Online degrees from foreign institutions will not be recognised in India under proposed guidelines from the country’s higher education regulator. 

The University Grants Commission released draft regulations for the recognition of foreign degrees as top universities plan to establish branch campuses in India for the first time. 

Some are also exploring joint and dual degrees with Indian partners. 

“In order to facilitate the mobility of students in a seamless manner, it is necessary to have a robust and transparent mechanism for recognizing foreign qualifications and granting equivalence to such qualifications,” the UGC wrote. 

“It is expected that the mobility of students will be greatly enhanced as a result of these reform measures.”

But foreign institutions hoping to offer online or distance degrees to Indians rather than setting up in-person programs will be disappointed, as these, alongside franchise arrangements, will not be recognised under the new guidelines. 

“Online education goes against the expected gains of internationalisation,” said Jandhyala Tilak, former vice-chancellor at New Delhi’s National University of Educational Planning and Administration.  

“Foreign universities are encouraged to set up campuses in India not only to increase the access of Indian students to foreign education but also to attract foreign students to campuses in India. 

“Online education negates this. Foreign universities may get discouraged to set up campuses in India by being not allowed to offer online [or] distance education, but that will not deter high-ranking foreign universities to come to India if they are otherwise interested.  

“Online education goes against the expected gains of internationalisation”

“It matters only in the case of mediocre universities which may be interested to come to India and to provide online education.”

Under previous UGC regulations, only institutions in the top 500 in global rankings, either overall or for specific subjects, are eligible to set up branch operations in India.

Qualifications from foreign branch campuses in India will be recognised as long as the campus is approved by both the Indian government and the country of origin. 

The academic programs on offer must also satisfy the accreditation requirements in the country where the offshore campus is located, whether that is India or another foreign country, as well the requirements of the country of origin.

Indian institutions have also begun to set up their own offshore campuses, with India’s National Forensic Sciences University becoming the first state institution to launch abroad when it established its Uganda branch in April.

Qualifications from Indian offshore branches will be recognised as long as the campus is approved by Indian authorities and the host country. 

The academic programs must also satisfy the accreditation requirements in the foreign country in which the offshore campus is located. 

An online portal will be established for students to apply for grants of equivalence for qualifications obtained from foreign institutions. This will be necessary for qualifications from a country where there is no existing agreement with India on recognition. 

The commission will also recognise primary and secondary school level qualifications from foreign providers, as long as they are recognised and approved by the provider’s country, which could support India’s efforts to recruit international students to its institutions.

“Indian universities should strive to get more and more foreign students; presently they account hardly for 50,000 altogether in all universities in India,” said Tilak. 

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If you could spend five minutes with anyone from the international education sector, who would it be and what would you ask them? Introducing The PIE’s latest series, Five Minutes With… where we speak to leaders from across the sector and ask them all the big questions

With over 22 years experience of successfully working for universities and private education companies in the UK, Simon Terrington moved to Colombia where he built and sold MAS Education. He then spotted a growing need for in-country representation in the region and co-founded EdCo LATAM Consulting which hosts university recruitment representatives across Central and South America.

What do you like most about your job? 

Changing students’ lives and helping make their study ambitions possible.

On a personal note, I have loved the opportunity to work with exceptional people in multiple countries and continents who all make a difference to the student journey.

If you had a magic wand, what would you change? 

Racism and the lack of cultural understanding I still see.

Tell us about a defining moment in your international education career. 

There have been several but a meeting with Jeremy Histon in a Nairobi bar which subsequently lead to a regional manager job at Navitas stands out. This was my first full time international recruitment role which took me to various countries across Africa and other markets.

Going to Colombia and setting up MAS Education with Andy and Marcela was also career defining and meeting Jamie who became my business partner at EdCo LATAM Consulting.

What was your first proper job in the industry? 

Marketing officer at the University of Westminster where Chris Price asked me if I wanted to go to Japan to cover someone who couldn’t make that recruitment visit. What a way to start my career in international recruitment. It really was a sink or swim scenario trying to find my way around train stations in Japan before internet on phones and google translate. You just had to ask a friendly looking person and hope they knew which train to get on.

What keeps you awake at night?

Not much. With a young family and a busy job, I am always ready to sleep quite early.

Proudest career moment?

Setting up the businesses I have co-managed.

What makes you get up in the morning? 

The gym or a run. I try and sneak out before my children wake up. This is my time which is important to set me up for the day

Most inspiring international student you’ve met/ helped/ taught?

