Azerbaijan start training pilots and aviation specialists in Anatolian University

Azerbaijan has announced a competition for admission to German universities within the framework of the State Program of Azerbaijani Youth Education Abroad in 2007-15.The contest is conducted on the basis of the agreement between the Ministry of Education of Azerbaijan and German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD).The competition is held on education for the following lines of professions: information technologies, engineering, petroleum industry, medicine, mathematics, physics, biology, chemistry, ecology, agriculture, tourism, and accounting.

Students of the 2- and 3-year students of relevant Azerbaijani universities, who scored at least 550 points when entering universities on the first specialty group and 600 points on other specialty groups can participate in the bachelor’s degree education contest.The competition for further education and master’s degree is open to 4-year university students, for those students of 1st and other groups, whose GPA indicator of knowledge is at least 4.0 points and other specialty groups and who scored at least 112 points (1st specialty group) in entrance exam for Master’s degree of 2011/12 academic year and 120 points (or their equivalent) on the other specialty groups.

The competition for post-qualifying education within medical programs is designed for final year students of medical universities or their graduates, the average score of whom during education was at least 4.0.Bachelor’s degree education received in Azerbaijan can be recognized in Germany when entering for Master’s degree education. Master’s degree education received in Azerbaijan can be recognized in Germany for doctoral studies.

To participate in the contest the claimant must submit an application for participation, substantiation (in two languages), a letter of recommendation (a special form of letter which must be filled in by professors and teaching staff of the university in which the candidate is educating) is available. Student Admission Commission’s reference on number of scores gathered when entering the university, a notary-approved copy of the diploma and supplement to the diploma in German or English, etc.The submitted documents will be reviewed by DAAD experts who came from Germany and then an interview will be held on 5-7 March 2012.

Study Abroad program offers alternative study

After going to school day in and day out, some students are looking for a little more excitement. Thankfully, Ball State offers a wide variety of options to study abroad.On Wednesday, students who were interested in taking their education not just outside of Muncie, but the United States altogether, were provided answers to their questions and concerns. From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Ball State held a Study Abroad and Passport Fair in the Atrium.The fair was to help individual students decide which study abroad program was right for them. For every major, Ball State offers a program to suit it. To make it so students could browse options freely and easily, the fair was comprised of booths, each containing information about a particular program.Sophomore international business major Zack Bingham said he came to the fair in hopes of learning more about studying in Germany.

I'm looking forward to working at a German company,Bingham said.I figure that from studying abroad, I can get more personal skills in the culture I hope to work in.Krista Miller, freshman hospitality major, said she feels she would benefit from a foreign education.I've never been overseas, and all of my family travels, so I'd like to,Miller said.It'd be really cool to be in a different culture and different courses. With hospitality, that's what I want to be doing, some kind of resort or traveling job.At each booth, volunteers were stationed to provide additional information. Many were students who had completed study abroad programs in the past.

Senior history major and volunteer Jared Shrack spent a year studying in South Korea. For Shrack, getting an education in Asia was a once-in-a-lifetime trip, he said.It's a totally different culture from any other part of the world that you'd go to,Shrack said.Korea's amazing. The food's great, and the people are so much fun. It's just an amazing experience.Sophomore and secondary English education major Casey Earl spent four months learning in Italy. Like Shrack, she enjoyed her experience.It was honestly one of the most life changing things I've ever done, Earl said.You are forced to learn so much about yourself because you are in a completely different setting. You have to learn to figure things out for yourself. You learn in four months what you would normally learn in for years.With the world increasing globalizing, studying overseas is becoming a more considerable option for students.Being diversified, now more than ever, is a crucial skill for many careers. Ultimately, Ball State will continue to offer ample study abroad programs in an effort to provide future students with ways to broaden their perspectives.It opened up so many new opportunities for me, and it made me a much more open-minded person, Earl said.

A Unique Experience for all students

anuary Interim Experience, or J-Term as it is known to many Gusties past and present, has been in existence at Gustavus Adolphus College since the early 1960s. The mission of January Interim Experience is to provide ways for students and faculty to take advantage of the term’s unique qualities by developing courses and other learning opportunities that enrich and expand upon the College’s regular semester curricular offerings.Here is a sampling of how Gustavus students are spending their time during the month of January:

Study-Abroad Courses

More than 250 Gustavus students are studying abroad during this year’s January Interim Experience in places like Australia, China, Germany, Guatemala, Italy, Peru, Sweden, Tanzania, and others.Associate Professor of Health and Exercise Science Aaron Banks and a group of students are traveling to China and England as part of a travel course titled “Understanding Sport and Leisure in England and China.Using a global, issues-oriented approach, students are studying sports, leisure, and the Olympics, and their relationship to society and culture in the two nations.Associate Professor of Biology Jon Grinnell is teaching a course titled Children of Hope: Health Care and Education in Guatemala,designed to introduce students to the challenges our neighbors in the Two-Thirds World face as they seek to meet the health care and education needs of their children. After spending one week on campus, Grinnell and students are spending the final three weeks of January in Guatemala where they will visit hospitals, clinics, and schools; talk with teachers, literacy workers, and health care providers, as well as with representatives of churches, unions, cooperatives, and governmental and nongovernmental organizations engaged in education and public and community health care projects.

Assistant Professor of Scandinavian Studies Helena Karlsson is leading a group of students to Europe for a class titled Stockholm & Berlin: The Northern European Metropolis.With a focus on class and ethnic diversity, students are exploring the two cities and their histories through texts, articles, films, and the social/cultural life of the cities.

On-Campus Courses

Students who choose to stay on-campus during January Interim Experience always have an interesting assortment of courses to select from.Two unique courses offered by the Mathematics and Computer Science Department are collaborating on a final project during January. Students in Guarionex Salivia’s “What Makes Games Fun?” course are studying the concepts of video game design and the theory of fun in games in an attempt to make a solid theoretical and practical link that will lead to the design of a video game. Students in Choong-Soo Lee’s “iPhone Development course are covering the fundamentals of program design using the Object C programming language for developing iPhone applications. Students from the two courses will collaborate to develop a video game of their own as a final project.

Students in Assistant Professor of Religion Sarah Ruble’s class “Religious Lives,” are exploring how people of faith, particularly Jews, Muslim, and Christians, practice their religious traditions as well as how they eat, date, deal with conflict, and handle loss. The class is also attending several religious services as part of the course.Students in Assistant Professor of Nursing Heidi Meyer’s class “Parenting in the 21st Century,” are studying and discussing a number of parenting topics including pregnancy, parent-infant attachment, historical and current parenting roles and issues, the role of fatherhood, sexual orientation and parenting, cultural variations in parenting styles, and the influence of technology on parenting.

Internships

Many Gustavus students take advantage of January Interim Experience by gaining valuable career experience through a month-long internship. 119 Gustavus students have registered for academic credit for their Interim Career Exploration this January.Interesting internships being performed by Gustavus students this January include:

United Nations internship in Budapest, Hungary
16 pre-health students doing internships at Mayo Clinic, Mankato Clinic, and River’s Edge Hospital and Clinic.
Finance internship at Buffalo Wild Wings
Center for Victims of Torture internship in St. Paul

Independent Study and Research

Approximately 30 Gustavus students are spending January conducting research or an independent study. This is especially common in the sciences in departments such as biology, chemistry, and physics.

Voxeo University 2012 Course Lineup

Voxeo, the leading provider of Unlocked Communications, announces the Voxeo University 2012 course lineup, with a new program, free courses and additional instructors for its training centers in Orlando and Cologne, Germany.Voxeo offers classes that give application developers industry leading, carrier grade tools to build and deploy 100 percent compliant, multi-channel, self-service applications. This allows them to deploy applications faster, while maintaining them with fewer resources, said Drew Allen, senior trainer for Voxeo.

