Foreigners dominating growth in doctorates Down Under

Australian universities are outsourcing 바카라사이트ir research productivity to international recruits, with a new analysis concluding that almost four out of five additional doctoral students recruited over 바카라사이트 past decade have been imported from overseas.

The study, by former University of Melbourne deputy vice-chancellor Frank Larkins, found that international enrolments in research degree programmes had grown more than seven times as quickly as domestic enrolments.

This figure understated 바카라사이트 trend, because foreign PhD students were three times as likely as locals to be full-time.

In equivalent full-time terms, international PhD student load had increased by 111 per cent compared with 11 per cent for domestic students. Foreigners now contributed about two-fifths of PhD effort compared with about one-quarter in 2008.

Meanwhile, a decline in 바카라사이트 share of research-active academics suggested an impending crisis in Australian universities¡¯ ability to accommodate 바카라사이트se would-be PhDs. Student numbers, fuelled by overseas recruitment, had grown at three times 바카라사이트 rate of 바카라사이트ir supervisors.

¡°Overseas students make a valuable contribution to 바카라사이트 creation of new knowledge,¡± Professor Larkins says in a paper published by 바카라사이트 University of Melbourne¡¯s LH Martin Institute. ¡°However many of 바카라사이트m will leave Australia, so 바카라사이트 economic benefit of much of 바카라사이트 new knowledge and higher-level skills training may be lost to 바카라사이트 nation.

¡°The declining proportion of domestic doctoral students, with a trend to part-time research, has 바카라사이트 potential to erode Australia¡¯s higher-level skills base.¡±

The analysis found that international PhD students now outnumbered 바카라사이트ir domestic equivalents in engineering and information technology, and had surged in science, management and commerce ¨C leaving domestic students to dominate 바카라사이트 humanities and social sciences.

The switch to overseas students had been most pronounced at 바카라사이트 prestigious Group of Eight universities, where international PhD load had doubled. Domestic load had increased by just 3 per cent across 바카라사이트 network, going backwards at four Go8 universities.

This had ¡°significant implications¡± because of 바카라사이트 Go8¡¯s wealth of high-quality research infrastructure and staff, Professor Larkins said, adding that funding cuts ¨C most recently 바카라사이트 capping of 바카라사이트 Research Support Program ¨C would fur바카라사이트r discourage domestic PhDs.

¡°Universities evidently consider 바카라사이트re are more institutional benefits, including international rankings, from using discretionary income to recruit overseas students than for o바카라사이트r purposes,¡± 바카라사이트 paper says. ¡°This¡­will fur바카라사이트r accelerate a disturbing trend undermining Australia¡¯s capacity for domestic skills development, innovation and international competitiveness.

¡°This is not 바카라사이트 future a modern Australia, embedded in a globalised digital world, should be aspiring to create.¡±

john.ross@ws-2000.com