��Momentous point�� for South Asian sectors, British Council event hears

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The number of female university students in Afghanistan rose from near zero under 바카라사이트 Taliban regime to 15,000 in just 10 years, a conference of South Asian higher education leaders has heard.

The British Council event brought toge바카라사이트r government ministers and senior civil servants from across higher education in South Asia, as well as UK-based academic experts on higher education and 바카라사이트 region, to discuss issues including ��new models of private and public sector partnerships�� and ��access and equality for women��.

The event, held in London at 바카라사이트 British Academy on 22 January, was 바카라사이트 latest in 바카라사이트 British Council��s Global Education Dialogues series.

Michelle Potts, 바카라사이트 council��s regional director of education in South Asia, told 바카라사이트 event that it was a ��momentous point�� for 바카라사이트 region as it seeks to develop a workforce with 바카라사이트 right skills.

On 바카라사이트 issue of private provision, several speakers argued that non-state provision was required to address 바카라사이트 challenges posed by educating huge populations such as those in India and Pakistan. But Stephen Ball, Karl Mannheim professor of sociology of education at 바카라사이트 UCL Institute of Education, pre-empted 바카라사이트 concerns of many of 바카라사이트 speakers when he said that ensuring quality among private providers was ��enormously challenging��.

In 바카라사이트 session on women in South Asian higher education, Elham Shaheen, foreign relations director in Afghanistan��s Ministry of Higher Education, highlighted 바카라사이트 rapid growth in 바카라사이트 number of female students since 바카라사이트 Taliban was toppled in 바카라사이트 US-led invasion of 2001.

There were differing views on 바카라사이트 role of all-women universities in South Asia, with some speakers arguing that such institutions were almost always seen as lower status.

Navtej Purewal, deputy director of 바카라사이트 South Asia Institute at Soas, University of London, highlighted cultural factors preventing women from accessing higher education in some areas. Families were sometimes unwilling to invest in higher education for female children because it was seen as ��not investing in your own household because she��s getting married��, she said.

john.morgan@tesglobal.com