Friday, October 21, 2011

Higher Education: Pakistani Students Abroad

Although the growth in the total number Pakistanis studying abroad has slowed since the terrorist attacks of Sept 11, 2001 in the United States, the world's sixth most populous nation continues to be among the leading sources of foreign students in America, Europe, Australia and new emerging higher education destinations in Asia.

49,000 Pakistani Students Abroad in 2011 Source: OECD 


As the number of Pakistani students in the United States has declined from a peak of 8,644 students (ranked 13th) in 2001-02 to 5,222 in 2009-10 (ranked 23rd), English-speaking OECD nations of the United Kingdom and Australia have become the biggest beneficiaries getting increasing market share of the Pakistan education market. Both nations have benefited in spite of the fact that the UK and Australian visa rejection rates for Pakistanis are higher than for students from other nations.



A recent British Council report says that 9,815 Pakistani students (Source: HESA) put Pakistan among one of the top six countries which account for 54 percent of the UK’s (non-EU) international students. Since September 2001, it has become the market leader, a place previously held by the US. In addition to Canada in North America, several Northern European countries, including Sweden and Finland, have also become quite active in marketing their education in Pakistan. As a result, these nations are attracting thousands of Pakistani students to their universities.

There is also an upward trend in Pakistani students studying in Australia. 8,458 Pakistani students studied in Australia in 2009/2010, increase of 11/4% over 2008/2009 (Source: AEI).

The US is beginning to pick up more of the Pakistani education market share after a significant decline since 911, with its simplified visa procedures and increased marketing efforts, and the excellent scholarship opportunities that they have to offer Pakistani students. Pakistan now has the world's largest Fulbright Scholarship Program with over 200 scholarships offered to Pakistani students for advanced degrees in 2011.

Beyond the traditional destinations in OECD nations, newly industrialized countries such as Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore are more visible in Pakistan and perceived as offering quality education at lower prices.

Pakistanis take education seriously. They spend more time in schools and colleges and graduate at a higher rates than their Indian counterparts in 15+ age group, according to a report on educational achievement by Harvard University researchers Robert Barro and Jong-Wha Lee.

With rising urban middle class, there is substantial and growing demand in Pakistan from students, parents and employers for private quality higher education along with a willingness and capacity to pay relatively high tuition and fees, according to the findings of Austrade, an Australian govt agency promoting trade. Private institutions are seeking affiliations with universities abroad to ensure they offer information and training that is of international standards.

Trans-national education (TNE) is a growing market in Pakistan and recent data shows evidence of over 40 such programs running successfully in affiliation with British universities at undergraduate and graduate level, according to The British Council. Overall, the UK takes about 65 per cent of the TNE market in Pakistan.

Related Links:

Haq's Musings

Pakistani Graduation Rate Higher Than India's

India and Pakistan Contrasted in 2011

Educational Attainment Dataset By Robert Barro and Jong-Wha Lee

Quality of Higher Education in India and Pakistan

Developing Pakistan's Intellectual Capital

Intellectual Wealth of Nations

Pakistan's Story After 64 Years of Independence
Pakistan Ahead of India on Key Human Development Indices

Scholarships at Foreign Universities

Institute of International Education--Open Doors

UK's Higher Education Statistics Agency Report

Austrade on Education in Pakistan

48 comments:

vicks1980 said...

Riaz, please don't tell me this too is something that you're proud of. There was a recent article in the New York Times about Indian students moving to the US by the droves for higher education because cut off levels in good Indian colleges are so high. This is a loss for India because this need for quality higher education should be fulfilled ideally within India itself...most of these Western educated students never return back to their homelands, which is another big loss and the classic "brain drain" in action: a good (Pakistani) example of such brain drain in action is the highly educated Riaz Haq himself. Truly a big loss for poor countries like India and Pakistan. What is amazing is that you're holding all this up like a badge of honour.

Sanjay said...

vicks1980, you are also forgetting that this brain drain of india also help set up india's awesome reputation in west. So many of them returned back to India and helped run indian IT companies for western companies.


Tech companies have "return to India". it is meant for their employees of Indian origin who would like to go back to india and work in their indian office.
Veritas
EMC
Texas instrument
Oracle
Microsoft
has thousands of indians returning back.


The trouble with Pakistan is that it is such a hopeless situation that no one would go back to Pak. In India's case, given their large numbers in West, even if 10-20% return they will benefit.

Riaz Haq said...

vicks: "Truly a big loss for poor countries like India and Pakistan."

Not necessarily.

Many of these students do return home and contribute to their home countries. Some examples in Pakistan include a Wharton grad Haris Anwar as central bank governor, Monis Rahman (Stanford) an entrepreneur head of Rozee.pk, professors such as Dr. Hoodbhoy (MIT), Dr. Ishrat Hussain (BU), etc.

And those who don't also help in various ways ranging from providing valuable services to their nations while abroad such as advice, lectures as visiting scholars, and bringing money, capital and expertise for development.

Zach said...

The "brain drain" effects is often exagerrated to my mind. In fact it is good for nations to have diasporas; the right trade is to move to a country where the per capita is 20-30x higher (nominally and also sometimes ppp adjusted)

satwa gunam said...

An interesting aspect which i have observed personally is that country like singapore which wants talented people into their economy go and pickup the best of the students from india YOY, providing complete scholarship for studies and boarding. Only condition for the student is to work for a singapore firm for nearly 6 years as compensation to their economy

Riaz Haq said...

Here's an excerpt from an Op Ed in Express Tribune about Pakistan's "demographic dividend":

Pakistan has a rare opportunity to capitalise on its population bulge, fast turning into a ‘youth bulge’. It is faced with a demographic transition whereby the size of the working age population (15-64 years) will expand to occupy a larger share of the total population. This is expected to decrease the dependency ratio, lead to increased savings and long-term investment trends as more people will be working. This outcome has a direct influence on economic growth. But provided that the working age people are actually working and that the gender and educational gap do not keep potential workforces including females, out of the job market.

With around 50 per cent of the population below 20 years and 60 per cent below 30 years, Pakistan is poised for a ‘demographic dividend’, with its workforce growing at a faster rate than total population. This trend is estimated to continue for the next 30-40 years, depending upon the country’s pace of development. Pakistan’s population is projected to reach a staggering 350 million by 2050, almost double its present size, not a very encouraging indicator by itself. But the projected age structure in various demographic studies shows a sizable share to be occupied by the working age group progressively.
---------
A successful outcome will finally depend on the economy’s ability to absorb the multiplying work force into productive employment. This requires a proactive approach from policy makers to develop a comprehensive framework for infrastructure development and manpower training. The immense benefits and equally innumerable risks involved have to be timely realised.


http://tribune.com.pk/story/275878/demographic-dividend--opportunity-or-threat/

Riaz Haq said...

Here's an excerpt from a Dawn report on Ambassador Munter recounting how US AID has helped Pakistan over 50 years:

The US Ambassador further said Pakistanis who doubt that US assistance has borne fruit in Pakistan would be surprised to know that they have tasted it, adding, “Pakistan’s most popular citrus fruit, the kinoo, comes from California. USAID brought kinoo seeds to Pakistan in the 1960s. Today, we are helping export Pakistan’s sweetest fruit, the mango, in the other direction.”

“In the 1950s, we brought together the University of Karachi, the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business, and the University of Southern California to establish a campus in Karachi to meet the demand for business managers in the bustling port city.”

“USAID sponsored the project and the Institute of Business Administration became Pakistan’s first business school and one of the first outside of North America. IBA is recognized today as one of South Asia’s leading institutions,” he maintained.

Ambassador Munter said in 1965, Dr. Norman Borlaug, who later won the Nobel Prize for his contribution to agricultural research, came to Pakistan to introduce his new high-yielding variety of wheat.

“We worked with the Lyallpur Rotary Club to support a program that gave individual farmers a bushel of the new generation of seed if, when the harvest came in, they returned the bushel so we could give it to someone else. While modest in scope, this small project brought Lyallpur into the Green Revolution that in turn converted a food deficit region into an exporter of grains,” he added.

In the 1960s and ’70s, a consortium of U.S. construction firms employing Pakistanis, Americans, Brits, Canadians, Germans, and Irish built the two mighty dams of Tarbela and Mangla with USAID and World Bank financing, US Ambassador said, adding, “Those engineering feats – more complex than anywhere in the world at that time – soon accounted for 70 per cent of the country’s power output and made Pakistan a leading provider of clean energy.”

In the 1980s, the US Ambassador said, with USAID’s assistance, Pakistan’s private industry founded the Lahore University of Management Sciences.

“Pakistanis approached us with the idea for the new institution and we agreed to support it with a contribution of $ 10 million. Today, LUMS incubates the ideas and nurtures the leaders who are critical to Pakistan’s future,” he remarked.

Ambassador Munter said, since the inception of the Fulbright scholarship program, nearly 3,000 Pakistanis have studied in the United States and close to 1,000 Americans have studied in Pakistan, adding, today, the U.S. Fulbright program in Pakistan is the largest in the world.

Key to all these successes was that Pakistanis owned them.

We may have helped sow the seeds but Pakistanis made sure the flowers blossomed, he said, adding, “aid is a catalyst and its success depends on those who receive it.”

“So today, while we help complete dams in Gomal Zam and Satpara and rehabilitate power plants in Muzaffargarh and Jamshoro, only Pakistanis can put an end to circular debt by paying their bills and holding the system accountable.”

“While we work to cultivate international markets for Pakistan’s fruit and fashion, only Pakistanis can deliver quality products that can compete. While we pay for road construction in South Waziristan, only Pakistanis can provide the local population with economic opportunities to make use of those roads.

While we build schools in Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, only Pakistanis can ensure that qualified teachers show up to teach in them,” the US Ambassador maintained.


http://www.dawn.com/2011/11/04/pakistan-us-relationship-dogged-by-history-munter.html

Riaz Haq said...

British Council Pakistan is organising the Education UK virtual exhibition in Pakistan from 21 November to 30 November 2011.

Pakistan remains an important and rewarding market for the UK but it is equally a challenging environment in which to operate. Virtual exhibitions, as an appropriate remote method of recruitment, have a role in developing a flexible, sustainable approach to service provision that is appropriate to the unique operating context in Pakistan.

With a rapid increase in the number of Internet users and Internet Service Providers, and a large English-speaking population, Pakistani society has seen an unparalleled revolution in communications. Internet access has been available in Pakistan since the mid-1990s. Pakistan is reported as the most connected country in South Asia, with the highest teledensity. Today there are over 20 million frequent internet users in Pakistan.

