The National University of Battambang participates in the project management meeting and the third study visit of the 21st Century Teaching Skills Project

(Phnom Penh): Dr. Sam Rany, Vice-Rector, a representative of His Excellency Sok Khorn, Rector of the National University of Battambang, led a delegation of five leaders, including Mr. Yoeng Hak, Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Humanities, and Education; Mr. Tieng Morin, Dean of the Faculty of Business Management and Tourism, Mr. Im Kuoy, Vice-Dean of Faculty of Arts, Humanities, and Education, Mr. Hour Ry, Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Humanities, and Education, and Mr. Em Dara, Head of Foundation Year Department have attended the third project management meeting and study visit from March 6 to 11, 2023 at the Sunway Hotel and Royal University of Phnom Penh, Phnom Penh, Cambodia. 

The third study visit aims to learn about the education and culture systems as well as share the best practices and experiences related to the teaching methods and educational programs of partner universities in the project. Some 21st Century Learning and Teaching Materials, such as Collaborative Problem Solving, Deep Thinking, Digital Evolution, and 21st Century Learning and Assessment, will be shared on the official website at www.21stteachskills.eu of upcoming projects.

The National University of Battambang has incorporated these skills into its curriculum to improve the quality of students' education in line with the University's strategic plan, the National Strategic Plan of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports and the policies of the Royal Government of Cambodia. During the meeting, Prof. Dr. Katerina Tasidou, Project Coordinator, stated that the reason for choosing the Kingdom of Cambodia as the third study visit is because Cambodia is developed, prosperous, has a beautiful and environmentally friendly environment. Peace in the region Please note that the 21st Century Teaching Skills Project (Erasmus + CBHE 21st Century Teaching Skills) is part of a collaborative project for innovation and capacity building in higher education with the European Commission’s financial support. It has six university partners, including: Greece (University of Ioannina), Lithuania (Klaipeda University), Luxembourg (Novel Group), Cambodia (Royal University of Phnom Penh and National University of Battambang), China (Southwest University and Shenzhen Polytechnic), and India (Symbiosis International/Deemed University and Banasthali University).

សាកលវិទ្យាល័យជាតិបាត់ដំបង ចូលរួមកិច្ចប្រជុំគ្រប់គ្រងគម្រោង និងទស្សនកិច្ចសិក្សា របស់គម្រោងជំនាញបង្រៀននៅសតវត្សរ៍ទី២១

សាកលវិទ្យាល័យជាតិបាត់ដំបង ចូលរួមកិច្ចប្រជុំគ្រប់គ្រងគម្រោង និងទស្សនកិច្ចសិក្សា របស់គម្រោងជំនាញបង្រៀននៅសតវត្សរ៍ទី២១ (freshnewsasia.com)

(ភ្នំពេញ)៖ លោកបណ្ឌិតសំ រ៉ានី សាកលវិទ្យាធិការរង តំណាងលោក សុខ ឃន សាកលវិទ្យាធិការនៃសាកលវិទ្យាល័យជាតិបាត់ដំបង បានដឹកនាំប្រតិភូជាថ្នាក់ដឹកនាំចំនួន ០៥រូបរួមមាន៖ លោកយឹង ហាក់ ព្រឹទ្ធបុរសមហាវិទ្យាល័យសិល្បៈ មនុស្សសាស្រ្ត និងអប់រំ លោកទៀង ម៉ូរិន ព្រឹទ្ធបុរសមហាវិទ្យាល័យគ្រប់គ្រងពាណិជ្ជកម្ម និងទេសចរណ៍ លោកហួ រី ព្រឹទ្ធបុរសរងមហាវិទ្យាល័យគ្រប់គ្រងពាណិជ្ជកម្ម និងទេសចរណ៍ លោក អ៊ឹម គួយ ព្រឹទ្ធបុរសរងមហាវិទ្យាល័យសិល្បៈ មនុស្សសាស្រ្ត និងអប់រំ និងលោក ឯម ដារ៉ា ប្រធានដេប៉ាតឺម៉ង់ថ្នាក់ឆ្នាំសិក្សាមូលដ្ឋានចូលរួមកិច្ចប្រជុំគ្រប់គ្រងគម្រោង និងទស្សនកិច្ចសិក្សាលើកទី៣ ចាប់ពីថ្ងៃទី៦ ដល់ថ្ងៃទី១១ ខែមីនា ឆ្នាំ២០២៣ នៅសណ្ឋាគារសាន់វេ និងសាកលវិទ្យាល័យភូមិន្ទភ្នំពេញ រាជធានីភ្នំពេញ ប្រទេសកម្ពុជា។

