UK relaxes business and education immigration rules

LONDON: The UK has relaxed its immigration rules giving greater flexibility to students and businesses that employ and sponsor international migrants, a move likely to benefit Indians.


According to the new rules, visitors to the UK will be allowed a short period of study or training as part of their stay.

Multinational firms will be able to bring their own auditors to the UK on business visitor visas. Business visitors will also be able to do a short course of study while they are here.

The changes, announced on Friday, will make the UK more attractive to international students by allowing them to take up corporate internships after completing their degree and making it easier for graduate entrepreneurs to take up skilled jobs, an official statement said.

The British home office also made changes to the Intra-Company Transfer (ICT) visa system to enable employees to extend their stay without having to take a language test.

The ICT route is already well-regarded with business customers describing it is "the most user-friendly in the world", the statement said.

"The UK is open for business: we are building an immigration system that works in the national interest and supports growth," immigration minister Mark Harper said.

"Today's changes will ensure that the UK continues to attract global talent to work for British businesses and study at our world-class universities," he said on Friday.

"Immigration reform is working; we have tightened immigration routes where abuse was rife, while still encouraging the brightest and the best to come to the UK."

Minor changes have also been made to the family rules to benefit UK citizens applying to bring their Non-European Economic Area spouses and children to the country as they will be given greater flexibility.

Changes to the general visit visa will enable tourists to complete training courses in topics such as English and leisure activities, the statement said.

The UK is still an attractive education destination for Indians, even after a 24 per cent drop in Indian students coming to Britain was reported during the 2011-12 academic year.

With the new rules, it will become easier for Arts Council-endorsed artists "with exceptional promise" to come to the UK to work rather than just those who have established themselves globally.

For the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, temporary immigration measures will be in place to enable athletes, coaches and officials to take part.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/uk/UK-relaxes-business-and-education-immigration-rules/articleshow/22397459.cms

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Vocational education goes ‘glocal’

Every year over two lakh Indian students travel abroad to get foreign degrees. But another number that's growing is that of 'glocal' students — young Indians who aspire to study abroad, but either can't afford it, or haven't secured admission in a foreign college. It's these glocal students that are being targeted by international specialty schools, many of whom have recently started operations in India.

In Delhi, French culinary arts institute Le Cordon Bleu (LCB) kicked off two degree courses in hotel management with 40 students on Aug 25 while earlier, in July, Parsons New School of Design launched diploma courses in Mumbai. Miami Ad School (MAS) is also starting a two-year programme this October in Mumbai. The institutes, all internationally-renowned and with affiliates across the world, see India as an integral part of their global expansion plans. "We get a lot of Indian students at our campuses in London, Paris, Sydney, Bangkok etc. We're just responding to increased demand," says Roger Griffiths, V-P Asia-Pacific , Le Cordon Bleu.

According to Dr Rahul Choudaha , director of research and strategic development at World Education Services, a New-York based non-profit specializing in international education, the Indian government's interest in developing vocational programmes over the last few years has been encouraging for these schools. "And at the same time, Indians are ready to invest in more diverse career and education alternatives," says Dr Choudaha. The depreciation of the rupee has hiked the cost of a foreign education, accentuating the advantages these international programmes in India offer. "For glocal students, these initiatives are a good balance of cost and quality ," adds Dr Choudaha.

"It is a win-win situation for everyone," says Siddharth Shahani , referring to the Indian School of Design and Innovation Parsons Mumbai. Shahani, founding partner at Think Education, an educational advisory service, says the tie-up is an attempt to "bring world-class design education to India and apply it locally."

The collaborators all emphasize the curricula will be 'world-class' and though the faculty is largely Indian, which the promoters feel should not be viewed as a shortcoming . LCB, which has collaborated with GD Goenka University, is training the faculty here and an international LCB professor will be on campus at least twice in each year of the degree. At ISDI Parsons Mumbai, the academic advisory council includes former Lakme Lever CEO Anil Chopra and fashion magazine editor Ami Patel while the faculty is NIFT and NID alumni. "Plus four times a year faculty from Parsons, New York will come down for lectures and workshops," Shahani says. Raj Kamble, MAS director , says the school, which the Gunn Report, a global agency ranking, called one of the most awarded in the world, has ad veterans Elsie Nanji and Santosh Padhi as faculty.

