Increasing the number of vocational training courses taught in English could attract more foreign students to Danish shores – along with their cash.
Three cabinet members are proposing that Denmark increase do more to attract foreign students and so carve a greater share of the international education market.
The ministers – science, innovation and higher education minister Morten Østergaard (Radikale), children and education minister Christine Antorini (Socialdemokraterne) and trade and investment minister Pia Olsen Dyhr (Socialistisk Folkeparti) – outlined their vision in an opinion piece in Kristeligt Dagblad yesterday.
”The value of the international education market is $2.2 trillion a year,” they wrote. “That is almost ten times Denmark’s gross domestic product and in the coming years the global education market will grow at an explosive tempo.”
Denmark’s vocational training programs at university colleges were identified as the sector most likely to offer growth, though it would require increasing the number programmes offered in English.
“Countries such as New Zealand and Australia earn billions exporting education to Asia. They have an advantage because of their language, so we need to make an extra effort to teach in English,” Dyhr said, according to the Berlingske Nyhedsbureau news agency.
“English is becoming the dominant language for university education but our university colleges are lagging behind. International students lift the quality of schools so I think they will find a solution. The Danish students will also have strengthened career prospects by being educated in English.”
Østergaard stressed, however, that they were not proposing that all programmes be taught in English, but rather creating parallel programmes in English that Danish students could participate in.
University College Zealand is already capitalising on exporting education, particularly to students from Vietnam.
“We don’t sell degree programmes, but rather courses for teachers and nurses,”  Ulla Koch, the rector of University College Zealand, said, adding that over 100 Vietnamese students qualify and return home every year.
This week the government announced its plans to grant foreign students green cards after they have completed three-year university educations, allowing allow them to stay an additional three years to find work.

By Ray Clancy. International students studying in Australia are now better protected under the government’s Tuition Protection Service (TPS), according to the Minister for Tertiary Education, Chris Evans.
He said that the TPS would reform the sector by providing increased protection and ensuring international students continue to view Australia as a great place to study.
‘We want to ensure Australia remains a first class destination for international students to gain a quality education and a positive student experience,’ he said.
‘International education is a major industry for Australia, generating around $15.7 billion in 2011 and estimated to support around 125,000 jobs. The government’s new protection service is good news for education providers and good news for students,’ he added.
The TPS is a single mechanism to place students with alternative providers in the case of an education service closure, or, as a last resort, to provide refunds of unexpended course fees.
‘The enhanced TPS will strengthen what is already the world’s most rigorous protection scheme. It will deliver a timely service, more choice and control for students, one set of fees for providers and will ensure greater accountability for government,’ explained Evans.
The new director of the TPS is Vipan Mahajan who has a long career in the Australian Public Service, most recently in senior management in international education in the Department of Industry, Innovation, Science, Research and Tertiary Education.
The TPS is the final chapter in the government’s response to the Baird Review. The TPS Advisory Board will be appointed to develop recommendations on the risk levy to be paid by registered providers in 2013.

Di Valeria Pini. La laurea in medicina è internazionale. Un corso interamente in lingua in alcuni atenei italiani. I test di ammissione si terranno il 5 settembre, iscrizioni fino al 22 agosto. Un modo per preparare professionisti per un mondo sempre più globalizzato, ma anche per attrarre studenti e docenti dall'estero.
SEMBRA Harvard, ma è Bari. In aula c'è lezione di Anatomia e sembra di stare negli Stati Uniti. In tempo di globalizzazione anche in Italia si moltiplicano i corsi di laurea di Medicina in inglese. L’obiettivo è formare professionisti che siano competitivi anche al di fuori dei confini nazionali e attrarre negli atenei italiani i migliori studenti stranieri.
Gli ultimi nati sono quelli dell'Università di Bari, della Seconda Università di Napoli e a Roma "Tor Vergata", preceduti da poco dall’università La Sapienza di Roma. Anche Pavia, una delle facoltà di medicina più antiche d’Italia, offre un corso di laurea in inglese, mentre a Milano ce ne sono due: quello dell’università Statale e l’Istituto Humanitas e quello dell’ateneo privato Vita-Salute San-Raffaele. I test di ingresso in lingua inglese si svolgeranno il 5 settembre e la data di scadenza per l’iscrizione per gli atenei pubblici è fino al 22 agosto.
