Nearly half of young men of colour age 15 to 24 who graduate from high school will end up unemployed, incarcerated or dead. This jarring statistic is just one of many highlighted in two new reports that were released this week by the College Board Advocacy & Policy Center at an event held in collaboration with the Harvard University’s W. E. B. Du Bois Institute for African and African American Research in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The reports, The Educational Experience of Young Men of Colour: A Review of Research, Pathways and Progress and Capturing the Student Voice, are especially relevant given the need for these young men to attain postsecondary degrees if the nation’s economy is to thrive and compete globally.

The reports provide the most comprehensive data, research findings and recommendations to date to improve the educational experiences and pathways of young men of colour. The qualitative research study, conducted in collaboration with the Business Innovation Factory (BIF), provides findings from 92 in-depth personal student interviews that are captured through video storytelling.

The reports seek to give a balanced view of the educational issues that exist for young men of colour across four minority groups — African Americans, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, Hispanics/Latinos and Native Americans — throughout the K-20 pipeline. According to the findings, just 26 percent of African Americans, 18 percent of Hispanic Americans, and 24 percent of Native Americans and Pacific Islanders have at least an associate degree. The reports also provide an analysis of the postsecondary pathways for young men of colour and identify the barriers and catalysts to college.

“At a time when our nation is committed to reclaiming its place as the world leader in higher education, we can no longer afford to ignore the plight of our young men of colour,” said Gaston Caperton, College Board President.

“As long as educational opportunities are limited for some, we all suffer. We rise as one nation and we fall as one nation. But if we keep working hard — if we keep listening to each other and to our students — we can soften our landings and reach historic new heights.”

“These reports cast into stark view what all Americans, unfortunately, have known for a long time: that access to education in this country is a right that not all of our children enjoy in equal measure,” said Henry Louis Gates, Jr., Alphonse Fletcher University Professor and Director of the W. E. B. Du Bois Institute for African and African American Research. “But the devastating numbers and the sobering statistics are a call to action through the recommendations outlined in this innovative report. Only with genuine and profound educational reform can we create equal opportunities for young men of colour and indeed for all Americans.”

Key recommendations outlined in the studies include encouraging policymakers to make improving outcomes for young men of colour a national priority, increasing community, business and school partnerships to provide mentoring and support for these young men, and improving teacher education programmes and providing professional development training that includes cultural and gender-responsive training.

To view the full College Board press release, please click here.

Libyan assets, which include the Libyan-North American Scholarship Programme, were frozen by the United States in February after the outbreak of civil war in the country. Approximately 1,900 Libyan students are currently studying at US colleges and English language schools, many whose tuition fees, medical cover and living allowances have been financed by the Scholarship Programme.

In March, the Canadian Bureau for International Education (CBIE) were granted permission to use payments (an estimated $1.3 million) from Libya’s Ministry of Education already in their possession, to continue helping Libyan students.

“Now more than ever Libyans will need support from their North American friends,” said CBIE Chair of the Board of Directors Dr Vianne Timmons. “We are committed to helping in all possible ways.”

However, with the total cost of the Scholarship Programme forecast to exceed $200 million in the upcoming school year, more funds will be needed to continue helping Libyan students.

“In recent days,” reads a report from the New York Times “the Canadian group — which estimates that the cost of the programme will jump to $206 million in the coming school year — has sought help from the State Department and the United Nations to unblock some Libyan accounts, hoping to keep the students enrolled.”

An article on msnbc website claims that many students “are facing an end to their funding next month [June].” If indeed the funds do subside it’s predicted that many of the students would look to apply for immigration protection or political asylum in order to stay and complete their studies.

Ultimately, until a decision is made by the United States as to whether or not Libyan Government assets will be unfrozen, the educational futures for many Libyan students will remain uncertain and the prospect of returning to a country rocked by political unrest remains a stark reality.

The QS rankings, which are scored out of 100 and based on research, internationalism, teaching and graduate employability, have been running since 2004.

Scoring over 90 out of 100, Harvard University easily came out on top for each of the three categories and both the University of Cambridge and the University of Oxford feature in the top 5 on each list.  Yale University, Stanford University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) also feature heavily in each of the top tens.

The University of Melbourne is the only Australian institution to have made the top ten, featuring at number 8 in the Psychology list. Other high listing entries from Australia, Canada and Singapore also mark a slight shift in the heavily US dominated list.

Talking of the new subject specific rankings, Ben Sowter, Head of QS Intelligence Unit says, “The new QS World University Rankings by Subject respond to a need for comparative data at a more granular level.

“In many countries students are being charged more than ever before for their degrees. So assessing the potential career outcomes of one’s study choice is becoming increasingly important”, he continued.

