MSM Reporter’s Post

Australia's new policy caps international student enrolments at 270,000 for 2025. The biggest cuts will impact vocational education providers. While the government argues the reforms will improve sector quality, critics warn of severe economic consequences. #InspirationinEducation #Education #HigherEd #University #Internationalisation

Caps loom large “down under!” The federal government’s plan to cap #internationalstudent numbers at course level & link places to areas of #skillshortage was unworkable & could lead to fewer places for domestic #students in subjects such as #teaching & #nursing. Leading #highereducation expert Andrew Norton said the imposition of caps at course level “was administratively near-impossible” for either the government or #universities & #colleges to manage. Federal departments, including of home affairs, workplace relations, & the #vocational #education regulator, have all raised concerns in submissions about their capacity to monitor & administer such a massive change to how places are allocated. Caps are set to be introduced on January 1, 2025, but the education minister Jason Clare MP has until December 31 to establish just what those caps are. In addition, moves to encourage #internationalstudents to enrol in regional universities & in courses that suffer from skill shortages could have dire unanticipated consequences, he said. Just 14% of international students enrol with regional universities, & the vast majority of those are in city-based high-rise campuses in #Sydney #Melbourne & #Brisbane, which adds rather than detracts from two of the issues the government is trying to resolve – housing & pressure on services. Professor Norton said it was pointless to mandate international students study in areas of skills shortages since the vast majority go home after #graduating & the change could deplete the number of places available for domestic students because of the limited supply of clinical placements. “Also due to higher fees they pay, they could displace domestic students,” Professor Norton said. At the same time, price-sensitive students – the ones who enrol at the metropolitan campuses of regional universities – are now less likely to apply since the cost of a non-refundable visa increased from $710 to $1600. Government policies to date have resulted in one regional university – Federation University Australia – having suffered a 90% decline in enrolments since December 2023.” Asia Careers Group SDN BHD - Investing in International Futures AIEA - Association of International Education Administrators AUIDF British Council BUILA Education New Zealand | Manapou ki te Ao International Education Association of Australia (IEAA) Innovative Research Universities (IRU) University Innovation Alliance (UIA) University Industry Innovation Network (UIIN) Independent Tertiary Education Council Australia National Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services (NAGCAS) Regional Universities Network The Group of Eight UCAS UKCISA Universities Australia Universities Canada Universities UK Universities UK International

Say what you will about Private Career Colleges with respect to program quality, graduation rates, and employability (all important issues) - but the challenges of the international study-permits are not the fault of PCC within post-secondary education. In my opinion, the solution that nobody is willing to discuss (nor acknowledge) is the lack of Provincial and Federal cooperation with respect to international education/credential recognition, equivalency, and certification of internationally-trained skilled workers. Many of the international study-permit holders have a degree (often times an advanced degree) and are coming to Canada where their education is not recognized, without any legitimate pathway towards recognition. Our Governments will not move on this and then turn around complaining about the lack of skilled workers. TL;DR: 1. 29 out of the 30 Canadian colleges and universities granted the most international study permits last year are Publicly-funded. 2. 10 Ontario public colleges account for nearly 30 per cent of all study permits issued across Canada, since 2020. 3. Twelve Ontario public colleges have at least tripled their annual permit numbers since 2018. 4. Public-Private Partnerships account for 13 of the top 20 schools, based on the increase 2018-2023. https://lnkd.in/gb4ZVeAK

💡 💡 Highlights about Ontario’s cap implementation plan - The Province of Ontario hosted just over half of all international students in Canada last year. - Under Canada’s new cap on international study permits, Ontario has been allocated 235,000 study permit applications for 2024. - The province has announced that 96% of those study permit applications will be allocated to the public colleges and universities. - Only 4% will be distributed to the province’s language schools and private universities - Career colleges will not be allocated any study permit applications under this plan “We are protecting the integrity of our province’s postsecondary education system by attracting the best and brightest international students to Ontario to study in areas that are critical to our economy,” said Jill Dunlop, Minister of Colleges and Universities. https://lnkd.in/gBPwu3ha 🤓 🤓 It seems that Ontario is becoming aware of the need to cover areas of high labor demand and is reorganizing the educational system to meet the province's requirements. We will keep you updated! #internationalstudents #studyincanada #futureonsolutions

Universities Australia estimates that the Australian government's legislation to limit the number of international students in universities and private training colleges could lead to 14,000 job losses in the university sector. This significant reduction in the higher education workforce would likely create immediate economic challenges, both for the individuals directly affected and for the communities that rely on universities as employers. This could lead to larger class sizes, reduced course offerings, and potentially, the scaling back or elimination of certain programs. The quality of education could suffer as a result, potentially damaging Australia's reputation as a destination for world-class higher education. This could become a challenge to Australia's long-term educational and economic competitiveness. #highered #recruitment #policy