The 2012 course lineup includes:

Developing Voice Applications Using Designer (2 days)
Prophecy Installation and Administration (2 days)
VoiceObjects Installation and Administration (2 days)
VoiceObjects for User Interface Designers (2 days)
VoiceObjects Development Best Practices (3 days)
Infostore and VoiceObjects Analyzer (2 days)
Developing Text and Mobile Web Applications Using VoiceObjects Desktop (2 days)Grammar Development (1 day)
NEW - Introduction to CCXML (3 days)

The FREE courses for 2012 include:

VoiceObjects Overview (2 days)
Voxeo Prophecy Overview (2 day)
Developing Voice Applications Using VoiceObjects Desktop (3 days)

Voxeo also added two new senior trainers. Drew Allen joined the U.S. Voxeo University training team, and Robert O'Sullivan joined the European team as a senior technical trainer EMEA.Voxeo University is your first step on the path to certification, said Allen. Individuals can become Voxeo Certified as a Prophecy Administrator, VoiceObjects Developer, VoiceObjects Administrator, VoiceObjects Sales Engineer and VoiceObjects Analyst.

Jason Domsky, Senior Architect with MicroAutomation, said, The VoiceObjects training provided a great combination of presentation and hands-on, with trainers who kept the class interesting. By the end of the class, I was fully prepared to use the toolset, having already built a full end-to-end application as part of the training.As an ongoing investment in industry education, Voxeo offers several overview classes for FREE at both the Orlando and Cologne training centers. In addition to courses offered at Voxeo University training centers, the company can provide on-site education by request in customer and partner facilities.

German University, Taiwan NCKU to Beef up Exchanges

Germany's Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus (BTU) and Taiwan's National Cheng Kung University (NCKU) agreed to step up exchange of students and faculty members as well as cooperation in research projects on Dec 9.Prof. Dr. habil. Walther Ch. Zimmerli, president of BTU visited NCKU on Dec. 9 and exchanged views with NCKU President Hwung-Hweng Hwung, Vice President of International Affairs Cheng Hung Huang, and the dean of College of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Yonhua Tzeng.President Zimmerli, who was visiting Taiwan for the first time, praised NCKU for being a distinguished university in southern Taiwan and said he looked forward to furthering cooperation with NCKU.

According to Zimmerli, BTU is very selective in choosing partners and NCKU, with its outstanding achievement in engineering education and research, is high on his school's list for cooperation.In 2009, the two universities entered an agreement for a dual degree master program in which electrical and mechanical engineering students can study in both institutions and earn the dual degree in Master of Science.NCKU President Hwung would like to expand the program to include students from other disciplines.Currently the dual degree agreement is signed at the departmental level, said Hwung.We hope to have exchange at the university level.

Yonhua Tzeng, dean of College of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science of NCKU, talked about the combined strength of NCKU and the BTU on power engineering. BTU, being a young university of 20 years, has the newest facility and a specialty in environmental engineering and mobile power storage. NCKU's strength, on the other hand, lies in its comprehensive research into different sources of power engineering, as well as in computer science for monitoring power distribution. The cooperation between the two universities promises to yield good results, Tzeng said.Cheng Hung Huang, vice president of NCKU Office of International Affairs, said that NCKU currently has about 10 German students. To encourage international enrollment, NCKU offers free Chinese language courses.

Vice President Huang praised BTU for its success on attracting international students and asked President Zimmerli how best to motivate students to participate in the exchange program.Student exchange presupposes a strong exchange of faculty,said Zimmerli.To attract international faculty, universities must provide dual career opportunities for the faculty and their spouses, and offer strong language programs to participants.Located in Cottbus, the BTU was founded in 1991. The university hosts 6,800 students, 119 professors, and 571 scientific staff. Characterized by internationalism, the BTU's student body includes 986 international students from 92 countries. It aims to achieve 20% in the near future.

Study Abroad in Germany on a full scholarship for the 2012-2013

Imagine being offered a chance to study abroad in Germany, live with a local family, attend a local school, and learn German for free.Thanks to a U.S.-German scholarship program being offered by the U.S. government and Ayusa, this dream is about to become a reality for 50 American high school students.Ayusa, in conjunction with the U.S. Department of State, provides merit-based full scholarships for fifty American high school students to study abroad in Germany through the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange program, or CBYX. Ayusa is currently accepting applications for the 2012-2013 academic year program. Ayusa invites all interested high school students from Arizona, Southern California, Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Texas, and Utah to apply for this remarkable opportunity. The application deadline is December 16, 2011. No prior German language skills are necessary to apply.

Thanks to the CBYX program, I figured out that my calling is international affairs, said Jennifer Hamel-Merkel, an Ayusa student from Texas who participated in the 2010-11 CBYX program. Before, I always had problems finding my niche in regular high school classes. But after studying abroad, I've become a more confident young adult who's ready to go out and change the world. Thanks to the CBYX program, I'll be focusing on improving relations between countries.The CBYX scholarship program was designed by the U.S. Congress and the German Bundestag (Parliament) in 1983 to strengthen ties and share cultural insights between German and American youth. Ayusa is proud to be one of only five organizations selected by the U.S. Department of State to sponsor the CBYX program since 1993. Each organization facilitates the selection of the students in their specific states, so students in every state are eligible. Each year, 250 American students are selected to participate in the program.

The CBYX program allows motivated high school students regardless of socio-economic background the chance to fully immerse themselves in a new culture and language and see a slice of the world they might not otherwise visit,said David Beiser, director of grants at Ayusa. This unique learning experience is something they will never forget and puts them at a competitive advantage when it comes to continuing education, a career, and community life.The CBYX scholarship includes orientations, meetings with government officials in Germany and the United States, a 4-week language camp in Germany, a 10-month home stay with a volunteer German host family, travel excursions throughout Germany, and international round trip airfare.

About Ayusa
Ayusa International is a non-profit organization founded in 1981 to promote global learning and leadership through foreign exchange, study abroad and leadership programs for high school students from the U.S. and around the world. In addition, Ayusa administers multiple high profile grant programs funded by the U.S. Department of State.

Engineering study in national development

Engineering represents the single most important sector vital for national development. Expertise in engineering lies at the heart of all national development strategies as it determines the level of industrial growth as well as self-reliance in defence manufacture. The steel industry, special alloys, engineering goods, manufacture of industrial machinery, automobile manufacture, electronic, household appliances, robotics and computer science, textiles, chemicals and pharmaceuticals, industrial design indeed every sector of the national economy depends on engineering.

The emphasis on human resource development, with a special emphasis on engineering, has resulted in the growth of a strong middle class in India that today accounts for about 32 percent of its population, which is increasing by about one percent each year. In Pakistan our neglect of education over the decades has meant a much smaller middle class, only about 12 percent of our population, which is shrinking due to increasing inflation, growing poverty, mounting debt that has doubled in the last three years and rampant corruption.India collaborated with various technologically advanced countries to help establish seven world class engineering institutions, the Indian Institutes of Technology in different cities of India.The extremely poor state of our engineering universities in Pakistan in the year 2000 is reflected from the appalling fact that in the 53 years between 1947 to 2000 our nine engineering universities had together produced only about 10 PhDs in all! In comparison IIT Delhi produced 176 PhDs last year while Tsing Hua university in Beijing produces over a thousand PhDs annually. This is truly shameful for Pakistan, a country claiming to be a nuclear state. Indeed in 2003 we did not have a single genuine engineering university. They were, at best, low level colleges labelling themselves as universities.