The Guardian asked Paul for his thoughts on the effects of the higher fees – now that it has emerged all universities will charge at least £6,000 – on the number of British students going abroad for their education, and how universities overseas are responding to the increase in demand. They quoted him as saying:

“Meanwhile, it has emerged that overseas universities are redoubling their efforts to recruit English students to their universities.

Paul Loftus, managing director of i-studentgroup, which helps universities in the UK, Australia, Canada, the US and New Zealand with their recruitment, said foreign universities were targeting the UK. “If overseas universities haven’t started lifting their recruitment efforts to try to get British students, they are now.”

Loftus said more British students than in the past were considering going abroad for university, in part because of higher fees. “Although the Australian dollar is strong, many British teenagers are enrolling on courses in Australia, Canada and New Zealand in particular.” ”

To see the full article, please click here.

For more information about studying abroad, please see the i-studentgroup website

Germany is perhaps one of the best-kept secrets in international study but is becoming increasingly popular for international students for a number of reasons. Firstly, and perhaps most importantly, is the cost. Unlike most other countries, overseas students do not pay any more than domestic students for tuition and universities in many parts of Germany do not charge any tuition at all. When compared to the costs for international students in the UK, USA and many other countries, this becomes a very attractive proposition.

As well as reduced costs, many German Universities such as Freie Universitat Berlin are increasingly offering courses taught in English. This has resulted in situations where, US, Chinese and even German students are taught by German lecturers speaking English. This increase in courses taught in English fits neatly with Germany’s policy of promoting internationalisation. Germany has more students studying in other countries than any other European nation, with a target of half of all students to spend at least one term abroad. German universities also aim to have about a third of their students from other countries. But if they are charging them little or no fees then what is in it for the institutions.?

Talking to the BBC, Herbert Grieshop, managing director of Freie Universitat Berlin’s Centre for International Co-operation said: “We wanted to internationalise. We thought that it helps our students, our research.”

Indeed with Germany having one of the most mobile student populations in the world and the results of this new survey placing it top of the list of destinations for international students, it would seem that the plan is working and that Germany is about to see a rise in numbers applying for courses.

The paper was originally due for publication in March 2011 and was to formally outline how UK universities were to be funded in the future. This controversial move includes plans to raise existing tuition fees from £3,000 to between £6,000 and £9,000 a year. The bill has been passed in the House of Commons but it now seems there are some concerns that the government may not have done its sums properly.

The rise in fees was meant to replace the money lost in an 80% reduction of state finance to higher education, essentially transferring the cost of higher education from state to student. This extra cost to students would be accommodated by more flexible student loans.

However, the government was basing the whole policy on the average student fees being around the £7,500 mark. But as university after university announced plans to charge the full amount for fear of being seen as offering a lower quality product, it began to appear this would actually significantly raise the cost to the UK Treasury.

According to a report in the Times Higher Education, it would seem that this miscalculation came about in part due to Universities Minister David Willetts mistakenly believing the Office of Fair Access, the body that regulates university access, had the authority to impose fees on institutions.

This has left Willetts to announce that charging maximum fees would result in a further reduction to university funding.

All of this toing and froing seems to leave UK institutions in something of a muddle. Sally Hunt, general secretary of the UCU lecturers’ union said: “The situation around university fees is a complete debacle at the moment. Universities are essentially being told they cannot charge the fee they need to recoup money that government has cut, but at the same time that they must offer a better experience because students are paying higher fees.”

Where now for higher education in the UK? With this delay it would seem the situation is far from resolved. Perhaps a glimpse of the future can be seen across the Atlantic. In this excellent article in the Times Higher Education, a rather convincing case is put for UK higher education becoming more and more like the US model.

With the US dominating higher education, with seven out of the top ten highest ranked institutions in the world, many would see this move as positive. However, with a degree from a top US insttitution expected to cost around $300,000 by 2020, many others may disagree.

The pledge was matched by President Hu Jintao’s announcement that 10,000 scholarships will be offered to American high-school and college students.

There are currently 13,000 American students studying in China, according to the Institute of International Education, and while the Obama administration is not proposing any state backing for the scheme, the President believes the backing will come from the private sector as the move is deemed to be important for increasing trade and business links between the two.

Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, has also sent a letter to leading higher education organisations calling on them to double the number of US students studying in China, with more than 400 colleges promising to do so.

However, there are warnings that in order to successfully implement the plan, long-term changes will be needed to high school and college curricula. Brian J. Whalen, President of the Forum of Education Abroad believes many US colleges and schools will need to increase the number of Chinese language, culture and history classes in order to generate sufficient background for students to succeed in Chinese classrooms.

Although there are currently 61,000 US students currently enrolled in Chinese-language courses, according to the Modern Language Association, and despite the fact that many Chinese institutions now offer courses in English, it is feared that language and cultural barriers may hinder many students.

