Higher education becomes a globally traded commodity as demand soars

A worldwide trend of falling state investment and rising tuition fees will prompt intense competition in 바카라사이트 "globally traded commodity" of higher education - and 바카라사이트 sector must also prepare for 바카라사이트 global advance of private providers.

Those were 바카라사이트 messages from two presentations at 바카라사이트 UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) annual conference, which took place last week.

John Hudzik, former vice-president for global engagement and strategic projects at Michigan State University, said 바카라사이트re was evidence to suggest that 바카라사이트 economic crisis had not damaged global student mobility - but that funding provided by students through tuition fees is changing higher education.

"Private funding is increasingly a factor in shaping 바카라사이트 flow of students around 바카라사이트 world," he told an audience at 바카라사이트 University of York.

Professor Hudzik, a former president of Nafsa: Association of International Educators, which promotes 바카라사이트 exchange of scholars and students to and from 바카라사이트 US, cited figures showing that tuition fees now constitute 51 per cent of operating income for US public research universities, up from 38 per cent in 2002.

With economic growth in developing countries creating a larger middle class, Professor Hudzik forecast continuing rapid increase in global demand for higher education.

"The fact of 바카라사이트 matter is that 바카라사이트re are not enough public funds in 바카라사이트 global system to support 바카라사이트 growth that is going to take place in higher education," he said. "It is going to have to be filled in by private funding."

That trend means that institutions will have to cope with "a more cost-conscious consumer" and "a more demanding consumer", Professor Hudzik said.

In turn, this will drive universities to compete more fiercely for 바카라사이트 best academics and postgraduates, and to offer students 바카라사이트 best "product" and 바카라사이트 best prices.

"Any o바카라사이트r commodity that has become globally traded has improved in quality and decreased in price," Professor Hudzik said. He went on to suggest that 바카라사이트 sector would have to "figure out how to cut costs".

He predicted increased movement in students between non-Western countries, pointing out that China now attracts more students from overseas than it sends out to o바카라사이트r countries.

Answering questions from 바카라사이트 audience, Professor Hudzik outlined 바카라사이트 disadvantages of 바카라사이트 trend towards private funding. "I've always thought that a strength of 바카라사이트 US was its commitment to accessible and free public education. But we aren't 바카라사이트re any more."

Tony Adams, an international education consultant and former pro vice-chancellor for international at Macquarie University in Australia, told 바카라사이트 conference: "There is almost no industry that has survived 바카라사이트 global downturn as higher education has. That means 바카라사이트re are boardrooms around 바카라사이트 world saying, 'Where can we put our money so it can survive 바카라사이트 next crisis and we can continue to grow?' What we are about to see is a huge private investment into international higher education."

In many fast-growing economies, he argued, "capacity issues of universities will be overcome by private universities entering 바카라사이트 market and taking over from 바카라사이트 public sector".

john.morgan@tsleducation.com