HE News Brief 10.08.10

by Abby ChauHere are this week's news stories:

• Scotland is opening satellite campuses in Hong Kong, Dubai, and Bangladesh. As the UK is facing a higher education squeeze, Scottish universities are doing what many of their peers are already doing, diving into the very lucrative international market. However Ruth Moir, Head of International Development, says that this move was not provoked by the recession but rather providing quality higher education is the main goal. As well as establishing a nursing college in India, there are plans to also set up a biofuel research centre in Hong Kong.Full Story: Guardian
• He is considered a brilliant entrepreneur in some circles. Others just consider his empire the villain in the open source debate. Whether you hate him or love him, you can't deny that Bill Gates is an influential man with more money than he knows to do with. So, when he proclaims that traditional higher education will be replaced by the web in five years, some will sit up and listen. Speaking at the Techonomy 2010 conference recently, Gates said high tuition costs and the accessibility of the internet will change the higher education landscape. These remarks come as the University of California, Berkeley plans to expand its online arm.Full Story: Tech Radar UK
• The Mexican government will be offering online degree programs for citizens who live abroad, aiming particularly at the United States, which has recently implemented extremely strict immigration controls, particularly in Arizona. Currently there are more than six million illegal Mexican immigrants in the States. The Education Secretariat, with help of an online program already in place by the Colombia government, will be offering courses in tourism, business administration and environmental technology. However, some critics say that Mexican universities have extremely low records of admissions and that more work needs to be done at home.Full Story: The Chronicle of Higher Education
• Korean legislation established in 1996, calling for the deregulation of universities which will allow them to set up overseas campuses, is due to come into effect in January. The Ministry of Education is waiting for the National Assembly to pass the law revision which will allow for more autonomy which will help domestic universities set up branches, institutes and academies.Full Story: Korean Times
• In war-torn Somalia, obtaining a degree is a luxury beyond imagination. But in Kismayo, 27 recent graduates have done the impossible, obtained affordable higher education, receiving degrees in education and business administration. The fees ranged from 15 to 30 dollars per month. For a country toppled by war, where schools have been converted to makeshift homes, this is lauded as a major success, helping to give youths a better option than picking up a gun.Full Story: AlertNet