ទស្សនកិច្ចសិក្សាលើកទី៣នេះ មានគោលបំណងស្វែងយល់ពីប្រព័ន្ធអប់រំ និងវប្បធម៌ ក៏ដូចជាការចែករំលែកឧត្តមានុវត្តន៍ និងបទពិសោធន៍ទាក់ទងនឹងវិធីសាស្រ្តបង្រៀន និងការរៀបចំកម្មវិធីអប់រំរបស់សាកលវិទ្យាល័យជាដៃគូនៅក្នុងគម្រោង។ ឯកសាររៀន និងបង្រៀនជំនាញបំណិនសតវត្សរ៍ទី២ ១មួយចំនួនដូចជា ជំនាញដោះស្រាយបញ្ហាប្រកបដោយកិច្ចសហការ ជំនាញរិះគិតស៊ីជម្រៅ ជំនាញបរិវត្តកម្មឌីជីថល និងជំនាញវាយតម្លៃការរៀន និងបង្រៀននៅសតវត្សរ៍ទី២១ នឹងត្រូវចែករំលែកនៅគេហទំព័រផ្លូវការ (https://www.21stteachskills.eu/)របស់គម្រោងនាពេលខាងមុខនេះ។

សាកលវិទ្យាល័យជាតិបាត់ដំបងបានបញ្ចូលជំនាញទាំងនេះទៅក្នុងកម្មវិធីសិក្សារបស់ខ្លួន ដើម្បីលើកកម្ពស់គុណភាពអប់រំរបស់និស្សិត ស្របតាមផែនការយុទ្ធសាស្រ្តរបស់សាកលវិទ្យាល័យ ផែនការយុទ្ធសាស្រ្តជាតិរបស់ក្រសួងអប់រំ យុវជន និងកីឡា និងគោលនយោបាយរបស់រាជរដ្ឋាភិបាលកម្ពុជាផងដែរ។

នៅក្នុងកិច្ចប្រជុំនេះ លោកស្រីសាស្រ្តាចារ្យបណ្ឌិត Katerina Tasidou អ្នកសម្របសម្រួលគម្រោងនេះបានមានប្រសាសន៍ថា មូលហេតុដែលគម្រោងជ្រើសរើសយកព្រះរាជាណាចក្រកម្ពុជា ជាទីកន្លែងធ្វើទស្សនកិច្ចសិក្សាលើកទី៣ ដោយសារប្រទេសកម្ពុជា មានការអភិវឌ្ឍរីកចម្រើន មានវប្បធម៌រុងរឿង មានបរិស្ថានស្រស់ស្អាត និងមានសុខសន្តិភាពនៅក្នុងតំបន់។

