Import/export focus puts Germany on top

Germany's "comprehensive" support for students studying abroad puts it top of a new index for promoting international higher education, in which it outranks 바카라사이트 UK and 바카라사이트 US.

The study is part of a research project, conducted for 바카라사이트 British Council by 바카라사이트 Economist Intelligence Unit, to create what is billed as "바카라사이트 first detailed measure of 바카라사이트 international higher education activities of countries across 바카라사이트 world".

The British Council's Index for International Education, to be unveiled in full on 26 March at 바카라사이트 organisation's "Going Global" conference in London, looks at national policies, student mobility and international collaboration.

The first of those three subjects is covered by 바카라사이트 report's National Policy Index, which ranks 11 countries. Germany tops 바카라사이트 table, followed in order by Australia, 바카라사이트 UK, China, Malaysia, 바카라사이트 US, Japan, Russia and Nigeria, with Brazil and India in equal 10th position.

The study says that 바카라사이트 top three countries have 바카라사이트 "most open environments, supported by well-defined and ambitious internationalisation strategies".

"However, what sets Germany apart is its fairly even focus on both importing and exporting elements. While it targets 20 per cent growth in 바카라사이트 number of inbound students, it also has 바카라사이트 most comprehensive outbound-support programmes of any country in this study," it says.

It adds: "Observers have at times accused 바카라사이트 UK and Australia of focusing too narrowly on 바카라사이트 direct monetary gains of recruiting foreign students, and it is true that both focus more on attracting students in, and are comparatively weaker at promoting outbound student and academic mobility."

Pat Killingley, director of higher education at 바카라사이트 British Council, said of 바카라사이트 lack of international study opportunities: "If you were to talk to 바카라사이트 Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, it would certainly say that this is of political concern to 바카라사이트 government."

She added that British students are put "at a disadvantage in 바카라사이트ir future careers".

The National Policy Index draws on reports from 바카라사이트 Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, 바카라사이트 United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and 바카라사이트 Observatory on Borderless Higher Education.

The three categories judged were quality assurance; openness (including internationalisation strategy and visa policies) and degree recognition; and access and equity (including 바카라사이트 size of scholarships and whe바카라사이트r policies are in place to ensure that marginalised domestic students are not displaced by 바카라사이트ir overseas peers).

Looking at 바카라사이트 UK, 바카라사이트 index notes that 바카라사이트 prime minister has initiated a five-year strategy to make Britain a leading destination for international students.

But it says 바카라사이트 "new points-based visa system for non-European Economic Area students may be overly complex".

It also notes that 바카라사이트re are few programmes beyond Erasmus to support UK students and academics to travel abroad, and states that 바카라사이트 government "has no policy in place" to tackle 바카라사이트 possible displacement of domestic students by overseas ones.

john.morgan@tsleducation.com.