Sophie Hogan
The PIE News
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Past articles by Sophie:
Ukrainian male int'l students stopped at border
The European Students’ Union published a statement on September 8 expressing its disapproval of the ‘worrying’ circumstances in which students are being turned away. “Until now, the students, postgraduates and doctoral students studying full-time were able to leave the country to pursue their studies under Ukrainian law via exit permission from the relevant military registration and enlistment… → Read More
Horizon Europe: UK sets out new measures to support R&I amid delays
But association to the European Commission’s key research funding program remains “by far the best outcome”, they say. The measures include multiple uplifts: these will be directed at existing UK talent schemes, innovation funding and businesses – particularly SMEs – and international innovation schemes to support business collaborations. They also include the continually operational UK… → Read More
BUILA: education a “force to help solve global challenges”
“I am extremely proud of the prosperity in the last few years and as we step into the future, the positive lessons we’ve learnt in the past year will play a crucial part in growing the UK education offering and strengthening the UK’s global agenda,” Steve Smith told delegates. “The nature of the last few years has meant that many of you will absolutely be no strangers to challenges and to… → Read More
Immerse partners with Meta on VR learning
The new partnership, which launched on June 23, allows learners to take part in virtual lessons in VR in a whole world built specifically for learning languages. “The time had come for virtual reality and the metaverse to no longer be thought of as a small add-on to the classroom, but instead for platforms to go direct-to-consumer and disrupt schools head on,” said Quinn Taber, founder and CEO… → Read More
ALE “not reaching those who need it most”, says UNESCO
The fifth edition of the Global Report on Adult Learning and Education outlines a “clear and comprehensive” picture of the state of adult learning and education across the globe, using five key pillars – policy, governance, financing, participation, and quality. “For the first time, we also introduced another layer – the three fields of learning,” Werner Mauch, the team leader for the Seventh… → Read More
Ireland: housing crisis sees woeful overcrowding
One group of Brazilian students, according to RTÉ News, was living in a disused nightclub on Dublin’s Leeson Street for two months before they were then relocated to a “crowded and mouldy flat” nearby – and paying €400 a month for the displeasure. “I’m from Brazil. It’s a third world country. So I never expected to meet this here. I never expected to be exploited in this way. For me it’s a bad… → Read More
OES announces The WorldGrad minority investment
A “minority investment” will be made to Singapore-based LINC Education Services, which runs The WorldGrad. The sum has not been disclosed. “OES’s investment is set to propel the growth of The WorldGrad and will allow more students to study abroad at leading English-speaking universities,” said co-founder of The WorldGrad Abhinav Mital. “We are excited to have their support as we look to grow the… → Read More
“Everything works” - int’l students laud studying in world’s happiest countries
Released in March, the World Happiness Report 2022 looks at quality of life, countries’ public policies and now, trust in nations amid the Covid pandemic. In 2021, Finland is officially known as the “happiest country in the world”, evaluated by the country’s GDP per capita, generosity, perceptions of corruption, social support and more. “One of the things that makes Finns happy is the fact that… → Read More
AIFS and CIEE partner on new fund
The American Institute for Foreign Study and the Council on International Education Exchange will be donating $100,000 over the next three years to a program that supports professionals to attend international education conferences as part of their development. “Now is the time to double our investment in training the next generation of exceptional leaders in international education programs,”… → Read More
UK must “tailor” approach to different target markets
QS’ International Student Survey, released on May 30, coincides with a new update from the UK government on its international education strategy, in which it was conceded that the country must “avoid complacency” when it comes to maintaining its stead in the international education sector. “As a sector we have faced unprecedented challenges over the last two years due to the pandemic,” said QS… → Read More
Agent quality framework set to be a “game changer” for UK sector
The Agent Quality Framework, based on research done by BUILA and UKCISA, was presented to delegates during the International Student Agents Summit in London on May 25, by BUILA chair Bobby Mehta, and is now live on the BUILA website – with more news to come as the year progresses. The framework proposes an ethical code, training, agent databases and soft regulation across the board, revamping… → Read More
Finance and international offices must "work together" after disconnect
A lack of communication between international and finance office representatives leads to issues such as student funds not going through, delays in refunds and in advancement to visa processing on applications, one delegate at the WPM Flywire International Student Agents Summit working in the finance office at a UK university has warned. “We are all in our individual silos and don’t really talk… → Read More
Covid "under control" despite enrolment drop, say Chinese agents
In its fourth annual update, BONARD’s Agent Marker Report, which was presented in a webinar chaired by COO Igor Skibickij and China branch manager Grace Zhu, research showed that two in five agents in the country are even optimistic for 2023. > “The world needs China and China needs the world” “The world needs China and China needs the world, metaphorically speaking,” Skibickij told The PIE.… → Read More
Finalists for the 2022 PIEoneer Awards revealed
Once again, the recurring theme was rallying around supporting and bolstering students and organisations as the grip of a crippling pandemic finally begins to loosen. Overall, finalists for the awards came from 26 countries, spanning regions across the world and widening diversity, as in previous iterations. Some highlights in the shortlist include a stellar line-up in the digital innovation of… → Read More
ELT: Mixed feelings about current climate but “hope and positivity” as 2022 progresses
As over 200 ELT schools, universities, publishers and other major players met at the back-on-schedule Eaquals conference in Venice, Italy, the general mood demonstrated mixed feelings about what the future holds for language teaching across the world. “We were cautiously optimistic about things in October, whereas now we’re definitely looking forward positively for the membership and membership… → Read More
Finland aims to “triple number of students” by 2030 with new law
A new act designed to make it easier for students to apply for permanent residency and “work after graduation” has been put forward, but the announcement does also make it known that students will “still be responsible for their livelihood throughout their studies”. The government’s ultimate aim, according to Labour Migration and Integration Unit government counsellor Jarmo Tiukkanen, is to… → Read More
US updates focuses on “hyper-connected world” in intled strategy
Released by the US Department of Education under Secretary Miguel Cardona, the strategy outlines the goal to be a nation in which a diverse society, global challenges and opportunities, economic competitiveness and national security and diplomacy “are the reality”. It is an update on the initial 2012–16 strategy. The framework for the strategy, like its predecessor, consists of two goals – the… → Read More
SEVP: Trends moving in the "right direction" despite 2021 dip in US
In the release of the annual report on student trends from the Student and Exchange Visitor Program, the number of international students on F-1 and M-1 visas in the United States declined by 1.2%. Records show that 1,236,748 students were in the country during the 2021 calendar year. “We continue to see other countries, and especially Canada, opening up more opportunities for international… → Read More
Aus housing crisis worsens as overseas students return
A new report by Australian real estate company Domain shows that vacancy rates across the board are at their lowest since its records began in 2017, with Melbourne showing one of the biggest year-on-year drops from 4.3% in March 2021 to 1.8% this March. “Experts say it is to get worse as international students and working visa holders flood back into our cities,” said reporter for News First… → Read More
New ELT membership group launches in Ireland
On April 12, chair David Niland broke the news of the launch of English Language Education Ireland, consisting of seven members. “There are many pressing issues [in the ELT sector] at the moment because the reality is that Ireland is trying to cope with entering the third year of pent-up demand,” David Niland, chair of ELE Ireland, told The PIE News. The new group has been put together to… → Read More