The core objectives of developing our virtual exhibitions’ offering are to:

To provide an opportunity to showcase UK education to the public and key influencers via an interactive on-line platform
Provide a cost-effective means of outreach in the current economic climate
Offer an alternative to the traditional exhibition format in a market where delivery of a standard exhibition is not viable

Riaz Haq said...

Here's an Express Tribune story of a Pakistani young man of humble origins helping terror victims after studying Emergency Medicine at Yale:

.Today, Razzak is a renowned emergency medicine expert and the executive director of the Aman Foundation. He started his schooling at a humble primary school in Lyari, completing his secondary education from Nasira School in Depot Lines. Not one to be held back, the hard-working student subsequently attended Adamjee Science College where his impressive grades and unbounded enthusiasm won him a scholarship at the prestigious Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH), the top private medical institution in the country.
---------
In collaboration with the Edhi Ambulance Service, an arm of the philanthropic Edhi organisation and the largest volunteer ambulance network in the world, he researched and analysed road traffic injuries and emergency cases. Edhi had a mountain of documentation for every call and every case it had handled in the last two decades. The downside? None of it was digitised, so he spent days sifting through it manually.

The experience stayed with him, and the data revealed a disturbing pattern. Gruesome injuries, often suffered by the poorest members of society, were often improperly handled by well-meaning doctors, simply because of a lack of know-how. These mistakes frequently, and literally, led to the loss of life and limb.

Yet, Razzak soon realised that he needed more professional training and specialisation courses before he could progress further. He sat for the US Medical Licensing Exams (MLE) and had observations at the Beth Israel Medical Centre, New York, and the Yale-New Haven Hospital, Connecticut. In 1996, his residency and training programme at Yale University’s School of Medicine started and in 1999, he was given the ‘Best Trainee’ award by the State of Connecticut.

On the personal front, Yale was also important for the doctor since he met his future wife there. Following graduation, the two stayed in the US for a few years, always looking forward to the time when they would return home. “The plan was always to come back,” says Razzak. “That’s why we never bought a house, never completely settled in.”

Before they could come back, Razzak did his PhD in Public Health at the world-renowned Karolinska Institutet in Sweden, where he focused on the use of ambulance data for monitoring road traffic accidents. Finally, in 2005, the studious boy from Kharadar returned to Pakistan as a successful, qualified expert in emergency medicine.

He joined his alma mater, AKUH as a faculty member and went on to successfully found Pakistan’s first emergency medicine service (EMS) training programme at the university. “There were many doctors who were awarded their degrees without ever administering cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) as it wasn’t a requirement,” he reveals.

This changed when his EMS programme became a mandatory rotation that all students had to serve. Subsequently, Razzak went on to build and head a new emergency department. Yet, the battle was just half won. Students in the new department faced a dilemma, similar to the one Razzak had as a student. They were required to go to the United Kingdom to sit for their exam, otherwise they would not be considered qualified.
-----------
Determined to remove, for others, the hurdles that he himself had crossed only after many toils, Razzak collaborated with the College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan (CPSP) to organise a curriculum for the specialised field. The first batch for this course was enrolled last year. Now students wanting to specialise in emergency medicine will be able to obtain certification in their chosen field, without having to travel abroad....


http://tribune.com.pk/story/300042/positive-pakistani-call-of-duty/

Riaz Haq said...

Here are parts of an Express Tribune report on the Inst of Business Admin in Karachi:

About 89% graduates of the latest batch of MBAs have already found jobs, said Dr Ishrat Husain, dean and director of the Institute of Business Administration (IBA), while addressing the 12th convocation of the institute here on Friday.

He said recent IBA MBAs received on average the monthly salary of Rs42,000, which was significantly higher than what the graduates of other business schools received.

As for the BBA programme, Husain said 74% graduates had found jobs as of November. “Ten per cent of the BBA graduates have joined family businesses, 7% decided to pursue higher studies, and only 9% are currently looking for jobs.”

He said the average monthly salary of an IBA graduate with a BBA degree was Rs33,000.

“The BBA is now a terminal degree, and BBA graduates will henceforth be entering the job market as management trainees,” he said.

Talking to The Express Tribune, MBA graduate Taha Ekram said half of his classmates had received multiple job offers before graduation. Ekram, who now works for a fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) company as a researcher, said IBA had undergone significant changes during the past three years. “Things are getting better. Standards have improved, and IBA’s reputation is more established now.”

He said the banking sector did not absorb as many IBA graduates this year as it did during the past many years. “They’re apparently not hiring this year. Banks used to be the major employers of IBA graduates. But most jobs were on the marketing side this year,” Ekram said.

He said that although the average salary MBA graduates received was Rs42,000, the figure didn’t reflect the accurate job market situation. “While some graduates are getting Rs80,000 a month, there’re actually quite a few graduates who’re getting just a little over Rs30,000.”

A total of 610 candidates received their bachelor’s, master’s and PhD degrees. About 33% of the graduates were women.

For the first time, IBA awarded a PhD degree this year: Quratulain Nizamuddin received a doctorate degree in computer science.

Terming 2011 the best year in his three-and-a-half-year tenure at IBA, Husain said it was the “year of progress and execution” because of the culmination of a series of initiatives that would make IBA the top business school in Asia.

He said IBA recently received accreditation by the South Asia Quality Assurance System (SAQS). It is the second business school of Pakistan after the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) to have received the SAQS accreditation....


http://tribune.com.pk/story/301378/iba-says-goodbye-to-batch-of-2011-barely-out-of-school-and-landing-in-their-first-jobs/

Riaz Haq said...

Here's an Express Tribune story on the state of higher education in Pakistan:

....“To create a knowledge capital, particularly in an emerging economy, a country has to invest heavily in the education sector,” said Dr Laghari, citing examples of South Korea, Singapore and more recently of Thailand, Malaysia, Turkey and Indonesia, who invested in education and made significant progress. Sadly, he said, Pakistan invests only 0.7% of its Gross Domestic Product in education, “which is too meagre to achieve its future goals”.

Dr Laghari said we need at least 15,000 PhDs in the next decade, which is only possible if more than 1,000 PhDs are produced every year. However, he said within the available budget we are hardly producing 600 PhDs annually.
---------
Dr Laghari said that at least 20 to 30% of the population aged 17 to 23 should have accessibility to the higher education, but in Pakistan only 7.8% have this facility. In the Muslim world, 27% population in the given age group in Indonesia has access to higher education, in Malaysia it’s 30% and in Turkey it is 37%, he added. He cited that Brazil has invested $26 billion on its higher education and is expected to produce 75,000 PhDs in the next ten years.
--------
But despite outlining the issues marring education in Pakistan, Dr Laghari dispelled the impression that the higher education sector is stagnant.

He said that in spite of the financial crunch, HEC has succeeded in improving the quality of education and research. He said that rate of enrolment in higher education is growing by 15 to 20% annually, and published research is increasing 20 to 25% annually.

He said that 10 offices of research innovation have already been set up and another 12 are in the pipeline. Moveover, three centres of advanced studies focusing on water, agriculture and energy are currently being established at different universities, which are priority areas for developing countries like Pakistan, he added.

HEC is focusing on promoting a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship in universities and has defined their roles in building economies, communities and leadership, said Dr Laghari. As a result, he said research output has increased significantly in the last few years and so has as the number of PhD graduates. He said although the commission could not send a single person abroad for PhD last year, this year it managed to send abroad 600 to 700 scholars.

“The biggest challenge for higher education is improving both the quality of education and research, which is only possible if the sector gets appropriate funding,” he maintained. The HEC chief said the commission has gotten some financial respite from the World Bank, which recently loaned it $300 million, in addition to funds from USAID and the British Council.

He said funds allocated to the HEC last year were insufficient, and warned of massive protests by employees across the country if they are not paid their raised salaries.


http://tribune.com.pk/story/312462/laghari-calls-for-heavy-investment-in-higher-education-disapproves-of-commercialisation/

Riaz Haq said...

Here's an Express Tribune report on 2012-2013 Fulbright scholar program in Pakistan:

Amid strained ties and mutual mistrust, the United States Educational Foundation in Pakistan has announced the world’s largest Fulbright programme in Pakistan for the 2013.

The US government’s flagship scholarship programme awards deserving Pakistani students full scholarships that cover tuition, textbooks, airfare, a stipend, and health insurance to complete their Master’s or PhD degrees in a field of their choice in universities across the US. Currently, approximately 369 students are studying in the US on Fulbright awards and another 200 will be departing in the fall of 2012.

According to Ambassador Richard Hoagland, deputy chief of mission, Pakistan’s Fulbright programme is also one of the oldest in the world. “Our agreement initiating the programme was signed on September 23, 1950 – and the first Pakistanis and Americans travelled each way in the same year. It was one of the very first agreements of its kind and has since been extended to 155 countries around the world.”

Since then, nearly 4,000 Pakistanis and over 800 Americans have participated in USEFP-administered exchange programmes.

The deadline to apply for the 2013 programme is May 16, 2012, and the application form can be downloaded from the USEFP’s website www.usefpakistan.org.


http://tribune.com.pk/story/334528/fulbright-scholarships-us-launches-worlds-largest-programme-in-pakistan/

Riaz Haq said...

Here's a Dawn report on Education Expo 2012 held in Karachi:

Thousands of students desiring to pursue their further education overseas flocked to the 9th two-day Annual Education Expo 2012, organised by the Dawn Media Group, which opened at the Expo Centre in Gulshan-i-Iqbal on Saturday.

According to a representative of the organizers, the exhibition, in which over 160 local and international educational institutions are participating, would remain open on Sunday as well from 11am to 7pm.

Entry to the exhibition is free.

He said the exhibition, an annual event, had regularly been held for the past nine years. The current exhibition was earlier held in Islamabad and Lahore before it moved to the city. He said about 80 per cent of the 160 institutions at the expo were international.

The countries whose educational institutions are participating in the event include Australia, the United Kingdom, Germany, Ireland, Turkey, Hong Kong, Canada and the United States. Malaysia and Northern Cyprus are new entrants to the exhibition.

He said the exhibition provided opportunities to students to meet the faculty, admission officers and career councilors directly, and get enrolled on the spot with many of the institutions.

The event, as every year, has been scheduled at a time which coincides with the admission drive in educational institutions and is attracting students from various academies seeking information, coordination and enrolment details from the participating institutions.

Besides the education institutions, various governments, including the US, the UK, Australia and Canada had also set up stalls to promote educational opportunities in their respective countries. Some consultants that provide guidance to students seeking overseas education are also participating in the exhibition.

He said last year over 10,000 students had visited the expo in which around 120 educational institutions had participated.


http://www.dawn.com/2012/02/12/dawn-education-show-attracts-big-crowds.html

Riaz Haq said...