សូមបញ្ជាក់ថា គម្រោងជំនាញបង្រៀននៅសតវត្សរ៍ទី២១ (Erasmus+ CBHE 21st Teach Skills) នេះជាផ្នែកមួយនៃគម្រោងសហប្រតិបត្តិការ ដើម្បីនវានុវត្តន៍ និងការផ្លាស់ប្តូរឧត្តមានុវត្តន៍នៃការ កសាងសមត្ថភាព នៅក្នុងវិស័យឧត្តមសិក្សាដោយបានទទួលការការគាំទ្រ ហិរញ្ញវត្ថុពីសហគមន៍អឺរ៉ុប ដែលមានដៃគូចំនួន៦ប្រទេសរួមមាន៖ ប្រទេសក្រិក (សាកលវិទ្យាល័យអៃអូនីណា) ប្រទេសលីទុយអានី (សាកលវិទ្យាល័យក្លៃប៉េដា) ប្រទេសលុចសំបួរ (ក្រុមហ៊ុនណូវែលគ្រុប) ប្រទេសកម្ពុជា (សាកលវិទ្យា ល័យភូមិន្ទភ្នំពេញ និងសាកលវិទ្យាល័យជាតិបាត់ដំបង) ប្រទេសចិន (សាកលវិទ្យាល័យសៅវិស និងសាកលវិទ្យាល័យសិនហ្សិន) និងប្រទេសឥណ្ឌា(សាកលវិទ្យាល័យអន្តរជាតិស៊ីមប៊ីស៊ីស និងសាកលវិទ្យាល័យបាណាសថាលីវិទ្យាពិត)៕

សាកលវិទ្យាល័យជាតិបាត់ដំបង ចូលរួមសន្និសីទអន្តរជាតិនៅសាកលវិទ្យាល័យហាណូយ

 Source: https://freshnewsasia.com/index.php/en/localnews/261367-2022-10-17-05-02-32.html?fbclid=IwAR2wlwvlJQaJ3Ak8wvQbWf6W-8HSaUN6P_MPN6-nGAUmNs9S0k93KTVAx-s

(ហាណូយ)៖ សាកលវិទ្យាល័យជាតិបាត់ដំបង បានចាត់បញ្ជូនមន្រ្តីគ្រប់គ្រងចំនួនពីររូប គឺលោកបណ្ឌិតសំ រ៉ានី សាកលវិទ្យាធិការរង និងលោកទៀង ម៉ូរិន ព្រឹទ្ធបុរសមហាវិទ្យាល័យគ្រប់គ្រងពាណិជ្ជកម្ម និងទេសចរណ៍ ទៅចូលរួមក្នុងកម្មវិធីសន្និសីទអន្តរជាតិស្តីពី៖ «ការពង្រឹងសមត្ថភាពស្ថាប័នដើម្បីធ្វើអន្តរជាតូបនីយកម្ម នៃគ្រឹះស្ថានឧត្តមសិក្សា នៅក្នុងវិស័យការទទួលស្គាល់គុណវុឌ្ឍិ នៅតាមបណ្តាប្រទេសអាស៊ី និងអឺរ៉ុប (Strengthening Capacity for Internationalization of Higher Education in the Erea of Credential Recognition Among EU and Asian Countries)» របស់គម្រោងកិច្ចសហប្រតិបត្តិការ នៅក្នុងតំបន់ក្នុងវិស័យទទួលស្គាល់ ក្នុងចំណោមបណ្តាប្រទេសអាស៊ី (Reco-ASIA Project) ចាប់ពីថ្ងៃទី៣ ដល់ថ្ងៃទី០៦ ខែតុលា ឆ្នាំ២០២២កន្លងទៅនេះ នៅសាកលវិទ្យាល័យហាណូយ សាធារណៈរដ្ឋសង្គមនិយមវៀតណាម។

