QS University Rankings – a good place to stop by as you search for the right University for your needs

Following is an excerpt from ICICI Lombard’s blog for Indian students aspiring to go abroad – well worth a read if you are a student travelling abroad for the first time. For Indian students, commerical information from ICICI Lombard may be relevant as well.

http://www.economist.com/blogs/lexington/2011/04/higher_education?fsrc=scn/tw/te/bl/isitreallythenextbubble.

But let the conspiracy theories be for a moment. Let us just turn the idea on its head and ask if the bursting of the higher education bubble might in fact be a good thing, especially for those who are looking at it from the outside. Could it be something to welcome and wait for?

Higher Education has some malignancies that need to be rooted out without question. Increasingly, students are being pursued for their money and many colleges are springing up, not with a vision to educate or empower, but with an eye on the money-spinning prospects of education as a product. This increasing commercialisation needs to be done away with and perhaps when the bubble does burst (please let’s assume it will), the good Institutions built on solid foundations will endure while the rest will perish or at least downsize. So who cares if the bad institutions have an over-capacity? Since when has bad things happening to bad products been a worry?!

For long, higher education in most cases  has been a  preserve of the rich – they are the target, it is designed around them and often run by them. Those aspiring to rise above their poor circumstances, take on huge loans sometimes to try and fit in. The size of these loans are getting bigger and the sharks that benefit from these are getting greedier.  Perhaps if this bubble bursts, new thinking will come in and education will be imparted less expensively, with fewer middlemen with their eyes on the student’s loan money. How can this be a bad thing?

Google is reportedly considering renaming ‘search’ as ‘knowledge’ and at least for the moment is free.  Free online education for all – why not?

For the student at least, and probably for good, solid educational institutions built with a mission and a vision,  the bursting of the higher education bubble could be a welcome thing. 

To get a fresh perspective on Education, to rejuvenate it and rid it of its weaknesses, we do need a reality check. Why should we fear for the economic safety of badly managed institutions or unscrupulous middlemen involved in the recruitment process? Isn’t it only fair that education which is intended for the empowerment of students is focused on their needs?

Once the dust settles, who knows out of the rubble, there could be a better chance for inclusive education, truly world-class institutions and quality that is worth the time and resources. If the bubble bursts, it will affect economics and  not education. So why should those who are in education for the love worry about the economics?

Increasingly Educational Institutions around the world are relying on international student fees. Likewise, Governments are aware of the huge revenue contribution of international students. Many unscrupulous agents add to the commercialisation problem by marketing a certain’ institution on the basis of the  ‘percentage of commission’ received, rather than on the basis of its merits or suitability for a potential candidate. Education fairs are often no more than an explosion of PR and marketing gimmicks that entice the prospective student. There is rarely a vetting process that lets in only institutions of a certain standing to exhibit at a fair. We can debate ad nauseam on the fairness of these approaches, but the question central to the whole issue is if the student is at the heart of the recruitment process.

Gone are the days when a foreign education was a privilege of the rich and especially in Asian countries such as India and China, studying abroad has become a very middle-class aspiration that explains why so many countries are waking to the economic potential of this sizeable market. In this Internet and social networking world, the transmission of information and marketing messages too is a lot easier and affordable than it has ever been. While this is not a bad thing if done correctly, a gullible student could get caught out as happened in the recent Tri-Valley debacle.

Ironically, a student who is seen an ‘opportunity’ while he is studying and paying his fees is likely to be seen as a ‘threat’ if he chooses to stay on in the host country in search of employment. It is more the norm that the host Government chooses to persuade the student to return home once the transaction of education is complete. Little consideration is given to the fact that often the student has taken on huge financial liabilities to be able to afford the fees and has in fact contributed to the host economy by paying his fees and incurring his living expenses there. Also, the student is not viewed as a human resource who has much to contribute to the economic, social and cultural wealth of the host country.

A recent study conducted by researchers from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Rutgers University and Pennsylvania State University on 1000 Indian students currently studying in the United States indicated that contrary to popular belief, only 8 per cent of those surveyed said they preferred to stay on in the host country. You can read the article here http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-industry/services/education/indian-students-in-us-keen-to-return-home-survey/articleshow/7654988.cms. According to the paper’s co-author, Venkatesh Kumar, there was an aspiration to give back to India among many of the students, which he sees as a huge opportunity for the Country, which on a growth spree needs all the hands and brains that it can get.  We already know that this is a trend that is prevalent among Chinese students as well.

But, it is also true that for as along as students continue to focus on just the short-term objective of studying abroad, real change cannot happen.  Students need to exercise caution and be demanding in terms of the quality of education and the quality of life that a study abroad experience has to offer.  For as long as they allow it to be a ‘sellers market’, it is tough to bring about change.

As for educational institutions and Governments that plan to make the most of this huge opportunity, those that place the student and his or her needs and aspirations at the heart of the decision-making process will, in the long run,  find themselves at the winning end of the equation.

I think this article touches upon a very crucial and relevant subject that can contribute to the Internationalisation of Education. Bringing students, academics and industry on one common platform also pays rich dividends to all three entities.

It cannot be denied that merely obtaining a foreign degree, while being beneficial, mainly exposes the student to the ‘protected’ environment of a college campus. On the other hand, a work experience opportunity in a foreign destination gives a student the opportunity to explore a whole new world independently. It also gives the student the valuable experience of working in a foreign culture, teaching practical skills that extend beyond the scope of what an academic experience can provide.

