Jan 24 2012

I predict shrinking of On-shore student recruitment in Australia from 2013

When Internet reached inner confines of India and when the young started browsing at broadband speeds, it resulted in airlines cutting out the intermediaries or lowering the commissions paid to the agents and hence drove many travel operators out of business. The same was forecasted also for the education agents and many western commentators believed that students will now access the information online, put in applications online and then will not need the services of an education agent. They also hence influenced the “so called experts” within the education sector to devise strategies that worked from this assessment. However, there was one major error in the calculations. Overseas students did not need the agent only for assistance with applications into institutions. They also needed the agents for help through the student visa process with advise that came out of their experience. Though authorities did not approve, the agents also were the first port of call for students seeking education as a pathway to migration and whether the education agents offered migration process or not, they had to respond to the student’s queries on the courses that met the migration requirements. While the education information could be provided through online searches and online counseling, student visa guidance and also some “tips” on the migration pathway, could only be taken through the education agents “face to face”. Education Providers too realized this and more so realized that converting online enquiries to “bums on seats” was far more complex than through the services of the agents.

The above applied to offshore and onshore education agents and the business opportunity that came their way. A perfect business model indeed and win-win for all…Education Providers, Students, Agents and even Government Agencies. DIAC relied on selective agents worldwide to vet the visa lodgments. Austrade and AEI worked closely with agents to boost forex earnings and also to focus on certain markets. In Australia, several migration agents extended their activities to include education counseling.

However the last two years has seen a changed environment. Whether it is for good or not; is subject to another article. Here we just note that the environment has been altered.
A tightening of the residency visa regulations means that those who entered Australia desiring their education to be a pathway to migration had to look for changed courses and quick-fix solutions and handholding locally to find solutions.
Onshore agents were not recruiting students from offshore locations and suddenly found themselves moving students from diplomas to degrees and from one MODL occupation linked course to another SOL linked program.

This churning of the students already in the system gave an illusion of the market existing when the reality was that the new students entering Australia from India had declined by over 75% last two year.

The reality is also that the churning of the students in the system only has a short life span. There is likely to be very few students seeking changes from diploma to degree or any other such movement in 2013. Further, since the first visa to private institutions and to vocational providers has already become so difficult, it is less likely that the industry will see the same kind of numbers again. Students already in the University system are less prone to the churning phenomenon anyways.

This is only one aspect of the changed environment… The Post-Study-Work visa announced this year post-Knight review means that a “near-guarantee” is being linked to the student visa for degree students. Though this is a welcome move, it is something that will make many onshore education and migration agents uneasy. The “guarantee” means that the students will be able to work for 2-4 years on completion of the program and this was not dependent on the occupation and whether it had migration outcomes. This “guarantee” means that the students will not be seeking help from migration or education agents on-shore anymore from 2013 to the same extent as has been done currently.

And… the streamlined system proposed for the Universities and also other guides issued to them have meant that most Universities are going to be using less and less number of agents even in the overseas markets. Education Agents are going to be required even more but since the institutions have to be accountable for them, they are likely to be even more discerning. I will not be surprised if they limit their new agents only to certain markets around the world and reduce their onshore contracts.

Well, in light of the above… my gut feel is that migrations agents will be busier with employee and state nomination categories, family migrations and other such categories that require handholding beyond the information that is currently available in public domain. The skill level of the migration agents will also be challenged and personally I feel that this will drive some of them also out of business.

What bothers me is the fact that some registered migration agents due to their helplessness or greed are cutting corners in overseas markets through sub-contracting or otherwise and hence bracketing others in their industry also as suspicious. I may indicate that in India, AAERI was forced to suspend 4 agents recently for suspected-student fraud and even though the matter is still under police/authorities investigation, 2 of the 4 agents are registered (and continue to be registered) migration agents in Australia though functioning through sub-offices in India. Technically, the Australian legislation does-not reaches India and this is where a loophole exists allowing onshore-regulated agents engaging in unregulated activities overseas.

I shall hesitate in generalizing and shall acknowledge that many of the agents are ethical and genuine in their intent. However like what happened with offshore education agents over last two years, scape-goats too have to be found. I fear that Australia has found them in the onshore education agents and in the offshore activities of the onshore migration agents…

Jan 20 2012

The school girl who told Oxford: So sorry, but you didn’t pass MY interview

  • Elly Nowell, 19, tells Magdalen College it ‘did not quite meet the standard of universities I will be considering’
  • She writes that she found ‘obvious gap’ between minorities and white middle-class students ‘embarrassing’

It is not often that Oxford University finds itself receiving a rejection letter from a would-be student, rather than issuing them with one.