គម្រោងនេះ មានគោលបំណងសំខាន់ៗចំនួន៤រួមមាន៖
១៖ ផ្តល់អនុគ្រោះ និងបង្កើនគុណភាពនៃការបើកចំហរឱកាសផ្លាស់ប្តូរគ្នា (ចល័ត) នៅក្នុងប្រព័ន្ធឧត្តមសិក្សាអាស៊ី និងអឺរ៉ុប តាមរយៈការបង្កើនការទទួលស្គាល់គុណវុឌ្ឍិអប់រំនៅក្នុងតំបន់អាស៊ី និងអឺរ៉ុប
២៖ បង្កើតសមត្ថភាព និងជំនាញរបស់ខ្លួនក្នុងឋានៈជាអ្នកវាយតម្លៃទទួលស្គាល់គុណវុឌ្ឍិអប់រំដោយកំណត់ពីការអនុវត្តរួមគ្នា និងបង្កើតឧបករណ៍រួមគ្នានៅក្នុងចំណោមប្រទេសអាស៊ី និងអឺរ៉ុបដែលបានចូលរួម ស្ថាប័នជាតិ និងគ្រឹះស្ថានឧត្តមសិក្សា
៣៖ កសាងមូលដ្ឋានគ្រឹះដើម្បីពង្រឹង និងបង្កើនកិច្ចសហការរវាងតំបន់អាស៊ី និងអឺរ៉ុបតាមរយៈបទពិសោធន៍នៃកិច្ចសហប្រតិបត្តិការដែលទទួលបាននៅក្នុងដំណើរការបូឡូញ៉ា (Bologna Process) លើជំនាញឯកទេសនៃគ្រឹះស្ថានឧត្តមសិក្សាដែលបានចូលរួម និងឧត្តមានុវត្តន៍ដែលបានអនុម័តដោយបណ្តាញមជ្ឈមណ្ឌលព័ត៌មានអឺរ៉ុប (ENIC-NARIC)
៤៖ អភិវឌ្ឍកិច្ចសហប្រតិបត្តិការ ឲ្យបានរឹងមាំក្នុងចំណោមដៃគូគោល និងដៃគូរង ពីបណ្តាប្រទេសអាស៊ី លើកកម្ពស់បទពិសោធន៍របស់ដៃគូចូលរួមនីមួយៗ ទាក់ទងនឹងការទទួលស្គាល់ ដើម្បីសម្របសម្រួលការផ្លាស់ប្តូរអ្នកជំនាញ និងនិស្សិតអន្តរជាតិ។

សូមបញ្ជាក់ផងដែរថា គម្រោង Reco-ASIA ស្ថិតក្រោមគម្រោងកសាងសមត្ថភាពនៅគ្រឹះស្ថានឧត្តមសិក្សាដែលផ្តល់មូលនិធិដោយសហគមន៍អឺរ៉ុប(Erasmus+ CBHE) ដែលមានដៃគូសរុបចំនួន២០ និងដៃគូរងចំនួន៤។ ដៃគូទាំងនោះ មកពីប្រទេសអ៊ីតាលី កម្ពុជា អេស្តូនី ម៉ុងហ្គោលី ស្រីលង្កា ថៃ ម៉ុងហ្គោលី និងវៀតណាម។ ដោយឡែកនៅប្រទេសកម្ពុជា មានក្រសួងអប់រំ យុវជន និងកីឡា សាកលវិទ្យាល័យជាតិបាត់ដំបង និងសាកលវិទ្យាល័យជាតិជា ស៊ីម កំចាយមារ។ ចំពោះព័ត៌មានលម្អិតសូមចូលទៅទស្សនាគេហទំព័រ៖ http://www.recoasia.eu/

សាកលវិទ្យាល័យជាតិបាត់ដំបង ចូលរួមទស្សនកិច្ចសិក្សាលើកទី២ របស់គម្រោងសហគមន៍អឺរ៉ុប នៅប្រទេសឥណ្ឌា

 

Source: https://freshnewsasia.com/index.php/en/localnews/261602-2022-10-17-15-17-53.html?fbclid=IwAR3Qq3p_fKb1x2J429MMr1ITs8re7AF80xn7-L9UIXkQn27OwcNnoXu2t6g

