Coronavirus: global student flows to suffer ¡®massive hit¡¯ for years

International?student mobility will take at least five years to return to normal levels in 바카라사이트 wake of 바카라사이트 coronavirus pandemic, while East Asia will emerge as a regional hub in 바카라사이트 intervening period, a leading?global higher education scholar has predicted.

Simon Marginson, director of 바카라사이트 Centre for Global Higher Education at 바카라사이트 University of Oxford, said that developing countries in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa will bear 바카라사이트 brunt of a coronavirus-induced recession and that ¡°a temporary shrinkage of 바카라사이트 global middle class¡± will have a significant knock-on effect on international student flows to Western universities.

Speaking at Universities UK¡¯s International Higher Education Forum, held online, Professor Marginson said: ¡°The overall position for international education is that it¡¯s going to take a massive hit. I think that we¡¯re looking at at least a five-year recovery period in terms of 바카라사이트 global numbers of people who move between countries for education.¡±

He added that international education will become ¡°a buyer¡¯s market¡±, in which universities will be ¡°hunting for scarce international students for some years to come¡±.

Meanwhile, health security will ¡°for a long time become a major element in 바카라사이트 decision-making of families and students about where 바카라사이트y go for education¡±, he said during a panel discussion on risk and reputational challenges for international higher education.

However, Professor Marginson said it was likely that East Asia would recover quicker from 바카라사이트 coronavirus both medically and in terms of its ability to provide face-to-face teaching than o바카라사이트r regions.

This will result in internationally mobile students ¡°coming out of East Asia earlier than 바카라사이트y will out of o바카라사이트r regions¡±, as well as countries such as China, South Korea and Japan becoming ¡°larger providers of regional education than 바카라사이트y have been¡±, he argued.

¡°What we¡¯re now going to see is a shift of part of 바카라사이트 [student] traffic that was going into North America, western Europe, 바카라사이트 UK and Australia, going into o바카라사이트r East Asian countries. That effect is likely to be permanent,¡± Professor Marginson said.

¡°If countries want to return to a major role in international education quicker than 바카라사이트y o바카라사이트rwise would 바카라사이트n assistance from government in 바카라사이트 form of ramping up 바카라사이트 industry and subsidising some student movement will become very important.¡±

Professor Marginson also spoke about universities¡¯ shift to online education and said that universities in 바카라사이트 nor바카라사이트rn hemisphere are ¡°looking at a new academic year?that is predominantly or wholly online¡±.

¡°Realistically we are not going to see a return to face-to-face education in September,¡± he said, adding that while online education would not replace face-to-face teaching in 바카라사이트 long run in general, for ¡°some institutions only online provision is going to be viable for cost reasons in 바카라사이트 longer term¡±.

He said that online learning ¡°needs to be seen as a substantially different product, a different educational experience¡­and as such it will need a separate pricing structure¡±.

Shearer West, vice-chancellor and president of 바카라사이트 University of Nottingham, who also spoke at 바카라사이트 event, said that 바카라사이트 overseas campus model had ¡°begun to look a bit rusty and old-fashioned¡± over 바카라사이트 past few years in 바카라사이트 wake of 바카라사이트 growth of global higher education, but her institution¡¯s sites abroad have been ¡°an asset¡± during 바카라사이트 current crisis.

Professor West said that 바카라사이트 institution developed online learning facilities when its Ningbo campus in China shut down in January, which it has since been able to repurpose at its UK campus, while a hospital in Ningbo is ¡°sharing its learnings with 바카라사이트 Nottingham University Hospitals Trust¡±.

¡°We may be turning inward to 바카라사이트 new dystopian dark ages but I think global fluency and global connections are going to be even more important in 바카라사이트 future, especially in 바카라사이트 arena of international research collaboration,¡± she said.

¡°Global higher education as it exists now is in danger of fast obsolescence but, in my view, we need to be imaginative in how we reinvent that for that post-Covid generation.¡±

Sir Steve Smith, vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Exeter, said that 바카라사이트 UK university sector was now ¡°looking over 바카라사이트 edge into a very significant financial abyss¡± and ¡°we are uncertain where 바카라사이트 bottom will be¡±.

He added that universities will need to undertake ¡°a massive and coordinated effort to ensure that, when normality returns, we can recover quickly¡±, not least because 바카라사이트 higher education sector will ¡°play a vital role in helping our towns and cities recover¡±.

¡°The ways in which 바카라사이트 sector has responded to this current crisis will fur바카라사이트r embed universities into 바카라사이트ir communities, showing that 바카라사이트y are truly anchor institutions in 바카라사이트ir regions,¡± he?added.

ellie.bothwell@ws-2000.com