So it will have raised a few scholarly eyebrows when state-educated Elly Nowell, 19, wrote to the elite institution’s Magdalen College without even waiting to hear whether her application to read law had been successful.

In a parody of Oxford’s own rejection letters, she told admissions tutors: ‘I realise you may be disappointed by this decision, but you were in competition with many fantastic universities and following your interview I am afraid you do not quite meet the standard of the universities I will be considering.’

Rejection: A-level student Elly Nowell is predicted to get A*s in history, law and English literatureMocking: A-level student Elly Nowell, who is predicted A*s in history, law and English literature, sent a scathing rejection letter to Magdalen College, Oxford

Miss Nowell, who says she changed her mind about Oxford after being put off by her experience at interview, claimed  its admissions process was biased against state-school pupils – despite them making up more than half the university’s intake.

She wrote: ‘Whilst you may believe your decision to hold interviews in grand formal settings is inspiring, it allows public school applicants to flourish in the environment they are accustomed to and intimidates state school applicants, distorting the true academic potential of both.’

The teenager also claimed there were ‘significant flaws’ in Oxford’s education system and argued that the ‘gap between elitism and discrimination’ was a  ‘narrow one’ that the college had not ‘adequately addressed’.

Rejected: Elly Nowell told Magdalen College, which counts Foreign Secretary William Hague among its alumni, that there were 'significant flaws' in its education systemRejected: Elly Nowell told Magdalen College, which counts Foreign Secretary William Hague among its alumni, that there were ‘significant flaws’ in its education system

She wrote: ‘Whilst you may believe your traditions and rituals are impressive, they reflect badly on your university…frankly, I feel humiliated for both you and your students.’

Describing the interview process as ‘torture’, she accused the college of being ‘rude’ for not offering her a glass of water.

She also claimed there was an ‘obvious gap’ between minorities and white middle-class students that she found ‘embarrassing’.

Letter in full: The rejection letter that Elly Nowell, 19, sent to Oxford University via emailLetter in full: The rejection letter that Elly Nowell, 19, sent to Oxford University via email

Miss Nowell, of Winchester, Hampshire, even cheekily warned the university to hold off on any attempts to ‘reapply’ and wished it ‘every success in future’.

‘Whilst you may believe your decision to hold interviews in grand formal settings is inspiring, it allows public school applicants to flourish in the environment they are accustomed to and intimidates state school applicants, distorting the true academic potential of both.’

Oxford yesterday hit back at her claims, pointing to figures that show that for 2010 entry, 55.4 per cent of places for UK students went to state school pupils.

Full figures for UK 2011 entry are not yet available but 58.5 per cent of offers were to state school pupils.

A spokesman said: ‘The irony is that six out of the seven people offered law places at Magdalen were state-educated.

‘It’s really important to understand that school attainment is the biggest factor affecting Oxford’s mix of students – not the way Oxford selects them.’

Magdalen College, which counts among its alumni Foreign Secretary William Hague, Private Eye editor Ian Hislop, documentary-maker Louis Theroux and Oscar Wilde, interviewed Miss Nowell, a student at Brockenhurst College, Hampshire, in December.

She is predicted to get A*s in her history, law and English literature A-levels, and now hopes to read law at University College London.

She said: ‘It was during my interview that I finally realised subjecting myself to the judgment of an institution I fundamentally disagreed with was bizarre.

‘I spent my entire time at the university laughing at how seriously they were taking everything and felt like the only atheist in a gigantic monastery.’

Oxford students took to Twitter to vent their anger at Miss Nowell yesterday. One, going under the name ‘jpspencer2’, said: ‘Elly Nowell has no idea what it is like to go to Oxford. Her own stupid and narrow-minded opinions show why she would not be fit to go here.’

Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2088710/Elly-Nowell-sends-Oxford-OWN-rejection-letter-criticising-grand-interview-setting.html#ixzz1jzhQo1ux

Jan 20 2012

Foreign University Bill ready for Indian Parliament… Long way still to go!

India looks to open university market, again: bill ready for parliament

  • ·                                 From:The Australian 
  • ·                                 December 28, 2011

INDIA has taken a significant step on the long march to admitting international universities with a parliamentary committee sending a new draft of the 2010 Foreign Universities bill to cabinet just before Christmas. Cabinet approved a much debated version of the original proposal in March 2010.

The legislation was left in a legislative no-mans land for months, due to parliamentary opposition and disquiet among local universities at the prospect of foreign competition.

The bill allows universities with 20 years good-standing in their home countries to set up shop on posting a bond

But even if the bill passes into law India will not become a free market in higher education, with a committee of academic experts deciding on which universities qualify for fast-tracking through the approval processes. And it will bring international institutions which now operate in India but award foreign qualifications under local regulations.