(ទីក្រុងពូនេ)៖ លោកបណ្ឌិតសំ រ៉ានី សាកលវិទ្យាធិការរង តំណាងលោក សុខ ឃន សាកលវិទ្យាធិការនៃសាកលវិទ្យាល័យជាតិបាត់ដំបងបានដឹកនាំប្រតិភូជាថ្នាក់ដឹកនាំចំនួន០៥រូប រួមមាន៖ លោកយឹង ហាក់ ព្រឹទ្ធបុរសមហាវិទ្យាល័យសិល្បៈ មនុស្សសាស្រ្ត និងអប់រំ លោកទៀង ម៉ូរិន ព្រឹទ្ធបុរសមហាវិទ្យាល័យគ្រប់គ្រងពាណិជ្ជកម្ម និងទេសចរណ៍ លោកហួ រី ព្រឹទ្ធបុរសរងមហាវិទ្យាល័យគ្រប់គ្រងពាណិជ្ជកម្ម និងទេសចរណ៍ លោកឡា សុផា ព្រឹទ្ធបុរសរងមហាវិទ្យាល័យសិល្បៈ មនុស្សសាស្រ្ត និងអប់រំ និងលោកឯម ដារ៉ា ប្រធានដេប៉ាតឺម៉ង់ថ្នាក់ឆ្នាំសិក្សាមូលដ្ឋាន ទៅចូលរួមកិច្ចប្រជុំគម្រោង និងទស្សនកិច្ចសិក្សាលើកទី២ ចាប់ពីថ្ងៃទី១០ ដល់១៧ ខែតុលា ឆ្នាំ២០២២នៅមហាវិទ្យាល័យនីតិសាស្រ្តស៊ីមបៃអូស៊ីសនៃសាកលវិទ្យាល័យ DEEMED ទីក្រុងពូនេ រដ្ឋមហារាស្រ្ត ប្រទេសឥណ្ឌា។

ទស្សនកិច្ចសិក្សារបស់គម្រោងសហគមន៍អឺរ៉ុបដែលមានឈ្មោះថា «គម្រោងជំនាញបង្រៀននៅសតវត្សរ៍ទី២១(21st Teach Skills)» មានគោលបំណងស្វែងយល់ និងចែករំលែកឧត្តមានុវត្តន៍ និងបទពិសោធន៍ទាក់ទងនឹងវិធីសាស្រ្តបង្រៀន និងការរៀបចំកម្មវិធីសិក្សារបស់សាកលវិទ្យាល័យដៃគូនៅក្នុងគម្រោង ជាពិសេសគ្រឹះស្ថានឧត្តមសិក្សាឥណ្ឌា។ ជំនាញសតវត្សរ៍ទី២១ នេះមានជំនាញសំខាន់ៗដូចជា ជំនាញដោះស្រាយបញ្ហាប្រកបដោយកិច្ចសហការ ជំនាញរិៈគិតស៊ីជម្រៅ ជំនាញបរិវត្តកម្មឌីជីថល និងជំនាញវាយតម្លៃការរៀន និងបង្រៀននៅសតវត្សរ៍ទី២១ ជា  ដើម។ សាកលវិទ្យាល័យជាតិបាត់ដំបងបានបញ្ជូលជំនាញទាំងនេះទៅក្នុងកម្មវិធីសិក្សារបស់ខ្លួន ដើម្បីលើកកម្ពស់គុណភាពអប់រំរបស់និស្សិត ស្របតាមផែនការយុទ្ធសាស្រ្តជាតិរ បស់ក្រសួងអប់រំ យុវជន និងកីឡា និងគោលនយោបាយរបស់រាជរដ្ឋាភិបាលកម្ពុជា។

គម្រោងជំនាញបង្រៀនសតវត្សរ៍ទី២១នេះ មានគោលបំណងសំខាន់ៗចំនួន៦រួមមាន៖
* កែលម្អគុណភាពឧត្តមសិក្សា និងការរៀនសូត្រពេញមួយជីវិត
* លើកកម្ពស់គុណភាពអប់រំសម្រាប់ឱកាសទីផ្សារការងារ
* កែលម្អកម្រិតសមត្ថភាព និងជំនាញនៅគ្រឹះស្ថានឧត្តមសិក្សា
* លើកកម្ពស់សមត្ថភាពនវានុវត្តន៍ និងអន្តរជាតូបនីយកម្មនៅក្នុងគ្រឹះស្ថានឧត្តមសិក្សា
* ជំរុញកិច្ចសហប្រតិបត្តិការជាមួយសាកលវិទ្យាល័យអឺរ៉ុបដើម្បីអភិវឌ្ឍន៍កម្មវិធីសិក្សាក្នុងប្រព័ន្ធអប់រំឧត្តមសិក្សា
* លើកស្ទួយទំនាក់ទំនងអន្តរបុគ្គល និងការយល់ដឹងពីអន្តរវប្បធម៌។