He believes MAS's international feel and flavour will be its big selling point. "The study abroad programme allows you to go to New York, Germany, Brazil, Spain and other campuses or real agencies for internships in your second year. It gives you a real international experience ," Kamble says of the internship open to students with a GPA of 3.5 and above. The study abroad option is an attractive feature for all programmes — LCB at GD Goenka allows students to do semesters abroad, in Sydney or Adelaide for instance, after two years, while students of ISDI Parsons Mumbai can study at their New York or Paris campuses from the second year on.

In most cases students pay for boarding-lodging while abroad, but the tuition is covered. The tuition in India is another plus point. MAS charges Rs 12 lakh for the same course that in Miami or New York could cost up to Rs 23.20 lakh. Fees for ISDI Parsons, Mumbai are Rs 3.8 lakh per year; the LCB three year degree in Sydney or Adelaide tuition could be Rs 40 lakh upwards, but India charges Rs 1.95 lakh per year. "It's global experience at an Indian cost," says Kamble.

Comparing the cost of these schools to their foreign counterparts might enhance their appeal, but the fact remains that students pay far less at reputed Indian institutions like NID (around Rs 1.2 lakh per year for four years) or the Institute of Hotel Management, Delhi (Rs 2.30 lakh for three years). But Harmeet Bajaj, fashion consultant, says that global exposure is essential while teaching fashion and foreign schools bring that in. "Schools like Parsons and FIT bring more value than just a brand name," she says.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/stoi/deep-focus/Vocational-education-goes-glocal/articleshow/22408483.cms

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American varsities in education fair

KOLKATA: Students who are interested to pursue higher studies in the US will now get an opportunity to clear all their doubts. Representatives from 26 accredited American universities will come down to the city to participate in an education fair at the Oberoi Grand Hotel on Sunday.

The fair will open at 2pm and continue till 6 in the evening. Detailed information will be available on the academic programmes on offer at the undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral levels.

Students will also be able to interact with officials of the participating institutes and get first-hand information on standardized tests and scholarship opportunities.

This apart, discussions will be organized where a consular officer of the US Consulate will speak on the admission procedure and ways to apply for visa.

In order to make the fair - hosted by United States-India Educational Foundation (USIEF) in partnership with Institute of International Education (IIE), New York - accessible to students, there will be no entry fee. All a student needs to do is register either online through the link - http://bit.ly/usief-iie-EdUSA or at the venue.

"The main purpose of the USIEF-IIE-Education USA fair is to give dedicated students the opportunity to meet and interact with representatives of some of the most prominent and selective American universities," said Adam J Grtosky, executive director, USIEF.

Not one but 26 American universities will come down to the city on Sunday Septemb

er 8. Students interested to know about programmes of their interests, enrolment procedure etc. will get all information from the representatives of the respective universities themselves. All you need to do is land up an Oberoi Grand Hotel on Sunday where the fair will kick off at 2 pm and go on till 6 in the evening.

Representatives from 26 accredited American universities will be at the education fair, providing information about their institutions and programs. These universities offer a range of academic programs at undergraduate, graduate and doctorate levels.

Students will get face to face interaction on latest, relevant and authentic information about their programs of interest, standardized tests and financial aid under one roof from the participating institutions. Informative panel discussions on aspects like admissions cycle and familiarizing on student visa process by a consular officer from the U.S. Consulate will also feature in the fair to be hosted by United States-India Educational Foundation (USIEF), in partnership with the Institute of International Education (IIE), New York.

"The main purpose of the USIEF-IIE-Education USA fair is to give dedicated students the opportunity to meet and interact with representatives of some of the most prominent and selective American universities," said Adam J Grtosky, Executive Director, USIEF.

Though entry to the fair is free, one needs to register either online through http://bit.ly/usief-iie-EdUSA or on the spot at the venue. Since this is the first time USIEF-IIE Education USA Fair is being organised in Kolkata don't be the one to miss the bus.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/American-varsities-in-education-fair/articleshow/22306028.cms

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LearnBIG Creates Hub For Online Educational Resources

SEATTLE, Sept. 4, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- LearnBIG announced today the launch of LearnBIG.com, a new site that will change the way learners of all ages will easily access thousands of online educational resources in one central location. LearnBIG joins together technology and community to improve educational access regardless of income, age or geographic location.