Al S. Raffaele, ateneo privato, le selezioni si sono già svolte per i candidati di nazionalità italiana, mentre il 28 agosto si terranno quelle per gli studenti stranieri. In queste facoltà si punta all’esperienza sul campo. Gli allievi sono seguiti da tutor e le lezioni si tengono tutte rigorosamente in lingua inglese. Parte dei docenti provengono da università europee e nordamericane.
Il corso dell’università Statale di Milano, nato nel 2010, accoglie 60 studenti. Dieci posti sono riservati a persone provenienti da paesi fuori dalla Ue. "Gli stranieri sono il 50%: vengono da Europa, Israele, Canada, Cina e Taiwan - spiega Gianluca Vago, coordinatore dei corsi - il titolo rilasciato ha validità nella Ue, salvo singoli accordi di riconoscimento". I costi non superano i 3.000-4.000 euro.
Decisamente più élitario il corso dell’ateneo San Raffaele di Milano: per il primo anno 2012-2013 gli studenti pagheranno 18.500 euro. Nato due anni fa, ammette 72 studenti: 36 della Ue e 36 extracomunitari. Il prossimo test di ammissione si terrà il 28 agosto. Alle prove di selezione per l’anno accademico in corso avevano partecipato quasi 500 persone.
"Pavia ha una secolare tradizione di ospitalità di studenti stranieri", spiega invece Antonio dal Canton, preside della facoltà di Medicina di Pavia, che ammette 310 studenti l’anno, fra i quali 100 nel corso in inglese. "Puntiamo a un’internazionalizzazione dei corsi. Fra l’altro siamo stati coinvolti, unici in Italia, nel progetto Usa Global Health Opportunity, che punta a costruire una rete internazionale di università di eccellenza in cui omologare la formazione del medico. Inoltre offriamo ai nostri studenti la possibilità di sottoporsi ai test che si affrontano per l’esame di Stato nelle università americane".
Anche La Sapienza di Roma si adegua (40 posti, 10 riservati agli studenti extra Ue). L’anno scorso al test d’ingresso si sono presentati quasi 400 studenti. "L’obiettivo è dare una possibilità in più ai ragazzi italiani, perché l’inglese è la lingua della ricerca - dice Eugenio Gaudio, preside della facoltà di Farmacia e Medicina -
ma anche attrarre studenti e docenti stranieri per internazionalizzare l’università".

By Dan Harrison. University leader Fred Hilmer has declared Australian universities are on a precipice, underfunded and smothered by regulation, and heading for decline without urgent and dramatic policy change.
Addressing the National Press Club yesterday, Professor Hilmer, the vice-chancellor of the University of NSW, said universities should be free to set their own fees for Australian bachelor degrees. Currently, universities are free to set their prices for international students and for Australian students in postgraduate courses, but fee levels for local students in undergraduate courses are set by the Commonwealth.
Professor Hilmer - the chairman of the Group of Eight consortium of top research universities which includes the ANU - also flagged a more assertive approach to lobbying by the university sector, which he suggested had been too acquiescent in the face of bad policy.
''I think we've got to play in the public policy field a lot more aggressively than we have been,'' he said.
''We're getting close to a time when we've got to do pretty much what the mining industry did. Just say no, take out ads, and be absolutely vocal.''
''I don't think we use the strength of our reputations sufficiently, and I think we're going to have to, because we've got to get this environment changed.''
Professor Hilmer delivered a withering critique of the Gillard government's higher education policies, which he described as ''a mix of rose-coloured aspirations, oppressive regulation and Scrooge-like funding.''
He said about 20 of Australia's universities ranked in the global top 400, yet were treated ''as if they were fly-by-night ventures rather than respected colleagues of the best universities worldwide,'' forced to submit to a ''dysfunctional, smothering array of regulation.''
He said it had taken four months for the Gillard government's universities regulator to approve a new course UNSW wished to offer.
Previously, he said, such approvals took one week.
He said while Australian institutions ranked highly in international standings, these were based on past performance. ''If we look forward, the picture for Australian universities is not nearly as bright,'' he said. ''I think we are sitting on a precipice.''
He said allowing universities to set their own fees for bachelor degrees for Australian students would allow universities to lower staff-student ratios at little or no cost to the Commonwealth budget.
He said if UNSW was allowed to charge half of the students in courses such as law, business, engineering and medicine just 25 per cent more, this would raise $30 million a year which would allow the uni to employ 250 new staff. These degrees carried ''high private benefit'' to the students who completed them, and the HECS system would ameliorate the effects of higher fees on poorer students, he said.
A spokesman for the Tertiary Education Minister, Chris Evans, said the principles which guided the work of its universities regulator had been designed in close consultation with universities and with their strong support.