Realising the importance of engineering education and research we created significant endowments of Rs100-200 million for every engineering university to promote research. The key to a high quality university is faculty. Good universities are not developed by building beautiful buildings but by training and attracting highly creative and eminent faculty members. Some 11,000 scholarships were awarded, about 5,000 of them to send our brightest students to top universities in the USA, Europe, Australia and China. Almost 2,500 of these were in engineering sciences, including IT and computer sciences.The availability of liberal research grants and other such measures resulted in a spectacular increase in international research publications from only 500 per year in the year 2000 to about 4600 per year by 2010, about a 900 percent growth. Pakistan was producing only 200 PhDs annually in 2002, but this increased to 700 PhDs per year by 2010. The PhD output of our engineering universities also grew from a total of 10 PhDs in 55 years (an average of 0.2 PhDs per year between 1947-2002) to an average of about 14 per year by 2010, a 150 fold growth.

By the year 2009, two of our engineering universities were ranked among the top 300 of the world (NUST and UET Lahore). While this represents a promising beginning, our international standing is still dismally low. All our nine engineering universities have together produced only 131 PhDs in the last seven years (an average of about two PhDs per year per university), a 70-fold lower productivity than that of IIT Delhi.Rapid advances being made in Pakistan during 2003-2008 under the Higher Education Commission caused alarm bells to ring in India. A detailed presentation was made by Prof C N R Rao adviser to the Indian government on Science & Technology to the Indian prime minister about the rapid progress being made in Pakistan in the higher education sector. This resulted in far reaching decisions by the Indian government to accelerate the development of its higher education institutions.

Over the next five years India will establish 29 new universities and 40 new high level institutes. Nine additional IITs will be established so that India will have 16 world class IITs providing state-of-the-art engineering education. In international rankings of engineering universities, IIT Bombay and IIT Delhi are already ranked at 47 and 52, respectively in the world while IIT Kanpur, IIT Madras and IIT Kharagpur are also ranked in the top 100.In 2005 we embarked on an a visionary project to establish several world class engineering universities in collaboration with Germany, France, Italy, Sweden, Austria, China and Korea that would provide world-class engineering education in Pakistan with degrees being awarded by top foreign universities. Each university was to be established in collaboration with a consortium of top foreign universities. Thus nine top German engineering universities formed a consortium of nine top German universities to establish the Pak-German university in Lahore.Similar consortia were formed with the other countries to establish universities in Karachi, Islamabad, Sialkot, and later when the security situation improved, in Peshawar and Quetta. An attractive feature of each university was an integrated technology park in which foreign companies such as Siemens and Eriksson had agreed to establish their Research & Development Centres.

This would have led to a surge in international patents of new products and processes and a huge increase in high tech exports. Pakistani parents spend about Rs100 billion each year on sending their children to foreign universities. Besides saving this expenditure, the scheme would have led to significant earnings of foreign exchange due to many foreign students coming to Pakistan for study.The development schemes to establish four of these foreign engineering universities were approved by ECNEC in February 2008, and classes were scheduled to begin in October 2008. Unfortunately disaster struck. The HEC budget was slashed in 2008, scholarships frozen and most development projects, including the establishment of the foreign engineering universities in Pakistan, halted.

A wonderful and unique opportunity to provide high quality engineering education from top foreign universities within Pakistan and to make rapid advances in industry and defence was thrown away. When the scholarships of thousands of Pakistani students studying abroad, many in the engineering sciences, were withheld, causing huge misery in 2008, I resigned in protest in October 2008.Things did not stop there. A notification was issued by the government on November 30th, 2010 shredding the HEC into pieces. HEC was almost destroyed. Fortunately the Supreme Court of Pakistan accepted my appeal and declared the government notification unconstitutional. HEC has fortunately survived this onslaught. It continues to exist and limp along under difficult financial circumstances in a hostile environment.

Student exchange programs offer Metro teens a chance to live and go to school in a foreign country

Imagine being transported to a foreign country where you don't know the language or the culture, where you don't have any friends and are living in a home with total strangers.That's the adventure students embark upon when they participate in a youth exchange to another country.The most challenging thing about my experience is the language,says Bradley Nason, a 2011 Bernice MacNaughton graduate who is on a Rotary Youth Exchange.

I came to Denmark not being able to speak Danish and it is difficult to understand what is going on sometimes. Luckily they speak English in Denmark as well, so I can communicate with most of the people here.Brad is one of the few students from Metro selected each year to take part in a student exchange, mostly through the Rotary Youth Exchange. The program is open to young people ages 15-25 worldwide. There are two basic types of exchanges: short-term and long term.The short-term exchange is for students aged 15-19 and can be several days to several weeks long. These exchanges don't involve attending high school, but students can tailor their experience to match their interests and can include home stays, tours and youth camps.

Another short-term exchange is for youth aged 18-25 and is ideal for recent secondary school graduates. These exchanges last three to six weeks and can include home stays, tours, camps or internships.The long-term exchange is for students aged 15-19 and involves living with a few host families and attending a local school. This exchange is for one year.Brad is one month into his exchange and he is glad he took advantage of the opportunity.What I enjoy most about my exchange is meeting new people and experiencing new things in a different country.The best memory of my exchange so far has been the first day of school. I just remember never feeling so nervous before in my life and the great experience I had in meeting all of the students in my classes in school.Although it's still early in his exchange experience, Brad has learned some significant lessons already.

The most important thing I've learned about my exchange so far are the similarities and differences we have as people. I never really thought of how - no matter where you are from in the world we all have the same fears, problems, joys and what-have-you as human beings.There are also approximately 60 international students who are currently on exchange in Metro Moncton high schools who undoubtedly feel the same.Most recently, our visiting international students are from Colombia, China, Japan, Germany, Brazil, Spain, Norway, France, Belgium and Mexico," says Diane Ross, an English as an additional language (EAL) mentor for School District 2.For 28 years, Diane taught various grades from kindergarten to Grade 10, teaching mostly French as a second language, English language arts and English as an additional language. She has been seconded to District 2 as the EAL mentor to support and coach teachers who work with students whose first language is not English.

Diane says Rotary International has specific criteria for selecting both incoming and outgoing exchange students.For our visiting international students, each agency has specific criteria; but students are obliged to attend classes, live with a host-family and participate in school, family and community activities.They are 'ambassadors' from their home country, so they need to behave in a way that best represents their countries.The visiting international students stay with host families across Metro Moncton.Local representatives for the educational agencies screen and select host families. Many of these families have done this for years and love the experience that it brings to their own homes and children.There are also benefits to the local students who have visiting international students in their classrooms.

They gain cultural enrichment, new perspectives, language enrichment and realizing that the world is not really that large and we all have so much in common. As a teacher, I found the presence of visiting international students and new Canadians in my classroom to be so enriching for our New Brunswick population.Diane says some personalities are better suited to exchange opportunities.I would think it would be helpful to be confident, a good communicator, flexible, respectful and perhaps brave and courageous, too.Diane notes that Metro Moncton schools also have a growing population of new Canadian students - those who come from overseas to stay in Canada.These students face similar challenges as our visiting students, but the stakes are higher because they want to stay in Canada and often plan to attend post-secondary education here as well. Their families make huge sacrifices sometimes to see that their children receive this opportunity.Students can also get a lot of exposure while studying in such universities and different course.

She adds that the ambassador program at BMHS has been very helpful and successful in supporting new international students at the school. It's an enriching experience for both groups and I think some of our ambassadors may consider doing a year abroad as a result of their experiences with visiting students in Moncton.Brad has some advice for those who are thinking about applying for an exchange experience.Just go for it. You only get one chance in your life to do this sort of thing and if you have any interest in doing something like this, just do it. Being an exchange student is one of the hardest, funniest, scariest and most memorable experiences in my life, but my life would be a lot different if I weren't one.