Here's an APP story on Cambridge Graduate Union headed by a Pakistani student:

A Pakistani student Arsalan Ghani from Faisalabad has been elected as the President of the Cambridge University Graduate Union. He will lead the student union representing 12,000 MA, M Phil and PhD students studying at Cambridge University. This is the first time ever, in the over 800-year history of the Cambridge University that a Pakistani student has been elected as the President of the Graduate Union.

http://tribune.com.pk/story/348432/cambridge-university-pakistani-student-heads-graduate-union/

Riaz Haq said...

US invites Pakistani students over for study, reports Daily Times:

LAHORE: US Public Affairs Officer Brinille Eliane Ellis has said that encouraging Pakistani students to study in the United States is one of their top priories, and a great way to foster better understanding between the two countries.

He said this at the two-day US-funded South Asian US College education fair held at the Forman Christian College (FCC).

The fair featured four representatives from the US higher education institutions.

Students from across Punjab, especially Lahore, obtained information about student life and studying opportunities in the United States directly from the representatives.

EducationUSA, a US State Department-funded global network of student advising centres, organised the event.

Also on hand were representatives from the University of Buffalo in Buffalo, New York, the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls, Iowa, the Valparaiso University in Valparaiso, Indiana, and the Educational Credential Evaluators from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, who joined the tour to demonstrate the unique benefits of a US university education.

This is the second South Asian annual education fair tour organised by EducationUSA. Last year, US university representatives travelled across the region from Sri Lanka to Bangladesh to Nepal and then to Pakistan. The programme was so successful that it was repeated again this year, while Afghanistan was also included in the list of countries.


http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2012\04\13\story_13-4-2012_pg7_15

Riaz Haq said...

Pakistan is world's fifth largest source of visitors to UK seeking visa, according to The News:

KARACHI: Pakistan is the fifth largest country to apply for British visas, a diplomat said on Tuesday.

Pakistan is providing huge source of revenue in the shape of students in the UK, said Ms Mandy Ivemy, a senior British diplomat.

Visa issuance ratio to Pakistanis is around 75 percent, which is high against other countries, said Ivemy, Regional Manager for Gulf, Iran and Pakistan, United Kingdom’s Border Agency based in British High Commission in Islamabad at a meeting with members of the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI).

“Every year Pakistanis make around one million journeys to the UK to meet their relatives, for business purposes or to take education,” she said.

“Owing to huge number of applications, the agency was responsible to take a lot of checks, while processing applications,” she added.


http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-3-103525-Pakistan-fifth-largest-country-to-apply-for-British-visas

Riaz Haq said...

Pakistan has become top education market for Australia in vocational training, reports The Australian:

PAKISTAN has become the top growth market in the struggling international education industry, even though revenue from its neighbour India fell almost $1 billion in a single year.

New Australian Bureau of Statistics figures reveal that Australia's fourth-biggest export industry is turning to new markets to counter a $2.2bn loss of revenue last year.

Experts say some of the new students are attracted to Australia by the prospect of working or even claiming refugee status.

Earnings from the top 12 markets all fell last year, topped by India, which slumped by 37 per cent, but Pakistan bucked the trend, with revenue rising 15 per cent to $253 million.

The Philippines was the only other significant market to record an increase, with earnings rising 13 per cent to $205m. All other top 25 markets experienced declines.

Revenue from Pakistan has risen steadily, more than tripling over the past five years. Earnings from the boom-bust Indian market have almost halved in two years, collapsing from a 2009 peak of $3.1bn.

Shabbir Ahmad, a PhD economics student at the University of Queensland, said fellow Pakistanis were being lured to Australia by the availability of scholarships from both countries.

Dr Shabbir, who is studying for his second doctorate, said he had come to Australia because the leading academics in his field -- efficiency and productivity analysis -- were based here.

He said while his family had been denied public health and schooling in Australia, the overall experience had been positive. "As far as the academic environment goes, I'm very happy, and people are very welcoming," he said.

However, international education researcher Alan Olsen said the growth in the Pakistani market was in vocational training, not top-end higher education.

Mr Olsen said that while the number of Pakistani students had increased by about 1200 last year, private vocational students had claimed about 1000 of them.

International Education Association of Australia executive director Phil Honeywood said some colleges had moved staff to Pakistan to help meet the demand. He said most Pakistani students came for genuine educational purposes, but significant numbers were here for work and residency opportunities in a peaceful country. "It's dangerous in Pakistan," said Mr Honeywood, a former Victorian tertiary education minister.

He said many Pakistanis studied for business diplomas at private colleges at a cost of about $9000. This gave them advance standing in university degrees, which in turn conferred the right to work for two years in Australia after graduating...


http://www.theaustralian.com.au/higher-education/pakistan-bucks-student-trend/story-e6frgcjx-1226356707116

Riaz Haq said...

Here's a Dawn story on Pak students in US:

Focusing on around five Pakistanis studying in the US, the documentary captured similar stories from students of diverse backgrounds, coming from areas like FATA, Hyderabad and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Light in tone, it first captured the awkward questions Pakistani students had to face. “Are there roads in Pakistan,” “Are the coffee shops there similar to here,” and in a more serious vein, “Why don’t you cover your face?” and so on.

One American lady revealed that she honestly thought the Pakistani student might bomb the classroom, but that impression changed over time.

Similarly, touching on political overtones, a student, Hammad Ali Khan, said he was worried that once he landed at an airport in US, his green passport would get him harassed by the airport security. But some of the adjustment was culture related. An American teacher stated that students from Pakistan treat professors like god and hesitate to ask questions, but with time they learn that discussion with teachers is encouraged in the American context and open up with time.

Finding halal food can become problematic for students in the US, hence converting them into vegetarians. A student suggested that with tomatoes, chick peas and other ingredients, if one is innovative, an improvised “channa chat” can be made. “Spoken like a true Pakistani,” commented one audience member.The students also acknowledged the strengths of both countries. Kiran Rajput from Hyderabad appreciated the respect and freedom given to the minorities to practise their religion in Pakistan and in US.

And Irfan Ullah, a student struggling with polio, shared that there are many opportunities there for the disabled and he is empowered in an environment where he is not treated any less than others. The documentary displayed that students are ambassadors of their respective countries, families and cultures. Some residents of the US realised that not everything their media showed was true as they were confronted only to negativities in the case of Pakistan – drone attacks, suicide bombings – and all the cultural, educational and development aspects were not showered any light on.


http://dawn.com/2012/07/07/pakistani-students-abroad-make-nation-proud/

Riaz Haq said...

Here's a News story on 90 French scholarship for Pakistani students:

Under need-based scholarship programme, the French government will support 90 promising students of six Pakistani universities in the fields of social science, business and architecture.

In this regard, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between France government and the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan (HEC) at French Embassy on Thursday. Ambassador of France Philippe Thiébaud and Chairperson HEC Dr Javaid R. Laghari along with vice chancellors of the corresponding universities and institutions signed the MoU.

France, through its Embassy in Islamabad, will offer scholarships to 90 promising students primarily from FATA, KPK and Baluchistan to pursue their education in top universities and institutions of Pakistan.

The universities include Quaid-E-Azam University, Islamabad, COMSATS Institute of Technology, Islamabad, Government College University, Lahore, Institute of Management Sciences, IMS Peshawar, Institute of Business and Management, Karachi and Sardar Bahadur Khan Women University, Quetta.

The scholarships awards are designed to cover the complete cost of education during the entire academic program of the 90 recipients (e.g.2-4 years for the MBA, BBA and Social Sciences) for a total cost of Rs23 millions.

The selection process will ensure that at least 25 per cent of the awarded scholarships go to girls, especially those coming from areas where the access to higher education is difficult.

Speaking on the occasion, French Ambassador Philippe Thiébaud, termed higher education key area in the bilateral relationship of both countries. He said that this scholarship grant scheme will further strengthen the close and long term bilateral friendship between the Pakistan and French governments.

Chairperson HEC Dr Javaid R. Laghari said that the HEC is committed to provide equitable access to the higher education in Pakistan and a number of practical steps have been taken in this regard. He also extended thanks and appreciated the gesture of the government and people of France.


http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-6-121665-France-to-sponsor-education-of-90-students

Riaz Haq said...

Here's a News story on 200 Pakistani students going for a semester abroad under UGRAD program:

A pre-departure orientation workshop was organised by the United States Educational Foundation in Pakistan (USEFP) for departing students here on Wednesday evening.



Students were briefed by the USEFP on the programme, visa regulations, American culture and US higher education and campus life. All students would return to Pakistan to complete their bachelor’s degrees. As many as 200 undergraduate students from all parts of Pakistan will be departing over the next year for a semester of study at colleges and universities in the US as part of the Global Undergraduate Programme (UGRAD) in Pakistan. As many as 100 will travel in August-September for the fall semester and an additional 100 will go to the US in January 2013.



An initiative of the US Department of State, the UGRAD programme will send Pakistani students to over 50 campuses in the US where they will take classes along with American students, do public presentations on the culture and people of Pakistan, and be an active part of the local community they will be staying in. Since the programme began in 2010, approximately 500 Pakistani students have participated. The fellowships cover all expenses for the students including travel, lodging, stipend, and tuition.



“To see so many impressive Pakistani young people — each of you an incredibly talented representative of this great nation’s bright future — is inspiring,” said Brent Beemer, cultural attache at the US Embassy, who addressed the group, “To think that my country has had some role in advancing your education and helping your nation’s prospects makes me feel very good, and even proud.”



“The really exciting thing about this group of undergraduates is that so many of these students come from remote or economically disadvantaged areas of Pakistan. The group includes students from every province of Pakistan and 52 per cent are women. The students come from a wide variety of disciplines, including humanities and social science subjects, engineering, basic sciences, law, art and design, economics, and business administration,” said Rita Akhtar, Executive Director of the USEFP...


http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-6-121671-200-undergraduates-to-leave-for-US

Riaz Haq said...

Here's a Wall Street Journal story of recent influx of Saudi students in US:

In the years following the security crackdown on Arab travelers after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks—in which 15 of the 19 hijackers were Saudi Arabian—tough restrictions kept most Arab students away from the U.S. In 2004, only about 1,000 Saudis were studying in the U.S., according to the U.S. State Department.

This past school year, Saudi Arabia sent 66,000 students to U.S. universities, four times the number before the 2001 attacks and the fastest-growing source of foreign students in the U.S., ahead of China, according to the Chronicle of Higher Education. The Saudi influx is part of a broader increase in international students in the U.S. as American universities seek to raise tuition revenues. Some 723,277 foreign students enrolled during the 2010-2011 school year, up 32% from a decade ago.
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Saudi Arabia's international scholarship program, launched when Saudi King Abdullah took the throne in 2005, is a key part of his efforts to equip future generations in handling the country's main challenges, including a fast-growing population and declining oil reserves.