Selon l’Institut nationale de la statistique et des études économiques, seulement 17% des ouvriers ont eu accès à la formation professionnelle en 2010, contre 35% pour les cadres supérieurs.
Pour avoir le plus de chances d’accéder à la formation professionnelle, il faut être un cadre, avoir un bac+4 ou plus et travailler dans une entreprise de plus de 500 salariés. C’est ce qu’indique un rapport de l’Insee sur la formation professionnelle en 2010.
35% des cadres et 33% des professions intermédiaires ont en effet suivi une formation continue sur cette période, contre 23% des employés et 17% des ouvriers.
Les plus qualifiés ont davantage accès à la formation
Ce taux d’accès augmente avec le niveau de diplôme. Ainsi 10% des professionnels ayant suivi une formation en 2010 n’avait aucun diplôme, alors que ceux disposant d'un bac+4 et plus étaient 34%. Des inégalités, déjà flagrantes, qui ne comprennent pas les écarts de durée et le type de formation suivie.
Alors que la formation professionnelle était sensée offrir une "seconde chance" aux salariés les moins qualifiés, les aidant ainsi à s’adapter aux changements dans l’entreprise, ce sont les plus qualifiés, et déjà adaptés par leur diplôme, qui en profitent le plus.
Trop peu d’investissement public dans la formation
L’observatoire des inégalités dénonce d’ailleurs les faibles opportunités de progression de carrière dans l’univers professionnel français, renforcées par les barrières à l’entrée du monde de l’encadrement. Sans un diplôme d’une école prestigieuse, les chances d’évolution dans le monde du travail sont déjà très faibles. Or les employeurs ne cherchent pas à organiser la promotion sociale.
L’observatoire des inégalités dénonce donc de la "faiblesse de l’investissement public en France" pour la formation professionnelle des moins qualifiés.
Voir aussi What is wrong with global inequality in higher education et Les inégalités d’accès à la formation professionnelle.

Our correspondent, Islamabad. 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.

By Philip G Altbach. A spectre of corruption is haunting the global campaign towards higher education internationalisation. An overseas degree is increasingly valuable, so it is not surprising that commercial ventures have found opportunities in the internationalisation landscape.
New private actors have entered the sector, with the sole goal of making money. Some of them are less than honourable. Some universities look at internationalisation as a contribution to the financial ‘bottom line’, in an era of financial cutbacks. The rapidly expanding private higher education sector globally is largely for-profit. In a few cases, such as Australia and increasingly the United Kingdom, national policies concerning higher education internationalisation tilt towards earning income for the system.
Countries whose academic systems suffer from elements of corruption are increasingly involved in international higher education – sending large numbers of students abroad, establishing relationships with overseas universities and other activities. Corruption is not limited to countries that may have a reputation for less than fully circumspect academic practices, but that problem occurs globally.
Recent scandals
Several scandals have recently been widely reported in the United States, including the private unaccredited ‘Tri-Valley University’, a sham institution that admitted and collected tuition fees from foreign students. That institution did not require students to attend class, but rather funnelled them into the labour market, under the noses of US immigration authorities. In addition, several public universities have been caught admitting students with sub-standard academic qualifications.
Quality assurance agencies in the UK have uncovered problems with ‘franchised’ British-degree programmes, and similar scandals have occurred in Australia. A prominent example is the University of Wales, which was the second largest university in the UK, with 70,000 students enrolled in 130 colleges around the world. It had to close its highly profitable degree validation programme, which accounted for nearly two-thirds of institutional revenue.
With international higher education now a multibillion-dollar industry around the world – with individuals, countries and institutions depending on its income, prestige and access – it is not surprising that corruption is a growing problem. If something is not done to ensure probity in international relationships in higher education, an entire structure – built on trust, a commitment to mutual understanding and benefits for students and researchers – a commitment built informally over decades, will collapse. There are signs that the structure is already in deep trouble.
Unscrupulous agents
A serious and unsolved problem is the prevalence of unscrupulous agents and recruiters funnelling unqualified students to universities worldwide. A recent example was featured in Britain’s Daily Telegraph in late June of an agent in China caught on video, offering to write admissions essays and to present other questionable help in admission to prominent British universities. No one knows the extent of the problem, although consistent news reports indicate that it is widespread, particularly in countries that send large numbers of students abroad, including China and India.
