Sunday, June 26, 2011

Many Indonesians dream of studying abroad

Many Indonesians dream of studying abroad. But unless they come from wealthy families or are one of the lucky few able to win a scholarship to cover their costs, those dreams are unlikely to become a reality.This is the situation that three women in their thirties, Cecil Mariani, Lisabona Rahman and Felencia Ellen Hutabarat, are facing.They had all been accepted at prestigious higher education institutions oversea, but the steep tuition fees and lack of financial aid means they needed to be enterprising to pursue their dream.Rather than give up, however, they have come up with a plan that they believe will keep their hopes of studying abroad alive.

The three women have started a fund-raising project that they have dubbed tua tua sekolah , which literally means old and attending school. Through the sales of their own specially-designed notebooks and journals, they are hoping to raise Rp 2 billion $232,000 over the next two years in order to meet their tuition requirements.It was Cecil who started the project, said Lisa.As a graphic designer, her work has a lot to do with books.Cecil, who is a freelance designer and a teacher at her alma matter, Pelita Harapan University, has been accepted into the Master of Fine Arts Designer as Author program at the School of Visual Arts in New York. It’s a prestigious program with only 20 students accepted each year. Cecil chose the program for its focus on interdisciplinary collaboration she eventually wants to create a design laboratory for art organizations and businesses.

When Cecil realized she wouldn’t be able to get a loan to fund her studies from her relatives, she decided she had to find an alternative source of funding because she couldn’t rely on scholarship possibilities alone,Lisa said. crowd-funding Web site which focuses on helping people get their artistic and business projects off the ground through small individual donations. One of the incentives for people to donate is that they receive merchandise related to the project they chose to fund.That’s what gave Cecil the idea of designing and selling her own notebooks and journals. At first, it was a solo project Initially Ellen and I were just buyers,Lisa said. Like Cecil, we love stationery.

Besides their passion for paper goods, the three friends also share a love for the arts and all have been recently accepted into highly-regarded programs at overseas institutions.Lisa, who is a film critic and the program director of the Jakarta Arts Council’s cinema club, Kineforum, has been accepted into the Preservation and Presentation of the Moving Image Professional Master’s program at the Universiteit van Amsterdam in the Netherlands. It is a specialized program that is only offered by a few universities around the world. Lisa chose it because she wants to help preserve Indonesia’s film history for future generations.The condition of Indonesia’s classic works of cinema is very alarming at the moment,she said.If nothing is done, even the surviving 10 percent of the historical footage will vanish.

Ellen, who is currently an art and culture program officer at a Dutch nongovernmental organization Hivos, has been accepted into the Creative Economics and Cultural Entrepreneurship at the Erasmus School of History, Culture and Communication in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.As close friends, the three women realized that they all had the same worries about being able to pay to continue their education. That’s when Lisa and Ellen decided to join forces with Cecil to create tua tua sekolah.The notebooks and journals they sell come in three different sizes, ranging in price from Rp 30,000 to Rp 90,000. Each book’s colorful cover features a brief summation of their cause and stickers with various quotes and sayings. One of them reads,This book sends people to graduate school.Cecil was able to secure a special deal from a manufacturer she had worked with previously to keep costs down. The women chose to make the books from imported paper because of its quality and because it is partly recycled and acid free.The production costs are shared between the three of them, according to the relative amounts they need to fund their tuition. For marketing, they have been using word of mouth and, of course, the Internet.

They have partnered with stores such as MP Resto & Gallery in Cipete, South Jakarta, and ToBuCil bookstore in Bandung to sell their wares. They have also set up tables and stalls at various art events around town to sell to their customers face to face.We take turns manning the stall because we’re still working and we have other business to attend to,Ellen said.At most of the events where we’ve set up the stall, people are enthusiastic. Other than the colorful notebooks, they are also drawn by our cause.The project was only started in May, but as of mid-June, they had already sold 1,500 units. It’s a good start, but the women admit that they still have a long way to go to meet their goals. Although they say they already have their travel and living expenses covered, covering their tuition will take a lot of effort.

According to Lisa, although there is a lot of scholarship money available to people who work for government institutions, universities, and NGOs, those scholarships are mostly aimed at people studying subjects that donors are interested in.The trend right is more towards human rights law, development studies, good governance, Islamic and environmental studies,she said.The art and culture sector is a field that Indonesia as a nation is clearly excelling at,Lisa said.A lot of the most important work in arts and culture in Indonesia is being done by people working outside of government agencies, but unfortunately the scholarships aren’t really accessible to people like Cecil, Ellen and I.Ellen said the three of them are planning to leave for their programs in August, while they hire others to run the tua tua sekolah program in their stead.If this project works for us, I believe it can work for others,she said.We just have to work and prove it.Lisa added that even after they met their goals they planned to keep the project going to help others facing similar dilemmas.

Saturday, June 25, 2011

Courses available chemistry, computer science or electronics

A course in B.Sc. applied physical sciences provides students an opportunity to explore the multi-disciplinary nature of science subjects offered by the university, especially in the emerging areas of physical, chemical, life and earth sciences. The course can be pursued across four disciplines in DU electronics, industrial, chemistry, computer science and environmental science.