Frequently asked questions about the Rotary Youth Exchange Program:

* What are my responsibilities?
As a Youth Exchange student, you agree to:
* Act as an ambassador for your home country
* Abide by all program rules of your host Rotary club and district
* Accept the supervision of the host family, club, and district
* Ask questions of your host family and local Rotarians
* Be an active participant in your exchange
* How do I qualify?
* Be an above-average student or young professional with demonstrated leadership in the community
* Be open to new experiences and cultural differences
* Be sponsored by a local Rotary club
* Complete a written application and in-person interview
* How much will it cost?
Youth Exchange is coordinated at the regional level by Rotary districts and at the local level by Rotary clubs. Costs vary greatly from one area to another. Typically, participants and their parents cover the following expenses:
* Round-trip airfare
* Health and accident insurance
* Travel documents
* Clothing and other necessities
* Spending money
* Emergency funds for unpredicted expenses
* Ancillary travel and tours
In most clubs and districts, participants do not pay placement fees, so those with financial constraints can share the exchange experience.
Sharing in the costs are host families (who pay for room and board), the host community (who cover school tuition and arrangements) and host Rotary club (who offer a small stipend of usually US$50-100 monthly.)
* Where will my exchange be?
Exchanges can take place in more than 150 countries and geographical areas. Please note, however, that the countries you visit depend on your home Rotary district. Contact your local club or district for more information.
* How do I host a Rotary Youth Exchange student?
By hosting a Youth Exchange student in your home, you'll make a young person's dream come true, and you and your family will share an unforgettable and fulfilling experience.
As a host family, you will:
* Provide room and board
* Supervise the student just as you would your own children
* Involve the student in family activities and chores
* Enrich the exchange experience by including the student in family, community, and cultural activities
Host families aren't compensated financially. The program is run entirely by dedicated volunteers, which helps keep costs low.

High college cut offs attracts world’s top universities to India for talent

College cut offs reached new heights this June as the 10% increase in entry requirements into Indian colleges caused great challenges to students achieving less than top marks. Even talented students achieving marks in the 80+ range are likely to face difficulty in gaining a spot at their first choice university in India. The world’s top universities recognise the talent in Indian students and will arrive in India between the 13th and 21st of September to meet and recruit the best Indian students to their institutions.

With prestigious colleges such as Shri Ram College of Commerce, Hindu College, and Lady Shri Ram College requiring 100%, 99% and 97%* respectively, over 150,000 Indian students are currently pursuing higher education degrees overseas. The recently released eighth edition of the QS World University Rankings® 2011, which ranks the top 700 universities in the world shows the range of world class universities . The top 100 consisting of universities from UK, US, China, Switzerland, Japan, Singapore, Germany, Denmark and Canada to name a few. The QS World University Tour, an undergraduate recruitment event from the team behind the QS World University Rankings®, brings some of these top-ranked institutions from around the world to meet with the best Indian students looking to study abroad.

Universities from around the world are keen to recruit in India and have long recognised the potential of the country’s students and the value they add to their universities. Marina Tirado, Head of International Development at IE University in Spain says,Over the course of the last year India has played a major role in global business. The talent of Indian students is internationally renowned which is why we’re actively recruiting these future leaders to our university.Peter MacDonald, Head of Graduate Products at QS says, ‘The best higher education institutions in India are heavily oversubscribed; the supply and demand of quality institutions in India does not go hand in hand.He continues,Candidates may be pleasantly surprised at the entry requirements of some of the best universities in the world in comparison to those in India. Countries such as Canada are offering very favourable visa environments for Indian students in hope of attracting the best students to the country.

For those worried about the high cost sometimes associated with studying abroad, many institutions travelling with the tour will provide scholarships and offer practical advice on applying to different financial aid schemes. Attendees will also have the opportunity to speak with admissions directors from universities around the world, receive admissions advice from independent experts and attend seminars on studying abroad. QS is the world’s leading information specialist in the higher education sector. QS mission is to enable motivated people to fulfill their potential by fostering educational achievement, international mobility and career development.Through our exclusive events, publications, research and interactive web tools, we link undergraduate, graduate, MBA and executive communities around the world with recruiters and education providers.

Offer online language courses

The Boulder Public Library has expanded its selection of online language courses through a program that officials are touting as a pretty phenomenal resource that few people know is available for free.The library has offered its PowerSpeak language-learning software for more than a year, but the service was recently expanded to include courses in Korean, Russian, Italian, English for Mandarin speakers and Japanese.

The system was launched locally in May 2010 with programs in Spanish, French, German, Mandarin Chinese and English for Spanish-speakers.Melinda Mattingly, the reference and collection development manager for the Boulder library, said the program mirrors the capabilities of the popular language software produced by Rosetta Stone.But while a six-month subscription to one online language through Rosetta Stone costs about $300, Mattingly said the library's PowerSpeak software offers the same type of program for free with a library card.

We started looking for something that would really work for library patrons,Mattingly said.We saw the demonstration and were impressed. It uses a story to give context to the vocabulary.The library spent $1,800 for the system, which can be accessed using any computer with an Internet connection and a Boulder library card number.She said the service is also advantageous for the library, which doesn't have to worry about keeping track of the program.
It can't be lost or stolen, she said.We don't have to manage any materials. There's a real cost savings for us.

The popularity of the program has grown steadily from 684 sessions in 2010 to 850 sessions during the first half of this year, according to library statistics.But Mattingly said she hopes more people take advantage of the service.Our hardest problem is getting people to see what the library has electronically,Mattingly said.We have these incredible resources that we're using public money to buy so people can share them.The library is working on revamping its website to make those services easier to find.Cindy Merlin, who is from Bordeaux, France and teaches French at Fairview High School in Boulder, said she was impressed with PowerSpeak as a tool for beginners, travelers and tourists alike.It's very user friendly and very appealing, she said.It's quite thorough, actually. It's a good introduction to the culture and the language.

Fulbright Scholar grant to study abroad

Maureen Brady Coyle, Director of Study Abroad at Felician College, has been awarded a Fulbright Scholar grant to study and observe educational developments and international education in the Federal Republic of Germany.According to Coyle, the Fulbright grant will provide Felician the opportunity to forge exchange agreements with German as well as other international educational institutions thereby increasing the number of countries in which Felician students can choose to study. Moreover, students from a greater number of countries will then have the opportunity to study at Felician.

Study abroad is a priority for Felician College President Sister Theresa Mary Martin,said Coyle. She would like the program to grow in order for it to continue to meet the needs of our students.The Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program is administered by the Council for International Exchange of Scholars, a division of the Institute of International Education. Coyle is one of approximately 1,100 U.S. faculty and professionals who will travel abroad through the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program in 2011-2012.Coyle, who as worked in the field of international education for more than a decade, previously held leadership positions with the International Partnership for Service-Learning and Leadership, the Institute for the International Education of Students, and Trinity College.

About the Fulbright Program:
The Fulbright Program is the flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government and is designed to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries. The primary source of funding for the Fulbright Program is an annual appropriation made by the U.S. Congress to the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Participating governments and host institutions, corporations and foundations in foreign countries and in the United States also provide direct and indirect support. Recipients of Fulbright grants are selected on the basis of academic or professional achievement, as well as demonstrated leadership potential in their fields. The Program operates in over 155 countries worldwide.

Since its establishment in 1946 under legislation introduced by the late U.S. Senator J. William Fulbright of Arkansas, the Fulbright Program has given approximately 300,000 students, scholars, teachers, artists, and scientists the opportunity to study, teach and conduct research, exchange ideas and contribute to finding solutions to shared international concerns.
Fulbright alumni have achieved distinction in government, science, the arts, business, philanthropy, education, and athletics. Forty three Fulbright alumni from 11 countries have been awarded the Nobel Prize, and 75 alumni have received Pulitzer Prizes. Prominent Fulbright alumni include: Muhammad Yunus, Managing Director and Founder, Grameen Bank, and 2006 Nobel Peace Prize recipient; John Atta Mills, President of Ghana; Lee Evans, Olympic Gold Medalist; Ruth Simmons, President, Brown University; Riccardo Giacconi, Physicist and 2002 Nobel Laureate; Amar Gopal Bose, Chairman and Founder, Bose Corporation; Rene Fleming, soprano; Jonathan Franzen, Writer; and Daniel Libeskind, Architect.

