Welcome to the AEI eNewsletter

MARKETING OPPORTUNITIES:

TESOL opportunities in Korea  (Republic of Korea)
President Lee’s recently released education reform plans, aimed at helping students acquire better spoken English, have sparked increased interest in TESOL and professional development programs for Korean teachers. Providers are encouraged to highlight their TESOL capabilities throughout 2008 and to discuss with AEI Korea any approaches from potential Korean partners.

Major education promotional event May 25, 2008 (Vietnam)
AEI Vietnam invites interest from Australian State education promotional bodies in participating in a major education promotional event in HCMC in 2008. The proposed day is May 25, 2008.

Video conferencing facilities now available  (Taiwan)
With AEI Taipei’s move to the new ACIO offices at the Presidential Tower in Taipei, modern video conferencing facilities are now available for use by interested parties looking to promote and refine their Taiwan marketing campaigns.

Speaker program via video conference  (Taiwan)
AEI Taipei seeks academics to deliver seminars via video conferencing on topics ranging from health and social welfare to technology and research. Depending on the topic, seminars will be tailored towards an audience of Taiwanese academics, Taiwanese students, and/or the general public.

IACITS 2008 27- 28th March 2008 (India)
IACITS 2008 is the 4th Indo- Australian conference on Information Technology Security. The conference is being jointly organised by the Indian Institute of Technology, Chennai, Pondicherry University and Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia on 27- 28th March 2008.

Vancouver college seeks Australian partners (Canada)
A large public institution in Vancouver, British Columbia wishes to make contact with Australian universities and Vocational Education & Training (VET) providers who are interested in developing student exchange, faculty exchange, dual degree or degree transfer partnerships.

Alumni opportunity at G’Day Vancouver event (Canada)
AEI North America will host an Australian alumni reception during the G’Day Vancouver Australia Week 2008 festival in early April. AEI asks universities to extend an invitation to the reception to their Canadian full degree and study abroad/exchange alumni, as well as their Australian alumni currently based in the Vancouver area.

Register for Go Abroad Fairs  (Canada)
Australian CRICOS-registered providers are invited to participate in the Go Abroad Fairs 2008 in Toronto and Vancouver, Canada.  AEI and Austrade are coordinating a Study in Australia pavilion at the fairs, which will be held in Vancouver on 13-14 September 2008, and in Toronto on 20-21 September 2008.

Poland International Education Conference (Poland)
The first Poland international Education conference will analyse internationalisation of higher education in Poland and neighbouring countries in a broad context of the internationalisation process taking place in Europe and globally. There will also be a unique opportunity to visit some of the best Polish universities. April 16-18 2008, Warsaw Poland

Applications for Australia-Japan foundation grants now open (Japan)
The Australia Japan Foundation has announced it is now accepting applications for its grants program. The program provides funding for collaborative programs between Australian and Japanese partners at the community-based level.

MARKET UPDATES:

Chinese Government publishes Study Abroad Alerts for Australian provider (People's Republic of China)
The Chinese Government has posted study abroad alerts for Chinese students currently studying in Australia and those who are considering study in Australia. The alert concerned Global College Pty Ltd and the expiry of its registration to teach overseas students in vocational education and training (VET) courses.   

Samak Cabinet in Thailand (Thailand)
Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej established his new Cabinet in February 2008.

New study abroad stipends announced (Canada)
The Canadian Government will fund 250 study abroad stipends of up to CAD$6,000 to Canada Graduate Scholarship holders, to encourage Canadian students to internationalise their education. The 2008 budget, tabled in parliament on 26 February, also included funding for a new PhD scholarship program targeting top Canadian and international students.

House members address student visa policies (USA)
The US House of Representatives’ Subcommittee on Research and Science Education heard suggestions for improving the visa process for international students and scholars. Topics discussed included the current problems with the system and ways to increase foreign student enrolment while remaining committed to national security.

Forum on Education Abroad releases Code of Ethics (USA)
The Forum on Education Abroad has released a Code of Ethics, which offers a set of ethical principles and best practices to guide the management of study abroad. The Code of Ethics is being released at a time that the field of study abroad is facing more scrutiny than ever before.

Medical tourism worsens doctor crisis (Thailand)
The success of Thailand as a cheap medical hub for foreigners carries the risk of impacting on healthcare for the rest of the country. More than 100 specialists had moved from State hospitals to private medical centres in recent years, choosing to concentrate on foreign patients.

Sweden reviews international university sector competitiveness (Sweden)
The Swedish National Agency for Higher Education advocates a reduction in the numbers of Swedish universities to increase the quality of research and to improve Swedish universities international competitiveness. Meanwhile, the Swedish Confederation of Business is arguing for the introduction of fees for Non-EU students to build a new service ‘export’ sector in the Swedish economy.

OTHER INFORMATION

The Wellcome Trust announces 2008 funding scheme (Thailand)
The Wellcome Trust is an independent UK charity that funds research to improve human and animal health. The trust has recently announced a new international funding scheme entitled the International Engagement Awards. The Awards aim to strengthen the capacity of researchers and communicators in developing countries to facilitate public engagement in health research with grants of up to ₤30,000 for projects lasting a maximum of 3 years. The scheme is open to a wide range of applicants, including media professionals, educators, science communicators, health professionals and researchers in bioscience, health, bioethics and history. Partnership projects are welcomed. The first deadline for applications is 25 April 2008.

2008 Endeavour Awards reception  (Malaysia)
The Australian High Commissioner to Malaysia HE, Ms Penny Williams, hosted a reception at her Residence to congratulate the 2008 Malaysian recipients of the Endeavour Awards.