It focuses largely on environmental studies, computer science and informatics, electronics,Electrical and modern instrumentation, biology for physical science and physics, across all three years thereby laying the basis for students to pursue fields such as astrobiology, theoretical biology, geophysics, molecular paleontology and biogeochemistry. A lot of students believe that this is an easier option as against pursuing an honours course in physics, chemistry, computer science or electronics. But a student has to put in as much hard work and research in this field as any other honours course. The course in DU is very structured and provides a plethora of opportunities to students in future, said Karisma Rawat, a student of St. Stephen’s College.

If a student chooses to do Physical Sciences in DU, they are exposed to subjects such as electronics, mathematics and physics,said Gulashan Sawhney, Associate Professor, Atma Ram Sanatan Dharam College.This provides a lot of flexibility to students to pursue an M.Sc. or MCA or any other add-on course after doing B.Sc. This course is a very broad spectrum course and also opens up avenues in software and hardware for students who take up computer science, Sawhney added.

Friday, June 24, 2011

Student find Scholarships to Study Abroad

We tend to think of college in terms of a journey. There's the higher-education path through high school, the various routes to financial aid, and the long road from your first freshman orientation to your degree. And one of the most rewarding parts of this metaphorical journey can also be an actual journey, if you take the opportunity to study abroad.Spending a summer, a semester, or even a year of your college experience outside the United States can expand your horizons, improve your second-language skills, and foster your learning both inside and outside the classroom. It may seem dauntingly expensive, but studying abroad as a college student is incredibly valuable and it's the cheapest chance you'll ever get to spend a significant chunk of time overseas without actually moving. Furthermore, with a little work, you can find scholarships and financial assistance to defray quite a bit of the cost.

Generally speaking, there are two major ways to move your studies outside the country. You can use a study abroad program affiliated with a college, or you can use an independent program such as IES, SIT, or AIFS. If you go or are planning to go to a college with a study abroad office, I'd recommend making them your first stop for a variety of reasons.

First and most importantly, going through your own school means your program coordinators will already know your field of study, your transcript information, and your financials, and that will save you time. In addition, you'll know that the courses on offer are accredited and targeted toward students in your field, and you'll be able to hear firsthand from program participants. And, of course, you'll easily be able to find all of the financial aid options open to you.

My alma mater, the University of Minnesota, has a fairly robust and straightforward framework for study abroad scholarships, which lays out amounts, deadlines, and restrictions. Like most schools, the U of M offers general scholarships for study abroad assistance, as well as targeted scholarships for diversity, first-generation and financially needy students; its site also features a study abroad scholarship search to find private-sector and other options.The only problem with going through your own college: what if it doesn't go where you want? In this case, it's time to expand your horizons. The U of M, for example, offers a number of programs open to non-University students, and there are programs such as Butler University's Institute for Study Abroad that coordinate study abroad opportunities around the world for students from all over the country. These are a great alternative, but you'll have to be especially on the ball in terms of financing; IFSA-Butler, for example, requires your college to process financial aid transfer and payments.

On the plus side, you can apply for both general and destination-specific scholarships that range from $1,000 to $5,000 for semester-long trips to places like Egypt, Australia, Costa Rica, and the British Isles. And the outside scholarships posted on the IFSA-Butler site point to some other excellent opportunities, such as the Boren Scholarships up to $20,000 per year for lingustic/cultural immersion in underrepresented areas and the State Department-sponsored Gilman Scholarships up to $5,000 a year for students receiving Pell Grant assistance.

In addition to these college-managed programs, there are also quite a few independently managed study abroad organizations, and they're also worth a look. IES Abroad, AIFS Abroad, and SIT Study Abroad all coordinate overseas programs for undergraduate students in the United States, with some variations. SIT, for example, focuses all of their programs on critical global issues, so you select not only a location but also a very specific area of study; IES coordinates not only student programs but also overseas internships.

Each of these organizations has a long history and accredited/transferable credits; they also all offer some significant scholarship aid if you sign up for one of their programs. IES provides need, merit, diversity, and legacy-based scholarships, though this aid is restricted to students attending one of the 180 or so colleges in its Consortium. If you're at a public school in the Consortium, you get an automatic $1,500 credit. AIFS offers a number of general and program-specific scholarships and grants, including up to $1,000 for previous AIFS students returning for another program.AIFS also partners with DiversityAbroad to offer additional diversity scholarship opportunities. And SIT features a number of specific scholarships that you can apply for via one common application.Scholarship aid from host areas like Germany and the U.K.College is indeed a journey, and if your journey takes you outside the United States, make sure you explore all these options.

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Growth rate of UK students applying to study in the EU through the Erasmus programme has overtakes European neighbours

The growth rate of UK students applying to study in the EU through the Erasmus programme has overtaken the European average, according to analysis by the British Council. UK participation rates increased by 8% on the previous year, compared to the European average of 7.4%. Across Europe, more than 213,000 students received Erasmus grants to study or train abroad a new record.For many years there was a persistent decline in the number of UK Erasmus students. However this is the fourth successive annual increase in UK participation rates and clearly shows that the downward trend has been reversed. This indicates that UK students are increasingly looking for overseas experience as a means of improving their career prospects. This is crucial in today’s global economy, where not only education but talent is borderless. Despite the record growth, however, UK participants still lag behind other EU countries.Students can also get a lot of exposure while studying in such universities and different course Global Production Engineering,International Economics and Master Course.

