration regulations, naturally the number of students flowing to New Zealand decreased.

Now New Zealand is hoping the new focus on value-for-money will help attract more students. The falling New Zealand dollar is making study in the country more attractive for cash-strapped families. Representatives of New Zealand's education export industry are also participating in this year's China International Education Exhibition Tour.

Applications are up 10- to 20 percent, but it is still too early to tell how many of those applications will convert to enrollments.

The Ministry of Education is expected to compile enrollment numbers at the end of this month.

3) OVER THE COUNTER - New UK initiative to attract post-graduates

According to Dr Shaun Curtis, Head of the UK HE International Unit, the UK currently has a 15 percent share of the international post-graduate market. Though this is the largest share per capita in the world, the UK is still readying itself for a new strategy to attract more post-graduates.

“...competitor countries such as Australia and the US are implementing strategies to increase their market share. Our research calls for new national and institutional responses to meet this challenge,” says Curtis.

The new strategy will address issues with post-graduate mobility and the current “ramshackle” funding system. David Lammy, Minister for Higher Education and Intellectual Property, also predicts more collaborative partnerships between UK universities and institutions overseas.

International post-graduate students contribute to both the UK economy and the country's institutional, national, and international reputations.

Of all post-graduate students performing research in the UK, 42 percent are from outside the European Union. Fourty percent wish to remain in the UK upon finishing their studies.

4) GLOBE TIPPING - Know your dough

Few things have escaped the pitch and roll of the global economic crisis. Currencies are no exception.

Travellers enjoyed relatively consistent exchange rates for many years. Recently, though, North American and Western European currencies have slid while many in Asia have increased.

So as not to be taken by surprise on reaching a foreign country, double check your current exchange rate with a website like Xe.com or or Oanda.com.

To get the best return for your home currency, withdraw cash using ATMs once you arrive at your destination. Your bank will charge a nominal fee for the withdrawal, but you'll likely get the best exchange rate.

If you have to use a currency exchange booth, look to see if the booth calculates its commission by percentage or per transaction; if they charge by transaction it may be more prudent to exchange larger amounts less frequently.

Knowing your currency exchange rate will also help you deal with unscrupulous currency exchange operations that often occupy more touristy destinations.

Xe.com: http://www.xe.com/ucc/

Oanda.com: http://www.oanda.com/convert/classic

The publisher would like to issue a correction in last week's article, “Half a million international students in Australia in 2008.” Australia experienced an increase of 20 percent, not the 120 percent as cited in the article.

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