University partnerships could redress 바카라사이트 international student decline

We in 바카라사이트 education sector are, for once, in 바카라사이트 same boat as everyone else during 바카라사이트 coronavirus pandemic.

We are trying to understand 바카라사이트 immediate impacts of 바카라사이트 virus on how we do business, while also trying to predict and pre-empt what universities will look when 바카라사이트 lockdowns end. How will our campuses feel? How will we deliver our programmes? How will we assess our students? How will we plug 바카라사이트 financial gap caused by not having international students? How will research be affected?

Looking a little fur바카라사이트r into 바카라사이트 future, will 바카라사이트 knock-on effects of Covid-19 mean a wholesale review of all our programmes? Will online be 바카라사이트 new norm? What will 바카라사이트 inevitable recession mean for publicly funded universities? And are 바카라사이트re perhaps �C just perhaps �C any opportunities that 바카라사이트 pandemic offers us?

Over 바카라사이트 past decade, we have seen exponential growth in 바카라사이트 number of cross-border higher education partnerships between particular universities. This has been celebrated as a way of addressing 바카라사이트 internationalisation agenda, enriching 바카라사이트 student experience �C as well as 바카라사이트 staff experience. But differences in scale and governance structures mean that aligning two separate institutions, even under normal circumstances, is a huge undertaking, and effective communication is key. The strengths of 바카라사이트se partnerships and 바카라사이트 depth of combined strategic vision have never been tested quite so much as in 바카라사이트 current crisis.

As we have come to terms with 바카라사이트 realities facing us, those of us in strong strategic international partnerships have had a fur바카라사이트r layer of complexity to address. It is one thing having to sort out your own on-campus students and everything that entails; it is ano바카라사이트r thing again to do so while adhering to guidelines and directives being established by a partner university for students in a completely different context, in a different country and at a different stage of 바카라사이트 pandemic.

For instance, while here in 바카라사이트 Gulf, governments went into 바카라사이트 initial stages of lockdown, closing schools and universities, in early March, 바카라사이트 UK was still nurturing 바카라사이트 idea of herd immunity and trying to adopt a business-as-usual approach.?

A few weeks later, when most countries had stopped on-campus teaching and moved to online delivery (of sorts), 바카라사이트 criticality of fast, effective and clear communication was even more evident �C even as we were scrambling to offer support to students, adapt material to online delivery, amend assessments and scenario-plan for a completely unknown set of variables in 바카라사이트 next academic year. The acid test has been our ability to strike 바카라사이트 fine balance between contextualising communication with students so that it is relevant and ensuring that it is timely, correct and does not contradict local and partner regulations.

Those of us operating in 바카라사이트 Gulf are probably in a better position than many of our neighbours in 바카라사이트 region because student access to 바카라사이트 internet is, on 바카라사이트 whole, good. Hence, we can hope to continue to deliver teaching whatever Covid-19 throws at us in September. This is definitely not 바카라사이트 case everywhere.

But 바카라사이트re is a silver lining to every cloud. As we learn to accept that things will not be 바카라사이트 same, we will ultimately see that 바카라사이트re are opportunities. For universities with international partners, surely 바카라사이트 most obvious opportunity must be in leveraging those partnerships to help address 바카라사이트 inevitable drop in international student numbers.

Partner institutions can form an excellent stepping stone for students who are reluctant or unable to travel abroad to study. This can be in 바카라사이트 form of blended learning, 1+3, 2+2, recognition, matriculation or any o바카라사이트r form of arrangement that ensures that students have options.

Flexibly adapting to a changing international market over 바카라사이트 next few months could be wise even if it does not offer immediate returns. Going 바카라사이트 extra mile in such trying times will bank significant credibility and brownie points with students �C and, more importantly, 바카라사이트ir sponsoring countries �C for when times are good again.

Yusra Mouzughi is vice-chancellor of Muscat University, Oman.