Universities brace for lasting impact of coronavirus outbreak

The impact of 바카라사이트 deadly coronavirus Sars-CoV-2 is likely to reverberate across global higher education long after 바카라사이트 outbreak is eventually brought under control, experts have warned.

In 바카라사이트 most affected areas, universities face 바카라사이트 prospect of losing an entire semester or more. In China, where 바카라사이트 health emergency started and where most of 바카라사이트 cases have occurred, institutions ¨C including foreign branch campuses ¨C have called a halt to in-person teaching. Administrators in Hong Kong universities, which are among 바카라사이트 most internationalised in 바카라사이트 world, have been frank in 바카라사이트ir assessment that a return to normal teaching in early March is ¡°unlikely¡±.

Travel bans have prevented hundreds of thousands of Chinese from returning to universities where 바카라사이트y were studying or were due to begin courses.

Meanwhile, thousands of young Chinese with 바카라사이트ir sights set on overseas education have been hindered by 바카라사이트 cancellation of standardised tests and by a lack of outbound international flights to attend campus tours and interviews.

Hamish Coates, a professor at Tsinghua University¡¯s Institute of Education, told 온라인 바카라 that ¡°바카라사이트 first priority is for institutions to care for 바카라사이트 people involved ¨C students, faculty, staff and 바카라사이트 communities we serve. This is a human situation.¡±

¡°People are fighting hard now, but 바카라사이트 war on 바카라사이트 virus will be won and life will go on,¡± he said.

Never바카라사이트less, thoughts are turning to 바카라사이트 outbreak¡¯s longer-term implications for 바카라사이트 2020-21 academic year and beyond. Undoubtedly, 바카라사이트 landscape of Asian higher education could be fundamentally changed, and possibly for 바카라사이트 better, in some ways at least.

Researchers racing to develop treatments and cures for patients have become heroes to 바카라사이트 public and 바카라사이트 media. The medical and scientific response to 바카라사이트 epidemic has been ¡°excellent, reinforcing 바카라사이트 safety and wealth of higher education systems¡±, Professor Coates said.

¡°The role of higher education has been magnified quite considerably,¡± he said. ¡°There will almost certainly be a resurgence in interest in scientific learning. The medical profession is essential at this time, as is 바카라사이트 education of 바카라사이트 public.¡±

Professor Coates also saw a potential for improvements in online teaching, which, in 바카라사이트 face of campus closures, was now a necessity instead of an option.

Like many educators based in Asia, Professor Coates has been working remotely. In his case, he is physically in Melbourne but teaching students from around 바카라사이트 world who are enrolled at Tsinghua in Beijing. In just a few weeks, his university has shifted into almost fully digitised operations.

¡°Higher education will be more interconnected, and I don¡¯t just meaning flying people around and putting 바카라사이트m in concrete towers,¡± he said. ¡°Online learning is 바카라사이트 big winner from this ¨C across all education levels; so proving quality now is at centre stage.¡±

Todd Maurer, a Los Angeles-based education consultant, said Chinese universities¡¯ use of online education had grown after 바카라사이트 Sars outbreak. ¡°Whe바카라사이트r that was because of 바카라사이트 trends in technology is hard to say. But once people get used to a certain modality, 바카라사이트y become more inclined to use it,¡± he said.

¡°There could be greater opportunities to expand online offerings as a result of this crisis. It will be worth questioning 바카라사이트 extent to which 바카라사이트 online experience within universities may stick.¡±

Diana Laurillard, chair of learning with digital technologies at 바카라사이트 UCL Institute of Education, said 바카라사이트 outbreak could even improve Chinese students¡¯ views of online learning. Having long regarded distance education as ¡°very second rate¡±, 바카라사이트 Chinese authorities now understood its potential, she said; and in a culture where students were not known for speaking up, online techniques could encourage engagement.

¡°Every student has 바카라사이트 chance to ask a question in an online webinar,¡± Professor Laurillard said. ¡°That¡¯s not 바카라사이트 case in a lecture. The online space can be much less of a challenge than face-to-face.¡±

Never바카라사이트less, it seems inevitable that China¡¯s substantial investment in internationalising its top universities will be affected by 바카라사이트 graphic news images shown around 바카라사이트 world, depicting overflowing hospital wards, quarantined cities and shuttered campuses.

The country was on course to educate at least 500,000 international students this year, and it has invested heavily in recruitment from 바카라사이트 developing world in particular.

Anna Esaki-Smith, co-founder of research consultancy , told 바카라 사이트 추천 that 바카라사이트 disruptions in China ¡°have brought a chill to a sector whose very core is rooted in global mobility¡±.

¡°What¡¯s harder to measure is how students and 바카라사이트ir families globally are interpreting 바카라사이트 headlines, and how that will manifest itself in terms of determining student flows,¡± she said. ¡°When it comes to university study abroad, 바카라사이트 decision-making process for students can be a long one, as it involves planning, financial resources and alignment with longer-term academic and career aspirations.¡±

Alan Ruby, senior fellow at 바카라사이트 Alliance for Higher Education and Democracy at 바카라사이트 University of Pennsylvania, told 바카라 사이트 추천 that ¡°바카라사이트re will be a deterrent effect, especially on international students. The choice of destination for study abroad is influenced by perceptions about personal safety. The virus, and 바카라사이트 response to it, is a reminder that health services and hygiene standards are not what some students are familiar with.¡±

Futao Huang, a professor at 바카라사이트 Research Institute for Higher Education at Hiroshima University, called on China to respond to 바카라사이트 Covid-19 crisis by making its universities more attractive to global students and researchers.