The Erasmus programme is managed in the UK by the British Council. Simon Williams, Head of EU Programmes, British Council commented:Of course it is excellent news to see that the number of UK students participating in the programme is growing. Nowadays, the market for skills and talents is global and UK and international employers are increasingly telling us that they value recruits with the sort of skills and experience that Erasmus can give. Taking part in Erasmus is a life-changing experience which can have a positive effect on students’ long-term career prospects. Not only does it provide financial assistance for students but it helps them to stand out in the job market, get better degrees and even earn more money.’

The British Council, which manages the programme in the UK, is working very closely with institutions to encourage more UK students to take part. It has recently launched an initiative to give extra funding to Erasmus students going to the less visited countries and those who are under-represented in the programme.In spite of the new figures, Mr Williams cautioned: ‘However, we cannot afford to become complacent, as the UK still lags behind comparable countries such as Spain and France where more than 30,000 students participated. We remain a very popular destination country, but our own students need more encouragement to study abroad.’

Encouraging students to go abroad as part of their studies has been at the heart of the European Union’s education programmes since the launch of Erasmus in 1987. Nearly a quarter of a century later, the Erasmus programme has provided 2.5 million European students with the opportunity to go abroad and study at a higher education institution or train in a company, making it the world’s most successful student mobility programme.

The Erasmus programme is one of the great success stories of the European Union. The latest figures speak for themselves: Erasmus is more popular than ever and I am committed to securing more resources for it in future. Studying or training abroad opens doors to personal development and job opportunities so we are right to be ambitious when it comes to investing in our young people,’ said Androulla Vassiliou, the European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth.Out of the 31 countries participating in the programme in 2009/10, the UK ranked sixth in terms of the overall number of students who went abroad, with 11,723 students participating. Spain sent the largest number of students abroad, followed by France and Germany. Since the programme began, more than 190,000 UK students have taken part, 7.6% of the total Erasmus student number.

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

UC Students Receive $600,000 in Dedicated Study Abroad Scholarship Funds

The University of California Education Abroad Program announced that 164 University of California students were recently awarded Gilman Scholarships for study abroad in the summer and fall of 2011. The Gilman Scholarship Program offers awards for undergraduate study abroad of up to $5,000 for each recipient.UC students made up 10.9% of all awards distributed nationally by the Gilman Foundation in 2011, receiving $604,000 to date for the 2011-2012 academic year. And while only 1.6% of the nation’s study abroad students are from UCEAP, UC students participating in the University of California’s official study abroad program comprised 9.2% of all award recipients across the nation, receiving $512,500 in Gilman Scholarships.Students can also get a lot of exposure while studying in such universities and different course Electrical Engineering,Business Administration and Economics and Management Science.

Given the current state of the economy and the rising cost of higher education, a growing number of students are applying for and receiving these awards, which is a testament to the quality of the UCEAP and the students themselves,said Jean-Xavier Guinard, Associate Vice Provost and Executive Director of the University of California Education Abroad Program. “We are also pleased with the continued and expanded outreach efforts on the UC campuses that have enabled more students than ever to gain access to much needed scholarship funds for their studies aboard.

Sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, the Gilman Scholarship program focuses on applicants who are Pell Grant recipients, studying abroad for at least four weeks in one country, considering programs in non-traditional countries and/or programs that promote nationally recognized critical languages.Our program’s strong academic focus speaks to the core goals and objectives of the Gilman program, and the $604,000 in Gilman Scholarships awarded to UC students will help fund an international education that will help equip these students with the knowledge, understanding, and skills for work and life in a globally interdependent and culturally diverse world,Guinard said.

The Gilman Scholarship Program accepts applications two times per year. Ideally, students should begin their application one full semester before their study abroad program is scheduled to begin.Despite increasing fees and costs, UC Santa Barbara students and parents are demonstrating great interest in the variety of UCEAP’s program options more than ever before,said Juan Campo, Director of UC Santa Barbara EAP office.The challenge before us is to show that study abroad is still an affordable aspect of undergraduate education and available to all our students.

The University of California Education Abroad Program has served as the UC systemwide international exchange program since 1962. Serving all ten campuses, UCEAP continues its support of the University of California’s mission through academic instruction and exchange relationships around the world. Through study abroad, UCEAP provides the opportunity for students to become international citizens and global thinkers, equipping them with the understanding and skills necessary for success in the global marketplace.

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

DU is planning to send its students abroad for short study trips

Good news for students of Delhi University. With the university’s latest initiative of sending meritorious students to study abroad in the new academic session, here is a chance for students to fulfill their desire to learn something more than regular.The university is taking a step in this direction to enhance better interaction among Indian and foreign students. Elaborating on the same, JM Khurana, dean, students’ welfare at Delhi University says,Since the semester system is in place now, it is possible to initiate this kind of student-exchange programmes. This will give our students an opportunity to go abroad and meet foreign students, interact with them and learn about their courses.

Under this initiative, three batches of 25 students each will be selected for study tours to Australia,Austria,China, Colombo, Dhaka and Kathmandu in the month of October. The university will conduct a selection process after the classes have commenced in July to decide the eligibility criteria on the basis of which students will be sent abroad for studying.To begin with we have chosen these countries. Soon we will spread our wings in more and more countries, so that our students get the best of everything, informs Khurana.

