China Moves Ahead on Plan to Improve Higher Education
China is pursuing an aggressive plan to improve the quality of its teaching and research. Its Ministry of Education recently announced a three-year plan to revamp undergraduate education. The strategy redirects more faculty time to undergraduate instruction, toughens graduation requirements, and seeks to bring 10,000 national-level courses and 10,000 provincial-level courses to “top quality” by 2021. Meanwhile, the government last week staged a meeting of more than 40 Nobel laureates in Shanghai. The message behind the forum: While some American universities may be backing away from Sino-American partnerships amid pressure from the Trump administration, China is enthusiastic about global scientific collaboration.
Saudi Arabia Will Allow Foreign Branch Campuses
Saudi Arabia will allow foreign universities to operate branch campuses in the country. The plan will begin with three universities, although government officials did not name the institutions. Permitting branch campuses to operate is part of a move to improve the quality of higher education at home. Previously, the oil-rich country sought to increase educational attainment among its citizens by sending tens of thousands of college students to study overseas on hefty government scholarships. There are currently 45,000 Saudi students in the United States, making the kingdom the fourth-largest source of international students on American campuses.
International Recruitment Company Lays Off Staffers
Navitas, an Australia-based global education company, has laid off an undisclosed number of its American staff members. A spokeswoman would not confirm the number of employees who had been laid off nor make Brian Stevenson, president and chief executive of Navitas North America, available for an interview. Navitas works with nine American colleges in what’s called a pathways model, in which private companies team up with colleges to recruit international students who might not otherwise meet direct admissions requirements, and to put them through a bridge program to bring them up to speed. In a written statement, Stevenson said: “Navitas is undertaking a strategic realignment of our U.S. operations in order to position our partnerships for long-term success and to ensure we are well placed to meet the changing demands of international students looking to study in America.”
Charges of Russian Influence on Campus
Has an American college been giving Russia an overly friendly platform? Critics say the Carmel Institute of Russian Culture and History at American University, in Washington, D.C., presents a rosy, one-sided version of Russia by focusing on its arts and history at a time of aggression in Ukraine and election meddling abroad. Although the eight-year-old program is supported by an American philanthropist, it was hatched in conjunction with Russia’s then ambassador to the United States, reports The New York Times, raising worries that it is another vehicle for spreading Russian influence. Supporters counter that the program, which regularly buses in students from six nearby colleges for events, deliberately steers clear of current political debates and instead seeks to promote dialogue and cultural appreciation.