Australian educational institutions, including the prestigious Go8 universities and the Independent Tertiary Education Council, are advocating for a collaborative and evidence-based approach to the draft International Education and Skills Strategic Framework. 🎓 Among their recommendations that the government: 📚 • exempt Public providers, universities and TAFE from international student cap • establish evidence-based and institutionally appropriate managed growth targets for international student enrolments at each Australian university, and these targets are set 18 months in advance of the year in which they apply. • work with the international education sector and the student accommodation sector to undertake a detailed audit of the current and future provision of purpose-built student accommodation in Australia. Read more about the reactions of Australian stakeholders to international student caps and their proposed solutions: https://lnkd.in/gxSSTqUF #AusEducation #InternationalEducation #IntlEd #PolicyDebateAU

There seems to be some developing enthusiasm for the Accord version of life among some UK commentators. I've already noted that the University of Sydney president Mark Scott commented that the Accord only talked about money being raised from a tax on universities. Difficult to see UK HE loving that in the light of its pleas for more money. As important are what the words here imply. I've already blogged extensively about there being no "one size fits all solution" in the UK and Jason Clare MP, Education Minister, talks about the "uneven" nature of the sector in Australia. If that ends up with enrollment caps manufactured to level the playing field or manage regional economics one can see tensions emerging. He says the sector is "pretty much unregulated" which sounds like code for more regulation to come. And critically notes a need to “maintain the social licence for this important export” which also sounds like political speak for more intervention rather than less. At the very least it suggests the public needs to feel the outcome works for it as much as institutions. In my recent University World News article I noted that the intersection of higher education with workforce planning, immigration and public sector finance issues may have reached a tipping point where Governments take more notice than ever before. Every time the sector boasts about its economic impact it reinforces the sense that it is worthy of political interference. I suggested that this could mean its direction and management "cannot be left to an untidy aggregation of autonomous, self-governing organisations." #intled #universities #australia #ukhighereducation #australianuniversities #highereducation #studentrecruitment

Australia is set to follow in Canada’s footsteps by introducing caps on international student enrolment in higher education institutions. This move aims to find an optimal balance between international and domestic students, addressing financial needs, community acceptance, and societal support. https://lnkd.in/egKB7UiF #canadaimmigration #canadaeducation #canada #australia #students #canadapr #ircc #studyincanada

“The national organizations representing 234 postsecondary institutions in #Canada are expressing “significant concerns” about the federal government’s two-year cap on #internationalstudents and say the move will have lasting impacts on the country’s economy. In a joint letter to Immigration Minister Marc Miller on Tuesday, Universities Canada & Colleges and Institutes Canada said the recent decision to cap international study permits in a bid to rein in skyrocketing growth will affect all #students. “While we acknowledge the efforts made to address challenges associated with unscrupulous actors, the implementation of the cap has the potential to bring about widespread &’long-lasting consequences for both #canadian & international students,” it said. The letter is signed by Pari Johnston CEO of Colleges and Institutes Canada | Collèges et instituts Canada & Philip Landon interim president and CEO of Universities Canada. The groups represent the national voices of not-for-profit #highereducation institutions. The organizations say their main concern is a moratorium on processing new #internationalstudent #studypermits, especially for #college & #undergraduate students. They said this decision is already affecting enrolments, as students are beginning to apply for the fall semester. #Ottawa has given provinces until March 31 to develop a system for newly required letters of attestation for international #undergraduate students. Although no province outside of #Quebec has such a system, the requirement is already in place, which has led to a “sudden halt” in applications being processed, the letter said. This means students are likely to choose different locations for study, “posing a significant risk to Canada’s post-secondary sector and hindering our efforts to attract global #talent for years to come.” “The potential consequences are difficult to overstate. The cap will have far-reaching effects on #Canadian communities, given that international students play a pivotal role in bolstering the economy by contributing over $22-billion a year to our country,” the letter says.” Asia Careers Group SDN BHD - Investing in International Futures AIEA - Association of International Education Administrators AIRC Canadian Bureau for International Education (CBIE) | Bureau canadien de l’éducation internationale NAFSA: Association of International Educators

The UK is firmly established as a traditional tertiary education hotspot, with historically large numbers of international students. However, with recent changes in immigration and education policies, which are inextricably linked, students and their families are becoming disenchanted with the UK and turning towards other educational centres in Europe and beyond. Our Henley Opportunity Index can provide an overview for students and their families from abroad and from Britain alike where the new places of opportunity exist and how to combine a world-class education with global access, a unique combination that ensures prosperity of the next generation. UK Parliament UK Home Office Henley & Partners - The Firm of Global Citizens® #education #internationalstudents #globalmobility #europe https://lnkd.in/g39ziyB8