Date : 23 April 2022
Location : Australia

Students Are Slow to Return To Universities In Australia. Some May Not Come Back: Government

International students are not returning to Australian universities as quickly as some had anticipated. Due to Australia's strict border procedures, international students have been unable to enter the country for more than two years. Catriona Jackson, CEO of Universities Australia, said to Al Jazeera, "Some of them will not return. There's no disputing that the past two years have been challenging for us. We're not out of the woods yet, but the pandemic has demonstrated the strength of our educational institutions." While the reopening of the border in December brought relief to hundreds of stranded students anxious to return, the morale of students had already deteriorated during the period when borders were closed. According to research, 58 per cent of overseas students presently enrolled at Australian institutions expect to return to school this year, with 41 per cent opting to study abroad, citing a poll conducted by student support service provider Studiosity. According to The PIE News, citing a survey by research firm S&P Global Ratings, the number of overseas students entering the country is down 75 per cent from pre-pandemic levels, despite Australia's borders now being accessible to fully vaccinated travellers, including students.

Source: https://www.studyinternational.com/news/universities-in-australia-students/

Ministerial Approval Mandatory for Postgraduate Research Topics

Under new visa rules that have academics fuming about "bumbling and inept" government involvement, international postgraduate students might face deportation if they fail to acquire ministerial clearance before changing their research topic. The new regulations, which are set to take effect on July 1, allow the application of additional criteria 8204A and 8204B to Subclass 500 student visas. When student visa holders desire to modify their course of study or research subject or begin research if they are not already enrolled in a research degree, the new restrictions demand an application to the Home Affairs Minister - presently Karen Andrews. The new conditions state that the minister must be "satisfied that there is not an unreasonable risk of an unwanted transfer of critical technology by the holder," citing concerns about technology or information transfers that would jeopardise Australia's security or defence, harm public health and safety, obstruct a criminal investigation, or harm Australia's international relations.

Source: https://ia.acs.org.au/article/2022/minister-must-approve-postgrads--research-topics.html

Students from Africa Incur a Greater Financial Burden and Have a Lower Admission Rate to Study in Canada

Gideon Christian, an assistant professor at the University of Calgary and the president of the African Scholars Initiative (ASI), testified before the House of Commons on citizenship and immigration on the difficulties that African students face. While Tunisia's application was accepted 70% of the time in the first half of 2020, other African nations were considerably below the average acceptance rate. Ethiopia and Cameroon were both at 19 per cent, while Burundi was only four per cent. The solution, he told the parliamentary committee, is racism. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) established anti-racism staff focus groups and contracted Pollara Strategic Insights to write a study. According to IRCC personnel, implicit prejudices may impair the processing of applications, particularly those from African nations. International students apply to schools and then apply to the IRCC for a study permit once they have been approved. Students must demonstrate that they or a sponsor can financially support their study in order to be considered for the scholarship. While all students must have a $10,000 Guaranteed Investment Certificate, individuals in the Nigerian Student Express programme must have at least $30,000 in their account for the past six months.

Source: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/high-burden-of-proof-low-acceptance-rates-african-international-students-1.6420745

University Advice May Cause Students' UAC Choices to Become Muddled

As per recent research from the University of Sydney's School of Economics, pupils applying for university courses in NSW may be making poor selections when documenting their order of course choices with the Universities Admissions Centre (UAC) due to their own misinterpretation of the rules and confusing advice from universities. According to the report, individuals who make bad choices in their university applications may miss out on their selected subjects. Students from non-selective government schools make the greatest mistakes and are most in danger of losing out. At the time of the study, at least one university recommended students put a "guaranteed entrance" course first on their priority list. Several Australian institutions currently advise candidates to put their "assured entrance" degree as their "highest eligible preference" in order to get admitted. The study, which was broadcasted in the reputable journal PNAS Nexus, discovered that 75.5 per cent of students in the experimental study made poor choices in listing their course preferences, which could have a negative impact on their career and earning potential.

https://www.sydney.edu.au/news-opinion/news/2022/04/19/advice-from-universities-could-confuse-student-uac-preferences.html

Planet Labs Partners with Canadian Institutions to Research Biodiversity and The Impact of Humans On the Boreal Forests

On April 18, Planet Labs PBC, a leading supplier of day-to-day Earth information and analytics, introduced new collaborative efforts to study biodiversity and human effects in the Canadian Boreal Forest with a bunch of related research programmes at the University Laval, University of Calgary, and the University of Alberta. Planet's Education and Research Program is celebrating its fifth year with this new collaboration. The E&R Program, which debuted on Earth Day (April 22), was intended to provide access to Planet's unique satellite datasets to students, researchers, and professors linked with accredited colleges. People who participate can view and analyse Planet's remote sensing information, as well as post-critical conclusions, with this access. Planet is a top global provider of everyday satellite images and GIS applications. Over the last five years, the programme has grown to the point where 80 universities in 16 countries, including Arizona State University and MIT in the United States, Stockholm University in Sweden and Yamaguchi University in Japan have purchased Planet's Education and Research site licences for scientific applications.

