The TopUniversities.com guide to the latest higher education news from around the world, on 29 October 2012.
Australian state announces travel discounts for international students
The Australian state of New South Wales has announced a 35% discount on public transport for international students, Sydney Morning Herald reports. The decision follows one of the recommendations of a government-commissioned report, which highlighted poor living conditions experienced by many overseas students.
Taiwan wants to recruit more US students
Taiwan’s minister of education, Wei-Ling Chiang, says the country is keen to recruit more students from the US, the Los Angeles Times reports. During a visit to California, Chiang pointed out that while about 24,000 Taiwanese students are enrolled at universities in the US, only 3,561 US students are currently studying in Taiwan.
UAE plans to give all students a tablet computer
Jace Hargis, director of two colleges in the United Arab Emirates, says the country plans to issue tablet computers to all university students within the next four years, reports The New York Times. Some 14,000 tablets have already been handed out, in what Hargis describes as “the largest systematic deployment of any mobile device in schools in the world.”
For English students, most overseas destinations now cheaper options
It’s now less expensive for English students to study almost anywhere in the world other than the UK, reports The Telegraph. This is based on an HSBC study, which found that when tuition fees, living costs and flights were considered, only Australia, Canada and the US were more expensive than studying in the UK.
US universities urged to nurture ties with international alumni
In an interview with Forbes, Pepperdine University vice chancellor Michael Warder highlights the importance of maintaining contact with international students after they graduate. For US universities that fail to do this, he says the loss is “unmeasurable”.