Ninth Level Ireland

“Abstract: The internationalization of higher education has decisively moved from being a scholarly tradition of mobility across borders to an almost purely economic concern. This is a trend that is most pronounced in countries such as England, Australia and the US in particular, who have become the dominant exporters of the higher education business or, as Allan Luke suggests, the global ‘edubusiness’ (Luke 2010). Alongside the growth of this edubusiness has developed a growing literature theorizing the implications of the shift to the student as consumer model of higher education (e.g. Kuo 2007; Lambert et al. 2007; Maringe 2011). For those of us working in international classrooms, particularly in the developed countries that are the main exporters of higher education globally, our relationships with international students are formed against a backdrop of an increasingly predominant consumerist model of higher education …” (more)

[Coate, K; Rathnayake, G (2013) 'An ethical commitment: responsibility, cosmopolitanism and care in the internationalised university' In: International Students Negotiating Higher Education. Abingdon : Routledge.]

“A video urging new international students to steer clear of Britain’s binge-drinking culture will be shown at Cambridge University this week. The £3,000 video, which was commissioned by the Cambridge Colleges Senior Tutors Committee, aims to reassure students that ‘drinking culture is not compulsory’ …” (more)

[Ben Bryant, Daily Telegraph, 4 October]

“Deputy Jonathan O’Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of foreign students that Educate Ireland has attracted to third level institutions here in the 2011/12 academic year. [41360/12]

“Minister for Education and Skills (Deputy Ruairí Quinn):Enterprise Ireland undertake out an annual review of international students in higher education in Ireland. The results of the most recent survey, which covers the 2011/2012 academic year, are being finalised. The initial figures provided by Enterprise Ireland indicate that there were around 32,000 international students registered in public and private Irish higher education institutions in Ireland. Of these, 7,000 were offshore or studying through distance education (i.e. not in Ireland).”

Dáil Éireann Written Answers, 2 October

“More than two thirds of Britons want to see a limit imposed on the number of foreign students coming to the country, a survey has found. Study is the most common reason for people coming to the UK for more than a year …” (more)

[Belfast Telegraph, 17 September]

“In 2010, more than 4.1 million tertiary students were enrolled outside their country of citizenship. Luxembourg, Australia, the United Kingdom, Austria, Switzerland and New Zealand have, in descending order, the highest percentages of international students among their tertiary enrolments …” (more)

[University World News, 16 September]

“The Economist this week highlights the picking on foreign students in the UK as a case of xenophobic populism ahead of the recent cabinet reshuffle. Immigrants once again seem to be the political football and the ones to blame …” (more)

[The Irish Immigration Blog, 12 September]

“Trinity College Dublin plans to double the number of non-EU students attending the university as part of a strategy to build up its reputation abroad …” (more)

[Eoin Burke-Kennedy, Irish Times, 11 September]

“Two-thirds of universities are admitting foreign students with a poor grasp of English, it emerged today, sparking fresh fears over a decline in degree standards …” (more)

[Graeme Paton, Daily Telegraph, 24 August]

“Faced with the prospect of £9k fees, a record number of school leavers have chosen to go to a foreign university in the hope of getting a cheaper education. I decided to go to a foreign college before the fee hike was even on the agenda, enrolling at Trinity College, Dublin in September 2008 …” (more)

[Kate Palmer, Guardian, 24 August]

“Immigration is always a thorny subject and it often leads to very polarised opinions. In the area of research the international flow of people is a necessary condition for excellence …” (more)

[Conor O'Carroll, Irish Times, 23 August]

“… Here’s something I hadn’t known. The issue of how our educational institutions engage with the increasing costs of education in other EU countries, and in particular the UK has been mentioned here before …” (more)

[The Cedar Lounge Revolution, 22 August]

“Children of non-EU nationals faced with huge bills for third-level education will be forced to turn down and defer college places when the CAO first-round offers come out on Monday …” (more)

[Gráinne Faller, Irish Times, 17 August]

“A recent Times Higher Education story on the use of agents by UK universities in international student recruitment noted …” (more)

[Registrarism, 6 August]

“By now, Emilia Gheorghe, a second-year Romanian student at Hull University, should be working at an international summer school, developing children’s English language skills and arranging activities. It was a job that could have boosted her chances of getting a place on the Teach First scheme for high-flying graduates …” (more)

[Harriet Swain, Guardian, 2 August]

“Irish medical schools are becoming increasingly dependent on fees paid by non-EU students, despite a warning from the Medical Council almost five years ago that the funding of medical education was over-reliant on these students, according to Professor William Powderly, Dean of Medicine at UCD …” (more)

[Tim Barnwell, Irish Medical News, 6 July]

“Amid fierce debate between the government and universities over the rights and wrongs of tougher student visa requirements, international students themselves have rarely had their voices heard. But if an artwork by a South Korean student at the Royal College of Art is anything to go by, they are not feeling loved …” (more)

[David Matthews, Times Higher Education, 5 July]

“Ministers have included overseas students in the government’s net migration count because they are more interested in playing the numbers game than with long-term migration, a leading thinktank has claimed …” (more)

[Alan Travis, Guardian, 14 May]

“More and more countries are striving to secure a bigger share of the international student market. But while the market is attractive and growing, it is also ‘very competitive, highly risk-prone and not only the only growth area in higher education – far from it’, said Richard Yelland, head of the policy advice and administrative division of the OECD …” (more)

[Karen MacGregor, University World News, 6 May]

“The use of commission-based international recruitment agents is the accepted norm in Australia and the UK while it continues to create waves among American higher education institutions, as evident from a recent meeting of National Association for College Admission Counseling …” (more)

[Rahul Choudaha, University World News, 18 March]

“Scottish colleges are facing a ban on the recruitment of foreign students after failing tough new immigration rules. The Herald has learned that at least six publicly funded colleges are seeking urgent talks with the Home Office after they were stripped of their highly trusted sponsor status following inquiries by the UK Border Agency …” (more)

[Andrew Denholm, Herald Scotland, 15 March]