I enjoy following Andres Mesa who graduated from Leeds Beckett University and has worked as a well-known music producer with some excellent bands (Roxy Music , Gorillaz, Jay Z and Annie Lennox). He’s a special talent. I remember our initial conversations in Bogota and from that to what Andres has achieved is amazing.

Best work trip?

I always enjoyed the Africa trips. Zambia was always special and Sierra Leone was good to see. Travelling around Nigeria was fun back in 2004.

Worst work trip?

Hard to say as I always look at the positives, but the most embarrassing was organising an event for a partner institution back when I had recently arrived in Colombia where no students showed up. Luckily that happened just once.

How did you find yourself working in international education?

I think like most it wasn’t a career plan! I managed to land myself a job in course enquiries at the University of Greenwich when I graduated in 1995. That then turned into a two-year contract as a schools and college liaison. I then moved to the University of Northampton and experienced my first European recruitment trip to the Netherlands and got the travel with work bug. The next stop was the University of Westminster, where I worked as a campus marketing officer which involved some EFL recruitment and a Japan trip.

Biggest challenge to your profession?

Climate change and how we can manage international student recruitment sustainably. I also see a lack of empathy for international students from governments including how to make education more accessible to those without financial resource.

Champion/cheerleader which we should all follow and why?

A champion for me is my Mum. She isn’t on any social media though.

In education, I follow various leaders on LinkedIn. Vicky Lewis writes some really great articles so I can recommend following her.

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Student recruitment and marketing giant IDP Education has reported a record revenue of AUS $982 million in the 2023 financial year, up from $793m, as international students return to Australia.

Income from student recruitment to Australia was up by 86% in 2023 at $152m, while other destinations were up by 49% to $199m.

Total placement volumes for Australia were up 24% compared to 2019, the last year unaffected by the pandemic.

IDP placed 84,600 international students globally in 2023, a record for the company. UK recruitment revenue increased by 53%, Canada by 44% and USA by 45%.

But revenue from IELTS, the company’s English language test division, fell by 5% in India, which IDP said was due to less demand for studying in Canada.

“The lower testing volumes for Canada reflects a period of visa processing delays and elevated rejection rates which contributed to a decline in sentiment towards Canada as a destination,” the company wrote in its full year results presentation.

IDP acquired IELTS in India from British Council for £130m in 2021.

Outside of India, IELTS volumes were up 18% with “strong performance” from growing markets including Vietnam, Pakistan and Nigeria. IDP reported a record number of test-takers, administering 1.93 million in the 2023 financial year.

Overall IELTS revenue grew by 7%, in part due to price increases across the majority of markets.

The results follow the appointment of a new CEO and managing director, Tennealle O’Shannessy, who joined IDP in February 2023, replacing Andrew Barkla after seven years at the helm. Barkla has recently been appointed as a non-executive director on the IDP board.

“We helped more students and test takers than ever before”

O’Shannessy said IDP’s “strong performance” reflects the company’s position “as a leader in the growing global education services sector”.

“This year, we helped more students and test takers than ever before as our customers realised their global ambitions for study, career and migration,” she said.

English language teaching also saw a post-pandemic bounce-back, with revenue up 62%. IDP noted that volumes had “rebounded” in Cambodia and, globally, prices had increased to reflect the return to classroom learning after the pandemic.

Income from digital marketing and events grew by 10% as institutions invested in events but reduced spend on digital marketing for international students.

Over the past year, IDP has acquired several international education companies, including peer-to-peer chat service The Ambassador Platform and student recruitment company Intake Education.

Intake was acquired for $71m cash on November 1 last year, with the possibility of a further $20.2m on the first anniversary date, subject to a number of conditions.

The company’s headcount increased by 1,500 team members, the majority of them linked to student recruitment, including 300 staff from Intake.

IDP’s travel costs rose by 190% to approximately $7 million, but remained below pre-pandemic levels.

The business also spent 35% more on marketing compared to the previous year, including launching a campaign focused on IELTS in the second half of the financial year.

Looking forward, O’Shannessy said IDP is focused on improving customer experience and enhancing “human connections” through technology and data.

O’Shannessy added, “Since joining IDP I’ve been impressed by the knowledge, expertise and passion that drives our employees to make a difference in the lives of our customers and help them realise global opportunities.

“I look forward to another great year ahead as we continue to deliver a compelling and differentiated offer to our customers.”