Since taking over, the Saudi king has emphasized scientific education and exposure to foreign countries as keys to combat religious extremism and transform Saudi Arabia into a modern state. This year, the scholarship program has about 130,000 young people studying around the world, at an estimated cost of at least $5 billion since the program began.

The king's efforts to modernize, including the scholarship program, have led to constant tension between Western-influenced Saudis and a religiously educated core who hold heavy sway over society and reject modernization because it is associated with the West.
----------
As late as the 1950s, Saudi Arabia had a literacy rate below 5%. Today, the percentage of literate Saudis has reached 79%, according to the CIA World Factbook. One-third have university degrees, the World Bank says.

Even so, religious conservatives have a lingering influence over curriculum. Critics say Saudi schooling is long on theology and short on science and math. The kingdom ranked 93rd out of 129 countries in UNESCO'S 2008 quality of education index.

In the past, only upper class Saudis were educated abroad. The king's scholarship program, by contrast, reaches out to promising young people in all levels of society, says Ahmed al Omran, a Saudi journalist who earned a master's from Columbia University.

At the graduation ceremony in Washington in May, Saudi degree recipients ranged from second-generation U.S. graduates, to the first in their families to read and write.

To be eligible for the program, students must have top grades and generally study in a field targeted by the government—such as business, engineering or medicine. Females are required to be accompanied by a close male relative. The government urges students to avoid political activity and media attention, students say.


http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304830704577492450467667154.html

Riaz Haq said...

Here's a BR report on HEC sponsored research scholars:

Higher Education Commission (HEC) has awarded 1647 scholarships to PhD scholars, studying in higher education institutions of Pakistan, for undertaking research at top ranking universities of 37 academically advanced countries.

The scholarships has been awarded under International Research Support Initiative Programme (IRSIP).

These foreign scholarships have been awarded in all the major disciplines including physical sciences, agriculture and veterinary sciences, biological and medical sciences, social sciences, management sciences and engineering.

It was informed during the 22nd meeting of IRSIP award committee which was presided over by the Executive Director HEC, Prof. Dr. Sohail H. Naqvi.

The meeting was apprised that through this innovative programme, HEC is offering six month research fellowship abroad to full time PhD students enrolled in Pakistan to enhance their research capabilities.

It is of utmost importance that the doctoral studies carried out in Pakistan are of a standard that is at par with any international reputed institution. This is only possible if candidates are provided with adequate support in research projects.

The indigenous PhD students sometimes face problems in research due to paucity of resources therefore the scheme is helping to provide doctoral students exposure internationally so they could carry out research projects of high standard.

It was also informed that the scheme is also assisting ongoing Indigenous PhD programmes by providing a mechanism for PhD scholars to travel abroad and conduct research in academically advanced countries.

This is providing exposure to the PhD scholars which will enhance the quality of research that they will be conducting in Pakistan.

The programme has also been greatly helpful to develop academic linkages between Pakistani and leading foreign institutions. The fellowship package covers travel, bench fee and living expenditure.

As an outcome of this programme, the number of international research publications by Pakistani scholars has been increased from 304 to 662 with 117% increase while the number of local publications has also been increased from 380 to 552 with 45% increase.

The Executive Director HEC and participants of the meeting appreciated the outcome of the programme and termed it as flagship programme of the HEC.

The establishment of the HEC in September 2002 has heralded a revolution in higher education in Pakistan; the HEC has accomplished more in nine years since its establishment than was achieved in the first 55 years of Pakistan's existence.

In Pakistan, under the HEC, in addition to quality reforms, there has been a strong resurgence of research and innovation.

In particular, there is a significant growth in the number of PhDs awarded out of Pakistani universities.

As a result of phenomenal increase in research publications, the world share of Pakistan's research has gone up by 300 percent in the last five years.


http://www.brecorder.com/pakistan/general-news/72612.html

Riaz Haq said...

A group of 80 scholarship winners, bound for the United States to pursue masters degrees, gathered for a pre-departure orientation on Friday evening. The event was hosted by the United States Educational Foundation in Pakistan (USEFP) at a private hotel.
While congratulating the students, USEFP Executive Director Rita Akhtar said, “The USEFP is pleased to be able to help talented Pakistani students like you, achieve admission to US colleges and universities. US colleges and universities welcome Pakistani students as they add to the already-rich diversity in the classroom.”
The event was a networking platform designed to prepare the students for their educational experience. Since its beginning, the USEFP has helped thousands of Pakistani students achieve their dreams of US higher education through its scholarship programmes and free-of-charge advisory services.
Education USA Advising Manager Umair Khan offered some tips to the students. He explained that professor-student relations were less formal in the United States than in Pakistani universities.

http://tribune.com.pk/story/734928/all-my-bags-are-packed-eighty-pakistani-students-all-set-for-their-voyage/

Riaz Haq said...

KARACHI: As many as 14 universities from Australia opened their doors for Pakistani students for Bachelors, Masters and Doctor of Philosophy programmes at the Pakistan-Australian Education Expo 2015 on Saturday.
Every year more than 400 students fly to Australia from Pakistan through Australian Education Office (AEO) Pakistan for higher education. “Today we are expecting more than 250 students to avail the walk-in opportunity to fulfil their dreams of studying abroad,” said AEO Pakistan chief executive officer and resident director Saad Mehmood.
The expo was arranged to guide students and motivate them to go abroad for higher studies. “We are here to help students in every way from the procedure of visa application to courses and accommodation details,” said Mehmood.
According to him, the percentage of students applying every year has increased during the last couple of years but only 20 per cent of females opt for studying for their Masters abroad. “We hope to see the number of female students rise as they are more competent, intelligent and promising,” he said.
The expo was open for everyone. Applicants were required to fill the ‘student assessment form’ at the entrance, providing their basic educational and personal details. The form helps the volunteers guide students about the desk he should move to in order to meet consultants for guidance or any other assistance. If the desk finds the applicant eligible and compassionate, they will provide her/him with two other forms to fill. One of these is a curriculum vitae and the other is a list of documents required for further processing of the application.
Muneeb Ahmed Warsi, a 23-year-old NED University graduate, came to the expo with the dream of studying in Australia or Germany. “AEO Pakistan is doing a great job as they are giving us so many options under one roof,” said Warsi, who is looking for a university that offers a Master’s degree in telecommunication engineering.
Shahzeb Anwar, another NED student, said he wished to see more education expo shows in Pakistan from different countries. “A majority of my seniors went abroad for their Master’s and returned to serve Pakistan,” said the 22-year-old telecommunication engineer. “I also want to come back and earn a good living.”
Dr Chris Daly of the University of New South Wales (UNSW) shared his experience with The Express Tribune of working with international students. “I am working with international students since 1995 and have seen the numbers of students increasing tremendously every year,” he said. “Twenty-five per cent of the total enrolment in UNSW is that of international students.”
Latrobe University marketing and admissions director Neil Fitzroy was of the view that Pakistani students are strong and capable. “This is why we are interested in getting a larger number of them at our campus,” he said, adding that he has been working with Pakistani students for more than ten years. Counting on his experience, he appreciated that how, despite cultural and religious differences, Pakistan has always given them the best students.

http://tribune.com.pk/story/831285/choose-the-best-pakistan-australian-education-expo-2015-offers-many-options-under-one-roof/

Riaz Haq said...

#Pakistan tennis teens going abroad to study on sports scholarships at top universities http://tribune.com.pk/story/918285/tennis-pakistani-teens-ticket-to-foreign-universities/ …

On the tennis courts of a posh Islamabad country club, veteran coach Mahboob Khan drills his charges, but they aren’t dreaming of the pristine lawns of Wimbledon.

For these young Pakistanis, taking up tennis has a more practical application — as a ticket to a top US university on a sports scholarship.

In a 36-year coaching career Khan, still a striking, athletic figure at 65, has produced dozens of players who have played on the pro tour and in satellite events and represented Pakistan at the Davis and Fed cups.

But he says in recent years the trend has been for even the most promising youngsters to lower their ambitions and see the sport simply as a springboard to a college education they might otherwise struggle to afford.

His own daughter Sara Mahboob, 24, was number one in Pakistan for six years but quit competitive tennis to look for a job based on her sociology degree — from James Madison University in Virginia, US.


Her rival, Pakistan’s former number two Natasha Afridi followed a similar path, as did several other of their contemporaries.

The big hurdle is money. Financial support is crucial as a player tries to make the step from promising youngster to tour professional.


For Sara Mahboob, the lure of financial security offered by a scholarship and degree proved too great.


“It’s not very easy to get sponsors in Pakistan, especially for a female tennis player,” she said.

“So I had to make that tough decision on wether I was going to go pro or go to college, and going to college seemed like a better option.”

Pakistan’s best player is doubles specialist Aisamul Haq Qureshi who reached eight in the world doubles ranking in June 2011 but now lies 57th.

He reached the US Open doubles final in 2010 with Indian partner Rohan Bopanna, but a new generation of youngsters at the Islamabad Club courts show little interest in following in his footsteps.

“I don’t want to become a best player or something, but just to play tennis for some school scholarships in a good university abroad,” said Ammar Dhaga, 12, the son of a top bureaucrat at the water and power ministry.

His friends Sachal Ali Mirza, 11, and Shehryar Khokhar, 10, share his ambition.


“I am playing tennis because I like it and also because I want an international scholarship in America for tennis,” said Khokhar.

Khan says Pakistan has tennis potential, but a major injection of funds is needed to stop the talent heading to college instead.

“Right now we have the talent, the question is whether the private sector is robust to come forward and sponsor these players,” he said.

“At least Rs40 million are needed to give a push to tennis and that’s a lot of money for Pakistan.”

Riaz Haq said...

Why Indian Student Numbers in U.S. Are on the Rise After Three-Year Decline

http://blogs.wsj.com/indiarealtime/2015/11/17/why-indian-student-numbers-in-u-s-are-on-the-rise-after-three-year-decline/

Indian students are enrolling in U.S. schools at a faster rate than ever recorded, reversing a recent decline in numbers of people traveling from India to study in America, a new report shows.

The number of students from India in America rose 29.4% in the academic year starting fall 2014 compared with a year earlier, according to an annual report on international students released jointly by the Institute of International Education and the U.S. Department of State.

It means there were 132,888 Indians studying in U.S. schools that year, up from 102,673 in September 2013 .

Only China had more students stateside, with 304,040 enrolling there, an increase of 10.8% from a year earlier.

