EDU-CONNECT ASIA 19 August 2020

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INDIA: LATEST UPDATES

The Government has announced significant reform measures for agriculture, education, public sectors as well as for small & medium enterprises to put the economy back on its 7% growth path. The decision on the final phase of unlock is likely be reported later this month which would guide states on opening up of remaining activities after 31 August. The COVID-19 recovery rate is close to 73%, and for the first time the mortality rate is below 2%. On 18 August, the highest single-day recoveries of 57,584 in the last 24 hours was recorded making the total number of patients who have recovered from the infection over 20 Lakhs. The top 5 states contributing to the maximum number of cases continue to be Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh.

The Government has framed to re-open schools and other educational institutes in a phase-wise manner starting from 1 September till 14 November. Broad standard operating procedures would be issued for High Schools and Higher Education institutions. UGC has issued guidelines making it mandatory for universities and college to conduct final year exams by 30 September. The matter is in the top court which will decide the fate of thousands of final year university and college students.

The National Education Policy 2020 has opened doors for foreign universities to set up campus in India, but its success depends on implementation of a framework facilitating the entry of top 100 universities in the world. The starting point for this is replacing of UGC, AICTE, NAAC and various councils with the new Higher Education Commission of India (HECI) to bring uniformity in the system.

Gyandhan, India’s first education financing marketplace, has been monitoring the country-wise trends on education loans in terms of preference by study abroad aspirants in India. For Fall Intake, as per loan applications received, Canada and UK have emerged as the first-choice countries for students. After reopening of the US embassies on 17 August, many students who earlier deferred their admission in US universities are reconsidering their decision.  

India opens international travel to Canada, US, UK, Germany, France and UAE under the “Air Bubble” agreement for any kind of valid visa holders. Further negotiations are going on for a separate bilateral ‘Air Bubble’ with 13 countries, including neighbors Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Nepal and Bhutan. 

SUBCONTINENT & SOUTHEAST ASIA UPDATES

As per the IRCC data on study permit applications processed until 30 June 2020, a comparison of study permit numbers of the 2nd Quarter (2019 & 2020) for South Asian countries is presented below. A 50% increase in new study permits issued can be seen for Bangladesh and Pakistan in Q2 2020 compared to Q2 2019. Number of study permits from India has declined by 40% as compared to the previous year.

COUNTRY2019 Q22020 Q2Q2 2020 vs Q2 2019
Bangladesh8601,29550.58%
Pakistan38057050%
Sri Lanka15519022.58%
Nepal155100-35.48%
India27,42516,325-40.47%

Pakistan: Pakistan’s coronavirus tally touches 290,000 with 270,000 recoveries and 6190 deaths. A small number of private schools in Karachi flouted COVID-19 guidelines by reopening on 17 August. The Sindh Government announced that it would adhere to the decision of National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) to reopen schools on 15 September. International and domestic flights resumed from 9 August, including cargo and special flight operations.

Bangladesh: The country so far has 282,000 coronavirus cases with 3,740 deaths. The Government of Bangladesh is considering several strategies to ensure proper education for children amid the pandemic by improving online access and redesigning the physical class model. Online classes have started at Higher Education institutes and secondary schools, with challenges of availability of material. The country is yet to decide on HSC, JSC exams amid the pandemic. The decision over the reopening of schools will be announced after 25 August. US-Bangla Airlines restarted its Dhaka-Kuala Lumpur flights from 16 August, after five months of suspension. 

Nepal:  The country now has 27,241 cases, with over 17,000 recoveries and 107 deaths. The National Examination Board has published the results of the Secondary Education Examinations based on internal evaluation conducted by respective schools. However, the fear of losing an academic year due to COVID-19 and the challenge of availability of school level online education in the country looms due to inaccessibility of internet and technology. High Schools in Nepal usually start classes in April while undergraduate and postgraduate level studies begin in July and August respectively. Authorities are struggling to come up with plans on how students can continue their education during the pandemic. Suspension of domestic and international flights has been extended until 31 August.