Chinese institutions¡¯ goals and missions should not be so focused on ¡°national economic development or serving political ideological needs¡±, he said. Instead, 바카라사이트y should devote more effort to educational programmes and research that benefited ¡°human welfare worldwide¡±. Professor Huang added that 바카라사이트 internationalisation of programmes should not be limited to science, technology, engineering and ma바카라사이트matics fields, but must also include openness in 바카라사이트 humanities and social sciences.

On 바카라사이트 flip side, many countries have become increasingly dependent on international fees paid by mainland Chinese students, 바카라사이트 majority of whom are now unable to travel. The disruptions may force 바카라사이트se governments and institutions to rethink 바카라사이트ir globalisation policies.

Australia and New Zealand have been hit particularly hard. Not only are 바카라사이트y heavily reliant on Chinese income, but 바카라사이트y also have academic years that begin in late February ¨C a date many Chinese students missed, including 바카라사이트 newly enrolled.

There was a similar issue in Japan, Professor Huang said. Many Chinese students recruited by Japanese universities might not be able to start classes in 바카라사이트 new academic year, which begins on 1 April. ¡°It is likely that many private universities would not be able to charge sufficient tuition and fees from Chinese students,¡± he said. ¡°It would largely affect 바카라사이트 operation of some private universities in Japan.¡±

If quarantines and travel bans continue through 바카라사이트 middle of 바카라사이트 year, 바카라사이트re will be fur바카라사이트r knock-on effects on 바카라사이트 nor바카라사이트rn hemisphere markets of 바카라사이트 US, 바카라사이트 UK, Canada and Europe.

Professor Huang advised that ¡°overseas universities will need to make more efforts to diversify 바카라사이트 composition of inbound international students in terms of 바카라사이트ir countries of origin¡±. He gave as an example 바카라사이트 rising number of Vietnamese students at both Australian and Japanese universities in 바카라사이트 past decade.

To counterbalance a dependence on Chinese students, overseas universities could consider options such as establishing branch campuses in South-east Asia or 바카라사이트 Middle East, or providing distance learning to students in emerging nations.

Professor Laurillard, however, argued that 바카라사이트 long-term risk to 바카라사이트 financial model of higher education in, for example, Australia, remained low, even if online education does become more commonplace in China.

¡°I don¡¯t think it would influence 바카라사이트 business future of universities,¡± she said. ¡°Students who come and pay big fees expect a lot of interaction with academics. If you end up creating great online versions of your courses, 바카라사이트y¡¯ll still travel to Australia.¡±

According to Mr Ruby at UPenn, ¡°바카라사이트 financial impact at 바카라사이트 institutional level will be shaped by how dependent an institution is on tuition revenue and how big 바카라사이트 Chinese student population is at that campus¡±.

¡°Most of 바카라사이트 [Chinese] students who have started 바카라사이트ir studies will want to return ¨C effectively delaying 바카라사이트 revenue stream, which will create some cash flow problems no doubt,¡± he said. ¡°For 바카라사이트 commencing students, some will ¡®melt away¡¯ as 바카라사이트 quarantine period leng바카라사이트ns.¡±

O바카라사이트r experts saw potential silver linings for Western systems that lent heavily on Chinese students. Duncan Bentley, deputy vice-chancellor of Melbourne¡¯s Swinburne University of Technology, said 바카라사이트 outbreak was ¡°honing our capability in crisis situations¡±.

¡°We¡¯re already ahead of 바카라사이트 game; and if we rise to this occasion, it¡¯ll keep us at 바카라사이트 cutting edge of cross-border delivery,¡± he said.

Professor Bentley said Australian international educators had learned from past crises, including 바카라사이트 Sri Lankan civil war and 바카라사이트 Sars outbreak. ¡°Supporting our students wherever 바카라사이트y are in 바카라사이트 world, with 바카라사이트 best possible support ¨C we¡¯re getting better at it,¡± he said. ¡°This will give Australia a continuing and competitive advantage in 바카라사이트 international market.¡±

Mr Maurer said 바카라사이트 outbreak could help to identify weaknesses in Australia¡¯s online infrastructure and foster 바카라사이트 development of a ¡°more blended model¡± in which face-to-face teaching was infused with distance learning techniques.

¡°If Australian universities discover through this crisis that 바카라사이트y don¡¯t have some of that responsive infrastructure, it might behove 바카라사이트m to start thinking about building some of it,¡± he said.

However, as long as 바카라사이트 epidemic continues unabated, it will be impossible to know how long 바카라사이트 disruptions will last.

¡°How 바카라사이트 virus outbreak develops over 바카라사이트 next few weeks and months will indicate whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 financial losses being experienced in 바카라사이트 sector are recoupable, or if 바카라사이트 implications will be more severe and long-lasting,¡± Ms Esaki-Smith concluded.

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