The rise in students from India arrested a three-year decline in their numbers on U.S. campuses, according to the report titled “Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange.”

The rate of growth in Indian students in the U.S. was the highest in the history of the Open Doors project, the report said, which started gathering data in the academic year starting in the fall of 1954. India’s most recent such surge in students moving to the U.S. for higher education occurred in the start of the 2000/2001 academic year.

Harjiv Singh, founder and editor of BrainGain Magazine, an online publication based in New Delhi focusing on studying abroad, said better access to funding from banks, a lack of high quality higher education institutions in India and stiff competition for those that there are, contributed to the rise.

“I think it’s going to go up faster in the next few years. You’ll see that uptrend continue, I’d say for the next decade,” Mr. Singh said.

According to separate figures from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, the U.S. is the first choice for Indians wanting to study abroad, followed by the U.K., Australia, Canada and the UAE. The South Asian nation has 181,872 students studying outside India, the UNESCO figures showed.

The number of first-year Indian students traveling to the U.K. to study fell by 50% from the fall of 2010 to around 11,000 in the academic year starting 2013.

Riaz Haq said...

Speaking at the ‘Pakistan StartUP Cup’ competition for young entrepreneurs, jointly organised by the U.S Embassy and The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE), he said that Pakistan and US were working on a ‘knowledge corridor’ under which around 10,000 PhDs from Pakistan will be trained in U.S universities.


http://tribune.com.pk/story/1178264/5g-launched-soon-ahsan-iqbal/

Riaz Haq said...

THE INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE, A VIABLE OPTION FOR PAKISTANI STUDENTS.
Most Pakistani parents choose schools for their children with an eye to ensuring that they are competitive when it comes to applying for admission to U.S. or U.K. colleges. Many today are counting on the Swiss-based International Baccalaureate education program as the more holistic, and competitive, alternative to the British General Certificate of Education’s Ordinary and Advanced level pre-college qualifications.

Founded in 1968, the IB aims to develop the “intellectual, personal, emotional and social skills needed to live, learn and work in a rapidly globalizing world.” There are 4,527 schools around the world—including 15 in Pakistan, where the program was introduced in 1996—that offer 5,865 IB programs, from primary school onward, to almost a million students in 147 countries.

Karachi’s International School was the first private school to offer the IB in Pakistan, and it took another 10 years for other schools to being adopting the program. The number of Pakistani schools that offer the IB is still small compared to those in India, where the IB took off in 1976 and is offered by 120 schools.

Awareness has been an obstacle. “We did not even have a relationship with the Ministry of Education until three years ago,” says Faizol Musa, regional development manager of the IB Board. Over the last three years, IB educators have organized workshops and seminars in Pakistan to create awareness of the program and its admissions-time advantages. But despite that, and its acceptance by the world’s top colleges and universities, many Pakistani universities still do not recognize the IB for admissions.

The schools which offer the program recognize its full value. “Parents have a habit of judging their children’s studies with the amount of homework they get,” says Misbah Rani of Lahore’s Sanjan Nagar Public Education Trust. “Our program encourages students to really learn and absorb the information rather than just memorize a few lines.”

Offering the IB program requires certification and teacher training, requirements that few schools in Pakistan’s stressed and underserved education market are equipped to handle. Aitchison College recently withdrew its application for certification, while the Lahore Grammar School’s application is pending with the IB Board. (School-certification applications can take up to two years to get accepted.)

Costs also account for why Pakistan’s embrace of the IB has been slow in coming. Applications are expensive (the school-certification application carries a one-time fee of $4,383, and the IB Board charges the certified school between $7,192 and $9,846 on an annual basis.) To keep current with the prescribed standards, these certified schools are also required to undergo mandatory training programs for teachers twice a year. It also costs parents more: Rs. 40,000 per month, almost twice the price of the British GCE certification system. However, Sanjan Nagar, a school for underprivileged children with an enrollment of some 700, is managing to offer the IB for Rs. 1,500 per month.

“We hope that public schools will also be able to be part of the program as well,” says Musa. “Pakistan is one of the fastest growing regions and markets for IB. We are certain that in 10 years it will become one of the key countries for IB worldwide.”



http://newsweekpakistan.com/education-in-a-rapidly-globalizing-world/

Riaz Haq said...

#France to offer 200 higher #education scholarships to underprivileged #Pakistani students

http://www.brecorder.com/pakistan/general-news/327660-france-inks-mou-to-offer-200-scholarships-to-unprivileged-pakistani-students.html

France and Pakistan have inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) offering 200 needs-based scholarships to the unprivileged Pakistani students in various subjects for promoting educational cooperation between the two countries.

The MOU was signed by French Ambassador to Pakistan Martine Dorance and Higher Educational Commission (HEC) Chairman Dr Mukhtar Ahmed in a simple ceremony here at the residence of French envoy late Friday. The scholarships would be available from next year.

The French ambassador, in her remarks on the occasion, said the MoU would further cement bridges between the two people. Higher education was one of the pillars of Pak-French cooperation and the MOU, signed today, would give scholarships to those students, who did not have sufficient means, to continue their education.

Later, the envoy hosted the annual dinner in honour of Pakistan-France Alumni Network (PFAN). In her remarks on the occasion, she said 500 students from Pakistan were already in France to pursue their studies in different subjects in French educational institutions. France, she said, was the world's third destination for international students and it would like to have more students from Pakistan.

A delegation of Pakistani educationists led by HEC Chairman Dr Mukhtar Ahmed visited France early this year, which was quite fruitful and after exchange of views it was decided then to further increase partnership between the two countries, she said. Pakistani universities, she said, had also agreed to introduce new programmes in that regard and would open up information centres in Karachi, Lahore, Faisalabad and Peshawar to let students know of the available opportunities in French institutions.

The French envoy said members of the PFAN were Pakistan's ambassadors in France whenever they were visiting there. Similarly, they were French ambassadors while working in Pakistan. "You are the bridge between the two countries," she added.

"We want to forge long lasting relations between France and Pakistan. We wish you will return to France as businessmen and as investors," she said while referring to PFAN members.

She thanked the HEC chairman for his efforts in promoting Pak-French cooperation in the field of education.

The envoy said after a very successful Pakistan Day in France in June this year, it was decided to organize a French Day in Pakistan next year.

Speaking on the occasion, HEC Chairman Dr Mukhtar heaped praise on the French envoy, saying she infused a new impetus into Pak-French relations hence ties between the two countries were growing.

He said a conference on archaeology would be organized in Lahore next year and another moot on Gandhara Art was being planned in France in 2018, which would help enhance cultural cooperation between the two sides.

He said Pakistani universities would set up Knowledge Parks in different campuses to promote cooperation between the two countries . All the work had been done to set up an advanced study in climate and the French government had shown interest to be a partner in that regard, he added.

The dinner was attended by Secretary Science and Technology Fazal Abbas and members of the PFAN and vice chancellors of various universities.

PFAN President Dr Khalid Saleem, in his remarks on the occasion, expressed his gratitude to the French envoy for hosting a dinner for PFAN members and assured her it would continue to work for strengthening links between Islamabad and Paris.

Riaz Haq said...

#Canada: #Pakistan added to Student Direct Stream (SDS) . 2,400 #Pakistani students enrolled in Canadian universities in 2016/17 make the country the 9th largest source of #foreign #students https://thepienews.com/news/canada-pakistan-added-to-student-direct-stream-scheme/#.XUUZGTYDuTA.twitter

The scheme reduces processing times for visas, with most applications finalised in less than three weeks according to IRCC.

In order to access the benefits of SDS, prospective students need to provide additional information to show they meet language proficiency and financial requirements.

For example, they need to submit proof they have reached a score of at least 6 in IELTS and have a guaranteed investment certificate of CA$10,000.

The expansion of the scheme meets the Canadian government’s goal of attracting students from a more diverse range of country, IRCC stated.

“There is a high demand for higher education in Canada from… Pakistani students”

“By expanding the SDS to prospective students from Pakistan, IRCC is encouraging a more diverse range of students to choose Canada,” an IRCC spokesperson told The PIE News.

The industry, whose focus on diversification was made urgent by events such as the Saudi crisis in 2018, welcomed the development and expressed hope the scheme will be expanded further.

“This is very much a welcome development and we are pleased to see IRCC’s efforts trying to help more international students access our higher education system… it certainly supports broader priorities in our sector around diversification,” Universities Canada assistant director of international relations Cindy McIntyre told The PIE.

“There’s recognition in the sector that there is a high demand for higher education in Canada from a large cohort of Pakistani students, so I think that does make sense,” she added, explaining that the organisation’s latest data showed that about 2,400 Pakistani students were enrolled in Canadian universities in 2016/17, making the country the 9th largest source.

President and CEO of CICan Denise Amyot agreed that there is an increasing demand for international education from Pakistani students.

“As more and more young Pakistanis look overseas to pursue their education, we are confident this will make Canadian colleges and institutes all the more attractive,” she said.

“We also hope that this will be a step towards further expansion of the Study Direct Stream, which could benefit many other countries, including francophone markets.”

Pakistan was the 19th largest nationality for student visa holders in Canada by December 2018, according to IRCC figures, and the 47th source countries for language schools.

At Languages Canada, the organisation’s executive director Gonzalo Peralta welcomed the development but called on the government to recognise the needs of the private sector members, which have registered a lower growth last year compared to the public sector.

“Although Pakistan is a very minor source country for language students to Canada, we are fully behind government policies that support student mobility and our educational institutions,” Peralta said.

Peralta added that he would like to see the program address the needs of the country’s private sector members and to support the diversification of its international language student population.

“While our public sector members have benefited from SDS, accredited and designated private sector members have not had the same access,” he explained.

“And because diversification is such an important strategy for our sector, it would benefit Canada if the program were available in its appropriate form in other regions of the world.”


Riaz Haq said...

International Students Mobility: A Case of Pakistan
Pakistan Journal of Commerce and Social Sciences 2015, Vol. 9 (2), 447-460


From 1998 through 2010, the number of students studying overseas has increased sharply
from 13,127 to 36,366

https://poseidon01.ssrn.com/delivery.php?ID=928082082020093075064007070070017112025034090043062053107092014090007121068109028078110007008044037025023020114126085122067004023074045075046075079072090085078071084014089041092020092027068098001022108022115065109069067119011118094065112125068085068029&EXT=pdf


It is quite meaningful that over last decade the Pakistani Government has focused upon the
internationalization of higher education through outbound approach. The Government of
Pakistan established Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan, to promote higher
education and improve the quality of education in Pakistani institutions, in 2002.
So far HEC has sent a total of 8537 scholars in different countries abroad for attaining
higher education (MS/MPhil/PhD and Post-Doctoral level) under different categories2 out
of which 4203 has completed their studies. Till June, 2011, there were a total of 775
scholars who had been abroad out of which 689 were males and 86 females. The male –
female ratio was 89% to 11%. The least number of females had been abroad due to family
and cultural reasons.