Selection of students will completely depend on a student’s merit. Bright students will be given a chance for this study tour. College principals too, have been informed about the decision.According to Khurana, students will initially be sent to these countries for two to three weeks, but in the near future the university might even send them to study an entire semester. Says Khurana,A three-week programme is only to start with. Once things are settled and students are comfortable, we will extend the duration of the course.During the study tour, students will not have to attend the formal classes but learn how different universities function and understand their whole system. They will also get abundant time to interact with the teachers there.Students can also get a lot of exposure while studying in such universities and different course Engineering,Construction and Real Estate Management and Economics and Management Science.

As far as costs are concerned, students need not worry about the expenditure of travelling abroad as DU has already made arrangements for financial assistance.Students selected by the university will not have to pay anything. The university has spoken to the Australia-India Institute in Melbourne to host the first batch of students from DU. Their food and accommodation will also be arranged by the university in collaboration with the university they are visiting,says Khurana.Delhi University plans to follow this up by signing more MoUs with various other universities abroad and initiate many more student exchange programmes.While we want to have tie-ups with more and more universities and send our students overseas, we would like students from other countries to visit our university too,adds Khurana.

Monday, June 20, 2011

New opportunities for young people in Boston as free vocational courses

NEW training opportunities for young people to boost their job prospects has launched in Boston.A ribbon-cutting ceremony took place on Monday to officially open a branch of SkegnessVocational Training Centre (SCVT) which offers free vocational courses for 14-18 year-olds.

The centre, situated at the Business Trade Centre, in Norfolk Street, covers subjects in retail, sports leadership, business admin, maths, English and ICT. One of their courses, Preparation for Employment, includes writing CVs, interview practice and job search skills.The centre is open from 9am-3pm each day.

Sunday, June 19, 2011

Online education and instruction

The Navarro College Board of Trustees heard positive news at its regular monthly meeting on Thursday about the consistent growth of online classes being taken by students, which now account for approximately 22 percent of all Navarro College enrollments.An overview of how the courses have grown, including steps taken by the college to expand its capacity in online education and instruction, was presented to the board by Matt Miller, the Online Instruction and Media Integration Director.

Miller also briefed trustees on a full history of how Navarro College started and then expanded its online programs, and the changes that helped to make the progress a reality.The college first began with 12 online classes for general education courses in 1999-2000 after agreeing to participate in the Virtual College of Texas, which provided a sharing venue for online courses among Texas community colleges.We started going through our catalog and we started noticing that many of our programs could be obtained online, at least 50 percent or more,Miller told the board.

This expansion was realized when Navarro College received approval from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to provide 50 percent or more of its programs via online delivery in 2009.Following the adoption of several online tools, including Net Library, softChalk safe assign and Live Homework Help, internet student and faculty options now allow for over 90 available online courses.Currently there are 12 of the 63 degree and certificate programs offered by the college that are 100 percent attainable through online instruction. A significant amount of the courses, 43 of the 63 are attainable with 50 percent or more of the course work taken online.

Miller told the board that it was hard to pinpoint the exact reasons for the growth in online instruction, but suggested that some students prefer to take courses from the comfort of their own home rather than come into college. He also factored in the price of gas as a possible incentive to stay home rather than drive unnecessarily.Tuition fee costs at four-year institutions and an increase in online courses being offered were other possible reasons for driving the growth, Miller said.

He told the board that 74 percent of online enrollments at Navarro College were from the five-county service area of Ellis, Navarro, Freestone, Limestone and Leon counties. The increased course options have also allowed for more than 22 percent of students enrolled online being able to study at Navarro College from inside Texas but outside the service area, and for the remaining 3.6 percent to study at Navarro from outside of the state.Female students accounted for 68.4 percent of online enrollments, he said.With year on year growth, contact hours have grown from more than 400,000 due to online classes in 2005-6 to more than a million in 2009-10.

An Academic Council and Online Committee has also been set up specifically to monitor online courses, consisting of faculty, department chairs and administrative staff, Miller said.The way for the future is also being set out, with preparation for increased online learning already in place. Factors such as providing additional orientation and skills development classes and state of the art resources are being continually monitored.Assessment was briefly questioned by board members who were concerned that the person who is taking the degree may not be the person taking the final assessment. Miller pointed out though that this was just as much of a possibility on paper testing, with another person potentially being able to take the place of the person being assessed in an examination scenario on college grounds.Of the college’s growth between 2008-09 and 2009-10, online classes alone accounted for more than 30 percent of that growth.

Friday, June 17, 2011

Scholarship for study abroad offered by Rotary

Area rotary clubs in our area are seeking candidates for the Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship for graduate or undergraduate study abroad in the 2012-2013 academic year.

This program, operated by The Rotary Foundation since 1947, enables students to receive a $27,000 award toward tuition and fees, room and board and transportation expenses for a year of study in a foreign country.To learn more, call John Wilson of Rotary District 7470 at 908-277-3424

Thursday, June 16, 2011

More students choose to study abroad

About 2,500 high school students in Beijing have registered for the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) this year. Last year's figure was around 1,000, according to Beijing Municipal Commission of Education, Xinhua News Agency reported Thursday.Among the best Beijing high schools, 55 senior students from Beijing No 4 High School have received admission offers from overseas colleges and universities. This is an increase of 40% from last year. There are more than 60 students in the High School Affiliated to Renmin University that will start higher education abroad this year. This is an increase of 50 percent from last year. There are also classes where all students have attended SAT training courses.

The trend has been going on in Shanghai for years. Every year there are 20 percent of high school graduates who choose to study abroad.About 50 students give up their admission to the university every year," said Ding Guanghong, dean of Fudan University's admission office. "At first we thought it was because they couldn't afford tuition, but later investigation found they are almost all going to study abroad."