While a large and growing number of digital educational resources are available, many of which are free, linking to the course or tool that is right for the learner has been a huge hurdle in accessing these eLearning resources. LearnBIG allows an easy way to search and filter content by subject, level, platform and popularity available for Pre-K, K-12, college and lifelong learners. And because the site is community-reviewed by parents, teachers and learners, users can easily find education resources that match their learning style.

"eLearning is transforming education but finding the best available content has proven to be very challenging," said Victor Alhadeff, CEO of LearnBIG and former Egghead Software CEO. "LearnBIG's breadth, depth, organization and user experience creates a dramatically different environment for people to not only find specific content, but also have the power of choice to find exactly what they need.  The potential for significant social change by bringing access to the best in education to all people is profound."

LearnBIG will feature a large online community of parents, students and teachers who share their experiences about each resource. Each LearnBIG user can review and create collections based on their specific learning needs. This will allow the most popular resources on the site to rise to the surface so other users can easily access them.

Anyone, including parents getting ready for their kids going back to school, can now easily locate online education tools from a variety of media whether it's a game on an iPad, an app on their phone or an instructional video. This allows parents to access community-reviewed resources to help their children get the skills they need. Equally powerful is the opportunity to find tools others of the same age group, learning style and grade are using.

A core feature is LearnBIG's Career Paths, which are ideal for high school and college students or career changers to help guide them towards achieving their goals. This provides a set of skills that anyone can discover and provides a roadmap to become proficient in a selected area of expertise. 

LearnBIG is also a tool for teachers, who will now be able to easily provide their students with enrichment materials for after-school learning to help students gain and solidify skills. Resources can be sorted by Common Core State Standards to ensure the resources teachers are utilizing for students matches what they are learning in class.

For more information, go to www.learnbig.com.

Media Contacts:
\\\ GREENRUBINO
Hamilton McCulloh/Sarah Lemmon
hamiltonm@greenrubino.com/ sarahl@greenrubino.com
+1-206-447-4747, +1-206-452-8166

SOURCE LearnBIG

http://www.prnewswire.co.in/news-releases/learnbig-creates-hub-for-online-educational-resources-222287431.html

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HRD ministry launches all-India survey on higher education

 NEW DELHI: The HRD Ministry today launched the third edition of an all-India survey on higher education for 2012-13 with an aim to have a better perspective of the state of affairs.

The survey was initiated in 2011 to prepare a robust database on higher education. Keeping in view the usefulness of data collected during the first year, the ministry decided to make this survey an annual exercise of data collection in higher education sector, said a statement.

It was launched by Minster of State for HRD Jitin Prasada. The survey covers all higher education institutions across the country including universities, colleges, and stand-alone institutions.

The survey compiles and manages statistics directly online from respondent institutions. The main items of data collection under survey are basic details, programme details, teaching and non-teaching staff, student enrolment, examination results and scholarships.

According to the ministry statement, the survey for the year 2011-12 is under progress.

With the launch of 2012-13 survey, two year data could be collected simultaneously and the time-lag will be reduced to bare minimum, it said.

http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2013-09-03/news/41726788_1_survey-hrd-ministry-higher-education

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Taiwan opens 4th education center in India

New Delhi, Sept. 4 (CNA) Taiwan is seeking to expand higher education exchanges with southern India though the establishment of a fourth education center that was opened in the South Asian country Wednesday.

The Taiwan Education Center, established by National Tsing Hua University of Taiwan with the backing of the Ministry of Education, is located at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) in the southern city of Chennai.

Representatives of the two universities signed a cooperation agreement at the opening ceremony.

A Taiwanese teacher is expected to arrive in Chennai by the end of the month to start Chinese language lessons. Seven others are already stationed at three other education centers at O.P. Jindal Global University in the state of Haryana, Amity University in the state of Uttar Pradesh and Jamia Millia Islamia University in New Delhi.

The Chinese-language program began in late July, offering 360-hour courses to help Indian students acquire proficiency in Chinese.

The Taiwan education centers teach traditional Chinese characters rather than the simplified characters used in mainland China, according to Taiwan's representative to India James Tien. He said traditional characters better represent the beauty and essence of Chinese culture.

http://focustaiwan.tw/news/aedu/201309040043.aspx

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Two Pondy government teachers chosen for national award

Two teachers from Puducherry will receive the National Award for Teachers from the President of India during the Teachers’ Day celebrations in New Delhi on September 5.