សូមបញ្ជាក់ថា គម្រោងនេះជាផ្នែកមួយនៃគម្រោងសហប្រតិបត្តិការដើម្បីនវានុវត្តន៍ និងការផ្លាស់ប្តូរឧត្តមានុវត្តន៍នៃការកសាងសមត្ថភាពនៅក្នុងវិស័យឧត្តមសិក្សា ដោយបានទទួលការការគាំទ្រហិរញ្ញវត្ថុពីសហគមន៍អ៊ឺរ៉ុប ដែលមានដៃគូចំនួន៦ប្រទេសរួមមានប្រទេសក្រិក (សាកលវិទ្យាល័យអៃអូនីណា) ប្រទេសលីទុយអានី (សាកលវិទ្យាល័យក្លៃប៉េដា) ប្រទេសលុចសំបួរ (ក្រុមហ៊ុនណូវិនគ្រុប) ប្រទេសកម្ពុជា (សាកលវិទ្យាល័យជាតិបាត់ដំបង និងសាកលវិទ្យាល័យភូមិន្ទភ្នំពេញ) ប្រទេសចិន (សាកលវិទ្យាល័យសៅវិស និងសាកលវិទ្យាល័យសិនហ្សិន) និងប្រទេសឥណ្ឌា(សាកលវិទ្យាល័យអន្តរជាតិស៊ីមប៊ីស៊ីស និងសាកលវិទ្យាល័យបាណាសថាលីវិទ្យាពិត)៕

ប្រវត្តិសាកលវិទ្យាល័យជាតិបាត់ដំបង ពីឆ្នាំ១៩៦៨ ដល់បច្ចុប្បន្ន (History of the National University of Battambang from 1969 till present)

ព្រះករុណាព្រះបាទសម្តេចព្រះនរោត្តម សីហនុ «ព្រះបរមរតនកោដ្ឋ» បានស្ថាបនាសាកលវិទ្យាល័យភូមិន្ទបាត់ដំបងតាមរយៈ ព្រះរាជក្រឹត្យលេខ ៣៤/៦៨.ប.រ ចុះថ្ងៃទី៣០ ខែមេសា ឆ្នាំ១៩៦៨ និងបានសម្ពោធជាផ្លូវការក្រោមព្រះរាជធិបតីភាពដ៍ខ្ពង់ខ្ពស់បំផុត ព្រះបាទសម្តេចនរោត្តម សីហនុ នៅថ្ងៃទី ៣១ ខែតុលា ឆ្នាំ១៩៦៨។ ​ ជាអកុសល សាកលវិទ្យាល័យនេះបានបិទទ្វារវិញ ដោយសារសង្រ្គាមស៊ីវិល នៅឆ្នាំ១៩៧០។​