Wu Qun, manager of a Shenyang based foreign study agency, said the increasing number of students choosing to study abroad is because they would like to evade Gaokao, the national college entrance exam.It's too hard to get into good universities like Tsinghua or Peking University through Gaokao. Yet there are more chances to get into a first class foreign university.However, Wang Dong, a high school graduate from Beijing who was admitted to Princeton, says he's not shying away from Gaokao.I am not afraid of Gaokao.Foreign top class universities offer education of diversity.He Yizheng, a high school student was accepted to an engineering school, believes studying abroad will hone his competiveness. He says he was impressed by the difference between Chinese and American participants in Intel International Science,Social Sciences and Engineering Fair.The American students are more focused on creativity and sustainability of their work.

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

International study is older than you think

Yet, there are some celebrating 2011, as the 25th anniversary of international education in Australia. They are taking 1986 as the starting point, when the Australian Government made university education for international students full-fee paying whereas it had previously been subsidised, along with that for domestic students. Those celebrating the 25th anniversary are overstating their place in this long story, to the exclusion of those who facilitated the phenomenon and enriched Australia’s education system two generations earlier.

This is actually the year to celebrate the fact that international students have been on our university campuses for 60 years! From the end of the Pacific War in 1945, the new nations of Asia became increasingly aware of the geographical proximity of Australia and of the quality of training offered by Australian educational institutions. Asian governments as well as private citizens turned increasingly to Australian universities and technical schools to meet the growing demand for trained students.Asian students first came to Australia as private individuals or on scholarships granted by their own countries.It was then foreign Minister, Paul Hasluck, who gave us the starting point in 1951, when he told us there were 834 primary and secondary school enrolments by Asian students, and 709 post-secondary enrolments in that year.

Through the 1950s, there was an increasing influx of students from the various countries of South and Southeast Asia into Australian schools, business colleges, technical colleges and universities.In any Australian capital city, eg. Sydney in New South Wales, you can walk a mile and may come across a Malayan medical student, an Indian student of engineering, a Thai social worker, a Pakistani technologist, a Chinese industry chemistry student, a Filipino agriculturist, a Ceylonese girl studying nursing and an Indonesian government administrator, a contemporary Australian student noted.

It is widely and commonly assumed that the first international students were sponsored under the Colombo Plan but it’s a longstanding myth. That’s not to diminish the importance of the Colombo Plan. According to an earlier Foreign Minister, Lord Casey,The Colombo Plan has brought about a whole lot of new personal links between Australia and the countries of Southeast Asia. It has brought about contacts between Ministers of Governments, officials, technical experts, teachers and students. These many contacts have meant opportunities for us getting to know and getting to know us." Indeed, by 1970, 8, 500 students were admitted to Australia under international sponsorship schemes such as the Colombo plan.

But the plain fact is that private fee-paying students always greatly outnumbered Colombo Plan students. By June 1957, there were 4,636 Asian students in Australia, 3,869 of them were private fee-paying students. The majority of the private students came from Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Thailand and Indonesia. Those under the Colombo Plan were largely from Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Burma and Pakistan.

Numbers grew quickly. Primary and secondary school enrolments increased from 834 in 1951 to 3911 in 1963. Post-secondary enrolments increased from 709 in 1951 to 7247 in 1963 - mainly in engineering, medicine, nursing and health sciences, education, public administration, industry and agriculture. By early 1964 there were 12,068 students in educational institutions in Australia, studying at primary and secondary schools, or at university and tertiary technical schools, of which there were 10, 814 private students and 1,254 Colombo Plan students.

Sir Bertram Stevens, former NSW Premier and already advocating changes to the White Australia policy, wrote in 1956 that it is refreshing to find so numerically small a group - representing no more than three thousand or so Asian students presently pursuing graduate or post-graduate courses at one or other of our Australian universities.As he noted,Asian students presently account for ten per cent of the full student enrolment at all Australian universities And international students remained around 10 percent of full-time enrolments at Australian universities from that time well into the 1970s and 1980s.It was after 1986 that their proportions on Australian university campuses began to grow as a result of the decision 25 years ago.

With a lot of debate about the place of international students in Australian schools, colleges and universities, few seem to understand the true history of this phenomenon. It is a history older and grander than the 25 years since it was commercialised, and international students were turned into commodities. It’s time to acknowledge the past and celebrate the 60th anniversary of international education this year.Dr Shannon Smith was Counsellor Education at the Australian Embassy, Jakarta from 2005-2010. He is a Jakarta-based public relations consultant.

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Graduates came from the ladderized courses of engineering

A total of 145 graduates of ladderized courses marched the stage of the Abra State Institute of Sciences and Technology (ASIST) Bangued Campus last week.In an interview with Prof. Edgardo Tugadi, executive dean of the ASIST-Bangued Campus, he said the graduates came from the ladderized courses of engineering, recognized and accredited by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).

These programs are the Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering (BSME), Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering (BSCE), and Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering,Biomedical Engineering.Under the BSME, the First Year level graduated from their initial course of Certificate in Junior Mechanical Course. The Second Year graduated in Certificate in Senior Mechanical Course, and the Third Year in Diploma in Mechanical Technology.