Making the announcement, Chief Minister N Rangasamy said R Vetrivel, headmaster of Thillaiyadi Valliammai Government High School, Kadirkamam, was selected for the award at the primary level and A Abdul Waheed, vice principal of Government Higher Secondary School in Sederapet, was chosen for the award at the secondary level.

At the State level, 13 teachers have been selected in three categories for the Best Teacher Award.

K Sarojadevi of GPS Poraiyur and P Soundappan of Government Middle school Kodathur were selected for Dr Radhakrishnan awards at primary level.

At the secondary level, A Kuppusamy of Government Higher Secondary School,  Nonankuppam, and R Loganadane of GGHSS, Kadirkamam, were chosen.

M Bhalan of GHS Thirubuvanai will receive the CM’s Special Award for language teachers. Among women teachers  selected for the award are L Aroquiammalle of GPS Thattanchavady, N Kalaivany of GPS Kovilpattu, and M Gnanapregassy of GGHSC Thirunallar in Karaikal.

For the Education Minister’s Regional Award, A Maria Martin of Vallalar GGHSS in Lawspet, Bassa Ayyappa Naidu,Indira Nagar GHSS, and R Arunachalam,Sinnatha GGHSS in Muthialpet were selected from Puducherry. From Karaikal,  S Rajendran of NSC Bose GHS, Thalatheru,and R Rajakannu of Jawahar Nehru GHSC, Nedungadu, were chosen.

Besides this, 227 retired teachers of government and government-aided schools would be honoured on Teachers’ Day for the services rendered.

http://newindianexpress.com/states/tamil_nadu/Two-Pondy-government-teachers-chosen-for-national-award/2013/09/05/article1768318.ece

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CBSE circular clears guidelines about admissions

Schools affiliated to the CBSE board will now have to think twice while denying admissions to the children from the weaker sections of the society by citing unclear guidelines stated under the Right To Education (RTE) Act. Navi Mumbai-based All India Federation of PTA, after having encountered numerous incidents of economically weaker students being denied admission in CBSE schools, had raised the issue with the board.

Some of the schools charged by the PTA body of having denied admissions on these grounds were Apeejay School, Kharghar and Nerul, and Balbharati Public School, Kharghar.

In March this year, a grievance letter was sent to the CBSE board and a week ago, the board responded by providing a copy of the government resolution (GR) issued to all the school heads in 2012 about the means and ways of implementing the RTE Act. "This GR clearly exposes the tactics used by schools affiliated to the board to deny admission to the weaker section. In February there were many incidents of CBSE schools not giving admissions to poor students. A common reason given by these schools was that they didn't have any guidelines from the board. But the fact remains that each of these schools and the concerned heads have been notified about the rules and provision by the board circular dated October 26, 2012," said A K Pandey, president of the federation.

The circular has already stated the legal provisions towards ensuring equal and discrimination-free education within the capacity of the school. Accordingly, every school, irrespective of its ownership or authority, is required to provide free and compulsory education to the students from the weaker sections. There can be no grounds for discrimination or breach of the admission policy or the process.

Any child above the age of six years seeking admission has to be admitted to the appropriate class even if the child is illiterate. The onus of arranging special education for the child lies with the school. "All admission aspects and ways to assimilate the child to mainstream education are explained in the circular. Awareness about the circular will aid parents seeking admission to these schools for the next academic year," said Pandey.

All of the aforementioned schools management, accused of discrimination, stated that they have adhered to the RTE norms and guidelines given by the respective state education governing body.

When asked about the circular issued by the CBSE board, the authorities were either uncertain or said that they have uploaded it on their website.

Thou shalt not discriminate

CBSE guidelines as stated in the circular dated October 26, 2012:

The school shall not discriminate a child belonging to the weaker section or disadvantaged group, allow or condone any constituent of the school to discriminate such a child or a group of such children by taking the following measures:

1.By breach of the policy of reservation in admissions as may be applicable

2.In the way in which an application is processed

3.By denying or limiting access to any benefit arising out of such enrolment provided by the school

4.By treating unfavorably in any way in connection with the child's enrolment to a specific standard or class or area of study, training or instruction

http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-09-04/news/41764458_1_cbse-schools-cbse-board-admission-policy

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Mukesh Ambani all set to use NaMu SEZ land for Special Education Zone

A world-class education hub with state-of-the-art facilities is on the cards in Navi Mumbai.
Industrialist Mukesh Ambani has decided to develop the campus on a plot measuring over 400 acres at Ulwe, according to sources at Reliance Industries. The education hub will have a tie-up with world-renowned universities like Cambridge, Oxford and Harvard.