Jill Welch, the Deputy Executive Director for Public Policy at Nafsa: Association of International Educators fears the main stumbling block may be more simple: money. At a time when many colleges are being forced to tighten their belts due to funding cuts, it may prove impossible to increase already costly overseas exchange programmes. Especially when the programmes are being targeted at students who rarely study abroad, such as community-college students. However, will this short-term expense prove to be amply rewarded in the long-term? And with grants already coming in from the likes of Coca-Cola and Citigroup, the financial issue could be less important than some fear.

Organisations such as the Fulbright Comission already offer such exchange programmes in China and may be well placed to increase these in size. Allan E. Goodman, President of the Institute of International Education believes that the Obama administration’s plan is “a bold step. But it is realisable”.

Now, the UCosmic Consortium is building an online data management system, originally created in 2006 at the University of Cincinnati, USA, under the Mitch Leventhal, the then Vice Provost for International Affairs. The University of Cinicinnati will manage the system alongside the State University of New York’s system, at which Mr Leventhal is the Vice Chancellor of Global Affairs.

The first consortium members include the College Board – a US non-profit organisation that helps students prepare for college success and boasts over 5,900 worldwide institutions in its membership organisation. The College Board’s Vice President for Higher Education, James Montoya, says the system will be invaluable. Other members include the USA’s Lehigh University, Australia’s Griffith University, and India-based international-education company Manipal Education.

Membership of the consortium is available across the world to universities, associations, foundation, government agencies and IT consultants. The consortium members will have input into what data should be collected and a forum will be created where programmers can create software that can be transferred to a number of different institutions, which will then be tested. The consortium also intends to sponsor conferences and networking resources.

Having this system will allow institutions to improve their relationships abroad and manage their various contacts, projects and staff around the world. This in turn will help in the recruitment of international students and increase the global activities of the institution.

Internationalizing the Campus 2010: Profiles of Success at Colleges and Universities showcases efforts across higher education to better prepare students for a global economy and an interconnected world, and takes an in-depth look at the five distinguished recipients of the 2010 Senator Paul Simon Award for Comprehensive Internationalisation: Carnegie Mellon University in Pennsylvania; Hobart and William Smith Colleges in New York; Loyola University Maryland; Northeastern University in Massachusetts; and University of San Francisco in California.

A hallmark of these 2010 Simon Award winners is the support and participation of their campus leadership, faculty, visiting scholars, staff, students, and communities in creating an integrated global approach to the curriculum, campus programmes, and outreach on their campuses.

Three other institutions included in the report received the 2010 Senator Paul Simon Spotlight Award for outstanding and innovative work in a specific area or programme related to international education. They are the Borough of Manhattan Community College in New York, La Roche College in Pennsylvania, and the College of the Atlantic in Maine. Named for the late Senator Paul Simon (D-Ill.), both awards seek to recognise institutions where international education is infused into the learning environment.

Senator Simon was a strong advocate for international education throughout his career in public service. His efforts were instrumental in the creation of the National Security Education Programme, and his visionary leadership remains central to current efforts to establish a national programme to dramatically increase opportunities for American college students to study abroad.

The 2010 NAFSA selection jury included Ron Roberson (jury chair; Howard Community College), Mary Devins (Connecticut College), Jeff Riedinger (Michigan State University), Neal Sobania (Pacific Lutheran University), and Priscilla Stone (Washington University in St. Louis).

For more information on the awards, visit: www.nafsa.org/SimonAward.

In the previous year, the number of international enrolments in the US rose by 8% with a 16% rise in first-time students. Some education experts believe this slowing growth is due to the economy. US institutions no longer have the budget for overseas recruitment in countries such as South Korea and Vietnam.

The reliance on China has therefore been seen as a blessing by some as it is allowing universities to maintain an income but if an incident was to halt the flow of students from China then this could be disastrous for the US. A situation similar to what occurred with the overthrow of the Shah in Iran in the late 1970s with subsequent ban on travel for Iranian students, could be damaging to the US. Similarly,  a change in circumstances such as improved domestic universities or other destinations eating into the market share for Chinese students, could spell disaster for many US institutions.

There are also other reasons why over reliance on one country can have a negative impact on a university. A more homogenous student body does little for student experience in terms of global awareness and campus diversity.

As well as the global economic downturn affecting the ability of students in some of the top sending countries to study in the US, it is also the case that many graduate programmes in these countries have developed sufficiently to entice students into staying. Many more students are choosing destinations such as Singapore or the UK as the chances of finding employment after graduation are significantly higher.

However, the US is often seen to be the perfect destination for students who don’t achieve so highly on the gaokao, China’s notoriously difficult college entrance exam system. The US also has the added attraction of extra-curricular activities.

For the moment, the US’s position as the number one destination for international students remains secure, especially with the flow of Chinese students showing no signs of immediately slowing but it will  be interesting to see how the trend develops over the coming years.