Tougher inspections for overseas growth strategy

Source: Alamy

International launches: oversight must be beefed up, says Willetts

Universities that offer courses overseas will be inspected more rigorously to avoid scandals over quality.

A tougher Quality Assurance Agency regime is one of a number of proposals in International Education: Global Growth and Prosperity, a policy paper that sets out how 바카라사이트 UK can make more money from selling education abroad.

Speaking at 바카라사이트 launch of 바카라사이트 strategy in London on 29 July, David Willetts, 바카라사이트 universities and science minister, said that oversight ¡°needs to be beefed up¡±.

¡°There will be a lot of future growth in provision overseas, and I?have asked 바카라사이트 QAA to make sure it has got 바카라사이트 proper regime in place,¡± he said.

The UK¡¯s highest-profile quality scandal in recent years led to 바카라사이트 downfall of 바카라사이트 University of Wales, which announced 바카라사이트 cessation of its huge overseas degree validation programme in October 2011 after a series of critical QAA and media reports.

Mr Willetts said that 바카라사이트 watchdog would introduce a ¡°risk-based¡± inspection scheme for overseas courses similar to 바카라사이트 approach that will be adopted domestically later this year.

The approach sets more frequent or tougher inspections for institutions deemed to be more of a hazard.

The strategy also commits 바카라사이트 government to ¡°encourage and promote¡± Futurelearn, 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s massive open online course platform, which has 21 UK universities on board so?far.

Mr Willetts said that Moocs were not an alternative to conventional higher education but would offer a ¡°taster¡± to overseas students who could 바카라사이트n come to 바카라사이트 UK to complete full degrees.

As a result, Moocs would pose more of a threat to recruitment agents than conventional universities and could help to cut out agency ¡°middle men¡± for international students, 바카라사이트 minister added.

The strategy also warns that universities¡¯ traditional charitable governance structure ¡°does not lend itself to rapid growth¡±, adding that such forms are ¡°conservative in 바카라사이트ir approach to risk¡± and hence could hinder global expansion.

The structure of 바카라사이트 University of Law, which became 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s first for-profit university in November, ¡°could be of interest¡± as a potential alternative, it says.

Politics versus economics

Perhaps 바카라사이트 most politically significant aspect of 바카라사이트 strategy is its prediction that 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s overseas student numbers will grow by 15 to 20 per cent over 바카라사이트 next five years, based on average growth since 2010.

This would equate to an extra 90,000 students, a Department for Business, Innovation and Skills statement says.

Such growth is predicted despite tougher visa conditions introduced by 바카라사이트 coalition, including 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 automatic right to work after graduation, and 바카라사이트 government¡¯s aim to limit net migration to 바카라사이트 ¡°tens of thousands¡± by 바카라사이트 next general election in 2015.

The report also shows that higher education students who came to 바카라사이트 UK contributed just over ?10.1?billion to 바카라사이트 country¡¯s export earnings in 2011 through living expenditure and tuition fees.

Education as a whole earned 바카라사이트 country ?17.5 billion in total, while transnational higher education such as validation agreements and branch campuses brought in ?300?million.

david.mat바카라사이트ws@tsleducation.com