Ambani and his close aide, Anand Jain, jointly own this land which had been acquired for a special economic zone. This plan has now been completely scrapped. According to the state’s revised industrial policy, the land has been ‘unlocked’. This means it can now be put to any other use.

“The state government recently revised its industrial policy. As per this policy, we are working on our blueprint, which is likely to be released soon,” the source added.

Now, Mukesh Ambani’s wife, Nita, is closely monitoring the development of the education hub, said sources.

Nita, who has a keen interest in the domain of education, wants this proposed education hub to be a prominent centre among world universities, said the source who spoke strictly on the condition that newspaper not name him.

This proposal, said the source, lends strong credence to what Ambani had stated during the annual general meeting in 2011. Ambani had then expressed his desire to set up a “world-class, multi-disciplinary university” in Maharashtra.

The source, who is not authorised to speak to the media, said that the education hub will offer comprehensive, all-round education – from kindergarten to research. “The education will be innovative and students will have wide scope to conduct research on anything that interests them. The campus will have state-of-the-art facilities,” said the source, adding that confabulations are on with foreign universities.

This proposed education hub, said another source, will help nurture talent. “Presently, existing universities are not able to meet industry demand by providing required engineering talent. Once our centre comes up, the problem will be sorted out. We can provide a pool of talent to our industry and other companies,” said the other source.

It is understood that the education hub will be autonomous. “We will bring western and eastern culture and talent together. We will offer courses in science, arts and professional streams,” said the other source who works in a senior capacity at Reliance.

Earlier, Ambani had decided to construct a skyscraper on this plot but this plan was scrapped. “This land comes under the ‘flying zone’ of the proposed Navi Mumbai International Airport. Aviation rules restrict the height of buildings in the zone... So, we had to call off the plan and decided to develop the international education hub,” said the source.

A spokesperson of Reliance Industries Limited told dna that plans are still in the nascent stage. “We are still working out the modalities and understanding the nitty-gritty of the revised government policy. However, so far nothing has been fixed yet. The plan could be revised at any moment,” said the spokesperson.

http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/1871433/report-mukesh-ambani-all-set-to-use-namu-sez-land-for-special-education-zone

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Bhutan seeks investments from India in various sectors

Bhutan seeks investments from India in different sectors such as infrastructure, power, education, healthcare, IT and financial services to further enhance economic ties between the two countries.

"We are keen to attract more investments from India. We provide huge opportunities. India is permitted to invest in Indian currency. Our foreign direct investment policy is friendly for them," Bhutan's Prime Minister Lyonchhen Tshering Tobgay today said here while addressing Indian industry chambers - CII, Ficci and Assocham - during a luncheon meeting.

Tobgay said India continues to be the largest trading partner of Bhutan.

"Hydro power has emerged as a major industry. Today, we have a number of mineral based industries like cement. Other sectors for cooperation include education, healthcare, tourism, IT and financial services," he added.

The newly-elected Prime Minister was on his maiden visit to India since assuming office last month.

He said already several Indian companies, including Tata Power, Punjab National Bank and General Insurance Corporation, have invested in Bhutan.

Tobgay said infrastructure development holds tremendous opportunity and that includes setting up of special economic zones, dry ports and industrial townships in Public-Private-Partnership mode.

I would urge Ficci, CII and Assocham to engage with Bhutan Chamber of Commerce and explore more business opportunities," he said.

Speaking at the occasion, Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma said the bilateral trade between the countries is well below potential.

"Huge business opportunities are there in Bhutan for Indians. Huge potential is there in hydro power sector. Other areas where India has expertise include IT and telecom besides skill training and human resource development," Sharma said.

The bilateral trade between the two countries stood at a meagre $397.22 million in 2012-13 as against $432.4 million in the previous fiscal.

India's main exports to Bhutan include petroleum products, automobiles, machinery and agri products while imports include power, minerals, wooden products and fresh fruits.

http://www.business-standard.com/article/economy-policy/bhutan-seeks-investments-from-india-in-various-sectors-113090200615_1.html

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