China will allow international students at Chinese universities nationwide to take part-time jobs during their studies to make the country’s higher educational system more attractive, the Ministry of Education said. The government has been introducing a number of exploratory changes allowing international students in Beijing and Shanghai to take part-time jobs or internships off campus as long as they obtain approval from their academic institutions and the entry and exit administrative authorities. In 2015, Shanghai implemented a pilot policy that enables international students who have graduated from a Chinese university to accept internships or to start their own business in the Zhangjiang National Innovation Demonstration Zone for up to two years after graduation. In 2016, the Ministry of Public Security implemented policies to allow foreign students recommended by their host universities in Beijing to take part-time jobs with companies in the city’s Zhongguancun Science Park or become involved in entrepreneurship in the area. In early 2017, the central government introduced a program for international students with postgraduate degrees or who had attended “well-known” universities to obtain Chinese work permits after graduation. – Zou Shuo, China Daily/Asia News Networks. Read more

The UK economy could benefit from more people of all ages attending university, a report has concluded. It also suggests the advance of automation, robotics, artificial intelligence and digital technology, as well as the challenges of Brexit and an ageing population are creating greater demand for those with qualifications above level 4. The Universities UK report highlights the need for continual upgrading of skills, lifelong learning and study of higher education qualifications at all levels. The percentage of young people from England entering higher education has reached 49%, but there has been a steady decline in part-time and mature student numbers, Universities UK said. The report calls on policymakers to help reverse the latter trend and encourage closer links between universities and employers. Alistair Jarvis, chief executive of Universities UK, said: “The UK economy and society needs more graduates. Educating more people of all ages at university would grow our economy faster, by increasing productivity, competitiveness and innovation.” –Press Association, The Guardian. Read more

Students will have the opportunity to obtain an online master’s degree in cybersecurity from the Georgia Institute of Technology for less than $10,000 starting next January. The online master’s degree is the third of its kind to be offered by Georgia Tech, following the successful launch of large-scale and relatively affordable online degrees in computer science and analytics. The cybersecurity master’s is offered in collaboration with online learning platform edX.  Raheem Beyah, faculty lead for the degree, said the online program would offer “the same comprehensive, rigorous curriculum as the on-campus program”. Georgia Tech’s on-campus master’s in cybersecurity started as a degree in information security in 2002 and currently costs $20,000 for in-state students and $40,000 for out-of-state students. The online degree is designed to serve working professionals and can be pursued on a part-time basis. – Lindsay McKenzie, Inside Higher Ed. Read more

Irish higher education institutions acknowledge that they are not internationalising to the fullest extent but are constrained by a lack of resources, according to study commissioned by the Higher Education Authority and funded by the Irish Research Council. They are also hampered by a “lack of government investment in the promotion of Ireland” as a study destination. Too many higher education institutions are focusing on “increasing numbers and revenue rather than using resources to meet the needs of international students”, the study said. “The reliance on this approach was viewed as problematic and there was a general awareness that other factors should also inform approaches to internationalisation. These included increasing mobility in the student market, the promotion of outward mobility, securing international accreditation for programmes and government policy,” the study said.  – Brendan O’Malley, University World News. Read more

The demand for English-language international schools in the Middle East is showing no sign of slowing, with 13 new schools set to open in Dubai alone in the 2018-2019 academic year. In total, 17 new schools are to set open across the UAE during the period. According to the latest report from ISC Research, the number of international schools in the Middle East has grown from 1,159 in 2013 to 1,593 in 2018. The UAE is leading the charge for international schools, boasting 624 up from 596 in 2017. Saudi Arabia is next with 257 followed by Qatar with 166. The ISC report also revealed that a total of 1.51 million students are attending international schools in the region, each paying an average of USD$7,658 annually for their education. Richard Gaskell, schools director at ISC Research, said that most of the demand for international schools in the Middle East is focused on the mid-price schools that are “affordable to the majority of professional expatriates and more affluent local families”. “The market in the Middle East, particularly in the UAE, continues to expand,” he said. – Kerrie Kennedy, The PIE News. Read more