The BSCE, on the other hand, has the following programs per year level: the First Year graduated in Certificate in Junior Construction Course, Second Year in Certificate in Senior Construction Building, and the Third Year graduated in Diploma in Building Construction Technology.Under the BSEE, the First Year graduated in Barangay Electrician Course, the Second Year graduated in Certificate in Senior Barangay Electrician, and the Third Year graduated in Diploma Course in Electrical Technology.

In all three programs, fourth year students do not graduate since they are already in the engineering proper.Such a ladderized program in the engineering course is practical as it provides technical capability of the graduates and enables them to land a job that is in demand both in the local and foreign labor markets without necessarily dropping out of school when opportunities for good paying job presents itself.

Meanwhile, Tugadi said, ASIST-Bangued is now in the process of preparing the preliminary survey for accreditation of their courses in Engineering and Bachelor of Industrial Technology (BIT) by the accrediting association of state colleges and universities for upgrading of academic programs.At present, the only program of the ASIST-Bangued that is accredited is the College of Teacher Education which is now Level II. It is currently preparing for Level III accreditation by the Association for the Accreditation of Colleges and Universities in the Philippines.

Saturday, June 11, 2011

AARP Launches Online Course in Spanish

The dashboards of today's new cars look like jet cockpits. Traffic rules, driving conditions, and American roads have changed just as dramatically since most Americans last thought about refreshing their driving skills. Now, to help America's Spanish-speaking drivers adapt to the driving challenges of 21st century, AARP is launching the AARP Driver Safety Online Course in Spanish.

The AARP Driver Safety Program is designed to help educate participants about how best to reduce traffic violations, crashes and chances for injury; update knowledge about relevant laws; and provide safe driving strategies to compensate for age-related changes that can affect one's driving ability. As a convenience to Spanish speakers, the AARP Driver Safety Online Course in Spanish is accessible for Spanish-speakers from the convenience of their home, whenever they are ready to learn how to help keep them and their families safe on the roads.

Participants in the new Spanish version of the AARP Driver Safety Online Course will learn current rules of the road, defensive driving techniques, and how to operate their vehicles more safely in today's increasingly challenging driving environment. They will also learn adjustments they can make to accommodate common age-related changes in vision, hearing, and reaction time. Also covered in the course are:

How to minimize the effects of dangerous blind spots
How to maintain the proper following distance behind another car
The safest ways to change lanes and make turns at busy intersections
Proper use of safety belts, air bags, anti-lock brakes, and new vehicular technologies
Ways to evaluate their own and others' driving skills and capabilities
The effects of medications on driving
The importance of eliminating distractions, such as eating, smoking, and cell-phone use

The AARP Driver Safety Online Course is approximately 8 hours long and can be taken at the participant's own pace, and within the convenience of their daily routines. The cost of the program is $15.95 for AARP members and $19.95 for non-members. Though geared toward drivers age 50 and older, the course is open to people of any age.Over the past 30 years the AARP Driver Safety Program has helped over 13 million English-speaking drivers stay safer on the road through both the online and classroom course. Allowing participants to hone their driving skills and save money through available insurance discounts.

The AARP Driver Safety Online Course in Spanish is not currently available in the states of New York, New Jersey or Delaware.The insurance premium discount is not available in all states for the online or classroom versions of the course. Requirements vary from state to state. In some states, separate rules apply to online driver improvement courses. Please consult your insurance agent for further details.

AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization with a membership that helps people 50+ have independence, choice and control in ways that are beneficial and affordable to them and society as a whole. AARP does not endorse candidates for public office or make contributions to either political campaigns or candidates. We produce AARP The Magazine, the definitive voice for 50+ Americans and the world's largest-circulation magazine with over 35.1 million readers; AARP Bulletin, the go-to news source for AARP's millions of members and Americans 50+; AARP VIVA, the only bilingual U.S. publication dedicated exclusively to the 50+ Hispanic community; and our website, AARP.org. AARP Foundation is an affiliated charity that provides security, protection, and empowerment to older persons in need with support from thousands of volunteers, donors, and sponsors. We have staffed offices in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Friday, June 10, 2011

Study abroad in Germany

The 20 students studying abroad in Germany this summer have been equipped to make safe food choices during the E. coli outbreak.Since its outbreak May 1, E. coli has killed 22 people, as of Sunday afternoon, and infected people in 12 countries, including 1,700 in Germany alone.Brian Harley, associate dean of international programs and director of study abroad, said students abroad have access to information about the outbreak through the host universities they are studying at.Students can also get a lot of exposure while studying in such universities and different course Biomedical Engineering,Economics and Management and Mathematical Modelling and Simulation.

They can get practical advice and recommendations,Harley said.Many of them are working directly with research professors too, so they can get their own personal advice.Initially, the outbreak was believed to be caused by cucumbers grown in Spain, but it has since been determined that the E. coli is coming from bean sprouts grown in Germany.Five hundred twenty of the 1,700 affected in Germany are suffering from haemolytic uraemic syndrome, a complication that threatens kidney failure.Harley said the University reserves the right to bring the students home but doesn’t believe the outbreak will escalate to that point.If it would escalate to where there is a travel warning then we would strongly consider bringing them home,Harley said.We have confidence in our overseas partners and that our students have a good head on their shoulders and listen to their advice and direction.