Sri Lanka: Sri Lanka’s COVID-19 cases have risen to 2,901 with 11 deaths. Schools in the country reopened for all grades after no COVID-19 cases were detected since 30 April. Sri Lankan Airlines started operating flights to select destinations including London, Tokyo and Melbourne. This morning, the Minister of Labour said that all Sri Lankan migrant workers stranded in South Korea will be repatriated within two months.

Vietnam: Vietnam has 989 confirmed cases with 526 recoveries and 26 deaths. The new school term in Vietnam will begin on 1 September as was announced by the Director of the Ministry of Education and Training’s Department of Secondary Education. The date has been set in more than 22 provinces and cities nationwide. The country has launched a new higher education comparative ranking system- “University Performance Metrics (UPM)”. It aims to help higher education institutions define and manage their strategic goals, towards having a standing in the top 100 universities of Asia.  40 universities in Vietnam and other ASEAN member nations have voluntarily applied the UPM system to date.

Philippines: The country reported 4,836 new cases and 7 deaths on 18 August. Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) has asked colleges and universities to open their school year, as approved by their board, depending on how they structure their semester. Some private schools, including those attached to universities and colleges, have already started classes. Opening of schools managed by the Department of Education is further delayed, and classes will now resume by 5 October.

ANNOUNCEMENTS: TOP STUDY DESTINATIONS

USA

  • Major American universities are scrapping or suspending plans for in-person classes in the upcoming fall semester after outbreaks on campus alarmed administrators.
  • A number of US universities will offer in-person classes to international students at CIEE’s (Council on International Education Exchange) turn-key campuses across 30 countries around the world. The campuses are located in Shanghai and Beijing in China, Mumbai and Hyderabad in India, among other cities.
  • The US President signed an executive order preventing the Government from outsourcing jobs to H1B visa holders.

UK

  • The British Council has announced an advertising campaign for 16 key markets to promote study in UK. Promotions across digital platforms and social media will target students in Asian countries including China, India, Malaysia and Thailand.
  • As per UCAS data, International UG students from outside the EU have increased by 2% in 2020, while those from EU have fallen by 13%.  China and Hong Kong marked the largest cohort of accepted international students, followed by India and Malaysia.
  • The UK Government has provided more details on the new immigration system that will apply from January 2021. The new UK Tier 2 (Health and Care) visa is now open for applications.

Australia

  • A group of Universities has called on the Government to scale back proposed fee rises, and to increase the number of student places at Universities
  • Australia’s Trade Minister announced a new pilot scheme by which 300 international students would arrive into South Australia by September. Students will come from Singapore, Honk Kong, China and Japan.
  • Australia’s international borders will remain closed to other temporary visa holders.

Maple Initiatives

  • Students from Nepal attended the Canadian Universities Webinar which took place today, 19 August, with the aim of reaching out to Nepal’s High School students. The webinar was a joint effort by 6 partner Universities – University of Windsor, Brock University, University of Ottawa, Vancouver Island University, King’s University College and University of Lethbridge.
  • Maple Assist is hosting a webinar with King’s University College @ Western University on Friday, 21 August. Representatives from King’s, including Principal Dr. David Malloy and Vice-Principal (Enrolment Services and Strategic Partnerships) Marilyn Mason, will speak to current and prospective students about important updates that will impact international students, as well as opportunities, admissions and programs at the University in 2021. 
  • Maple Assist is once again offering its Arrival Services to international students headed to Canada in times of the pandemic. Our pre-arrival and post-arrival services are aimed at ensuring a smooth, worry-free journey for students. The Arrival Services follow all mandatory safety guidelines and include airport pick-up and 14-nights of quarantine stay. If you would like to know more, get in touch with us: anam@mlec.in

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

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EDU-CONNECT ASIA 5 August 2020Covid-19 Mailer- Indian Subcontinent and South Asia
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