Page 55 - EW-June-2025

“If universities, whether consciously or unconsciously,
project that they favour white over black persons, Afri-
can students might feel alienated and isolated on campus.
They may leave Japan with little desire to stay connected,
counteracting the nation’s diplomatic efforts,” write the re-
searchers, adding that the same issues may apply to South
Asian and other non-white students.

INDIA
Illinois Tech Mumbai

ILLINOIS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY (Illi-
nois Tech) is set to establish a campus in Mum-
bai, making it the first US higher ed institution to
receive approval to operate in India. The Chicago-based
institute announced plans to inaugurate its new campus in Foreign students in Australia: MD111 cap
autumn 2026 to offer undergraduate and graduate degrees
in computer science, engineering and business. While sev- seas student recruitment. University of Technology Sydney
eral British and Australian institutions have already estab- (UTS) vice chancellor Andrew Parfitt says the new regime,
lished campuses in India, US institutions have been more known as ministerial direction 111 (MD111), has torpedoed
cautious. his hopes of reviving the institution’s pre-Covid foreign stu-
Illinois Tech says plans have been in the works for over dents admissions. The government introduced MD111 amid
two years and the institution is the first from any country widespread dissatisfaction with the previous arrangement,
to receive approval from India’s University Grants Commis- ministerial direction 107, after opposition parties blocked
sion (UGC) to set up in Mumbai. Several other universities legislation that would have capped overseas student num-
have announced plans to open branch campuses in the city, bers at each institution.
including the University of Western Australia and UK’s Uni- MD111 requires immigration officials to delay processing
versity of York, but both are yet to receive UGC approval. of visas for students enrolled with institutions that have
According to an Illinois Tech spokesperson, the number reached 80 percent of the quota assigned under last year’s
of Indian graduate students enrolling in the university has now defunct legislation. “We’ve hit our 80 percent and it
risen by 73 percent over the past five years. “Our new Mum- looks like processing is slower,” says Parfitt. “I think we’ll
bai campus will respond to this extraordinary demand by meet the budget number this year, but we won’t get (any)
delivering globally recognised, US accredited degrees in a growth.” Parfitt says every international student brings in
format that is highly accessible, affordable, and locally con- revenue of about A$35,000 (Rs.19.3 lakh), and the differ-
textualised,” says Mallik Sundharam, vice president for en- ence between a 25 percent and 30 percent overseas share
rollment management and student affairs at Illinois Tech. of enrolments equates to A$70 million (Rs.392 crore) of
Meanwhile in the US, President Donald Trump’s admin- institutional income.
istration has begun terminating the visas of some interna- UTS says its indicative cap of 4,800 new overseas stu-
tional students, generating concern about the declining dents this year would have pegged its share of international
popularity of the US as a higher ed destination. The number enrolments at around 22 percent, up from 20 percent in
of Indians granted visas to study in the US fell by 49 percent 2024 but well below earlier figures. Foreign students com-
in 2024, partially because of visa-processing challenges. prised 25 percent of the university’s enrolment load in 2023
American willingness to establish branch campuses and around 33 percent before the pandemic, according to
overseas is being interpreted as a way to shore up universi- Education Department data.
ties’ income streams and protect against sudden changes in Universities want the government to replace MD111 or
US immigration policies that impact incoming international revise thresholds used for slowing down visa processing.
student numbers. But in an interview with The Australian, education minister
Jason Clare offered no indications of change. “Direction
AUSTRALIA 111, as well as the increase in the visa fees of students, has
Foreign students clampdown helped us to reduce student visa applications by about 30
percent this year, so that’s working,” says Clare.
AUSTRALIAN UNIVERSITIES ARE SADDLED
with de facto international enrolment caps, after
Canberra signalled its intention to maintain a visa (Excerpted and adapted from The Economist and Times
processing regime that imposes nebulous limits on over- Higher Education)

JUNE 2025 EDUCATIONWORLD 55