Thursday, June 9, 2011

Purdue University's most popular study abroad program has expanded to include an internship option in Beijing

Purdue University's most popular study abroad program has expanded to include an internship option in Beijing.Nationwide, internship study abroad opportunities are increasing because they offer students a global experience while gaining valuable work experience in a field related to their studies,said Brian Harley, associate dean of international programs and director of study abroad.A small number of American college students graduate with study abroad experience, and a fraction of that number has an even smaller global internship experience, which makes these few students attractive to potential employers.

The seven-week internship programs in London and Sydney, Australia, are the most popular study abroad programs for Purdue students. Internship positions include a variety of topics such as advertising, tourism, public relations and retail management, and places such as museums, nonprofit organizations, government offices and hospitals.The internship options include small, local companies or firms to offices in large corporations,said Glenda Caudill, assistant director and who coordinates the internship programs.

Students traveling to Beijing will work in English-speaking environments. Students also will have the opportunity to learn basic Chinese the first two weeks they are in China.This summer 12 students are participating in the new Beijing program, while 34 students are in Sydney and 48 in London. There are 890 students studying abroad this summer in 36 countries.The Beijing internship is May 16 through July 8, and in addition to completing the three-credit, unpaid internship, students also will take a three-credit marketing course. The London internship is May 16 through July 8, and the Sydney internship is May 17 through July 8. The class options vary for the other two programs. All three programs are offered to a variety of majors from the Krannert School of Management and colleges of Agriculture, Health and Human Sciences, Liberal Arts, Science, and Technology. The internship programs are offered through a partnership with CAPA International Education.

The programs for this summer are full, but students interested in the 2012 summer programs. The application deadline for the summer 2012 programs in London, Sydney and Beijing is Feb. 1.China continues to be a popular study abroad destination for Purdue students. During the 2003-04 academic year, 18 Purdue students studied in China, and this year that number is more than 260.

Monday, June 6, 2011

Oman to grant 7,000 scholarships to students

Seven thousand secondary school graduates, men and women, will be granted scholarships for higher studies in private universities and colleges in the country this year on orders from His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said. Another 1,500 will receive scholarships to pursue studies abroad.Students can also get a lot of exposure while studying in such universities and different course Software Engineering,Trans-Atlantic Studies and Economics and Management.

Revealing this, Deputy Prime Minister for the Council of Ministers Sayyid Fahad bin Mahmood Al Said also said that more students would be admitted to the state-owned Sultan Qaboos University depending on its capacity. The Colleges of Technology, meanwhile, will take in an additional 2,000 male and female students.Sayyid Fahad underlined Sultan Qaboos’ keenness to provide all opportunities to the youth to seek the highest level of education and effectively contribute to the nation’s development.


Sunday, June 5, 2011

Computer system and Electrical Engineering courses

AS part of the expansion of partnership between Lancaster University and GD Goenka World Institute of Higher Education, three engineering degrees mechanical engineering, electronic and electrical engineering, and Computer Science, computer systems engineering have been launched at the GDGWI campus in Sohna, Gurgaon.There is a demand for foreign education with Indian students who go abroad for studies. We would like to provide them with the best of facilities in India. The four-year , full-time computer system engineering degree programme offers in-depth knowledge of various subjects with hands-on training to create competent engineers. It consists of courses drawn from the various departments of the Lancaster University and are project-oriented rather than being focussed on rote learning,explains Vijay Gupta, director, GDGWI.The areas covered in the programme include electronics, sensing & signals, elementary calculus, instrumentation & control, integrated circuit engineering, embedded systems, interfacing & integration, micro systems and system on-chip technology.

Gupta further adds,For every course in the first year, a minimum of five teachers will be deputed. Students will have classes in the first, second and a half of the third year, to enable them to develop a strong base. The fourth year will have very few classes as the focus will be on live projects in the industry.There are a total of 60 seats. All evaluation will be cross-checked by faculty members from Lancaster University. Once students complete the course, they will get a degree from Lancaster University.The institute works towards providing career opportunities for students through campus placement drives and live industrial projects. The institute has a fully-operational training and placement division and technology incubation cell. The division and cell are insync with the industry to open new avenues for students in the design, R&D , manufacturing, software development, system validation & testing verticals, respectively.

Talking about the evaluation criteria in an application, Gupta says,We will be looking at class XII marks, besides conducting an interview to test if students have an analytical bent of mind. Students should have a minimum of 70% marks. In case they do not have that, we will look at their AIEEE scores.

Saturday, June 4, 2011

Industrial engineering course in mining

In association with the Wits School of Mining Engineering, The Centre for Mechanised Mining Systems at the University of the Witwatersrand will be running a course on industrial engineering in mining from the 20th to the 24th of June.A statement released here explains that the course will consider industrial engineering from a systems perspective, providing context, the methodology for improvement, and practical tools for solving problems.

Aimed at operational individuals in mining and associated industries who are faced with these challenges, it will be presented by Professor Jim Porter, Professor John Sheer, Teresa Hattingh and Oliver Keys, together with experienced industry specialists.The rising costs and the need to remain competitive in a demanding global economy has placed the mining industry under increasing pressure to improve and optimise operations. The need to meet the challenges posed by this tough environment has been recognised by mining organisations, and various improvement programmes and targets have been put in place,Professor Porter explains. However, implementing operational improvement at the front line remains challenging and this course addresses that need.

Friday, June 3, 2011

Admission of document for Azerbaijanis wanting to education abroad began

The Ministry of Education declared the admission of documents of persons admitted to foreign higher educational establishments for the purpose of getting education within State Program on education of Azerbaijani youth abroad in the years 2007-2015.The ministry told APA that the specialties declared for documents admission are information technologies, engineering, oil industry, medicine, mathematics, physics, biology, chemistry, agriculture, tourism and accounting.