The highest number of scholars had been in the Engineering and Physical Sciences i.e. 731
and 731. In Engineering and Technology 203 and 135 had been in France and Germany
only. In Physical sciences the higher number of students had been to Austria and Germany
i.e. 188 and 126 respectively. For Biology and Medical sciences 303 scholars had been
abroad. For Agriculture and Veterinary Sciences 343 students had been to different
countries. In social sciences 249 scholars had been abroad. For business education, total 0f
129 scholars had been to various countries. For Arts and Humanities only 43 scholars went
abroad.

Riaz Haq said...

Pakistan is a significant exporter of international students globally. According to UNESCO statistics, the number of outbound Pakistani degree-seeking students grew by 70 percent over the last decade, from 31,156 in 2007 to 53,023 in 2017.

https://wenr.wes.org/2020/02/education-in-pakistan

Another important driver is the lack of university seats and high-quality study programs in Pakistan, particularly at the graduate level. While Pakistan has created a tremendous amount of new doctoral programs over the past decade, growing numbers of Pakistani scholars are heading abroad to access higher quality education, primarily in fields like engineering and the sciences. To modernize research in Pakistan and raise the qualifications profile of university faculty, the government supports this development with scholarship programs of considerable scale, considering Pakistan’s fiscal constraints. While most Pakistani students are said to be self-funded, overseas scholarship programs have helped thousands of graduate students to pursue studies in the United States, the United Kingdom, Cuba, Germany, France, and various other countries in recent years. Scholarship recipients are often required to return home after graduation.

The traditional English-speaking international study destinations, Australia and the U.S., are currently the top choices among Pakistani degree-seeking students, as per UNESCO statistics. Data published by the Australian government show that the number of Pakistani students grew almost threefold over the past decade, from 3,512 in 2008 to 10,000 in 2019, making Pakistan one of the top 10 sending countries of tertiary students in Australia.

In the U.S., likewise, Pakistani enrollments have generally been on an upward trajectory over the past few years. According to the Open Doors data of the Institute of International Education, Pakistan sent 7,957 students to the U.S. in 2018/19, an increase of 5.6 percent over the previous year, making it the 22nd most important sending country. Around 44 percent of these students are enrolled in undergraduate programs, 35 percent in graduate programs, and 4 percent in non-degree programs, while 17 percent pursue Optional Practical Training.

Other popular destination countries include the U.K. and the Muslim-majority countries Malaysia and Saudi Arabia, the latter also being a magnet for labor migrants from Pakistan. It should be noted, however, that China has emerged as a significant destination as well. China may, in fact, now host the largest number of Pakistani international students worldwide. While UNESCO does not report data for China, and Chinese government figures are difficult to compare,[1] Pakistan is currently the third-largest sending country to China with 28,000 students, per Chinese statistics. As in neighboring India, many Pakistani students flock to China to pursue medical education—an underdeveloped and severely overburdened education sector in both India and Pakistan. Increased political and economic cooperation between Pakistan and China and Chinese scholarship funding likely play a significant role as well. Increasing numbers of Pakistani students are interested in learning Chinese.

In general, Pakistani students have increasingly diversified their international study destinations in recent years. In Canada, for instance, the number of Pakistani students has doubled over the past decade, if on a relatively small scale (4,050 students in 2019). Another notable destination country is Germany, where Pakistan is now among the top 20 sending countries after enrollments jumped by 28 percent within just one year, from 3,836 in 2017 to 4,928 in 2018—a trend likely driven, among other factors, by the availability of tuition-free, high-quality graduate programs in engineering.

Riaz Haq said...

UMaine welcomes U.S. Department of State Global UGRAD-Pakistan student

https://umaine.edu/news/blog/2022/02/08/umaine-welcomes-u-s-department-of-state-global-ugrad-pakistan-student/

International student Afsah Pervaiz has joined the University of Maine community as part of the U.S. Department of State’s Global Undergraduate Exchange Program in Pakistan (Global UGRAD-Pakistan). Pervaiz is an undergraduate student studying microbiology.

The Global UGRAD-Pakistan program, established in 2010, places Pakistani participants at U.S. colleges and universities for a semester of study abroad, leadership skills building and professional development. It is part of a broader U.S. Department of State effort to promote greater understanding between the people of the United States and other countries.

Through semester-long academic coursework, exploration of U.S. culture, participation in community service projects, and interactions with Americans in their host communities and campuses, Global UGRAD-Pakistan participants develop expertise in their academic fields and gain a broad and nuanced understanding of American culture and values. Global UGRAD-Pakistan participants enrich the lives of the Americans they meet by sharing their culture and bringing a global perspective to their host communities.

The Global Undergraduate Exchange Program in Pakistan is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) with funding provided by the U.S. Government and supported in its implementation by IREX. More information about the program is online.

https://www.irex.org/project/global-undergraduate-exchange-program-pakistan-global-ugrad-pakistan

The Global Undergraduate Exchange Program in Pakistan (Global UGRAD-Pakistan) provides emerging youth leaders from diverse communities across Pakistan with the opportunity to attend American universities and colleges for non-degree academic study.

During a semester of undergraduate classes and community engagement, participants strengthen their leadership, academic, and career-preparedness skills while building relationships with Americans. Participants return home as engaged leaders committed to tackling pressing challenges in their communities and fostering greater understanding between people of the United States and Pakistan.

Global UGRAD-Pakistan is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State with funding provided by the U.S. Government and supported in its implementation by IREX.

Riaz Haq said...

Pakistan students complain about German visa delays
Haroon Janjua Islamabad

https://www.dw.com/en/pakistan-students-say-german-visa-delays-put-their-education-at-risk/a-63481632

Pakistani students, who have been admitted to German universities, are worried that they might lose their admissions due to long waiting times for student visa appointments at German missions in the country.

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When Pakistani Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto visited Germany earlier this month, he said the visa issue is a big concern and that Islamabad hopes to "continue to be able to engage and make that process more easier."

His German counterpart Annalena Baerbock, at the joint press conference on October 7, said that the issue is high on her ministry's agenda and promised to address the problem.

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For Farooq Rasheed, getting admitted to the University of Bonn's Geodetic Engineering program this year was one of the best things that happened in his life. He was supposed to begin his studies in the western German city last week but he's still stuck in Pakistan waiting for a visa.

The 23-year-old student from Lahore city said that he had applied for a visa in July but has yet to receive it.

"My classes started last week but the university has given me exemption, and I am attending online classes for the next two-three months," Rasheed told DW, adding that he has no idea when he will receive the student visa.

It's not an isolated case. Many other students have complained of long waiting times for visa appointments at German missions in the South Asian country.

Fatima Saleem, 23, is enrolled for a masters program in entrepreneurship management and marketing at the Otto Von Guericke University in Magdeburg. She said she has been waiting for a visa appointment since May.

"I didn't know I would have to miss my first semester due to the delay in appointments from the German Embassy, as the website stated that the waiting time is 2-3 months," she told DW.

"My classes started on October 10. I hope to get my visa soon. My university has allowed me to join later, before exams. But since there are no online classes, I am facing many issues and have to study all by myself," she noted.

Students fear losing admission
Students say they risk losing their admissions if the German missions in the country fail to make an appointment for them on time.

"I am afraid, if I won't make it before exams I might lose my whole academic year, which would have a devastating effect on my future. I request the German Embassy to kindly expedite the process now and make us a priority so that we can reach there at least before exams," said Saleem.

Students who apply for a visa appointment at the German Embassy in Islamabad are receiving an auto generated message, pointing to the long waiting times.

"Given the high demand for appointments, please note that you have to wait approximately up to more than twelve (12) months for the allocation of your appointment," it reads.

The embassy hasn't so far responded to DW's repeated requests for comment as to why students are facing such long delays in getting visa appointments.

What could be the reasons behind the long waiting times?
Rasheed believes the long waiting times are due to the fact that anyone with a passport can apply for a visa appointment and they don't actually need an offer letter from a German university to do so.

This means that people book appointments long before they have even applied for university, resulting in their taking up appointment slots that would otherwise go to deserving visa applicants who actually have offer letters.

"This creates a backlog and many serious candidates get left behind," he said, adding: "The embassy should ask the candidates to provide at least an admission letter at the time of applying for appointments so that only serious candidates who have all the documentation can be considered for visa interviews."

Riaz Haq said...

Beaconhouse International College, with campuses in Islamabad, Lahore and Faisalabad, was established to deliver transnational higher education to students in Pakistan.

https://thepienews.com/news/ncuk-new-pakistan-partner/

The new partnership will support BIC’s students to progress to an NCUK partner university, with the foundation year course covering English language and academic skills. The foundation year program at BIC will begin in 2023.

NCUK has over 45 partner universities located in countries including the UK, Australia, New Zealand, the USA, and Canada.

The new partnership is part of a wider initiative between NCUK and Oxbridge Digital in Pakistan.

As part of the collaboration, Oxbridge Digital is finding and recommending educational institutions to join the NCUK Delivery Partner network and deliver NCUK qualifications across a range of locations in Pakistan.

Speaking at the launch of the initiative, Usman Akram, managing director of Oxbridge Digital said, “Since the day we opened our doors in Pakistan, Oxbridge Digital has been partnering with UK Higher Education Institutions to empower students by providing them with opportunities that are both accessible and affordable.

“We’ve taken a step closer to achieving this goal with our new partnering with NCUK. We are looking forward to working with them to grow the number of Study Centres in Pakistan that play an integral role in changing lives of the students here.”

NCUK announced a new partnership with Royal Colleseum School earlier this year.

Riaz Haq said...

United States Ambassador Donald Blome joined officials from the University of Utah and the Federal Minister for Planning Development and Special Initiatives, Mr. Ahsan Iqbal, to inaugurate the International Summit on Higher Education and Workforce Development today.

https://pk.usembassy.gov/u-s-pakistan-effort-to-elevate-the-higher-education-sector/

The summit was organized by the U.S.-funded Higher Education System Strengthening Activity (HESSA) and focuses on the role of higher education in the 21st century, highlighting the fluid nature of learning and employment, and explores how universities can reposition themselves in this ever-changing landscape.

Ambassador Donald Blome celebrated the 75 years of partnership between the U.S. and Pakistan and said, “In a country where more than 60 percent of the population is below the age of 30, we must continue to help youth achieve their full potential.”

