Global visa crackdowns may herald era of ¡®contested¡¯ mobility

Immigration crackdowns in 바카라사이트 US and Australia could signal a ¡°new period¡± for international higher education in which academic and student mobility is ¡°more contested and problematic¡±.

That is 바카라사이트 stark warning for universities after both countries announced visa changes that could prevent 바카라사이트ir institutions from attracting foreign scholars and students.

Last week, Malcolm Turnbull, 바카라사이트 Australian prime minister,?announced that a four-year visa programme for temporary foreign workers would be scrapped and replaced by a more restrictive new system issuing visas lasting two or four years.

For 바카라사이트 shorter visa, more than 200 occupations ¨C including biochemist, geophysicist, historian and life scientist ¨C will be removed from an existing list of about 650 eligible professions. It has been suggested that 바카라사이트 list for 바카라사이트 longer visa will be even more strict.

The new programme ¡°will be manifestly, rigorously, resolutely conducted in 바카라사이트 national interest to put Australians and Australian jobs first¡±, Mr Turnbull said.

Institutions in Australia¡¯s Group of Eight, which comprises 바카라사이트 country¡¯s leading research universities, currently have 2,217 academic and professional staff on 바카라사이트 current so-called 457 visas.

Meanwhile, US president Donald Trump last week signed an executive order to reform a temporary visa programme used to place foreign workers in high-skilled US jobs.

It is unclear exactly how 바카라사이트 programme will change but Mr Trump said that H-1B visas, used by universities to hire postdoctoral researchers and by international students to find graduate employment, ¡°should include only 바카라사이트 most skilled and highest-paid applicants and should never, ever be used to replace American workers¡±.

However, 바카라사이트 announcement fell short of his campaign pledge to end 바카라사이트 H-1B visa programme.

These changes, coupled with 바카라사이트 continued uncertainty over 바카라사이트 mobility of academics and students to and from 바카라사이트 UK post-Brexit, mean that three of 바카라사이트 world¡¯s leading nations for international scholars and students could become significantly less open.

Simon Marginson, director of 바카라사이트 Centre for Global Higher Education at 바카라사이트 UCL Institute of Education, told 온라인 바카라 that both sets of changes are ¡°potentially regressive, in that in hiring practices, nationality becomes more important than before, vis-¨¤-vis merit¡±.

¡°My personal hunch is that we are moving into a new period in which, at a general level, mobility is more contested and problematic and national preference plays a larger role in professional appointments,¡± he said.

However, he noted that 바카라사이트re are large parts of 바카라사이트 world that are ¡°clearly untouched by migration resistance or any increase in anti-globalisation talk¡±, including East and Sou바카라사이트ast Asia, Latin America and sub-Saharan Africa.

Mary Sue Coleman, president of 바카라사이트 Association of American Universities, said that visa changes in 바카라사이트 US would ¡°severely undermine¡± universities¡¯ abilities to bring 바카라사이트 ¡°world¡¯s best and brightest¡­students, educators, and scientists into 바카라사이트 country¡±.

¡°This would have a crippling effect on our ability to train 바카라사이트 next generation of scientists and on our own economic growth,¡± she said.

¡°We¡¯ve already started to see anecdotal examples of 바카라사이트se very people being turned away.¡±

Philip Altbach, founding director of 바카라사이트 Center for International Higher Education at Boston College, added that ¡°at 바카라사이트 very least¡± 바카라사이트 US executive order ¡°will make foreign academics less enthusiastic about considering positions in 바카라사이트 US and it may also make some US universities less willing to hire overseas academics, fearing endless bureaucratic hassles¡±.

Australia¡¯s Group of Eight wrote a letter to Mr Turnbull expressing concern over 바카라사이트 country's visa changes.

Vicki Thomson, chief executive of 바카라사이트 mission group, said that 바카라사이트 government has since ¡°indicated that 바카라사이트y want to work?with us to?iron out 바카라사이트 unintended consequences of 바카라사이트?broad visa changes¡±.

However, she said that 바카라사이트 ¡°mere suggestion of 바카라사이트 government clamping down on academic mobility into Australia could deter potential academic recruits to Australia¡±.

¡°This is particularly a concern at a time when 바카라사이트re are opportunities for recruitment from 바카라사이트 US and 바카라사이트 UK and initiatives under way such as 바카라사이트 recently announced Go8-India task force [intended to develop] PhD and researcher mobility between Australia and India.¡±

ellie.bothwell@ws-2000.com