Page 72 - EducationWorld June 2020

International News

that as many as 30,000 positions are at stake. “Our sector
is facing an unprecedented crisis,” it says.

GLOBAL
Shifting country preferences

WIDE VARIATION IN DIFFERENT COUNTRIES’
success in tackling Covid-19 could lead to major
A winners and losers in the coming battle to recruit
international students, it has been predicted. Perceptions
that some nations have struggled to contain the outbreak
could be the difference between university sectors losing
millions or billions of dollars, according to calculations by
Times Higher Education.
Dire predictions about the losses that some universities
could sustain were amplified in May after a report suggest-
ed that the pandemic could result in a drop in new overseas India & China students in the US: Covid crisis management fears
enrolments at UK universities of almost 100,000 students,
a fall of close to 50 percent. universities will help, but still we might see some shifts, and
But global education experts familiar with how inter- a 10 percent shift is a big amount of money.”
national student mobility has changed over the past two Simon Marginson, professor of higher education at the
decades suggest that such a dramatic downturn in recruit- University of Oxford, told THE that “Covid-19 and the tardy
ment might not necessarily be replicated everywhere. Jamil and inadequate responses, especially of the US and the UK
Salmi, former tertiary education coordinator for the World governments”, are factors affecting Chinese decision-mak-
Bank, told THE that there’s plenty of evidence from recent ing on Western education. “Most of the previous demand
years of students shifting their overseas study preferences. for English-language country education will restore, but
Examples include the number of Indians studying in there will have been an uplift in the demand for China, Ja-
Australia almost halving from 2010 to 2012 after a number pan, Korea and also — if it permits more entry — Taiwan.”
of racist attacks in the country and the effect on recruit-
ment of the UK’s (now reversed) decision in 2012 to end HONG KONG
post-study work visas. “I think that international student Covid research grants
flows are very reactive to what happens,” says Salmi, adding
that the main factors influencing decisions about where to HONG KONG’S TWO MEDICAL SCHOOLS,
study abroad are a country’s visa regime, financial costs and which have been important critical voices in global
general considerations such as safety. public health policy, have received significant gov-
Potential evidence that students might consider coun- ernment support for 26 studies related to Covid-19. The
tries’ handling of the Covid-19 crisis can be found in recent Health and Medical Research Fund-approved HK$111 mil-
surveys of prospective students in key nations such as India lion (Rs.108 crore) for the University of Hong Kong Li Ka
and China. For instance, British Council survey data suggest Shing Faculty of Medicine (HKU Med) and the Chinese Uni-
that almost 80 percent of Chinese and about two-thirds of versity of Hong Kong’s Faculty of Medicine (CU Medicine).
Indians planning to study abroad are very concerned about The funds are intended for use over the next two years,
health and well-being in host nations. according to a government release. The research will in-
The same surveys highlight that between 20-30 per- clude the development of vaccine and antiviral candidates,
cent of Indian and Chinese students who had applied for a as well as investigations into how the city has largely con-
course saying they have cancelled or postponed their plans trolled the virus. As of April 29, Hong Kong recorded no
or are likely to do so. A further 40 percent in China and 14 new infections for four consecutive days and is likely to
percent in India are undecided. reopen some schools soon.
Dr. Salmi says international students might well scru- “Riding on previous research experience and Hong
tinise different countries’ handling of the coronavirus cri- Kong’s world-class expertise in medical research, the com-
sis, and even if English-speaking nations remained their missioned research studies on Covid-19 should be able to
favoured destinations, they might choose to switch where in generate timely scientific knowledge and evidence in bat-
the Anglosphere they study. “You still have Australia, New tling the epidemic,” says Sophia Chan, secretary for food
Zealand and Canada that have handled (the crisis) much and health and a former assistant dean at HKU Med. The
better than the UK and the US, and these are also English- government says it welcomes Covid-19 research proposals
speaking countries,” he says. “The prestige of UK and US from other universities as well.

72 EDUCATIONWORLD JUNE 2020