EDUCONNECT JANUARY 2022 WRAP-UP

The latest news and updates in higher education across the globe

A Sneak Peek Into January 2022 Wrap-up Newsletter

• CBSE Class 12 Term 2 Board Exam is scheduled to be conducted in the month of March – April 2022.
• Vietnam set to open up further and ease restrictions after Tet.
• UAE tops ‘COVID Resilience Ranking’ list by Bloomberg. 
• Egypt jumps 11 places in the pre-education sector in 2021.
• Canada eases travel restrictions for Indian travellers.
• The US introduces a new multi-pronged plan to attract foreign students in STEM.

ASIA UPDATES: Philippines Eases Entry Protocols For Vaccinated Travelers

• CBSE Class 10 and 12 Term 2 Board Exam is slated for March – April 2022. However, considering the spiralling COVID-19 cases, it is unclear if exams could get cancelled. Also, there is ambiguity regarding whether exams would be conducted online or offline.
• University Grants Commission (UGC), in its draft National Higher Educational Qualification Framework (NHEQF), lists a range of learning outcomes (including job readiness and entrepreneurship mindset) to assess students at different levers.
• As per the recent data by UNICEF, COVID-19 induced lockdown disrupts the education of 37 mn Bangladesh children.
• Pakistan reports the highest daily new cases since the virus outbreak. The National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) extends existing Covid-related restrictions till February 15 2022.
• Post resuming aviation, tourism and education activities, Vietnam is set to open up further and ease restrictions after Tet.
• Philippines eases entry protocols for vaccinated travellers. Starting Feb 1 2022, fully vaccinated travellers need to present a negative RT-PCR test taken within 48 hours prior to travel. 
• Indonesia approves five COVID-19 vaccines – Sinovac, Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Moderna and Zifivax as booster shots.
• Thailand may declare COVID-19 as endemic before the end of the year.
• The World Bank approves a 60 million U.S. dollar credit to improve the quality of education in Cambodia.
• As per the Bloomberg pandemic resilience ranking, UAE emerges as the most pandemic resilient country in the world.

AFRICA UPDATES: Egypt Jumps 11 Places In Pre-education Sector In 2021 

• As per the Global Knowledge Index, Egypt jumps 11 places in pre-education sector in 2021 as compared to 83rd position in 2020. With this, its education ranking has also improved in 2021. 
• As per ICEF Monitor report, Nigeria remains one of the leading student sending markets globally. Yet, many Nigerian students fail to adjust to the foreign educational system.
• To reduce the gap between academic and policy research done by government institutions, Kenya Institute for Public Policy and Research Analysis (Kippra) rolls out a mentorship programme for varsities. 
• As per the survey conducted among 113 South African engineering students from the technical and vocational education and training (TVET) college sector, 79% believe their qualification does not warrant employment. 
• Ghana announces new reopening dates suggesting a semester system for all public schools – from kindergarten to senior high schools.

To help you stay abreast of all the education-related news and development in the African region, the MLEC Africa team of in-house experts have curated the monthly report. Click here to download the full report. 

STUDY DESTINATION UPDATES: UK Eases Travel Requirements For Vaccinated Passengers

• The UK aims to ease international travel. Starting February 11 2022, eligible fully vaccinated passengers do not have to undergo any testing or isolation requirements. 
• The US announces a new multi-pronged plan to attract foreign students in STEM fields and motivate them to stay in the country for a longer time. 
• Ireland approves the fifth COVID-19 vaccine, called the Nuvaxovid vaccine, as a part of a booster vaccination program for people aged above 18. 
• The European Union suggests the removal of Argentina, Australia and Canada from its Travel Safe List.
• Canada eases travel restrictions for people travelling on direct flights or one-stop flights from India. Passengers from India no longer need to show a negative RT-PCR COVID test done within 18 hours before their departure.
• Germany adds additional 12 countries (including Pakistan and Singapore) to its list of high-risk areas.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

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