The persons who achieved high achievements during education in schools and higher educational establishments, as well as studied in higher educational establishments of foreign countries and invited to get education basing on List of higher educational institutions selected for the study of Azerbaijani youth abroad and Selection rules of the Azerbaijan youth which will study in foreign countries. The deadline for appeal is August 20 2011.

Thursday, June 2, 2011

BSc (honours) physics is offered in more colleges in Delhi University

Bsc (honours) physics is offered in 21 colleges in Delhi University. Many prefer this course to the five-year integrated MSc physics offered by many top institutions because of the number of options available after graduation. There are plenty of examples where top rankers at IIT-JEE have joined this programme.The course is known to be one that provides the right kind of grilling during the undergraduate years. No wonder, as many as 60% of the physics graduates make it to the IITs, pursue an MBA, or crack the civil services examination. The course is considered a springboard for making it to institutions of higher learning abroad. This year, there are 1,151 seats in physics across colleges. Kirori Mal College has the highest number of seats - 116.

Jacob Cherian, physics department, St Stephen's College, said,It is one of the best courses for those who are interested in physics. It provides students an excellent exposure to areas such as computers, electronics and quantum mechanics. Many of our students go abroad to pursue higher studies in reputed institutions.The cutoff for the course at Hindu College was 94%, while it was 91% at Hans Raj College during the 2010-11 admission season. The lowest cutoff in the first list was 65% at Swami Shraddhanand College.Former physics faculty member and present adviser to the vice-chancellor, DU, R K Garg, said,As the programme focuses on electronics, mathematical physics, mechanics, electricity and magnetism, students have many options to choose from. Pursuing physics is a gruelling exercise with mathematical applications in good measure. Our students do well in IT, banking and other applied fields such as nuclear physics and nanotechnology.'

Eligibility: Students from the science stream are eligible, provided they have studied physics, chemistry and mathematics in Class XII, which are counted in the best four subjects, along with at least one language. physics covers a wide range of areas. The programme offered at DU is called an integrated honours programme as the marks scored in the mathematics and chemistry papers are also accounted for in the final score. The three-year course includes electronics, mathematical physics, mechanics, electricity and magnetism, microprocessor, computer lab,Computer Science, optics, heat and thermodynamics, nuclear physics and numerical analysis.

, many students join the programme because of the strong foundation they get in mechanics, electricity and magnetism, but drop out after clearing IIT-JEE.A lot of students opting for BSc physics are those who could not get through the engineering entrances or are waiting for the results. Many take admissions so that they have some course to fall back on in case they don't clear the IIT and other engineering entrance exams,said Pervin Malhotra, career counsellor.
Malhotra added that there are also students who are genuinely interested in pursuing physics and those who wish to go up to the level of PhD and have a career in physics. One of the most obvious choices is a postgraduate programme and then a career in academics. But among the science programmes, BSc physics (honours) offers more options.'Physics is a fascinating subject with wide-ranging applications. Because of the integration of electronics, mathematics and chemistry, students are well-equipped for research work and even for technical positions in IT, computers and banking. They can opt for MTech or pursue higher studies and work in the field of nuclear physics, nanotechnology, radio physics, astrophysics or biophysics as well,'said Malhotra.

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Changes to lottery scholarship puts degree plans in limbo

A cap on the number of credit hours paid for by Tennessee's lottery scholarship has some students and parents worried about how to pay for degrees that go over the limit.The legislation limiting HOPE scholarship funds to 120 hours passed this month and also allows students to use scholarship money for summer classes. Most universities in Tennessee have set their minimum graduation levels at 120 hours, but the legislation provides an exception for degree programs that require more credits, such as Mechatronics,
engineering and architecture.

But students who have multiple majors or who switched their majors are at risk of losing their scholarship funds before they graduate.The University of Tennessee estimates that 2,200 third-year students across their system could potentially have trouble graduating within the 120-hour limit.Katie High, vice president for academic affairs at the University of Tennessee, told the Knoxville News Sentinel that advisers will work with those students to reach graduation before their scholarship runs out.We knew there would be an impact on some students, but that the trade-off is that summer school would have a larger and more positive impact overall, High said.We knew going into it we couldn't have everything we wanted.Tamara Shepherd fears she'll be left to foot the bill when her daughter's scholarship expires. Carmen Shepherd is a triple education major elementary education, middle school education and English as a second language at UT Chattanooga. She will likely exceed 158 credit hours before she graduates.

The rules have changed in the middle of the game,Tamara Shepherd said.They're two years into a degree, thinking they have X number of years left.The changes take effect in the fall and also affect students who started getting the HOPE scholarship during or after the fall 2009 semester.
We want to do everything we can so students and parents understand the rules,High said. We'll do our part to see they have good advising, to make sure courses they need to graduate are available. If they choose to take some other path, then they have to take some responsibility.Advance placement and dual enrollment credits earned in high school do not count toward the 120 credit hours. Third year students, who are most of the way through their degree programs, are most likely to be affected adversely.A double-major in math and statistics, Jessica Welch will likely graduate with 170 credit hours in two years. Currently studying abroad in England, she said if they applied the new cap to only incoming freshman, students would have time to plan out their degree to graduate under the requirements.