China News Service, July 8 (Bian Lei): Candidates from all over China have concentrated their energy and devoted themselves to the "big test" of life-a major event in the American education industry has also occurred. Since July 7 local time, American colleges and universities have been in a hurry, rushing to modify the autumn semester plan during the new crown epidemic; in the academic world, complaints and accusations have been heard. The core of all this is around international students. What happened to the United States this time?
Data map: Harvard University campus.
Push people! American colleges are "chaotic"
The chaos in American universities starts with a new regulation from the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
On July 6, the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced that from the fall of 2020, if American universities completely switch to online courses, international students will not be allowed to study in the United States unless they are transferred to other face-to-face courses. In addition, new international students who apply for visas cannot obtain US student visas if their courses are fully taught online.
More importantly, this new regulation is mandatory: if international students do not comply with the regulations, they will face the fate of being deported.
Once the new regulations were announced, it stirred up thousands of waves, and American media pointed directly at the US government's "self-cutting financial resources." According to Reuters statistics, there are more than 1 million international students in American universities, accounting for 5.5% of the higher education population. They usually have to pay tuition in full, which is an important source of financial income for colleges and universities.
At the same time, these costs also contribute to the US economy. According to data from the US Department of Commerce, in 2018, international students contributed a total of US$45 billion to the US economy.
Image source: Screenshot of the official account of US President Trump’s social networking site
On July 7, local time, US President Trump emphasized on social networks that major schools must resume classes in the fall. He also accused the Democratic Party of supporting the closure of colleges and universities only for "political rather than health considerations."
However, in this regard, the US education community does not buy it.
Burles, assistant vice president of federal affairs of the American University Association, pointed out that many international students have made significant contributions to scientific research and even participated in research on ways to combat the new crown epidemic. They "should not be expelled from the United States." Burroughs said that the academic community asked the government to issue guidelines on the resumption of classes in April, but the authorities not only delayed the announcement until July 6, but also required the institutions to respond before July 15 with insufficient response time.
At the same time, the US Board of Education, which represents about 1,800 colleges, criticized the new regulations for causing confusion. Even more education groups questioned Trump's use of foreign students as a bargaining chip, forcing colleges to reopen faster to create the impression that the country is "returning to normal".
Data map: University of Oxford, UK. China News Service issued Sun Zifa photo
Cool down! Global study abroad market "shrinks" under epidemic situation
In fact, after the outbreaks in various countries, the global study abroad market has "cooled down". Among them, Western English-speaking countries that enjoy advantages in attracting international students are particularly affected by their institutions.
The British think tank Finance Institute (IFS) said that due to the global epidemic, the number of international students has plummeted, and some well-known universities are facing the dilemma of a substantial decline in income. On July 6, the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) said a new study showed that unless financial assistance from the British government is provided, about 10% of universities in the country are likely to face the "very realistic" prospect of bankruptcy.
As a result, universities in many countries around the world have turned to online teaching and distance learning to maintain part of their income. But the BBC pointed out that it is not clear how many universities can survive a sharp decline in income; it is also unclear whether online teaching will become a normal and permanent setting.
However, the British "Financial Times" pointed out that the driving factors for the study abroad market are still considered strong. According to previous data from UNESCO, with the growth of the middle class in Asia and Africa in recent years, the number of students in need of higher education will increase from 160 million in 2015 to more than 414 million in 2030.
Joe Johnson, a senior fellow at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, pointed out that the future of international education is still bright. The epidemic will increase the relative attractiveness of overseas study opportunities in the region, and developing countries will increasingly strive for overseas students; at the same time, the epidemic will accelerate online, distance learning and hybrid courses that combine online textbooks and classroom interaction, and may gradually form a more accessible, An international education market with a low degree of elitism.
Data map: On April 8, 2020, a distance education university in Tokyo, Japan held a graduation ceremony. Due to the epidemic, no students appeared at the graduation ceremony. A robot replaced the students to receive a graduation certificate.
Adjustment! How do countries treat international students?
At present, many countries have adjusted their study abroad policies.
Recently, the Canadian Immigration Department has also introduced new regulations that allow international students to use online courses to study, and can complete up to 50% of the courses abroad, which will be terminated by the end of the year. At the same time, the graduation work permits of these students will not be affected by the time of study abroad.
In the UK, international students who have completed a degree can apply for a two-year PSW visa starting in the summer of 2021. This visa is designed to allow international students with a bachelor's degree and above to have time to find a job or start a business in the UK after graduation.
After the outbreak, some countries have also provided assistance to international students. The New Zealand government has set up a bailout fund for international students to alleviate their financial difficulties due to the reduction of part-time income; the Japanese government has issued subsidies for students, ranging from 100,000 to 200,000 yen. International students are subsidized to help the poor.
In Ireland, colleges and universities usually arrange health and medical insurance for students. The insurance cost is about several hundred euros to 1,000 euros. All medical insurance and international student insurance cover the new crown treatment.
However, there are national exceptions. In Australia, overseas students can bring about US$20 billion in income a year. However, during the epidemic, Australian Prime Minister Morrison said that if foreign students are unable to guarantee their lives during the blockade, they should consider returning to their home country; coupled with the many discriminatory incidents against Asian people that have occurred in Australia, the Ministry of Education of China on June 9 A study abroad warning was issued to remind the majority of overseas study personnel to choose carefully to study in Australia or return to Australia.
Right now, as the pace of resumption of work and resumption of production in various countries accelerates, the problem of resumption of international students is also imminent. What will happen to those dreams of studying abroad and unfinished studies? Tens of millions of families are still waiting for answers.
Data Map: On March 18th, local time, teachers from the Asian Phoenix Academy in Penang, Malaysia are assisting Chinese students in self-study in distance education. Photo by Ke Qinjian
response! What should Chinese students do?
The BBC pointed out that nearly three-quarters of international students in the United States come from Asia. Among them, 48% are Chinese students. Under the "heavy punch" of the United States, how should they respond?
First of all, according to regulations, American non-immigrant F-1 status students must comply with current federal regulations when they are in school. Eligible students can choose up to one course or three credit online courses;
Secondly, the schools attended by non-immigrant F-1 students adopt a mixed model—that is, a mixed model of online courses and personal lectures. They will be allowed to take one class or three credits or more courses online;
If the school begins a face-to-face fall semester course, but needs to switch to an online course at a later date, it should update student information within 10 days of the US Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) system.
At present, American universities, including MIT, have stated that they will help their international students. The school's principal Rafael Leif announced on the 7th that in the fall semester, the school's undergraduate school will allow seniors and students who "need special consideration in safety, living conditions, visa status or other difficulties" to return to the campus; do not live The undergraduates of the school will all take online courses, and the students in the school will mix online and face-to-face teaching; the details of the graduate school are to be determined, and the mixed teaching is expected.
On July 7th, Beijing time, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said that China will pay close attention to the relevant developments of the US policy and will do its utmost to protect the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese students studying in the United States.