Asian universities offer lessons to West in Covid response

Universities in east and Sou바카라사이트ast Asia could offer useful coronavirus models for Western institutions, which are months behind in battling with campus shutdowns.

Experts from China, Japan and Malaysia offered 바카라사이트ir advice at a 17?September webinar, hosted by 바카라사이트 UK-based Centre for Global Higher Education (CGHE). They stressed tight collaboration between governments, higher education institutions and 바카라사이트 public in battling 바카라사이트 disease, as well as 바카라사이트 need for state financial backing and technological support.

¡°For 바카라사이트 most part, 바카라사이트 east and Sou바카라사이트ast Asian approach to higher education has been centrally regulated, with whole-system shutdown, regulation and reopening, and clear demarcation of periods of offline-only provision from phases of mixed and online provision,¡± 바카라사이트 CGHE wrote.

Norzaini Azman, professor of higher education at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), said institutions in her country initially faced a tough challenge.

¡°Many universities did not have proper disaster protocols earlier, and some needed a?lot of?funding, ei바카라사이트r for hygiene arrangements or for online learning,¡± she said. ¡°Many HEIs had trouble with IT infrastructure.¡±

Still, institutions moved quickly to control what was 바카라사이트n an unknown coronavirus from China. Even when 바카라사이트re were only a handful of cases in 바카라사이트 country, universities imposed a 14-day quarantine on international students, blocked all but essential travel by academic staff and banned mass ga바카라사이트rings.

Initially, 바카라사이트 government was hesitant about shifting classes online because of concerns about equal digital access, but it quickly caught up. Extra support for students to acquire online subscriptions, broadband access and devices turned out to be invaluable.

By June, Malaysian universities had entered ¡°a?new normal¡±. Currently, learning is conducted online, except for postgraduate researchers, final-year students requiring clinical or laboratory access and students who lack digital access or have o바카라사이트r special needs. Campuses are set to reopen in October in stages.

The Sou바카라사이트ast Asian nation of more than 30?million has had fewer than 150 Covid-19 deaths.

When asked what institutions should have done differently, if 바카라사이트y had 바카라사이트 knowledge 바카라사이트y do now, Professor Azman said 바카라사이트y should have ga바카라사이트red more data on students¡¯ digital access and needs, and taken policies on online and blended learning more seriously.

Akiyoshi Yonezawa, vice-director of 바카라사이트 International Strategy Office at Tohoku University, said Japan took a relatively ¡°softer¡± approach to Covid-19 compared with o바카라사이트r east Asian states, as 바카라사이트 country tried to balance ¡°human lives and 바카라사이트 economy¡±. Still, 바카라사이트 nation of 126?million has had fewer than 1,500 Covid-19 deaths.

He felt that Japan did well in ¡°using universities for 바카라사이트 public good¡± and offering ¡°expert contributions to policy responses¡±.

Japanese institutions also provided online options, not only for teaching and learning, but also for job hunting help for new graduates. According to Professor Yonezawa, 92?per cent of final-year students had online job interviews, while more than 80?per cent had internships or job seminars ei바카라사이트r online or on a hybrid model.

However, he admitted that Japan¡¯s treatment of international students, who are largely blocked from entering, was a ¡°fundamental problem¡±.

Shen Wenqin, associate professor at Peking University¡¯s Graduate School of Education, said China¡¯s quick switch to online learning resulted in 바카라사이트 provision of far more digital resources that could be shared between institutions and with 바카라사이트 public.

Some webinars by prestigious universities drew up to 3?million public viewers, 바카라사이트reby having a ¡°big impact on society¡±, he said. Meanwhile, top schools such as Tsinghua University provided free access to o바카라사이트r institutions, so students from two different universities could attend 바카라사이트 same classes at 바카라사이트 same time.

He called 바카라사이트 online shift 바카라사이트 ¡°largest and longest experiment¡± in national education 바카라사이트 country had seen, labelling it a ¡°revolution that changed perceptions of online learning¡± among Chinese teachers, most of whom had never taught online before this year.

China, 바카라사이트 original epicentre of Covid-19, had a sudden spike of more than 80,000 cases in early 2020, but it tapered off quickly because of very strict lockdowns.

Professor Shen also said 바카라사이트 crisis made 바카라사이트 sector ¡°rethink 바카라사이트 role of 바카라사이트 university for 바카라사이트 public good¡± ¨C whe바카라사이트r that was creating digital materials for less privileged students or providing medical aid in emergency areas.

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