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A group of international students who had their admission offers from a Toronto-based college revoked have been offered places at Northern College in northeast Ontario, despite being told they could enrol at another Toronto college. 

Students who had been rejected from Pures College of Technology due to its courses being oversubscribed were told they may be able to transfer to nearby Centennial College in Toronto. 

But 10 of the affected students have instead been offered places at Northern College, the public partner of Pures College of Technology. 

Northern College’s campuses are in the Timmins area of northeastern Ontario, a seven-hour drive from Toronto. 

One Indian student, who wished to remain anonymous, said he would have preferred to study at Centennial College but feels he has been left with few options. 

“I don’t have enough time”

“Timmins is quite far from Toronto where I had my… arrangements,” he said. 

“I don’t have enough time and all in this I have to arrange accommodation and all in just one week.”

He said that Northern College had made the decision “quite late”. 

A spokesperson from Northern College said the institution was committed to “student success” and had staff members to help students locate housing and find employment.

“Northern College believes that student success is as important in the classroom as it is in the wider community and has taken many steps to ensure that students are set up at home to succeed at school.”

Other affected students are expected to transfer to Centennial College.

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Scholars in the US are appealing to government to renew the United States-China Protocol on Scientific and Technological Cooperation or risk damaging research completed in the country.

Since 1979, the US and China have had an agreement on science and technology cooperation. In a letter to US president Joe Biden as well as National Security Council members, Stanford University academics have said that failure to renew the agreement could “directly and negatively impact our own research”.

The agreement will expire on August 27 without administrative action.

Cutting off ties with China would also be detrimental for colleagues as well as the educational mission of US universities, the scientists added.

Professors Steven Kivelson and Peter F. Michelson have also called on faculty members and scholars at US institutions of higher learning to co-sign the letter.

In the letter, the scientists note that the cooperation agreement has to date been of “enormous benefit” to the US while acknowledging that legitimate national security concerns require the country to “limit access to certain research and information” at times.

“However, as outlined in National Security Decision Directive 189, such information should be classified,” they said.

“Fundamental research at US institutions of higher learning, the results of which are intended to be openly published, should not be classified in accord with NSDD 189.”

Deborah Seligsohn at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington DC has also stated that the US-China S&T agreement “should not be allowed to lapse”.

“Every effort should be made to maintain such exchanges”

Examples of impact of the agreement includes a birth defects study that identified the efficacy of folic acid to prevent stillbirths or lifelong birth defects, a US-China cooperation project on influenza that has improved flu vaccine development, projects on reducing local air pollution in China with less pollution blowing across the Pacific, as well as geology, paleontology and biology, Seligsohn detailed.

Social scientists have collaborated to understand areas from education to HIV/AIDS prevention, she added, and the US will “lose access to data and to knowledgeable partners without this collaboration”.

In the latest letter, the scientists point to benefits of “robust and open” research collaboration and exchanges of information and people between the two countries, stating that “every effort should be made to maintain such exchanges”.

“The Protocol has provided a valuable framework for dialogue and development of specific agreements regarding scientific and technological cooperation and exchanges between the United States and China including people-to-people connections and educational exchanges that have benefited the United States.

“The United States should renew the Protocol, not because China wants to, but rather because it is in the best interests of the United States,” the letter concludes.

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A new overhaul in student visa processes in Australia could permit applicants to migrate to the country via education as government seeks to bolster the workforce.

Media reports from the country suggest that the Genuine Temporary Entrant requirement, used by authorities to determine whether students are coming to the country temporarily to gain a quality education, could be changed.

Home Affairs already states that the GTE is “not intended to exclude” students who go on to apply for permanent residence after graduating from Australian institutions.

New reforms, however, will allow prospective students to express their intent to migrate in their visa applications, reports say.

The Australian said that the Albanese government is planning switch from the Genuine Temporary Entrant requirement to a new Genuine Student Test. Nothing has yet been confirmed by government.

Earlier this year, founder and CEO of SIEC, Sonya Singh, suggested at The PIE Live Australia 2023 conference that Australia could be losing market share as a result of current regulations.

In her experience, students who indicate they are interested in part-time work or post-study work rights leading to migration “almost become criminal” in the view of officials.

Stakeholders in the US have for years been calling on authorities there to remove the dual intent allowance which means applicants cannot communicate an interest in staying in the country after the completion of their degree.

It is expected that this change in policy in Australia could put it ahead of other study destinations.

