Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority (HKEAA) 香港考試及評核局 (考評局)’s Post

Speaking up for British students in international schools applying to UK universities - a call for a more nuanced approach to the debate about international admissions. My latest letter to the The Times. My substantive point is that recent debates about international students in UK universities have conflated two distinct groups: - UK passport-holders studying in British international schools around the world; and - foreign citizens. I believe that the former group should, in practice, be a sub-category of domestic applicants, and, as a consequence of this, should be given a priority on places. At present the issue is confused by how universities consider each applicant’s application for “home status”; with universities applying different interpretations of the legislation. The legislation can be found here. https://lnkd.in/e7GdsGQD. [On reflection I should have written 'the reporting and use of Ucas and Russell Group data in recent debates conflates the two, which is unhelpful.' - I'm sure that UCAS and Russell Group of Universities have the relevant data deep in their system - it is not being used in the debates in the press.] #ucas #internationschools #internationaleducation #ukuniversities #homestatus COBIS - Council of British International Schools HMC (The Heads' Conference) FOBISIA BSME - British Schools in the Middle East Mark Leppard MBE, Michael Lambert, Kai Vacher, Colin Bell, Debra Forsyth, John Gwyn Jones MBE Nicola Woolcock Dan Worth

Impact of new international policy directions - comment by CEO Jenny Dodd If you are immersed in international education you will now be familiar with the term “#NationalPlanningLevel”. In a latter part of today’s TDA Monday Newsletter we explore the details of this change regarding international students. Last week TDA members received letters from the government detailing the changes to their institute’s ability to recruit international students. There are mixed views across the higher education and vocational education sectors about whether the change is good. For some universities, as well as private HE and VET providers, they will experience a real reduction in numbers. The Group of Eight have been very vocal in their opposition. International education, while very good for cultural development through having students from many different nations mixing in tertiary education environments, is also a significant revenue source for providers. While not allowing for growth, there is some good news for TAFEs in this National Planning Level change. For TAFEs, the numbers they will be able to enrol are based on their numbers in 2023. TAFEs will receive 100% equivalent of 2023 for their higher education commencements. In VET delivery, because international students account for less than 80 per cent of the total count of students, TAFEs will be able to maintain new overseas student commencements in 2025 also at approximate 2023 levels. Read more https://lnkd.in/g4tEtgpp #internationalstudents #internationalcaps

New #OpenData shows the number of transnational education #TNE students studying wholly overseas for awards or courses of UK universities rose by 8% in 2022/23 to 576,705: https://lnkd.in/eZTB8RaM Transnational education (TNE) students are those who study for awards or courses of UK universities, but who study wholly overseas without coming to the UK. 75% of TNE students were registered at a UK provider, studying by distance learning, at an overseas campus, or via other arrangements such as collaborative provision with partner organisations. The remaining 25% of TNE students were studying for an award of a UK HE provider while registered at another overseas organisation or via other arrangements. 66% of TNE students were studying at undergraduate level and 34% at postgraduate level. This contrasts with non-UK domicile students studying in the UK, among whom postgraduate students are typically the majority. China, Sri Lanka and Malaysia had the highest numbers of TNE students studying for UK qualifications with these three countries accounting for over 30% of the total between them. All EU countries combined accounted for 16% of the total. Open data on transnational education going back to 2014/15 is available now on the HESA website. Data on students studying in the UK in 2022/23 is expected to be published in August 2024. #HEinsights

Making mobility a reality: Belgium (FR): Benelux-Baltic agreement on automatic diploma recognition The Benelux countries (Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg) and the Baltic countries (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania) mutually and automatically recognise the diplomas of their higher education institutions as from 1 May 2024. It is on this date that a treaty signed in 2021 entered into force. With this agreement coming into force, graduates will no longer face lengthy recognition procedures and the associated costs of working or continuing their studies in one of these countries. In 2015, Benelux countries introduced automatic mutual recognition of bachelor’s and master’s degrees, to which associate degrees and doctorates were added in 2018. Over the last years, the Baltic States also recognised each other’s degrees. Being pioneers in the construction of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA), the Benelux and the Baltic countries felt that there was real added value in building links in this area. The six countries encourage other European countries to join the treaty. Source: Eurydice Unit Belgium (FR) (https://lnkd.in/dADz7U8t)

Making mobility a reality: Belgium (FR): Benelux-Baltic agreement on automatic diploma recognition The Benelux countries (Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg) and the Baltic countries (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania) mutually and automatically recognise the diplomas of their higher education institutions as from 1 May 2024. It is on this date that a treaty signed in 2021 entered into force. With this agreement coming into force, graduates will no longer face lengthy recognition procedures and the associated costs of working or continuing their studies in one of these countries. In 2015, Benelux countries introduced automatic mutual recognition of bachelor’s and master’s degrees, to which associate degrees and doctorates were added in 2018. Over the last years, the Baltic States also recognised each other’s degrees. Being pioneers in the construction of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA), the Benelux and the Baltic countries felt that there was real added value in building links in this area. The six countries encourage other European countries to join the treaty. Source: Eurydice Unit Belgium (FR) (https://lnkd.in/d_Wwf9Tg)