Rising fees at home have made other countries a tempting destination for UK students

With university tuition fees rising to a maximum of £9,000 a year from 2012, UK students are increasingly exploring their options for studying overseas. With some degrees in Scandinavia still free to EU students and with scholarships available elsewhere to tempt the academically gifted, now is a good time to begin looking at the alternatives.The Open Doors report by the US Institute for International Education found that a record 8,861 UK students studied in US universities in 2009/10, marking a 1.8 per cent increase from the previous year. A little under half of all UK students heading to the US are studying at undergraduate level, while a third take postgraduate degrees.

Next term, Erica Leishman from Manchester will fly out to begin a Bachelors degree in digital arts at the University of Oregon.I always wanted to study in America, because I’ve got dual citizenship and family there. I think that the range of subjects on offer is a lot more exciting than in the UK. In my first semester I’m going to be studying French, tragedy in literature, art, kickboxing and drama,says Leishman. US universities teach a general first year that allows for a wide breadth of study. Students taking liberal arts degrees only have to choose their major subject in the third year. This has advantages over the UK system, where subject specialism does not allow for easy changes of direction. Leishman’s degree will last four years, in which time she will take a mix of arts and science as well as her major, optional languages and sports. Each module contributes credits towards her final degree.

The University of Oregon is run by the state, which means local students pay lower fees. Leishman found she qualified for an out of state grant to help offset annual tuition fees of around $20,000 (£12,200). Although high, many American institutions offer generous scholarships. Well endowed by their alumni networks and with a tradition of gifting money, many private universities seek to attract the most academically gifted UK students with full or half-cost scholarships, particularly at private universities and the elite Ivy League institutions, such as Harvard, Wharton, Yale and Stanford. You’ll need to be quick, because they tend to have early deadlines. There may also be scholarships attached to specific subjects, says Leishman, who receives a $7,000 (£4,200) a year from such a programme.

UK students should also apply early for their visa through the US embassy. Since Leishman has dual nationality she was able to apply as a non-resident and was even eligible for a US government loan. There is no equivalent to Ucas in the US, so students must apply directly to universities.Ruth Kinsey, who graduated in May with a magna cum laude honours degree in German and history from Vanderbilt University Nashville, was in the sixth form of Wycombe Abbey school when the dean of Vanderbilt’s school of arts and sciences came to give a talk.After a holiday visit to several US universities the summer before she applied, Kinsey narrowed her shortlist to two, Johns Hopkins University and Vanderbilt, which won her over by awarding her four scholarships to pay all her tuition, accommodation and living expenses. In the course of a four-year degree, Kinsey received just over $200,000 (£122,300) in scholarships.It is very unlikely Ruth would have been offered a place to study history at an English university as she had studied all science A-levels at school. With the American system, she didn’t have to specialise immediately. Vanderbilt gave her the chance to change academic direction, says her mother, Sue Kinsey.My husband and I pay her air fares and medical insurance but, as we are both teachers, without a full scholarship there’s no way we could have afforded to subsidise her, she says.

Like all UK students wanting to study in the US, Kinsey had to take a scholastic aptitude test (SAT), a standard for university admission based on mathematics, critical reading and writing. She scored over 800.I started to major in history in my third year and in the final year I submitted a 60-page research paper. My topic was the history of the Jesuit mission to the Lakota Sioux in South Dakota,says Kinsey.Her time at Nashville will be memorable for another reason. While on the course, Kinsey met her future husband, Alex. They got married on 30 July at a church in Nashville.Alex and I are now living in Madison Wisconsin and I’ve just started a new job at the Gordon Flesch Company as an executive assistant,she says.

The Fulbright Commission offers scholarships to encourage talented international students to study in some of the best US universities. According to the Fulbright Commission, the top five US universities receiving UK students are Harvard University, New York University, Columbia University, the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Southern California. A Fulbright award can cover the full tuition costs or even half the costs of a degree at an Ivy League university.Studying environmental stewardship as part of the Fulbright Summer Institute hosted by Northern Arizona University at Flagstaff, Anna Dominey from London was part of a small group of students from the UK to join a six-week international study programme that would give students a taste of the US campus experience.

Dominey, who went to Lady Margaret School in Parson’s Green, holds offers from Oxford University and St Andrews to read theology.I heard about Fulbright through the Social Mobility Foundation, a charity that supports students from lower-income backgrounds. I was eligible through receiving an education maintenance allowance and having a strong academic track record. I wanted to apply, because I have always wanted to explore somewhere far from home, she says.Dominey would consider applying to a US university, possibly to do a postgraduate degree.From what I have seen, universities in the US have as much, if not more, to offer as UK institutions. There is so much to explore and experience, and the differences in culture add new dimensions to one’s area of study,she says.Thanks to the Bologna Process, which created a European higher education area, it is now easier for UK students to study as undergraduates in Europe, and three-year degrees are widely adopted as standard. Those taught in English, with high academic standards and competitive fees, are attracting keen interest.

Joint degrees including a language encourage students to spend a year of their degree being taught at a European institution. The University of Bristol, for example, offers several law degrees, including law with French or German, and a four-year Bachelors degree in law, one year of which is spent at a European university. Law students at the University of Glasgow spend a year out at a university in France, Germany, Italy, Portugal or Spain.However, European university fees are roughly equivalent to, and in some cases higher than, tuition fees in the UK. With the pound at such a weak position against the euro, UK students are likely to suffer from higher fees and a higher cost of living in some parts of the Continent than they otherwise might. But other European countries have clung on to their tradition of offering free university education. In Sweden, Finland and a small number of German federal states, undergraduate degrees are free. UK students enjoy the same rights as other EU citizens to a free higher education in these countries and most of the degrees are taught in English. Finland’s University of Tampere and the Lund and Linköping universities in Sweden have an international reputation for health and social sciences, while the University of Bayreuth and the University of Kassel in Germany specialise in ecology and renewable energy. It is best to check with German institutions to see what fees are payable.

The downside of studying in Finland is that the winters are severe and the cost of monthly living expenses is estimated by the Scholarships for Development website at €700 (£610) a month. Outside the university campus, English is not widely understood and the language can be a hard one to learn.You are unlikely to have this problem in Sweden, where fluency in English is almost universal. Over the past decade, the numbers of foreign students studying in Sweden has more than tripled, totalling 36,000 in 2008/09. Tuition fees have been introduced for all non-EU students, but there are no plans yet to extend charging.The University of Lund is Sweden’s largest and best-known institution. Around 50 programmes are taught in English, ranging from international human rights law to sustainable urban design. Excellence is required in all areas of activity as Lund ranks as one of Europe’s leading institutions of higher education. There are about 35,000 undergraduates at Lund and the large student population contributes to an active cultural life, with a wide range of activities and entertainment available.

European universities offer generous contact time and, in some cases, career opportunities that would not be available in the UK.At Grenoble, there are more taught hours. We attend class on Saturdays and the lessons are in three-hour blocks, not the 40-minute slots you find in the UK, says Mark Thomas, associate dean of Grenoble Ecole de Management.Academics, however, point to the UK’s reputation and long track record in delivering high-quality degrees. They say that it is not the number of taught hours that count but the quality of teaching and academic research.The number of UK undergraduates studying in Europe is rising. There is no centralised data, but leading European universities are reporting average numbers of UK students at around 5 per cent.We have 30 to 40 UK students each year and 75 different nationalities, says Patrice Houdayer, vice-president of EM Lyon university.

