Posted on by A. Olly

W2 ACE Reading- Student Mobility

The policy category of Student Mobility was my favorite of the two covered in the ACE reading. The subcategories of Inbound and Outbound Mobility, Degree and Credit Mobility discuss the national polices implemented to further international higher education.

Visa policies are the first and foremost issue for inbound student mobility. The reading covers differing approaches, with Australia streamlining their application process, and efforts of the European Union to ease intra-EU mobility for non-EU students. However, we also have the United Kingdom increasing visa regulations in response to concerns about international students at public colleges.

How will the recent Paris terror attacks affect visa restrictions for international students?  France introduced new measures during the last few years aimed to increase inbound international students to 20% of total higher ed enrollment.  Have recent events made France reconsider this goal? This will be an issue to watch going forward, especially among nations they may consider to be ‘high risk’.

Another vital issue is that of ‘harmonization’, or alignment of educational systems. Differing academic calendars, credit systems and degree structures can inhibit student and job mobility.

I have seen harmonization issues in my workplace regarding graduate admissions qualifications. A four year Bachelors degree is required, meaning that students who completed their undergraduate studies in a country with a three year system were ineligible for our Masters programs. This issue of incohesive educational systems lost my school some talented applicants and left them with fewer options to further their studies.  ACE gives examples of successful harmonization initiatives such as the Bologna Process in Europe and the Reykjavik Declaration in Scandinavia, which provide common standards and mutual recognition of credentials.  Harmonization policies provide greater opportunities for students residing in participating regions. However I wonder if harmonization efforts put pressure on regions with fewer resources to conform to the standards set by wealthier regions. What disadvantages are faced by students in a region with a unique higher ed system that does not have the means to adapt to (often) Western standards? If higher education is to be truly global, what are the responsibilities of developed regions to the rest of the world?

 

Allison Olly

Posted on by A. Olly · 2 Comments

Allison Olly: Intro and Reading Response

  1. Hello, my name is Allison and I am in the HEA program, planning to finish this summer.  I have a fine arts background, having earned my BFA in 2000.  I have worked at the Fashion Institute of Technology since 2009. I first worked at the Registrar, where I was involved in international credential evaluation. Currently, I work in the International Student Services dept, which involves documentation for visa obtainment, work opportunities and maintaining lawful student status. Living in NYC and working at an institution with students from 70 countries sparked my interest in international education.  I have been looking forward to this course and am excited to learn about what this topic involves beyond study abroad and student services.

2.   The topics in Altbach article, Internationalization and Global Tension are especially timely during this election cycle, with multiple presidential candidates voicing anti-immigration and Islamophobic viewpoints. If such candidate were elected, how would this affect the demographics and experiences of international students in the US? The concept of international higher education as a means to expand or hold on to global power was interesting, as given in the examples of the US and programs like the Fulbright created as part of their strategy to become a world leader during the Cold War, and former colonial empires such as the UK using higher education as a means to maintain power in their former colonies.

I would like to know the history of the shift between the the mostly European focus in the Altbach article to the present, with most students studying abroad hailing from Asia.  The sections on student mobility from the Oxford chapter were of the most personal interest to me, as  the countries of origin reported match closely with the international student body at my institution.  The discussion of the Russian government initiative to combat ‘brain drain’ by offering overseas scholarships in return for a commitment to work for the state brings up a separate topic of student intent.  What are the long term goals of students who study abroad? How many intend to return home and pursue careers vs. those who want to remain abroad and work?  Many of the students I work with pursue practical training in their field of study and wish to be sponsored for a work visa.  Is this a common goal for the overall international student population in the US?

I would have liked for the Green article on US Internationalization to discuss the how and why US institutions are behind the rest of the world regarding the role of internationalization in institutional strategic plans and leadership.  Unlike many countries, US public schools have no mandatory foreign language training at the primary level and limited training at the secondary level.  Language is an important part of internationalization and US students as a whole fall short.  Does the limited language training of the student body have any influence have any effect on how an institution ranks the importance of an international focus?  Also, US internationalization of higher education appears to be largely the responsibility of individual institutions, in contrast to the national efforts listed in the Oxford chapter- government funding of an education hub in Qatar, and the German government initiatives and funding to increase the number of students studying abroad.