Higher Edge: Institutions: Publications: Overseas, Overwhelmed©, Volume 8, Issue 15

Overseas, Overwhelmed^©
A Bulletin for International Education Professionals
Volume 8, Issue 15; April 29, 2009

1) LET’S GO CANADA – Poor recruitment record gets media attention
2) ABROAD PERSPECTIVE - UK exports prestige, brings in revenue
3) OVER THE COUNTER - Hong Kong families bringing children home
4) GLOBE TIPPING – Magellan's World Wide Tipping Guide

1) LET'S GO CANADA – Poor recruitment record gets media attention

Canada's performance in recruiting Indian students is getting more attention. The Toronto Star reported on Canada's poor numbers relative to competitor nations, and Canada's High Commissioner to India, Joseph Caron, was recently in Canada to discuss the matter with several universities.

While most Canadian universities bring few Indian students to their campuses, the member institutions of the Canadian University Application Centre (CUAC) are a great success story. The CUAC is managed by Higher-Edge, the publishers of this newsletter, and its Managing Director in Asia, Mr. Mel Broitman, was interviewed last week by Radio Canada International. You can hear the 15 minute item in its entirety as the first story on the Masala Canada program at:

http://www.rciviva.ca/rci/en/masala/

You can also find the Toronto Star article at:

“Ambitious Indian students rarely consider Canada,” Toronto Star, 17 April 2009.

2) ABROAD PERSPECTIVE - UK exports prestige, brings in revenue

Distance education courses and twinning agreements with foreign institutions offer thousands of international students the opportunity to obtain UK qualifications who would not otherwise have the means to relocate to the UK itself.

Last year, nearly 200,000 students from around the world accessed UK higher education through 112 universities and generated approximately £268m in fees.

Of those students, just over half are enrolled in distance education undergraduate and masters programs. Prof Craig Mahoney, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (teaching and learning) at Northumbria insists that distance learning opportunities are not a money-making venture. Distance courses are offered at much lower tuition fees than those paid by students who study on site.

“We want to expand this work because it's more cost effective for students to stay in situ without the dislocation, expense and trauma of living in the UK,” he told the Guardian.

But offshore education remains an important UK export. The British Council estimated that, in 2003-2004, UK universities made £500 per student engaged in courses offered in twinning agreements vs. £2706 from programs offered at overseas campuses and £2040 for distance-learning programs.

Most of the remaining offshore students study at foreign institutions with with UK universities have twinning agreements. Only 7090 study at UK branch schools in international locations.

Source: “British degrees exported to overseas students,” The Guardian, 16 April 2009.

3) OVER THE COUNTER – Hong Kong families bringing children home

While many middle class Hong Kong families can afford to send their children abroad for higher education, some are having a hard time keeping them there.

Because of the economic crisis, some families can no longer afford international tuition fees and are being forced to cut their children's studies short.

Returning students will be coming home to tough competition for either jobs or spaces in Chinese tertiary institutions. Some returning students and their families are still bent on obtaining overseas training, but they are now seeking out universities in countries that charge lower international fees.

Secondary school-age children are also thinking twice about studies abroad after seeing many of their older contemporaries returning home. They are looking for scholarships and subsidies and taking a close look at their parents' financial status before taking the international leap.

Source: “Crisis-hit parents bring overseas students home,” The Standard, 20 April 2009.

4) GLOBE TIPPING - Magellan's World Wide Tipping Guide

Ever wondered exactly how much you should tip your server in Luxembourg? Or if you should tip your porter in Samoa?

Magellan's offers a spreadsheet of tipping advice from Argentina to Wales to keep you from insulting your host country by either tipping to much or giving too little.

Check out the guide at: www.magellans.com/store/article/367