The European Commission’s Erasmus programme provides funding to UK students to spend time at European universities as part of their degree studies. Developing a more international outlook is imperative for students in the 21st century and there is little doubt that EU-funded projects such as Erasmus, under which students spend part of their degree at a European institution, have encouraged better international understanding.Eight per cent more UK students were heading to Europe in 2009/10 and a further increase is expected this year, says David Hibler, the Erasmus programme manager at the British Council.

Exchange Rates for Study Abroad

Students heading back to school amid a slumping economy and a downgraded national debt rating need only two words to get their outlook and finances back on track: semester abroad. Students considering skipping the country for a semester face some tough choices, but could make out on the deal if they choose their destination wisely. Retail sales rose 0.5% from June to July, while July sales were up 8.5% from the same month last year, according to the Census Bureau, but consumer confidence tanked to a three-decade low around the same time. This doesn't paint such a rosy picture at home, but students headed abroad may also be in for some sticker shock as soon as their visas are stamped. Paul Watson, senior vice president for the American Institute for Foreign Study based in Stamford, Conn., says many of the 5,000 students enrolled in his program's academic year, semester and summer programs gravitate toward the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand when they're not up for learning a language or to Italy,Germany, Spain and France when they dream of romance languages and Eurail trips.

The problem is that all of these locations are fairly costly for students looking to convert their weak, wilting dollars into traveling money. The value of one British pound is up to roughly $1.63, which quickly turns a wad of American bills into the U.K. equivalent of a change purse. Economic upheaval and debt crises in many of its own nations hasn't prevented the euro from providing only a slightly deeper discount from the sterling at $1.42. America's study-abroad slackers shouldn't expect much love during trips north, either, as the dollar amounts to only 99 Canadian cents these days.Despite the fact that the decline in value of the dollar has impacted the cost of studying in the traditional and most popular destinations in Europe, the cost of study abroad has remained very stable, while the cost of higher education in the U.S. continues to increase dramatically, outpacing and often at double the rate of inflation,Watson says.For students attending private colleges, study abroad is comparable to the cost of staying on campus, and in many cases it can be lower.

Graduate Study Abroad

Evelyn Robertson was consulting in Canada and the Caribbean for Xerox when she decided to enroll in Pepperdine University’s Organization Change Program at the Graduate School of Education and Psychology to broaden her career internationally. The doctoral program takes a comprehensive view of the world’s changing business environments, arming graduates with the ability to create change within and across their own organizations. She studied and conducted research in Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou and Hong Kong.

When she returned stateside and earned her doctorate in education, Xerox immediately promoted her. Today Robertson is a strategic organization change consultant at Robertson and Associates, a management consulting firm in Long Beach.And because consultants like Robertson work in an increasingly global environment, Pepperdine and Cal Poly Pomona have comprehensive study abroad programs to help them adapt to those demands.Pepperdine’s EdD program of 12 eight-day sessions draws students from across the globe for online study and classroom seminars in West Los Angeles and in Mexico, Costa Rica, Chile, the Czech Republic, China and Canada.

Kay Davis, director of the organization change doctoral program, said that students interested in the program work in a corporate environment and are charged with changing initiatives to help an organization create new practices in terms of employee performance. Sometimes they’re in HR management. Many CEOs and people in supporting roles want to influence change. In smaller organizations, they may be chief operating and learning officers or entrepreneurs.” Their industries range from healthcare to high tech and nonprofit.Students in Pepperdine’s Graziadio School of Business and Management have the opportunity to earn MBAs internationally by attending a partner university in one of 25 locations throughout Asia, Europe and Latin America. Business internships abroad and courses in conversational French, German, Korean, Mandarin and Spanish are among the program’s academic highlights. The 15-month master of science in the global business program, for students with limited work experience, offers study abroad courses in 17 countries.

Cal Poly Pomona’s International Program convenes in numerous countries, including Ghana, Italy, Spain, France, Germany, Greece, China and England. Renford Reese, a professor of political science and director of Cal Poly Pomona’s Colorful Flags Program curriculum abroad geared toward increasing cultural competency takes undergrads and students enrolled in select master’s programs to Amsterdam and Ghana.He also takes Cal Poly Pomona teacher candidates to experience a culture other than their own and to examine education in a different context,explained M.G.Peggy Kelly, dean of Cal Poly’s College of Education and Integrative Studies.In Ghana, the nine-day program includes lectures by University of Ghana, Legon faculty as well as by ministers from the country’s government offices.It’s a melange of lectures, site visits and outdoor activities,Reese said.In Amsterdam, students shadow social workers in the Dutch Salvation Army. Cal Poly’s Landscape Architecture Italy Program goes to Tuscany, where students study ancient and contemporary styles of art, architecture and landscapes, with a focus on sustainability.

Studying abroad has made me a global-minded citizen by enabling me to analyze social issues from a comparative perspective,said Richard Woo, who completed the nine-day programs in the Netherlands and Ghana.Writing my thesis helped me couple theory with practice.These study abroad programs help students step outside of their comfort zone and empathize,Reese observed.You’ll never forget this experience.

400 International Students from 25 Countries joined University in the session 2011-2012

Lovely Professional University welcomed more than 400 International students from 25 countries of four continents, North America, Europe, Asia and Africa at its campus. Commenting on this significant development, the Chancellor of the University, Mr. Ashok Mittal said This is one the biggest international recruitment done by any of the university in India for foreign students. With this addition of close to 400 new international students, the university has now reached another benchmark of becoming the largest university in terms of having the most number of international student in a single campus. The total strength of international students in the campus reached to 600. The present rate of admission of international students is 200% more in comparison to the last year. Various countries from where the students are studying in India includes USA, Italy, Iran, Bhutan, Nepal, Germany,Afghanistan, Dubai, Thailand, Iraq, Indonesia, Burundi, Sudan, Uganda, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Tanzania and Kenya etc. These students have opted various courses like BCA , B.Tech, BBA, MBA, MCA and BJ(MC) etc.

In order to acquaint the students about the university, a six hours informative induction programme was scheduled for them. It was comprised of addresses by senior authorities and presentations from relevant departments. Also PPTs were made on the rules and regulations and systems of the university like how to access online available material, academics, examinations, security and discipline. Aimed to get the fresh-students well-adjusted to the culture and traditions prevalent at the University, a campus tour and a two-hour cultural evening was also specially arranged to entertain them.

In a suggestive welcoming address, the Chancellor of the University, Mr. Ashok Mittal expected of all such students, from different continents of the world, to represent themselves, in a way, as true official ambassadors of their respective countries. He said:Now, on becoming an integral part of the LPU community; you are of course shouldering new responsibilities of more of humane behavior by sharing your culture and traditions with those of others.Motivating them, he exclaimed:Indeed, it is an entirely new phase of your life. Upholding the traditions and values of India, you have to co-exist with your fellow students on international standards during your entire span of study programme.He also mentioned:It is really making us proud to see a regular addition in number of students from more and more countries, in every new session. Prior to this, students from India used to go abroad for higher studies but now the trend has been changed a lot. Our University has enrolled many foreign students from different lands. It is, indeed, a strong indication that our efforts will never go in vain and India is once again going to wear the coveted crown of a Master in the realms of Education.

In the evening, students were made to swing, sing, stamp and keep tossing their heads on the melodies of Bhangra & Giddha, Rajasthani Jhoomer, Classical Dances and Rap Performances. Getting boosted the International students also showcased their inborn talents. Some of such students Rafi from USA, Abba Ahmed Muhammed from Nigeria, Suchet from Indonesia, Ganga from Nepal, Vishma Chuwan of Bhutan, Alen Atem representing Sudan, Adeeb al Rumayhi of Bangladesh and others said joyfully:We are indeed lucky to be received at the largest university of India in the most possible humane manner. No doubt, certain uncertainties were lurking in our minds at first, but the very first day of ours under special Induction Programme has assured us firmly that we are in our own country and among our own persons.