Source: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220418005220/en/Planet-Partners-with-Canadian-Universities-to-Research-Biodiversity-Regeneration-and-Human-Impact-in-Boreal-Forests

Universities Are at Fault for The Massive Skills Shortage: Fadl Al-Tarzi

The Great Resignation has been blamed on everything from government subsidies to the COVID-19 epidemic to young people's lethargy. According to Fadl Al-Tarzi, education is to blame for the historically high turnover and tight labour market. According to Al-Tarzi, universities have been teaching material that is becoming less relevant to what companies are seeking, resulting in a major skills deficit. That's why the Egyptian entrepreneur established Nexford Institution, an online university with an AI-enabled, skills-driven curriculum aimed at addressing the worldwide skills gap. The platform, which is based in Washington, D.C., links learners from all over the world to local and remote employment. The institution also collaborates with major digital companies like Microsoft, IBM, and LinkedIn to create tools, courses, and programmes that are tailored to meet the demands of businesses. Despite the fact that more than 50 million Americans have departed their employment in the last year, the labour crisis is not limited to the U.S. Companies all across the world are having difficulty filling positions because they are unable to find competent people to replace them. Nexford University's CEO says that there is a supply/demand imbalance in emerging economies.

Source: https://www.hcamag.com/ca/specialization/benefits/ceo-universities-to-blame-for-massive-skills-shortage/402801

North America’s Tallest Solar Facade to Be Installed at A Canadian Institution

Mitrex is a photovoltaics (BIPV) company situated in Toronto. A solar façade, which is effectively an outside wall with productive photovoltaics hidden within a structure, is one of the company's BIPV products. Mitrex has announced plans for the world's highest solar façade, a 6,000 square foot BIPV system at St. Mary's University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, that would power a student residential complex. The decentralised energy source provides local energy while also allowing surplus output to be exported through the regular grid. It's also a microgrid that can run independently of the power grid and during power outages. The microgrid application may be utilised not just for power resilience during outages, but it can also be intelligently run to react to economic situations, possibly saving the institution money during high energy costs and peak demand periods. The project will be installed by Mitrex in collaboration with DSRA Architects, Dillon Consulting, and BMR Structural Engineering, with EllisDon Corporation and Markland Construction overseeing the construction. Early in 2023, the project is projected to be finished.

Source: https://pv-magazine-usa.com/2022/04/19/canadian-university-to-be-equipped-with-a-stealthy-solar-facade-microgrid/

UK Study: Students Who Attend Non-Elite Schools Have a Lower Likelihood of Landing High-Paying Jobs

According to a survey of British graduates, getting good grades at university pays off, especially for men and those who attend the most selective universities. According to the Institute for Fiscal Studies, the average pay premium for individuals with a first-class college degree was 7% for males and 4% for women at the age of 30. Earnings are 15 per cent lower for women and 18 per cent lower for males who have a lower second-class 2.2 degree or below. According to the data, students' ability to obtain elite positions earning top incomes is determined by what they study, which colleges they attend, and how well they do. It also provides light on the challenges that people from lower-income homes confront in going ahead. The impacts on pay were found to be increased for students who attended prominent universities such as Oxford, Cambridge, and the London School of Economics, according to the study. It was also more important for certain subjects and less important for others. Regardless of the quality of the degree, students studying English or education received minimal compensation. The data revealed significant gender variations in the payout for obtaining a first-class degree rather than a 2.1 at the most selective colleges.

Sources: https://www.business-standard.com/article/education/grades-will-matter-u-k-study-finds-men-with-good-grades-better-off-122042000302_1.html

Making A Welcome Return, These Will Be the University’s First Graduations Since 2019

For the classes of 2020 and 2021, the University of Cumbria is thrilled to present a week of graduation ceremonies at Carlisle Cathedral while the U.K. and the rest of the world learn to live with Covid-19. These are the university's first graduations since November of 2019. Over the course of five days, about 2,700 graduates will be present, with 17 ceremonies taking place in Carlisle's Historic Quarter. These special Spring celebrations, which begin on Monday, April 25, honour students who completed and graduated from their academic programmes in 2020 and 2021. Graduates from the arts, health, and science, as well as business and leadership, will be there, accompanied by their families, friends, and loved ones. Many overseas students, as well as staff and students from the university's campuses in Carlisle, Barrow, Lancaster, and London, will be attending the celebration. Professor Julie Mennell, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cumbria, is ecstatic to be able to fulfil a promise she made to these graduates: that they would be allowed to have a full graduation experience once the required procedures and advice were in place.

Source: https://www.cumbria.ac.uk/about/news/articles/articles/university-to-host-first-graduation-ceremonies-since-pandemics-start-.php

Keele University Has Announced A £1 Million Refugee Scholarship Programme

A university in Staffordshire has announced the launch of a scholarship programme to help asylum seekers. The £1 million initiative was launched in response to the conflict in Ukraine, according to Keele University. Since Russia's invasion, it is estimated that 4.3 million people have fled the nation. According to the university, ten sanctuary scholarships will be offered to start in September 2022. A full tuition fee remission for up to four years, housing, and a cash scholarship of £400 per month of study would be provided to the students as assistance and finance. Asylum seekers, their dependents or partners, as well as individuals who have been granted some type of temporary status are invited to apply. Despite the fact that the scheme was created in reaction to the Ukraine crisis, it stated that students of all countries were welcome to apply.

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-stoke-staffordshire-61153755

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