Without question, agents now receive millions of dollars in commissions paid by universities and, in some egregious cases, money from the clients as well. In the University of Nottingham’s case the percentage of students recruited through agents has increased from 19% of the intake in 2005 to 25% in 2011, with more than £1 million (US$1.5 million) going to the agents.
Altered and fake documents
Altered and fake documents have long been a problem in international admissions. Computer design and technology exacerbate it. Fraudulent documents have become a minor industry in some parts of the world, and many universities are reluctant to accept documents from institutions that have been tainted with incidents of counterfeit records. For example, a number of American universities no longer accept applications from some Russian students because of widespread perceptions of fraud, document tampering and other problems.
Document fraud gained momentum due to commission-based agents who have an incentive to ensure that students are ‘packaged’ with impressive credentials, as their commissions depend on successful student placement. Those responsible for checking the accuracy of transcripts, recommendations and degree certificates face an increasingly difficult task. Students who submit valid documentation are placed at a disadvantage since they are subjected to extra scrutiny.
Examples of tampering with and falsifying results of the Graduate Record Examination and other commonly required international examinations used for admissions have resulted in the nullifying of scores, and even cancelling examinations in some countries and regions, as well as rethinking whether online testing is practical. This situation has made it more difficult for students to apply to foreign universities and has made the task of evaluating students for admission more difficult.
Several countries, including Russia and India, have announced that they will be using the Times Higher Education and Academic Ranking of World Universities (Shanghai rankings) as a way of determining the legitimacy of foreign universities for recognising foreign degrees, determining eligibility for academic collaborations and other aspects of international higher education relations. This is unfortunate, since many excellent academic institutions are not included in these rankings, which mostly measure research productivity. No doubt, Russia and India are concerned about the quality of foreign partners and find the rankings convenient.
Visa rules
Several ‘host’ countries have tightened up rules and oversight of cross-border student flows in response to irregularities and corruption. The US Department of State announced in June 2012 that visa applicants from India would be subjected to additional scrutiny as a response to the ‘Tri-Valley scandal’. Earlier both Australia and Britain changed rules and policy.
Corruption is making internationalisation more difficult for the entire higher education sector. It is perhaps significant that continental Europe seems to have been less affected by shady practices – perhaps in part because international higher education is less commercialised and profit driven. The internet has become the ‘Wild West’ of academic misrepresentation and chicanery. It is easy to set up an impressive website and exaggerate the quality or lie about an institution. Some institutions claim accreditation that does not exist. There are even ‘accreditation mills’ to accredit universities that pay a fee. A few include pictures of impressive-looking campuses that are simply photoshopped from other universities.
What can be done?
With international higher education now big business and with commercial gain an ever-increasing motivation for international initiatives, the problems mentioned are likely to persist. However, a range of initiatives can ameliorate the situation.
The higher education community can recommit to the traditional ‘public good’ values of internationalisation, although current funding challenges may make this difficult in some countries. The International Association of Universities’ recent report, Affirming Academic Values in Internationalisation of Higher Education, is a good start. The essential values of the European Union’s Bologna Initiatives are also consistent with the best values of internationalisation. Accreditation and quality assurance are essential for ensuring that basic quality is recognised. Agencies and the international higher education community must ensure that universities are carefully evaluated and that the results of assessment are easily available to the public and to international stakeholders.
Governmental, regional and international agencies must coordinate their efforts and become involved in maintaining standards and protecting the image of the higher education sector. Contradictions abound. For example, the US Department of State’s Education USA seeks to protect the sector, while the Department of Commerce sees higher education just as an export commodity. Government agencies in the UK and Australia seem also to be mainly pursuing commercial interests.
Consciousness-raising about ethics and good practice in international higher education and awareness of emerging problems and continuing challenges deserve continuing attention. Prospective students and their families, institutional partners considering exchanges and research, and other stakeholders must be more sophisticated and vigilant concerning decision-making. The Boston College Center for International Higher Education’s Corruption Monitor is the only clearinghouse for information relating directly to corrupt practices; additional sources of information and analysis would be helpful.
The first step in solving a major challenge to higher education internationalisation is recognition of the problem itself. The higher education community is by no means united, and growing commercialisation makes some people reluctant to act in ways that may threaten profits. There are individuals within the academic community who lobby aggressively to legitimise dubious practices. Yet, if nothing is done, the higher education sector worldwide will suffer and the impressive strides taken toward internationalisation will be threatened.
* Philip G Altbach is Monan professor and director of the Center for International Higher Education at Boston College in the United States. Email: Altbach@bc.edu. The author acknowledges comments from Rahul Choudaha and Liz Reisberg.