Low fees, star lecturers and good facilities are proving increasingly attractive to British students

When the next generation of bright young architecture students begins plotting its route to Arb-registration, language lessons and visa applications are increasingly likely to feature.With tuition fees about to go through the roof in Britain, US scholarships and the continent’s state-subsidised schools will seem pretty tempting, even if you need fluent Italian or German to land a place.It has been an open secret among part IIs for a while, but doing the full five years abroad may soon become more common. At £900 a year in Switzerland instead of up to £9,000 in Britain, it’s easy to see why.

Breathtakingly low fees are by no means the only attraction, though. The first-class facilities and variety of courses at places like ETH and Mendrisio, both in Switzerland, are putting the pressure on UK schools.But the single biggest draw is the tutors. Some of Britain’s best architects names like David Chipperfield, Tony Fretton, Jonathan Sergison and Adam Caruso are taking up professorships in Europe and the States and the most ambitious students are following them.Since so many students get jobs at practices with links to the colleges they studied at, this exodus is motivated by more than purely intellectual interest.

Francis Fawcett, now working for Herzog & de Meuron in London, was taught by the Swiss architects in his second year at ETH. He is one of a dozen or so recent Cambridge graduates to have studied at the Zurich school, a trend bolstered by Cambridge’s lack of a design-led diploma.When I was looking around in 2005 there was nowhere in the UK I really wanted to study at, he recalls.I did interviews and had places in the UK but didn’t see the attraction of the teachers and the work that was coming out of them.The chance to be taught by his idols in Switzerland was a head-turner, but other selling points included the facilities and the number of projects.

We did one per semester instead of one a year which meant you could do a completely different thing with a new professor every 12 weeks.If you end up with your third or fourth choice it will only last a semester, so you learn something and move on. I had a fantastic time and would totally recommend it.The most popular professors, like Peter Märkli, are reserved for second-year students so patience is required. But Fawcett, 30, says the variety of tutors was part of the richness of studying abroad.ETH is a technical university so architecture is taught as a technical subject,he says.They lay it on quite heavily but it’s really good to come out with these skills. In the later stages there is more freedom to try things out but it is quite formal compared with UK.

Annie Blackadder, another Cambridge graduate mid-way through her masters at ETH, says one of the frustrations is not being allowed to design in the first year. This is partly because the school’s popularity is placing space at a premium, which led to protests last year. The staff are addressing this but the result may be higher entry requirements in future.For Fawcett and Blackadder the toughest hurdle was the German test. Though once in, British students face a barrage of catch-up exams to prove they have reached the same standard as nationals.It was easy to get a place but harder to do the course. The workload is quite crazy, says Blackadder, 24.
The masters programme is three terms of lectures and design followed by a term of final design work. Students earn two points per lecture course at ETH; two and a half at Mendrisio.

The number of points required to graduate in Switzerland depends on whether a student’s previous university is affiliated.Cambridge is not, so students must cram in extra courses. At times the academic requirements, plus the bureaucracy involved in moving countries, can be overwhelming. But this is balanced by the chance to study under the likes of Märkli, Roger Diener and Hans Kollhoff.The facilities are also amazing,adds Blackadder.There’s a laser workshop with four lasers, a metal workshop, a wood workshop, a huge engineering hall, eight plotters. Everyone gets a desk in a studio.And the range of subjects you can do is vast from a digital fabrication course where you write a complete script, generate architecture and build it 1:1, to a column course where you design a classical temple and draw it in pencil.

The four Swiss schools Lausanne and Winterthur are the others are highly regarded by UK employers. Tom Emerson of 6a Architects, who has taught at ETH and London’s AA, says they have a brand value few others can match.But there is something about the Swiss system that is especially appealing at the moment, he says.The whole architecture scene is quite tribal so someone from the Bartlett would have something different to say,he admits.But there’s a certain scene of British architects that’s quite drawn towards Switzerland because over there they see teaching, practice and research as part of the same discourse. That’s hard to achieve in the UK.

We have people in the office from ETH and Mendrisio and they are really very good,he says.They have a very powerful set of practical and intellectual tools. They all want to make really good buildings which is not the priority at every school. If you go round the summer shows you’ll see the agenda at some schools is more experimental.The calibre of tutors at US schools is similarly high David Chipperfield and Chris Lee of Serie Architects are among new signings at Yale and Harvard this year.However, since the average student there graduates with $250,000 of debt and takes out a 25-year mortgage to pay it off, low fees are not one of the attractions.But there are ways round this. Lucy Pritchard transferred from Cambridge into the fourth year at New York’s Cooper Union on a scholarship, though she still had to pay annual admin fees of $1,000. Her application was her portfolio plus Cooper’s infamous home test”with questions like “do a self-portrait with no reference to body. Once there, she was required to do extra work including physics to catch up.

If you get a place you get a full-fee scholarship which makes for an interesting, diverse year group,she says.Moving country is a big hassle but I couldn’t find any courses I desperately wanted to do in the UK.At Cooper she was able to pursue interests in film and the historical and cultural context of architecture. She is now doing a PhD at London Met. Would she recommend studying abroad? “It turned out to be an invaluable education. I had the time of my life.

Students Receive Scholarships to Study Abroad

SUNY Cortland recently awarded nearly $17,000 in scholarships to help 22 students expand their educational horizons in Australia, Europe or South America.The students will study in Belize, Costa Rica, Spain, the Dominican Republic, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Germany or France this summer or during the fall semester. Six different scholarships with awards ranging from $400 to $2,500 were offered through the College's James M. Clark Center for International Education.

We believe all students should have potentially transformational experiences as part of their college education,SUNY Cortland President Erik J. Bitterbaum said.By studying abroad, students are immersed in a new culture and given an opportunity to develop a much broader and more diverse view of the world. Scholarships help make this experience affordable for many deserving SUNY Cortland students who might otherwise not have the opportunity.

Recipients were selected based on criteria that included high academic achievement, financial need, involvement in extracurricular activities, a personal essay and letters of recommendation.A description of the six scholarships and the students who won each award appear below:Overseas Academic Program Award Overseas Academic Program scholarships are awarded to students accepted in a study abroad program. The scholarship is $400 for summer recipients and $500 or $1,000 for fall recipients. The OAP Award recipients for the summer of 2011 are:

Christine Capobianco, a senior adolescence education: social studies major from Glen Cove, N.Y., to attend the Belize Summer Teacher Institute; and,

Kaitlyn Jaskot, a sophomore childhood education major from Blauvelt, N.Y., for study in Konstantz, Germany.

The OAP Award recipients of $500 for the fall of 2011 are:

Monica Bailey, a junior biological sciences major from Buffalo, N.Y., for study in York, United Kingdom;

Katilyn Boehm, a senior childhood education major from Port Washington, N.Y., to complete her student teaching in Australia;

Jessie Ford, a senior physical education major from Westbury, N.Y., to complete her student teaching in Australia;

Chelsea Leon, a senior psychology major from Northport, N.Y., for study in Dunedin, New Zealand;

Sara Pick, a senior childhood education major from Westmoreland, N.Y., to complete her student teaching in Australia; and,

Jillian Walsh, a senior physical education major from Poughkeepsie, N.Y., to complete her student teaching in Australia.

The OAP Award recipients of $1,000 for the fall of 2011 are:

Brianna Carolini, a senior childhood education major from Lake Ronkonkoma, N.Y., to complete student teaching in Australia; and,

Abdoul Diallo, a junior international studies major from Bronx, N.Y., for study in LaRochelle, France.