The legislation also requires reinvestment of any profit in the local campus.

However it allows twinning arrangements – suiting institutions keen to expand sources of international students at senior undergraduate level for their home campuses.

Critics of the proposal claim that high fee foreign schools will do nothing to increase access to higher education and that they will drain research and teaching talent away from Indian institutions.

While there is no national register, there are believed to be 160 international universities operating in India, nearly all of them from the US and UK.

In effect India is intent on a quick and economic expansion of the post school system  – without being overwhelmed by opportunists interested in a quick quid rather than course quality.

However the possibilities of the Indian market are still attracting interest among the major competitors in the international education industry. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton addressed a US-India higher education summit in October and Australian higher education minister Chris Evans pitched for more Indian business in an August visit.

The challenge if, rather than when, the bill passes (it is still to be put to a vote on the floor of the Lok Sabha) is for institutions to get their administrative ducks in a row without being caught in interminable administrative process. Deakin Universityspent four years trying to set up an Indian research centre in Bagalore before giving up in the face of state and federal bureaucracy.

Nor will India be a low cost market to do business in. Education marketing expert Allison Doorbar warns Indian students studying with a western university in India will expect to see academics from the home campus at the front of the class.

Jan 14 2012

This can be an apt image to use for Aussie Education promotions!

Yesterday as I watched the innings of David Warner, I couldn’t help the thought that occurred after noticing the gaping Indian greats in the slips. Sachin in first slip, Dravid in second and VVS in the third… Sehwag was in Gully while Gambhir was also close by… it looked as an image of dedicated students sitting in first row of a classroom taking lessons from the master… Hence like a promotion for Australian Education… Indian students who have travelled across this month to study the out of form batsmen too return to form and …

What a sad month for Indian cricket!!! As an Indian in Australia, it has not just let us down but the fact that we have a captain who is so clue-less. I had the privilege of attending their nets in Sydney and noticing the body language, it was not difficult to predict what happened. We lost the first test match with one day spare. Lost the second with one innings spare and now in the third one, we are looking at winding up the full match with two days to spare… Definitely an improvement!
Jan 7 2012

Anuj Bidwe Killing: Indian Media commentary misses out where it matters…

BRITISH MEDIA INFORMS: Anuj had originally wanted to study in Australia but Subhash persuaded him not to because he was worried about a spate of racist attacks on Indians in 2009. 

BBC adds: Anuj Bidve could have gone to a US or Australian university to fulfil his dream of pioneering new micro-electronics technology. But his parents sent their only son to the UK because they thought “he’d be safer there”.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2080837/Anuj-Bidve-murder-Parents-took-bank-loans-send-UK.html#ixzz1iiQuuzMq

The point that I am making is NOT that UK is as racist as Australia supposedly is or that US is equally unsafe. But that any place in the world can be safe or unsafe and this includes our own cities in India. Just like our own neighborhood in India, we need to exercise caution and alertness in all large cities. Avoid certain areas after dark and also remember that there will always be some people, even though very few in numbers, who are racist or have a distaste for foreigners. This is a reality and possibly a reality alike how some feel in different parts of India for others from other parts of India who land up in their cities for the jobs. However, this is indeed a very small number and our interaction with such can be prevented if we avoid certain areas at certain hours. Don’t we advise our close ones to avoid certain areas of our own towns in India at certain hours? I am sure we do that. 

There are several useful weblinks that give tips on how to carry ourselves out while being an overseas student in a foreign land. Most education counselors (of repute) do conduct pre-departure briefings for their students. I am providing some excerpts from Vancouver Police site, which gives some safety tips… (Knowing that several of this blog readers are students…)

On the Street

Be alert. Walk with confidence. Walk with your head up. Be aware of who is and what is around you, and be careful when someone approaches you with a simple question. Leave strange or uncomfortable situations. Trust your instincts. Always tell your roommate or host family where you are going and when you will be back.

  • before going out ask advice for the best routes to events, restaurants or shopping
  • change direction if you feel you are being followed; go to the nearest store, restaurant, or pay phone
  • do not carry large amounts of money (cash), and do not show money in public; use bank / debit cards instead
  • never share your PIN number or let others see it
  • keep your passport in a safe place at home; instead carry a photocopy of your passport and other ID
  • don’t go out alone or accept rides with strangers; do not hitchhike
  • don’t use headphones when walking / jogging; they make it difficult to hear an approaching car or stranger
  • don’t carry weapons; they are illegal and can be used against you
  • don’t argue or fight if robbed – yell loudly
  • fight back to protect yourself if you are attacked; try to stop or distract the attacker so that you can escape and call 911

Out at Night

At night, walk on well-lit, busy streets. Try to be with someone. Walk in the middle of the sidewalk. Avoid isolated areas such as parks where there are no other people around. Carry a whistle or other personal safety device. Scream or yell loudly if attacked.

