This week's top #socialmedia and #intled news include fresh perspectives on international student recruitment entrepreneurship, Indian students denied entry to the US, the rebound of IEPs in the US, good news/bad news for international educators, and changes plenty in international student visa regulations in most destination countries (except the US).
- When it comes to international ed blogs that I follow, the team at Intead consistently produces excellent nuggets. This past week is no exception with their latest post on how to be entrepreneurial with your international recruitment.
- If you want to understand the secret sauce behind one of the global rankings, check out this upcoming QS webinar that takes a deep dive into what goes into that which has so many students and not a few institutions obsessed.
- If you manage a YouTube channel, check out this Social Media Explorer article that examines the latest round of changes to the granddaddy of all video platforms, including new analytics features.
- The expected knee-jerk reaction earlier this year to the introduction of generative AI tools on campus has receded. It is being replaced by guides for faculty and students on how to incorporate these features into research and instruction.
International Education News
- Does what happened at West Virginia University with the dissolution of the department of world languages, literature, and linguistics worry you at all? It should. Karin Fischer from the Chronicle explains why in her Latitudes newsletter.
- Has the shine fallen off the direct admissions apple experiment? According to a recent study, “It is effective in moving things, but it’s not a silver bullet in solving everything in terms of advancing equity, increasing access.”
- Having been in India when this news of 21 Indian students being denied entry to the US due to not being able to clearly communicate their funding, among other concerns, what’s clear is that students cannot take shortcuts to the process.
- Kudos to AIRC for announcing two recommendations for the US government to expand access to international student mobility to the United States through many different entry points and facilitate the connections between those points.
- This ICEF Monitor report suggests that the Intensive English Program side of international education in the US is on a long road to recovery, with Japan, France, Colombia, China, and Brazil leading the way back.
- What does the 30-year history of pathway programs suggest is a new way forward for these often derided but sometimes quite consequential routes to bolster options for internationally mobile students? Interesting read.
- According to the State Department, “student visa issuance across Africa so far this?fiscal year is up 90% on the?same time period in pre-pandemic 2019. It also said that in?FY 2022,?the department issued the most student visas in a year since FY 2016.”
- Suppose 80% of international education professionals (surveyed by Terra Dotta n. 250 or so) say that global engagement is part of their institution’s strategic plans. Is our industry really in that much jeopardy stateside as some make out?
- Australia - At least this move under consideration by the Australian government, to allow entering international students to express intent to migrate, acknowledges what has been the reality to the two-step migration dance students play.
- Australia - And the biggest keep getting bigger. IDP closes in on AUS $1 billion in revenue in 2023, up from $793 million in 2022. The return of international students to Australia is the prime driver of the increases.
- Australia - Another change to immigration regulations affecting new international student arrivals to Australia that intends to prevent them from changing to “cheaper” educational providers seems to be striking a welcome tone for unis Down Under.
- Canada - North of the border, the Canadian government intends to set up a two-tier system for students applying to “trusted institutions” for study permit processing and, I guess, “not-so trusted” institutions. I wonder how that race will shake out.
- Canada - The international student housing crisis is so bad in Canada that the housing minister is considering a potential cap on the number of new international students admitted each year. Yikes!
- Canada - This opinion piece in the Globe and Mail in Canada seems to agree that the country needs to be “responsible” in its awarding of student visas so as to allow the housing shortage to be brought under control. It’s the ethical thing to do, according to the author.
- China - While the slowing (but still growing) Chinese economy is having an impact on the willingness of Chinese families to send their children abroad for education, it is not expected to have a fully depressing long-term impact.
- Germany - The newish German chancellor, Olaf Schulz, is eager to embrace what so many countries are attempting to do with their international students these days: encouraging them to stay and work to fill significant skilled labor shortages.
- India - In case you are either currently targeting or planning to offer your degrees online to students in India, please read this article. As Scooby Doo likes to say when danger is near, “Ruh Ro, Shaggy!” Online degrees from overseas institutions will NOT be recognized.
- New Zealand - I’m not sure you can call being back to 2/3rds of pre-pandemic international student levels as symptomatic of a flood, but it's good to see the recovery is well and truly on for international educators in New Zealand.
- United Kingdom - It is truly interesting how different countries measure their “soft power” in the world. China tends to do so by the trillions it spends in Africa and Asia to curry favor, while the UK and US look to the number of world leaders educated in their countries.
- United Kingdom - Might this be the last good year for UK universities for a while in terms of new international student starts? A 23% increase on 2022 numbers (to June) takes British higher ed to 108% of pre-Covid levels.
If you’d like a more in-depth analysis of the main news stories each week, check out our?#MidweekRoundup?#intled?#livechat?on Wednesday at 1pm ET on the SMIE Consulting?Facebook?page,?YouTube?channel,?Twitter feed, and?LinkedIn. A podcast version is available as well on all major podcast provider platforms.