Willi Uschald Scholarship

Created in 1991, the Uschald Study Abroad Scholarship is named for Willi A. Uschald, professor emeritus of foreign languages and director emeritus of international programs at SUNY Cortland. Uschald Scholarships are open to students accepted to a study abroad program who are U.S. citizens.

The Summer 2011 recipients of the $875 scholarships are:

Mallory Gorman, a sophomore adolescence education: Spanish major from Syracuse, N.Y., for study in San Jose and Costa Rica;

Maria Leonardi, a senior childhood education major from Spencer, N.Y., for study in Barcelona, Spain; and,

Jenna Wright, a senior childhood education major from Lockwood, N.Y., for study in the Dominican Republic.

The Fall 2011 Uschald Award recipients of $1,000 are:

Laura Emerling, a senior speech and hearing science major from Williamsville, N.Y., for study in Queensland, Australia;

Grace Wheeler, a senior international studies and anthropology major from Ballston Lake, N.Y., for study in Salamanca, Spain;

Morgan White, a senior English major from Binghamton, N.Y., for study at London Metropolitan University, United Kingdom; and,

Dustin Verga, a senior physical education major from Delmar, N.Y., to complete student teaching in Australia.

Gregory R. Huether '10 Scholarship

A scholarship was created in 2010 by Ronald and Marguerite Huether and family, who wished to honor the memory of their son, Gregory R. Huether '10, and the wonderful international education experience he had through SUNY Cortland. The Gregory R. Huether '10 European Sport Study Seminar Memorial Scholarship offers the College's sport management majors an opportunity to attend the annual European Sport Study Seminar. The inaugural scholarship of $2,500 for Summer 2011 was awarded to:

Rebecca Rooney, a senior sport management major from Middletown, N.Y., for an internship in Australia.

Gail Reed '67 Scholarship

Created in 2007, the Gail Reed '67 Scholarship is open to students who are U.S citizens and accepted to a study abroad program in destinations other than Great Britain for the sake of encouraging cross-cultural experiences. Reed created the scholarship to recognize the profound impact studying abroad had on her own life and to acknowledge the College's study abroad program founder, Willi Uschald. The $500 scholarship for Fall 2011 is awarded to:

Jessica Wilson, a senior childhood education and mathematics major from Medford, N.Y., to complete her student teaching in Australia.

Kevin A. Rowell '83 Award

SUNY Cortland graduate Kevin A. Rowell '83 created the award in 1998 to support the overseas studies of a student who has participated in club sports, student government and volunteer work. The recipient of the $750 for the fall of 2011 is:

Heather Schowe, a senior childhood education major from South New Berlin, N.Y., to complete her student teaching in Australia.

Marcia Spaeth McDermott Scholarship

The Marcia Spaeth McDermott Professional Study Abroad Scholarship was created in 2009 by the late Professor Emerita Marcia Spaeth McDermott, former acting dean of the School of Professional Studies, to support the overseas studies of a SUNY Cortland student majoring in a School of Professional Studies program. The recipient of the $750 scholarship for the fall of 2011 is:Vanessa Gibson, a senior outdoor recreation major from Auburn, N.Y., for an internship in Belize.

Opportunity of study abroad and live in Australia

We together as RAO overseas consultancy Pvt Ltd and La Trobe University, will provide a wonderful opportunity of study and live in Australia. Rao Overseas Consultancy Pvt. Ltd has arranged a spot assessment session on 22nd July 2011, 12-2pm. Best opportunity to get yourself assessed by the college representative himself & seek guidance for your study options.
About Rao Overseas Consultancy Pvt. Ltd.

Rao Overseas Consultancy Pvt. Ltd. is engaged in overseas education consultancy with a host of services like study abroad counseling, university application and documentation, scholarship assistance, bank loan assistance, visa interview preparation and pre-departure briefings for countries like Australia, USA, UK, Canada, New Zealand, Germany Singapore, Switzerland, Cyprus, Philippines.

La Trobe has been one of Australia’s pioneering universities for forty years. La Trobe University is a multi-campus university based in Victoria, Australia. With learning, teaching and research designed to enrich the world and a history of academic innovation, La Trobe is leading the way in higher education. It provides infinite opportunities: academic challenges, courses that open career doors and the chance to learn from outstanding staff recruited from around the world. It offers a truly global education, internationally recognised and professionally accredited courses, world-leading academics and research. La Trobe University offers a variety of scholarships to attract the best and brightest students from all over the world. Hurry, get yourself registered for the event.

Germany,France, provide of aid for study

The world's biggest higher education aid donors have emerged as France and Germany. France provides some $1.36 billion and Germany around $1.05 billion a year, mostly in the form of scholarships and fellowships, according to VN Varghese, Secretary General of the International Working Group on Education, a Paris-based group of aid agencies.A large chunk of aid to higher education is coming from France and Germany. They are providing money to attract students to their own countries, partly through scholarships but also through other subsidies,Varghese said.

Aid for higher education in the form of scholarships for overseas study and support for developing country universities has grown in recent years, reversing a trend in the 1990s when aid donors prioritised primary and secondary education in developing countries, he said.Varghese predicted that aid to higher education would continue to increase, as the sector is back on the agenda of major donors.There is no possibility of aid declining in higher education. The higher education system has to expand,he told University World News.Students can also get a lot of exposure while studying in such universities and different course.

And the growth in aid to higher education has been rapid.Many countries see this as a way of creating new markets,Varghese said.Education as a share of bilateral aid to developing countries is around 18% in France - mainly going to Sub-Saharan Africa and North Africa and around 13% in Germany and the Netherlands, compared to just 3% in Britain and 3.5% of US bilateral aid.Globally, a change is taking place in aid to education,Varghese explained.Education aid increased to $12.1 billion [by 2010] and 40% of that is going to post-secondary education. It is a big jump from just 33% of aid flows being channeled to the post-secondary sector in 1999 to 2000,he said.India and China are big beneficiaries of the retargeting of education funding. For example, China receives $700 million a year in aid for higher education, according to a recent paper by Varghese, who is also an official at the Institute of International Education of UNESCO in Paris. Other major beneficiaries are Vietnam, Malaysia and Iran. In North Africa Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria are the main beneficiaries.

Asia and the Pacific receive the highest share of global aid flows to higher education, at around 29% of the annual $3.3 billion in aid to higher education reported by the World Bank in 2010, on the basis of the most recent complete statistics, many of them from 2007. Arab states receive 21% and Africa 18%.Germany's Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) is the biggest higher education funder globally, providing 66,000 to 67,000 fellowships a year. Two-thirds of these, 45,000 fellowships, are awarded to foreign students the rest is for German students to study abroad.Most of the money is going to North Africa, the Middle East and Sub-Saharan Africa, but also Eastern Europe which gets a large chunk as the German government is keen to build a better relationship with their eastern neighbours,Varghese said.

While Britain and the US have focused on research, Germany's strengths include a strong vocational and technical education sector.French aid to higher education was $380 million a year in the late 1990s and has increased to US$1,360 million a year according to UNESCO statistics published in 2010. Around half of the aid is spent on scholarships, mainly for postgraduate students in France.The French government sees that the way they can protect their markets is by nurturing an elite that will support France,Varghese said.France is looking to strengthen links with francophone Africa. Many Africans are getting higher education funding [in the form of scholarships] from the US or the UK and this is affecting trade and markets. Globalisation has taken away the protected market structure of the old colonial ties, and competition has become fierce.

Half of France's scholarships are for study in France. Aid to Cameroon alone is EUR107 million (US$153 million) a year.Using higher education assistance to help develop and build markets is nothing unusual. In the US many doctors from India in the private and public sector are trained in the most advanced medical technologies before they go back.They find that they can sell their medical equipment in India because practitioners are familiar with it,Varghese said.VN Varghese,Where Does Higher Education Aid Go?, in The Geopolitics of Overseas Scholarships and Awards.

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.