Minister Iqbal remarked that the Government of Pakistan is open to improving the higher education system and is looking into various options to capitalize on the abundant youth potential in the country. He appreciated Pakistan’s 75-year partnership with the U.S. government and celebrated the support provided by the U.S. government to academia through specialized investment in higher education. He further added that academic institutions and the public and private sectors should join hands to accelerate this development. Mr. Iqbal tasked Pakistani higher education officials to improve higher education.

Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed, Chairman of the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan (HEC), said that HEC will continue working with the U.S. government to build a cadre of experts to improve graduate employability.

Senator Keith Grover, Utah State Senator from the United States noted, “it is the ultimate goal of an institute to provide necessary skills for youth so they can positively contribute to the workforce both locally and globally.”

HESSA is supported by the United States through USAID, and is implemented in collaboration with 16 Pakistani public universities and other stakeholders, with a focus on strengthening universities’ capacity to deliver market-driven education, research, and graduate employability.

Riaz Haq said...

there were dramatic increases in enrollment by students from some Western European countries: almost 60 percent from Germany, more than 41 percent from Spain and about 37 percent from France. Bangladesh, Pakistan, Colombia and Nigeria were also among those countries marking double-digit percentage increases, as well.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2022/11/14/international-college-student-enrollment-rise/

The number of international students at U.S. colleges increased last year after a marked drop during the pandemic, according to a survey of thousands of universities released Monday.

For a normal college experience during the pandemic, these students hopped continents

The number of international students increased 4 percent in the 2021-2022 academic year to nearly 1 million students, coming from more than 200 countries, the survey found, a rebound that many higher education officials hoped to see.

But the data also indicated a drop in the number of students from China, the country that for years has sent the most students to the United States.

The Open Doors 2022 Report on International Educational Exchange was released Monday by the Institute of International Education and the State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. The survey included both enrolled students and those here on optional practical training — temporary work related to their academic field — at some 3,000 colleges and universities in the United States.

A separate, much smaller survey of more than 600 schools this fall offered a more recent snapshot of data, finding an additional 9 percent increase in enrollment by international students.

The numbers are closely watched for the cultural and economic impact of such exchanges; international students alter the educational experience for U.S. students studying with them. And, according to the Commerce Department, they contributed $32 billion to the U.S. economy in 2021.

In more than a century of data, Allan E. Goodman, chief executive of the Institute of International Education (IIE), said, they have seen that international exchanges occur even during pandemics and grow rapidly afterward.

The increase was welcomed by Lee Satterfield, assistant secretary of state for educational and cultural affairs. “We are thrilled to see international student numbers on the rise, and to see the United States maintain its global leadership as the top destination of choice for international students,” Satterfield said in a statement.

Satterfield said that welcoming international students to American campuses “is at the heart of people-to-people diplomacy and a foundational component of our U.S. foreign policy strategy to attract the top talent to the United States.”

More than half of all international students last year came from China or India. China sent the most — nearly a third of the total — but the numbers decreased nearly 9 percent from the 2020-2021 academic year.

At the same time, the number of students from India increased nearly 19 percent, to almost 200,000.

Before 2020, the number of students from China had been increasing since the 2009-2010 academic year, said Mirka Martel, head of research, evaluation and learning for IIE. She said the pandemic and its impact on travel is probably one of the primary reasons Chinese students were unable to travel to the United States or were choosing to defer their studies.

Speaking to whether geopolitics influenced those numbers as well, Ethan Rosenzweig, deputy assistant secretary for the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at the State Department, said on a press call that the Biden administration has been very clear that Chinese students are welcome here. Rosenzweig said he is looking forward to China opening its borders to allow U.S. universities to recruit in person there again.

Riaz Haq said...

UNESCO stats on Pakistani students abroad


https://uis.unesco.org/en/uis-student-flow


United Arab Emirates 24,863
Australia 11,297
United Kingdom 7,802
United States 7,511
Kyrgyzstan 6,003
Germany 5,837
Malaysia 4,243
Canada 2,607
Türkiye 2,386
Saudi Arabia 1,635
Korea, Rep. 1,465
Sweden 1,056
Qatar 1,039
Italy 936
Hungary 878
Finland 618
France 502
Norway 435
Bahrain 411
Iran, Islamic Rep. 377
Ukraine 335
Japan 330
Cyprus 318
Oman 293
New Zealand 274
China, Hong Kong 272
Ireland 263
Poland 253
Latvia 234
Spain 192
Estonia 155
Belgium 145
South Africa 138
Thailand 135
Czechia 131
Denmark 130
Austria 127
Georgia 122
Russian Federation 115
Azerbaijan 90
Lithuania 84
Egypt 77
Portugal 71
Switzerland 69
Malta 63
Uzbekistan 56
Romania 51
Kazakhstan 47
Jordan 42
Brazil 39
Bulgaria 34
India 25
Slovenia 25
Belarus 21
Luxembourg 21
Brunei Darussalam 19
Ghana 17
Iceland 17
Botswana 11
Morocco 10
Slovakia 10
Bosnia/Herzegovina 9
Greece 9
Tanzania 8
Viet Nam 5

Riaz Haq said...

15,000 Pakistani Students are Currently Studying in Australia


https://propakistani.pk/2023/04/03/15000-pakistani-students-are-currently-studying-in-australia/

The envoy shared the willingness to boost the ties further in areas of trade and investment. He apprised the minister that 100,000 strong Pakistan diaspora and 15,000 Pakistani students in Australia are playing an important role in bringing the two countries closer.

Riaz Haq said...

23,450 student visas issued in 2022 for Pakistanis to study in the UK, representing 377% increase over 2019.

https://www.studyinternational.com/news/uk-student-visas-indian/

The UK approved a record-breaking number of UK student visas on record in its time series. Out of 486,868 sponsored study visas granted (to both main applicants and their dependants), 117,965 went to Indian nationals. This is an increase of 80,569 (+215%) compared to 2019, and slightly more than the 115,056 granted to Chinese nationals — but Pakistani nationals saw a bigger increase in approvals for their UK student visas at 377% compared to India’s 215%.

Following India, Chinese nationals received 115,056 approved UK student visas, 4% lower than the number seen in 2019 (119,825). Almost half of all UK student visas (48%) went to Chinese and Indian nationals.

Nigerian nationals make up the third largest nationality group in the latest year, with a record high of 65,929 approved UK student visas. This is a 686% jump from 2019, marking the largest relative increase in Sponsored Study grants among all nationality groups.

Indian students now see the UK as more appealing after it reintroduced opportunities to remain in the country to work after graduation.

Data from Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) is showing an uptick in the number of Indian international students enrolled in British universities in 2020-21.

First-year Indian international students have increased by 27%, from 41,815 in 2019-20 to 53,015 in 2020-21, representing 19% of all non-EU enrolments. While China still leads in terms of student enrolments, their numbers have decreased over the 2020-21 period.
Speaking to Times of India, Indian National Student Association UK president Amit Tiwari said: “Indian students also appreciate the fact that they get a chance to apply experience to their studies due to the post-study work visa. We can only see the trend increasing of Indian students coming to the UK.”

Sanam Arora, founder and chairperson of National Indian Students and Alumni Union UK, said India is the most natural partner for the UK when it comes to education. She added that it is in India’s interest if the UK increased their intake with a compelling offer.

“Post-study work rights are critical to that offer, and the results of that are already being seen in the doubling of numbers from India and I do think this increase will continue. I am excited to see what comes out of the FTA negotiations,” Arora was quoted saying.

Riaz Haq said...

HEC Pakistan announces DAAD scholarships for studies in Germany


https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2023/05/31/hec-announces-daad-scholarships-for-studies-in-germany/

The Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan has announced the German assistance organization Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst (DAAD) scholarships for Pakistani students who want to study in Germany.

According to HEC, the organisation has announced scholarships for students to pursue a Master’s degree in their Development-Related Postgraduate Courses (EPOS).

“Under the Development-Related Postgraduate Courses (EPOS) programme, foreign graduates from development and newly industrialised countries from all disciplines and with at least two years professional experience have the opportunity to take a postgraduate or Master’s degree at a state or state-recognised German university,” the HEC statement read on Twitter.

Pakistani graduates with at least two years of professional experience can apply for the programme and must also possess a Bachelor’s degree in a relevant subject normally in a four-year-long course.

“Candidates can prove their motivation is development-related and be expected to take on social responsibility and initiate and support processes of change in their personal and professional environment after their training/scholarship,” DAAD mentioned on their website.

Students can find more details on the scholarship and programme on DAAD’s website.


Riaz Haq said...

Improving language supports could increase stay rate of international students in Germany


https://monitor.icef.com/2022/03/improving-language-supports-could-increase-stay-rate-of-international-students-in-germany/


More than a quarter of surveyed students said that language difficulties had been challenging for them, and nearly as many said they had experienced challenges in meeting new friends and in finding accommodation. Feeling socially isolated may be especially pronounced among Indonesian, South Korean, Taiwanese, Pakistani, and Chinese students: more than 50% in those segments said they had felt, at least at one point, the desire to go back to their home country. Among Chinese students, this proportion rose to 70%.

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Short on time? Here are the highlights:

A survey of nearly 2,000 international students studying in Germany during the pandemic shows that many would like to remain in the country after graduating to work/immigrate or to progress to another level of study
The most challenging obstacles for these students are language barriers and difficulties in making new friends, suggesting a need for stronger international student supports at German universities

A 2021 Expatrio/DEGIS survey of nearly 2,000 international students who chose to study in Germany during the pandemic found that (1) most were drawn by the country’s no-tuition-fees policy and (2) more than half intended to stay in the country after their studies. That said, language barriers are a concern for many international students in Germany, including those who would like to stay on after graduation.

About the survey
The survey was conducted by Expatrio, a platform designed to support international students in Germany, while DEGIS is an organisation that helps international students to network and adjust to German culture.

Students from roughly 93 countries participated in the survey; most of them were studying for master’s degrees (67%). The survey was a follow-up to one conducted in 2020 and was larger than its predecessor, with 31% more student respondents. Responses were collected from August to October 2021 and reported in “Navigating the Pandemic: International Students’ Relocation to and Life in Germany 2021.”

Why do students choose Germany?
Surveyed students chose Germany primarily because of the country’s no-tuition-fees policy for all students in higher education (45%); employment opportunities were the next-most influential factor (18%), especially for Mexican and Brazilian respondents.

Riaz Haq said...