Jan 5 2012

With the killing of an Indian student “also” in Canada: Is it hate-crimes on an increase… jury is still out.

Manchester Police’s terming Anuj Bidwe killing as a Hate-Crime; the news was certainly worrying and then came the news of the killing of Alok Gupta in Canada. We have had Nitin Garg incident in OZ two years ago that got the two countries taking to tough-talking.

CNN-IBN reported…

New Delhi: It has been more than a week since Indian student Anuj Bidve was shot dead in the UK. One suspect who claims to be mentally unstable was charged with Bidve’s murder, while four others were released on bail.

On Monday, hundreds of locals joined Bidve’s friend in a candle light vigil at the site where the 23-year old was killed.

An impromptu memorial was also held at India Gate in Delhi.

Meanwhile, a UK police team met Bidve’s family in Pune on Monday. His family will leaving for Salford on Tuesday. Authorities say Bidve’s body is likely to be handed to his family later on Tuesday after a second post-mortem.

Bidve’s family said that they were satisfied with the UK police investigation.

Meanwhile, a student, Vikrant Gupta is also starting an online campaign for justice for Bidve. “The murderer who seems to be not in his right state of mind has done this act. I won’t worry about this thing on a large scale something which has happened out of the blue. I’m sure something like this won’t happen again but nothing can be guaranteed,” Gupta said.

“Students and Indians definitely feel insecure, they get worried about the things happening, I think the most important thing is that the families back in India because they don’t have the broader picture but I don’t think this is something that we should be worried about it. It has happened once I hope it doesn’t happen again,” Gupta added.

Anuj Bidve, a micro-electronics student at the Lancaster University, on December 26, became the latest victim of a hate crime in Greater Manchester.

Bidve was a part of a group of nine Indian students who were staying in a hotel in Manchester over Christmas. While heading towards the city centre at around 1 pm, they were approached by two white men. Reports indicate one of them asked Bidve the time and when Bidve didn’t reply, one of the men removed a handgun and shot him.

The Manchester Police have termed it a hate crime.

Indian student shot dead in Canada

In another such incident in Canada, an Indian student, working part time at a convenience store, was shot dead in Surrey, in a shocking Christmas Day attack.

Alok Gupta, 27, had volunteered to work the afternoon shift to allow the store owners celebrate Christmas together, and was killed by an unidentified gunman.

However, it was not yet clear whether Gupta was shot during a robbery attempt.

Police is yet to make an arrest in connection with the case, but say they do not believe it was gang-related.

“The victim was working Christmas Day as a good deed to the owners who wished to celebrate Christmas together,” said Sgt Jennifer Pound of the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team.

Gupta sought help at a nearby residence and was taken to hospital. However, he was pronounced dead a short time later; Pound was quoted as saying by the ‘Vancouver Sun’ newspaper.

“Although it appears that the victim died from a gunshot wound, the cause of death will ultimately be confirmed through an autopsy,” she said. 

US: Islamic centre, Hindu worship place attacked

Meanwhile, an Islamic centre housing a mosque and a Hindu worship site were targeted by thugs with firebombs on Monday in New York.

The attacks took place in Queens near New York on Monday night in which unidentified assailants threw homemade firebombs at a house used for Hindu worship services, Islamic centre Imam Al-Khoei Foundation, a home and a convenience store.

There were minor damages but no injuries reported. The police were treating the attacks as hate crimes and were looking into possible links to the other fires caused by similar devices that night.

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg called such attacks unacceptable and said authorities are investigating the incidents.

“No matter what the motivation was of the individual who threw Molotov cocktails in Queens last night, his actions stand in stark contrast to the New York City of today that we’ve built together,” he said in a statement.

Such hate crimes had come to light in January 2010, when there were attacks reported on Indian students in Australia. 21-year old Nitin Garg was stabbed to death in Melbourne in January 2010 while he was walking to his workplace. An Australian teenager was sentenced to 13 years in jail for the murder of Nitin Garg in December 2011.

The recent attacks have yet again raised a question mark on the security of Indians across the globe.

Its not just Australia, UK or Canada and its not just Indian students… The reality is that all over the world and relevant to all international students… a need exists for all to be better prepared. That’s it. Overseas Education continues to remain a significant value addition and with better preparedness… a lot can be avoided. Counsellors and Education Agents have also a responsibility here.

