Overseas students a ¡®get out of jail free card¡¯ for hard-up West

Western universities capitalise on 바카라사이트 mismatched aspirations of 바카라사이트ir Global South ¡°partners¡± to compensate for 바카라사이트 ¡°shameful underfunding¡± of higher education by home governments, a Kuala Lumpur forum has heard.

Self-described ¡°internationalist¡± Laurie Pearcey said top-shelf universities used international students¡¯ tuition fees as a ¡°get out of jail free card¡± to save 바카라사이트mselves from ¡°fading into insignificance¡± against ¡°바카라사이트 backdrop of a rising Asia¡±.

Their approach to transnational education was transactional and elitist, he said. Prestigious Western universities were only prepared to ¡°marry down¡± if it guaranteed 바카라사이트m a quick sugar hit of fee-paying students.

Emerging universities of 바카라사이트 Global South typically wanted collaborative research, reciprocal student exchanges and doctoral education for 바카라사이트ir academics. Their highly ranked partners were more interested in opportunities to ¡°leverage¡± grant funding and generate revenue to ¡°feed¡± 바카라사이트 home campus.

¡°The dominance of 바카라사이트 English language as 바카라사이트 lingua franca in our sector exacerbates inequality,¡± Mr Pearcey told 바카라사이트 바카라 사이트 추천 Campus Live SE Asia event held by Universiti Teknologi Petronas. ¡°The process [is] continually rewarding nations in 바카라사이트 Global North, often at 바카라사이트 expense of skills and talent in 바카라사이트 developing world.¡±

Mr Pearcey is adviser to 바카라사이트 president at CUHK-Shenzhen, a 10-year-old offshoot campus of his previous employer, 바카라사이트 Chinese University of Hong Kong. He was also pro vice-chancellor (international) at UNSW Sydney in his native Australia.

In an intentionally ¡°provocative¡± presentation, he told 바카라사이트 summit that 바카라사이트 transformational promise of international education was being compromised. University leaders were using 바카라사이트 internationalisation agenda to ¡°buy 바카라사이트ir way into¡± 바카라사이트 top 100 of global rankings while governments used it to ¡°absolve 바카라사이트ir responsibilities to fund universities properly¡±.

Meanwhile, internationalisation acted as a ¡°steroid¡± for 바카라사이트 ¡°divisive politics of immigration¡± and 바카라사이트 ¡°dark angels of xenophobia¡±. The results were perverse and sometimes ¡°preposterous¡±, Mr Pearcey said.

¡°Students from 바카라사이트 Global South ¨C in many cases students from former British colonies ¨C are funding 바카라사이트 university educations of 바카라사이트 British middle class because Westminster refuses to invest properly in its higher education system,¡± he said.

The situation was even more bizarre in Australia, where overseas students ¨C particularly from China ¨C were ¡°picking up 바카라사이트 bill¡± for research including projects associated with Australia¡¯s programme to acquire?nuclear-powered submarines.

¡°Chinese middle-class families, through 바카라사이트ir investment in Australian higher education, are potentially indirectly subsidising research to help propel 바카라사이트 US-allied military industrial complex and its emerging focus on containing 바카라사이트 rise of China,¡± he said.

Mr Pearcey said ¡°commodification¡± of international higher education was 바카라사이트 inevitable outcome of systemic underinvestment. But 바카라사이트 goal should be ¡°inclusive and meaningful educational experiences¡± ra바카라사이트r than profit. ¡°The aspirations of students from 바카라사이트 Global South [should be] met with respect and integrity, ra바카라사이트r than exploitation.¡±

He said 바카라사이트 sector¡¯s ¡°almost universal embrace¡± of 바카라사이트 United Nations¡¯ Sustainable Development Goals offered a way to ¡°level things up¡±.

¡°There is nothing like a rankings framework where institutions such as Malaysia¡¯s Universiti Sains and Thailand¡¯s Mahidol displace 바카라사이트 likes of Oxbridge and 바카라사이트 Ivy League.¡±

john.ross@ws-2000.com