Nearly 21,000 students from Pakistan as international students return to Australia but not yet at pre-pandemic levels


https://monitor.icef.com/2023/04/international-students-are-returning-to-australia-in-numbers-but-not-yet-at-pre-pandemic-levels/


Short on time? Here are the highlights:

Australia’s international student numbers and overall enrolments were up in 2022, but they have not yet reached their levels before the pandemic in 2019
The Chinese market is not rebounding, and Indian students now account for more commencements (first-time enrolments) than Chinese students do
Driving the Australian international education sector’s recovery are new students from Thailand, Nepal, Colombia, Pakistan, and other emerging markets

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Australia’s international education sector is recovering from pandemic losses, but it has not rebounded to pre-pandemic performance yet according to new data from Austrade.

Australian institutions enrolled 619,370 foreign students in 2022. This is up 8% over 2021 but is down 18% since 2019.

Commencements (first-time enrolments in Australian programmes) grew by 39% y-o-y but were 23% lower than in 2019. Fewer new Chinese students depressed commencement volumes: there were 39% fewer Chinese students in 2022 than in 2019. In 2022, India displaced China as the largest source of commencements.

Total course enrolments (as distinct from total international students) nudged upwards by 4% to 746,390 in 2022, but this is 22% lower than in 2019. (Australia provides data on both international students and international enrolments – the second is always a higher number as an international student may enrol in more than one course while on their study visa.)

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Offsetting a decline in Chinese enrolments (177,470 in 2022, down 11% y-o-y) and zero momentum from India (128,980, up .03%) were notable enrolment increases from:

Thailand, the 6th largest market, up 61% to 25,792
Nepal, the 3rd largest market, up 21% to 71,805
Colombia, the 4th largest market, up 21% to 28,435
Pakistan, the 9th largest market, up 21% to 20,935

Combined, China and India still contributed half of all international enrolments in Australian institutions in 2022.

Foreshadowing the shape of the sector’s recovery in the years to come are commencement trends. Chinese commencements fell by 8% in 2022 compared with 2021, while Indian commencements increased by 45%, boosting India to the top market for Australia in terms of first-time enrolments in courses. Otherwise, the biggest stories in terms of commencements come from:

Thailand, up 145%
Nepal, up 94%
Pakistan, up 71%
Philippines, up 61%
In 2022, India and China each accounted for roughly 18% of commencements, with Nepal next at 11%.

Riaz Haq said...

UNESCO data on outbound international students in 2020

http://data.uis.unesco.org/index.aspx?queryid=3807#

Pakistan: 64,604 students


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Bangladesh 49,151

Brazil 89,151

Canada 51,156

China 1,088,466

Egypt 43,243

India 516,000

Iran 66,701

Malaysia 55,311

Morocco 63,001

Nepal 95,268

Nigeria 71,753

Pakistan 64,604

Syria 87,057

South Africa 12,295

South Korea 100,610

Russia 57,591

Vietnam 132,559

UK 40,074

USA 109,827

Riaz Haq said...

Outbound mobility trends for five key sending markets (of international students) in Asia (in 2022)

Bangladesh (70,000) , Nepal (125,500), Pakistan (103,190), Philippines (62,000) and Thailand (40,720).

https://monitor.icef.com/2023/03/outbound-mobility-trends-for-five-key-sending-markets-in-asia/


Pakistan
The most recent UNESCO data (2020) counts 64,065 Pakistani students abroad in higher education. Outbound mobility from Pakistan was over 103,190 in 2022 when we consult more recent statistics published by government sources in various destinations. There have been large increases in Pakistani students recorded recently in the UK, Australia, US, Canada, and Germany.

The top three destinations for Pakistani students currently are UAE, UK, and Australia.

UAE: 24,865 in 2020 according to UNESCO
UK: 23,075 in 2021/22 (+62% y-o-y)
Australia: 15,875 in 2022 (+15%)
US: 8,770 in 2021/22 (+17%)
Germany: 7,115 in 2021/22 (+22%)
Canada: 6,405 in 2022 (+38%)
Kyrgyzstan: 6,000 in 2020 according to UNESCO
Malaysia: 4,700 in 2021
Turkey: 2,385 in 2020 according to UNESCO
Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Sweden, Qatar: At least 4,000 in 2020 according to UNESCO

Riaz Haq said...

US records 16% increase in admission of Pakistani students

In the past two years, an overall 33% increase has been noted

https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1129600-us-records-16-increase-in-admission-of-pakistani-students
A United States Department of State report recorded a 16% increase in the admission of Pakistani students to universities across the country.

The annual Open Doors Report for 2022-23 report, prepared in collaboration with the Institute of International Education (IIE), highlighted a substantial increase in the number of students from Pakistan studying in higher education institutions in the US.

"During 2022-2023, there were 10,164 Pakistani students, compared to 8,772 in the previous year, indicating an impressive 16% increase," the report read.

It also underscores the continued prominence of the US as the top destination for international study in the 2022-2023 academic year. Notably, the data reveals a significant milestone, with the US hosting over one million (1,057,188) international students during this period, marking a remarkable 12% increase from the previous academic year and representing the fastest growth rate in over four decades.

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International students in the U.S., by country of origin 2022/23 | Statista


10,164 students from Pakistan studying in America, ranking the country the 16th largest source of international students in the US

https://www.statista.com/statistics/233880/international-students-in-the-us-by-country-of-origin/

Riaz Haq said...

US Visa issuance 2018 to 2023: Non-immigrant visas showed a steady increase from 40,679 in 2018 to 80,852 in 2023, and while Immigrant visas fluctuated, they too increased from 10,114 in 2018 to 16,320 in 2023 – Gallup Pakistan Digital Analytics Report on Immigration and Non Immigration Visas to US from Pakistan

https://gallup.com.pk/post/36260#:~:text=US%20from%20Pakistan-,US%20Visa%20issuance%202018%20to%202023%3A%20Non%2Dimmigrant%20visas%20showed,Visas%20to%20US%20from%20Pakistan

Has there been an increase in influx from Pakistan to US between 2018 to 2023?

Non-immigrant visas showed a steady increase from 40,679 in 2018 to 80,852 in 2023. Conversely, immigrant visas fluctuated, with 10,114 in 2018 experiencing a noticeable drop in 2020 with only 3,750 visas issues, most likely due to Covid-19, however, they rebounded by 2023 with 16,320 immigrant visas issued within the year. These numbers reflect the dynamic nature of travel and immigration patterns over the past few years.

KEY FINDINGS FROM THIS PRESS RELEASE:

There was a fluctuating trend of non-immigration US visas issued for Pakistanis in 2023, with peaks in October (9,565) and December (7,483), and low points in July (4,795) and April (5,723), highlighting potential seasonal patterns or shifts in travel behaviour.
Across categories: “Business & pleasure” lead with 85.11% of the visas issued, followed by “Student” making up 3.67% of the visas issued, while “Temporary Workers” only made up 1.33% of the total Non-Immigration US Visas issued in 2023.
Immigrant US visa issuance for Pakistanis fluctuated month-to-month, reflecting varying demand.
Across categories: “Special immigrants” lead with 46.65%, closely followed by “Immediate relatives of US citizens” at 32.22%, while “Employment based” visas only made up 1.41% of the Immigrant US Visas issued in 2023, indicating a lesser reliance in work-related sponsorship.
Non-immigrant visa issuance showed a steady increase from 40,679 in 2018 to 80,852 in 2023.
Immigrant visa issuances fluctuated, with 10,114 visas issued in 2018, experiencing a noticeable drop in 2020 with only 3,750 visas issues, most likely due to Covid-19, however, they rebounded by 2023 with 16,320 immigrant visas issued within the year. These numbers reflect the dynamic nature of travel and immigration patterns over the past few years.
Examining the Non-Immigrant Visa issuances in Pakistan, Islamabad Consulate led with 52.2%, while the Karachi Consulate followed with 47.8%.

Riaz Haq said...

INTERNATIONAL STUDENT MOBILITY

https://wenr.wes.org/2020/02/education-in-pakistan


Pakistan is a significant exporter of international students globally. According to UNESCO statistics, the number of outbound Pakistani degree-seeking students grew by 70 percent over the last decade, from 31,156 in 2007 to 53,023 in 2017. While that number is dwarfed by the more than 330,000 degree-seeking students from neighboring India, consider that Pakistan’s outbound mobility ratio—the percentage of international students among all students—is almost three time as high (2.7 percent in 2017) as that of India (1 percent). This means that it’s far more common for Pakistani students to study abroad and broaden their academic horizons in another country than it is for Indian students.

Further increases in student outflows from Pakistan are expected in the years ahead. The British Council, for instance, expects Pakistan to be among the top 10 growth countries worldwide until 2027, despite an overall cooling of international student mobility on a global scale. For one, the precarious economic conditions and employment prospects in Pakistan are a major push factor for both international students and the hundreds of thousands of labor migrants leaving Pakistan each year. Studying abroad can open immigration pathways in countries like Australia or Canada, while a foreign degree gives those that return a competitive edge on the Pakistani labor market.

Another important driver is the lack of university seats and high-quality study programs in Pakistan, particularly at the graduate level. While Pakistan has created a tremendous amount of new doctoral programs over the past decade, growing numbers of Pakistani scholars are heading abroad to access higher quality education, primarily in fields like engineering and the sciences. To modernize research in Pakistan and raise the qualifications profile of university faculty, the government supports this development with scholarship programs of considerable scale, considering Pakistan’s fiscal constraints. While most Pakistani students are said to be self-funded, overseas scholarship programs have helped thousands of graduate students to pursue studies in the United States, the United Kingdom, Cuba, Germany, France, and various other countries in recent years. Scholarship recipients are often required to return home after graduation.

The traditional English-speaking international study destinations, Australia and the U.S., are currently the top choices among Pakistani degree-seeking students, as per UNESCO statistics. Datapublished by the Australian government show that the number of Pakistani students grew almost threefold over the past decade, from 3,512 in 2008 to 10,000 in 2019, making Pakistan one of the top 10 sending countries of tertiary students in Australia.

In the U.S., likewise, Pakistani enrollments have generally been on an upward trajectory over the past few years. According to the Open Doors data of the Institute of International Education, Pakistan sent 7,957 students to the U.S. in 2018/19, an increase of 5.6 percent over the previous year, making it the 22nd most important sending country. Around 44 percent of these students are enrolled in undergraduate programs, 35 percent in graduate programs, and 4 percent in non-degree programs, while 17 percent pursue Optional Practical Training.

Other popular destination countries include the U.K. and the Muslim-majority countries Malaysia and Saudi Arabia, the latter also being a magnet for labor migrants from Pakistan. It should be noted, however, that China has emerged as a significant destination as well. China may, in fact, now host the largest number of Pakistani international students worldwide. While UNESCO does not report data for China, and Chinese government figures are difficult to compare,1 Pakistan is currently the third-largest sending country to China with 28,000 students, per Chinese statistics.