For the Educational Institution, the benefits of close links with industry is well documented and cannot be over-emphasized.  Apart from financial benefits such as research partnerships,such links improve placement prospects for students who go on to become powerful ambassadors both for the educational institution and for the business offering them an internship opportunity.

With recruitment becoming more complicated and given the rising attrition rates in several sectors, forging close and mutually-beneficial relationships with students will help businesses attract and retain the best talent, besides providing the obvious advantage of ‘trying out’ a resource first to see if he  or she is a right fit.

The future is likely to be defined by a shift of power to the East, a cultural pot-pourri that the West is less aquainted with. Such internships and collaborations as part of a student’s educational experience will offer the opportunity to develop meaningful skills that can benefit not just the three entities involved, but the whole community .

Quite an irony when you think about it – Kids spending obscene amount of time on Facebook are said to be falling behind in their studies as a result. Likewise, google is reported to be  making student projects a plagiarism contest. The litany of complaints just gets longer – yet Obama who has great faith in the power of education as a ticket to a better future for America believes that these tech giants hold the key to America’s future as it struggles to play catch up with education-obsessed youngsters in India and China. The irony does not end there – most of these Technocrats dropped out of college and as role models are not much of an advertisement for education.

But, ultimately, it appears that the consumers of education, namely students will have it their way.  It is now up to education providers to find new and innovative ways to adapt  social networks and the internet in general to inspire the coming generations of students. Rather than forcing them to reduce time spent online, effort could be focused on ensuring that more online time is spent on learning rather than casual chit-chat or games. Despite a cold reception to the idea from the opposition, the American President who has slashed budgets in most areas, has increased spending in education and is now seeking the approval of these tech giants as an endorsement of his plans for education and job creation through making available a more sophisticated world-class workforce.

Prof. Sugatha Mithra, a leading expert in education technology, better known for his ‘Hole-in-the-wall’ experiment, adapted computer  technology to teach slum kids way back in 1999, when social networks were virtually unheard of. Through what he terms Minimally Invasive Education (MIE), he helped illiterate and underprivileged kids teach themselves. The hugely successful experiment has since inspired a whole education movement around India. Rather than employing teachers for the rather arduous task of educating disinterested students by force, an internet-equipped computer hooked to a wall, could inspire and educate a generation of underprivileged kids who had the intelligence and the interest to learn.

Even at elementary levels, teachers are waking up to the fact that creative methods of teaching bring out the best in children. Thanks to philanthropic efforts of technology heads such as Azim Premji, head of Wipro and one of the richest men in the world, rote-learning, which is the norm in Indian schools, may in due course be replaced by more creative methods.  http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/18/business/global/18teach.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&ref=education

Be it education through social networks, degrees through e-learning or research powered by Google,  the future of education at any level is inevitably tied to technology and the effectiveness of this partnership will determine success or failure.

A lot of heated words were exchanged back and forth in this very pertinent debate on the uses and abuses of recruitment agents worldwide.

The points against where that a good educational institution only needs to inform not sell through hype. The business-like approach of agents with an eye on profits meant students are often short-changed. The study also drew attention to anecdotal evidence that most students feel they did not know ‘enough’ before choosing a particular institution.

On the other side of the equation, there are institutions and recruiters defending the need and uses of third parties in the student recruitment process. With proper quality standards, they say that recruiters offer information and advice which facilitates a student’s/parent’s access to valuable  information and simplifies the admission formalities, which without sufficient expertise will be quite an arduous task.

Both sides, apparently raise very important questions. The solution probably lies somewhere in the middle – with the explosion of social media and its accessability in hundreds of languages, perhaps, there is no dearth for information and institutions can seek to simplify the application process and endeavour to interact first-hand with prospective students. Agents, on the other hand, can facilitate such interaction and where needed continue their good work applying internationally recognised and audited quality standards.

But, whatever the method and means adapted to recruit foreign students, in the long run, one that puts the student’s interests first will do better than the rest and that is the way it should be.

From no electricity to virtual lessons – all it takes is the enthusiasm to learn and the passion to impart knowledge!

The Chronicle carried this interesting article on the benefits of facilitating classes through webcam.

New Question for Professors: Should Students Be Allowed to Attend Classes Via Webcam? – Technology – The Chronicle of Higher Education.

The answer, from the article content and the feedback seems rightly to be ‘why not?’. For one thing it will help cut costs and reduce carbon footprints. Moreover it will help focus on those students that are really interested and will help bring in expert lecturers from the industry far more easily and from across the globe. In fact, it is a case of ‘why is this not extremely popular already?’.

Over the years the explosion of social networking technology and online learning has thrown open hiterhto unexplored methods of teaching and learning. Given students’ penchant for using the internet through mobile, computers etc, chances are lectures through webcams will gain wide acceptance.  For institutions struggling to reduce costs, this could be a very attractive option. It will also help the student – hopefully the cost of learning virtually will be lesser than paying for the facilities available at a brick and mortar campus.

In poorer countries as well, where mobile technology is being adapted given low cost and easy availability, it will help reach out to otherwise marginalised students.

Surely, the answer is a resounding ‘why not?’