Making mobility a reality: Belgium (FR): Benelux-Baltic agreement on automatic diploma recognition The Benelux countries (Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg) and the Baltic countries (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania) mutually and automatically recognise the diplomas of their higher education institutions as from 1 May 2024. It is on this date that a treaty signed in 2021 entered into force. With this agreement coming into force, graduates will no longer face lengthy recognition procedures and the associated costs of working or continuing their studies in one of these countries. In 2015, Benelux countries introduced automatic mutual recognition of bachelor’s and master’s degrees, to which associate degrees and doctorates were added in 2018. Over the last years, the Baltic States also recognised each other’s degrees. Being pioneers in the construction of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA), the Benelux and the Baltic countries felt that there was real added value in building links in this area. The six countries encourage other European countries to join the treaty. Source: Eurydice Unit Belgium (FR) (https://lnkd.in/dN6gwqY2)

A heady discussion over breakfast as universities globally face a perfect storm of adverse policy changes, conflation of overseas recruitment with immigration, rising competition and increasing political uncertainty.   In this highly interactive NAFSA: Association of International Educators session tomorrow with Edwin van Rest, Matt Durnin and Jill Blondin we will explore : - Similarities and differences across the 4 major English speaking destinations - US, Canada, the UK and Australia - examining the early effects of the great policy backlash. - Data, insights, tactics and strategies institutions can leverage to succeed in this challenging environment. - Lessons learned – first hand accounts of pioneering initiatives and responses to increasingly complex and confrontational environments for universities. - How do you respond when you are facing an intense policy backlash. This session will include insights from the UK sectors response that ensured the continuation of post-study work rights despite the clear intent of the UK Government, through articulation of compelling data, insight and evidence and innovative public-private coalitions This breakfast briefing brings together leading individuals who have the data, insights and strategic understanding to help institutions pilot a course through troubled waters. Very grateful to Oxford International Education Group, Studyportals, Nous Group and The PIE for enabling this timely discussion.

Government ready to impose caps on international students The federal government will introduce legislation this week that could see caps on the number of international students and restrictions on a range of practices by education providers and agents. The measures are aimed at improving the integrity and and sustainability of the international education sector. The laws will give ministers power to set a maximum allocation of new international student enrolments. Other measures will: Prevent education providers from owning education agent businesses. Pause applications for registration from new international education providers and of new courses from existing providers for periods of up to 12 months. Require new providers seeking registration to demonstrate a track record of quality education delivery to domestic students before they are allowed to recruit international students. The Minister for Education, Jason Clare said the reforms are designed to ensure the integrity, quality and ongoing sustainability of this vitally important sector. The government also released the draft International Education and Skills Strategic Framework which proposes defined limits on international student numbers and links enrolments to the supply of student accommodation. https://lnkd.in/g5RBQyGC

The international student population in the Netherlands has grown significantly over the past decade. According to the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, the number of international students in Dutch higher education institutions reached approximately 120,000 in the 2022-2023 academic year, accounting for about 11% of the total student population. The majority of these students come from European Union (EU) countries, with significant numbers also from China, India, and India.

DonDUVS joined the consortium for implementing Erasmus+ project on developing higher education potential On the European Union official portal, the first statistic results of the competition of projects of the EU Erasmus+ Program for the development of higher education potential in 2024 have been published. The Donetsk State University of Internal Affairs is among the winners of the competition. The project consortium consists of four European and five national Universities. The University of Wismar (Hochschule Wismar) (Wismar, the Federal Republic of Germany) is a coordinator of the project “Implementation of the European approach to compliance management in higher education of Ukraine” #EUComplianceM4UA under the ERASMUS-EDU-2024-CBHE-STRAND-1 competition. EUComplianceM4UA is an innovative Erasmus + project. Its goal is to improve cooperation between higher education institutions of the EU and Ukraine in the field of higher education regarding the implementation of European approach to compliance management, in order to improve academic integrity, international management, entrepreneurship, business ethics and legal aspects in less experienced Ukrainian higher education institutions. The implementation period is two years. Despite all the challenges of today and high competition, the partner Universities managed to get a positive result that will ensure access to education, overcoming the consequences of the war! This interaction will be the beginning for gaining new partnerships, experience and successful completion of all tasks! https://lnkd.in/dzVgmKMm #donsuia #erasmus