At The PIE Live Australia, Ethan Fogarty from Navitas, also pointed to “a desire to change that genuine temporary interim requirement to a genuine student requirement”.

Chief executive at IEAA, Phil Honeywood, also revealed at the conference in Gold Coast that each peak body in Australia would nominate a representative to sit on a working group to work “with home affairs to design a new genuine student test”.

“Too many genuine student applicants have been denied entry merely for being honest”

“Too many genuine student applicants have been denied entry merely for being honest about what they hope to achieve when they graduate with a world-class Australian qualification,” he said this week.

There is a risk Australia is “cutting off our nose despite our face” by passing up the opportunity to welcome graduates who can fill skills gaps, especially in STEM and allied health, he added.

Group of Eight chief executive Vicki Thomson said allowing students to indicate a desire to migrate to Australia will help to fill critical workforce shortages.

“Australia is facing a serious skills shortage in areas where we have a large proportion of international students such as engineering and information technology,” Thomson told The Australian.

“The Genuine Temporary Entrant requirement is out of step with Australia’s current skills needs. Why wouldn’t we take advantage of the opportunity to retain young people who have actively sought to come here and completed degrees under an Australian system?”

Shadow minister for education in Australia, Sarah Henderson, said that the Albanese government amendments will open the door “to more migration agents and overseas students rorting the system”.

Henderson also criticised government policy that she said will see 1.5 million people arriving in Australia over five years, half of whom will be international students.

That will have “big consequences” for domestic students who she said “need access to strong job prospects and affordable housing to thrive and succeed”.

There are also concerns that changes could lead to an upsurge in fake study visa submissions.

Henderson also warns that the “Albanese government has no economic plan to deliver the affordable housing and other infrastructure necessary to support such a large influx of migrants”.

Prime minister Anthony Albanese has described a $3 billion funding commitment to build 1.2 million homes over the next five years as “the most significant reforms to housing policy in a generation”.

“It makes sense to capitalise on this talent base”

“If universities are going to continue to sell the dream of an Australian education overseas, they must take greater responsibility to ensure that students don’t end up couch surfing, just to make ends meet,” Henderson said.

“The Opposition is carefully considering how universities can be held to account for their current practices which, far too often, put students last.”

A report set to be released this week in Australia is likely to confirm that Australia’s population growth is slowing and its population is ageing, Go8’s Thomson added.

“Go8 universities attract some of the world’s best and brightest, and it makes sense to capitalise on this talent base,” she explained.

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Canada could limit the number of international students it welcomes in a bid to ease housing pressures, the country’s housing minister has indicated.

On August 21, Canada’s new housing minister Sean Fraser was asked if a government-imposed cap on international students could be put in place as a solution to the country’s housing crisis.

“I think that is one of the options that we ought to consider but I think we should start by trying to partner with institutions to understand what role they may play to reduce the pressure on the communities that they are operating within,” he replied.

He continued by saying that the government has not made a decision on the matter.

Fraser’s comments were made during the August 21-23 cabinet retreat on Prince Edward Island, during which the main focus of discussion was expected to be on the country’s housing crisis.

In 2022, the Canada Housing and Mortgage Corporation estimated that to restore affordability, an additional 3.5 million affordable housing units are needed by 2030 on top of the 2.3 million units already projected under current rates of new construction.

“The cost and supply of housing is a huge issue in Canada,” Randall Martin, executive director, British Columbia Council for International Education told The PIE.

He highlighted that the MTV corridor – Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver – is particularly impacted.

“In the face of unprecedented new immigrant numbers as well as temporary foreign workers, and for the sake of these incoming international students, not to mention and importantly for local communities and the Canadian populace, there does need to be some way to address the issue,” continued Martin.

Fraser became minister of housing, infrastructure and communities in July 2023 amid a ministry reshuffle and previously served as minister of immigration, refugees and citizenship.

“Fraser knows the international student sector well, and he has been a huge booster in his previous immigration portfolio, but he is reasonably new in his portfolio… and this public statement may merely be a shot across the bow to providers and the sector to get their ‘houses’ in order,” said Martin.

“A global cap on incoming numbers to Canada might be difficult to coordinate or enforce.”

“A global cap on incoming numbers to Canada might be difficult to coordinate or enforce”

During the retreat, Fraser further commented on some universities’ capacity for enrolled students.

“When you see some of these institutions that have five, six times as many students enrolled as they have spaces for them in the building… you’ve got to start to ask yourself some pretty tough questions,” said Fraser.

