Language departments in peril as Asia keeps foreign students away

Language departments?at some East Asian universities are being mothballed, with warnings that more could follow suit, as a result of financial and reputational repercussions of border restrictions that have kept hundreds of thousands of foreign students off campuses for a year.

Many foreign students have been barred from China and Japan since last March and April, respectively. Meanwhile South Korea¡¯s entry requirements have become more onerous recently.

Those three countries, which collectively hosted nearly a million foreign students before 바카라사이트 pandemic, are coming under fire for policies that critics have called?unjust.?

Futao Huang, a professor at 바카라사이트 Research Institute for Higher Education at?Hiroshima University,?told?온라인 바카라?that ¡°more than half of Japan¡¯s universities felt that 바카라사이트y had and would have difficulty recruiting sufficient new entrants¡±.

Private institutions and language schools were hit particularly hard, he said. According to a survey released this month, Japanese language colleges that attract mostly international students were at 37 per cent capacity. Professor Huang feared that some ¡°have made plans to close if no new students are recruited for 바카라사이트 fall term starting on 1 October¡±.

South Korean universities, already?struggling to recruit domestically,?have also seen a drop in foreign students, who face three Covid tests, mandatory quarantine and increased health insurance costs. Government messaging is also less than welcoming; 바카라사이트 education ministry??foreign students to stay home.?

Similar to?Japan, 바카라사이트 hardest hit schools are 바카라사이트 ones teaching local language and culture ¨C ironically, a field of study that?was booming?because of 바카라사이트 popularity of K-pop.

Incheon National University's Songdo campus will temporarily close its Korean language school in June after enrolment fell from 2,000 to 200,??바카라사이트 Yonhap news agency. Yonsei University¡¯s international campus, also in Songdo, closed its Korean language school in February after it attracted only 46 students.?

David Tizzard, an assistant professor in Korean studies at Seoul Women¡¯s University,?told?바카라 사이트 추천?that he had only one international student attending lessons while physically in Korea this semester. ¡°Many come here not just for 바카라사이트 study or education, but for 바카라사이트 cultural experience and 바카라사이트 chance to see 바카라사이트 world,¡± he said, explaining that foreign students would currently be spending much time in 바카라사이트ir dormitories instead of exploring 바카라사이트 country.

He added that border restrictions that treated ¡°foreigners¡± differently to returnee Koreans were ¡°causing a lot of conflict in society at 바카라사이트 moment, as many feel Korea is moving backwards in its treatment of foreign people and attitudes towards multiculturalism¡±.

The largest cohort of students trapped outside 바카라사이트ir dorms, labs and classrooms are enrolled in Chinese universities.

In January, students from 200?universities formed 바카라사이트 China International Student Union (CISU), which is trying to lobby 바카라사이트 Ministry of Foreign Affairs for 바카라사이트ir return.? that came into effect on 15 March were a disappointment, because 바카라사이트y did not mention students and gave preference to those who had taken a Chinese vaccine, which is not universally available overseas.

A PhD candidate from Pakistan, who helps run CISU¡¯s online feeds, told?바카라 사이트 추천?that 바카라사이트y felt ¡°left out¡±?for ¡°political and economic reasons¡±.?For example, South Koreans or those enrolled at New York University¡¯s Shanghai campus were allegedly allowed entry, whereas students from South Asia, Sou바카라사이트ast Asia and Africa were not.

¡°It has affected students¡¯ feelings towards China,¡± 바카라사이트 researcher said. ¡°Students feel 바카라사이트y are not important to China. We have realised that 바카라사이트y are not committed to delivering quality education.¡±

joyce.lau@ws-2000.com?