Jan 5 2012

Following Anuj Bidve killing: UK universities reassure Indian students…

London:  Universities UK, the representative body of varsities in the UK, today sought to reassure Indian and other international students that the country is “safe and tolerant” with low levels of violence and street crime.

Expressing sadness at the killing of Indian student Anuj Bidve in Salford on December 26 in an unprovoked attack, Professor Eric Thomas, president of Universities UK, said that such incidents were rare in the country.

“We at Universities UK would want to reassure current and future Indian students and their parents that this kind of incident is thankfully exceptionally rare. Compared to other countries, the UK remains a safe and tolerant country with low levels of violence and street crime,” he said.

Professor Thomas recalled that a recent survey by the British Council showed that only a very small proportion of students had ever experienced any kind of crime here.

He said: “On behalf of all universities in the United Kingdom, I want to express our deep sadness at the death of Anuj Bidve. This is a devastating tragedy for his family and friends and the death of a gifted individual in such a manner is a loss for us all”.

He added: “The British people have been appalled by this terrible event and Monday night’s vigil bore witness to national and local feeling. The police are investigating the murder and we are confident that they will bring the perpetrators to justice”.

The organisation said that UK universities took the safety and well-being of all students very seriously.

Institutions offer induction and orientation sessions for international students which include advice on safety.

The British Council also publishes an online personal safety guide for international students in the UK, it said.

With 133 members and offices in London, Cardiff and Edinburgh, Universities UK promotes the strength and success of UK universities nationally and internationally.

Read more at: http://www.ndtv.com/article/world/anuj-bidve-killing-uk-universities-reassure-indian-students-163709?pfrom=home-otherstories&cp

 

Jan 1 2012

2011 in review

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2011 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

The concert hall at the Sydney Opera House holds 2,700 people. This blog was viewed about 21,000 times in 2011. If it were a concert at Sydney Opera House, it would take about 8 sold-out performances for that many people to see it.

Click here to see the complete report.

Dec 28 2011

The unfortunate killing of an innocent Indian student in UK and the immediate media reaction in India gives a feeling of déjà vu !

déjà vu |ˌdāZHä ˈvo͞o|

noun

a feeling of having already experienced the present situation.

I read the reports of the killing of an innocent Indian student in UK with complete shock… As a counselor, we often advise students and parents as to how safe education overseas is, provided a student is also careful… However, in this particular case, it appears that there is nothing apparent that indicates that the student was at a “wrong place and at a wrong time”.

DNA and other media channels report…

The news of a Pune student’s senseless murder in Greater Manchester, United Kingdom (UK) on December 26, has shocked and stunned his family in Pune which is struggling to come to terms with the tragedy on multiple fronts.

According to reports from the UK, Anuj Bidve (23), an ex-student of the Sinhagad College of Engineering, was strolling along the footpath at Salford in Greater Manchester at 1.34 am on December 26, celebrating Christmas with his friends when two white boys got into a conversation with him and one of them allegedly shot him in the head and fled.

11282747.cms

I however find the news a little bothersome…. The media has jumped at pointing out that the killers are “white” and quotes the parents as stating that “We suspect Anuj is a victim of a racist attack.” I am 100% certain that this comment from the family must have been a result of the journalist asking the pointed question to the grieving family. What will the family state if it is being informed that the killers belong to a particular race. The investigation is in early stages at this state and hence the British Media ofcourse points this out in British defence…

On Tuesday, Ch Supt Kevin Mulligan said: “There is obviously speculation about why this young man was killed, but at this stage it would be wrong to rule anything out or comment on that speculation while the investigation is in its infancy.”

However, Times of India (who else!!!) point out…

The police have not ruled out racism as a motive for the killing.

By the time the investigation is completed and it is learnt otherwise, it does not matter… Public opinion is already influenced. Do a poll today and it will turn out that majority of the readers will assume that it is a hate-crime… This is the power of the media.

We will wait for the facts to emerge and what if it was a hate-crime indeed! Even if so, it doesn’t make all British as racist and this will not mean that every student going to UK to study will face the same conclusion…

I speak so with a feeling of déjà vu indeed. The Nitin Garg episode in Melbourne (two years ago) and the various media twists in 2009 to the various episodes of “mugging” instances in Victoria in Australia of that period should be studied closely by the British authorities when they address the repercussion. However there is one thing that is different… Indian TV is currently preoccupied with the Lokpal issue and Anna fast and then with the upcoming state-elections to play up the issue. Unlike in 2009 when they needed a story to feed the 24×7 TV machinery.