According to Martin, provinces spend well on building student dorms and increasing bed numbers on campuses for the public institutions, especially in British Columbia.

“But it is the exponential and unchecked growth of international students in the private institutions, which may have a housing office but which rarely have dedicated beds or housing and are quite visibly impacting housing availability in cities like Brampton or Surrey,” he said.

On the same day as Fraser’s remarks, prime minister Justin Trudeau defended Canada’s immigration policies while discussing affordable housing to press during the retreat.

“Yes, there’s much more we need to do on housing, and we’re continuing to step up with record investments and partnerships with municipalities and provinces,” said Trudeau.

“But we’re going to continue to be the open, welcoming, prosperous and growing country we’ve always been because that has been something that has led to great opportunities and prosperity for all Canadians.”

Canada hosted over 800,000 international students in 2022 – an increase of almost a third in one year, according to government data.

Megan Berretta, vice-president for student affairs, Swenam College, responded to the news of a possible cap on international student numbers in a LinkedIn post, urging government to “think outside the box”.

“Let’s be realistic here, those 800,000 international students poured into our country at least CAN$12 billion last year in the form of tuition alone, helping many institutions hire more people and so on,” she wrote.

“The solution is to have solid and real regulations on short-term rentals, fully ban strata from controlling rentals in buildings, and remove any restrictions on families that can rent one room in their rented house to students. These points alone can solve a huge percentage of the problem.

“In addition, speed up the process to get permits to build new homes and buildings, it takes a very long time to process these permits,” she said.

“The moment we make sure nothing remains under processing forever, is when we start having real solutions to all of our problems in Canada.”

Mike Poritt, vice president, international at the Scion Group which owns and operates off-campus student housing, also took to LinkedIn to react to Fraser’s comments.

“If we cut or cap international students our higher education system will be hurt badly as will our work force. The solution is not cutting their numbers,” Porritt said.

“We need a plan now – and we can put up housing fast using different techniques and technologies.”

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Indian students have been deported from the US after custom officials denied them entry at the border.

Local media in India has reported that affected individuals are from the Andhra Pradesh and Telangana regions of the country. Students were denied entry at the border as they failed to adequately answer questions from immigration officers and there were “discrepancies” in their visa documentation, reports suggest.

It is unclear how many students have been impacted, but media reports suggest that 21 students have been denied entry to the US. The PIE has been unable to verify the figure. The US Customs and Border Protection has not yet responded to requests from The PIE.

Indian media has suggested that students were denied entry at airports in Atlanta, Chicago and San Francisco, as well as New Jersey. The PIE has also been unable to independently verify these reports.

Andhra Pradesh – the Indian state where many affected students are said to come from – has set up a helpline to assist those impacted.

Chief minister of the state, YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, will reportedly take up the matter to the Ministry of External Affairs to “resolve this at the earliest”.

Various reports suggest that the individuals could not “clearly communicate” with the US officers at the airport and could not satisfy expectations when asked to show financial documents.

In 2015, students bound for two California schools were denied entry to the country. The number of Indian students studying in the US in 2015 rose by close to 30% from the year before, according to the US government.

Immigration officers can still refuse entry at the border if they have reason to question the legitimacy of their travel documents or if the traveller cannot adequately answer questions about the purpose of travel, authorities said at the time.

Similarly, in the past year the US has issued more than 125,000 visas to Indian students, which is an all-time record for the number of visas issued to students from the country in one financial year. Stakeholders have been reminding students to ensure that they are prepared to answer questions and meet the demands of officials at the US border.

“Students must be clear and be able to speak about the purpose of their trip”

Founder director of Global Tree, Subhakar Alapati, noted that there are many dos and don’ts that students have to follow, including holding the correct financial, academic and admissions documentation.

“Students [must be] clear and be able to speak about the purpose [of their trip],” Alapati said. “They must make sure that they are able to explain to the immigration officers.”

Additionally, they must have evidence of having enough funds available for their stay and have tuition fees paid in advance.

“The students [must show they] are not involved in any fraud and are well aware of the situations at the university,” he added. Reports suggest that immigration officials checked messages of the students’ phones at the border.

While it remains unclear how many students have been impacted, it’s “very important that students take precautionary measures and universities and consultants, together, guide them with the information so that there will not be any more students who have to face this”, Alapati added.

Have you been impacted by the issues raised in this article or do you know anything more about the latest developments? Please get in touch with The PIE: editorial@thepienews.com

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