 ក្រោយបញ្ចប់សង្រ្គាមស៊ីវិល សម្តេចក្រឡាហោ ស ខេងឧបនាយករដ្ឋមន្រ្តី ​និងរដ្ឋម​ន្រ្តីក្រសួងមហាផ្ទៃបានផ្តួចផ្តើមគំនិតបង្កើតសាកលវិទ្យាល័យនេះឡើងវិញដែលមានឈ្មោះថា«សាកលវិទ្យាល័យបាត់ដំបង»តាមរយៈអនុក្រឹត្យលេខ ២៧ អ.ន.ក្រ.ប.ក ចុះថ្ងៃទី ២១ ខែមីនា ឆ្នាំ២០០៧។​ សាកលវិទ្យាល័យបាត់ដំបងបានសម្ពោធជាផ្លូវការក្រោមអធិបតីភាពដ៍ខ្ពង់ខ្ពស់បំផុត សម្តេចអគ្គមហាសេនាបតីតេជោ ហ៊ុន សែន នៅថ្ងៃទី ០៩ ខែឆ្នូ ឆ្នាំ២០១០។ សាកលវិទ្យាល័យបាត់ដំបងត្រូវបានប្តូរឈ្មោះទៅជា «សាកលវិទ្យាល័យជាតិបាត់ដំបង» តាមរយៈ អនុក្រឹត្យលេខ ២០៦ អនក្រ.បក ចុះថ្ងៃទី ១៥ ខែធ្នូ ឆ្នាំ២០២០។​

His Majesty King Norodom Sihanouk established the Royal University of Battambang by Royal Decree No. 34/68, dated April 30, 1968, and officially inaugurated it on October 31, 1968, under the highest presidency of Prince Norodom Sihanouk. Unfortunately, the university was closed because of the civil war in 1970.

After the civil war, Samdech Krolahom Sar Kheng, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior initiated the idea of ​​re-establishing this university, called "the University of Battambang", through sub-decree No. 27 of the ANKr. B.K. Dated March 21, 2007. On December 9, 2010, the University of Battambang was officially opened by Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia. 

By Sub-Decree No. 206 from December 15, 2020, the name of the University of Battambang was changed to the "National University of Battambang."

   NUBB's Library 

Attended the Virtual VietTESOL International Convention 2021

 

Using Educational Technology in the English Language Classroom

 

Confucius Institute Established in University of Battambang

Battambang (FN), Dec. 27 – University of Battambang officially celebrated the official inauguration of Confucius Institute on Thursday, 26 December 2019. The institute is located at the University of Battambang campus.

The inauguration ceremony was presided over by Sar Sokha, secretary of state of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, represented by Academician Hang Chuon Naron, minister of Education, Youth and Sport. Confucius Institute of University of Battambang is jointly established by University of Battambang (UBB) and Guilin University of Electronic Technology (GUET). There are two co-directors: Cambodian director is Dr. Sam Rany, and Chinese director is professor Dr. Wang Jianian.

Confucius Institute at the University of Battambang has four main objectives: first, to teach Chinese to the general public in northwestern part of Cambodia, secondly to train Chinese teachers, to prepare Chinese language exams, and to certify Chinese language teachers. Third, to consult on Chinese social, economic, cultural, and education, and fourth to provide Jointed-PhD program in China and to award a Young Leadership Fellowship.

Sar Sokha mentioned the diplomatic relations between Cambodia and China, which began on 19 July 1958, with the late King Father Norodom Sihanouk founding with Chinese leaders.

This path of communication has continued to be strengthened and expanded under the wise leadership of Prime Minister Hun Sen and has become a strategic and comprehensive link to being good friends, neighbors, brothers and partners.

Sar Sokha also mentioned the reform of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport for physical education and sports in preparation for the SEA Games in 2023, which Cambodia will host. Significantly, the Cambodian sports industry has been steadily improving; for example, athletes have been steadily gaining medals in recent SEA Games.

Uk Sarun, under-secretary of state, a representative of Prak Sokhonn, minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation has highlighted that Cambodia and China have a longstanding relationship since 13th century when Chinese envoy, Mr. Zhou Daguan, who visited Angkor for studying Khmer civilization in 1296–1297. When he returned to China, he wrote his dairy notebook that were crucial documents for the Cambodian history. He said that, the most remarkable relationship is, Prince Norodom Sihanouk and former prime minister Zhou Enlai had a first meeting in the Asian-African Conference in Bandung, Indonesia in 1955. This first meeting reached to exchange official visits of highest leaders of our two countries in 1956, and established Cambodia and China diplomatic relations on 19 July 1958. From that time, our two leaders has strived to maintain strong relationship and development and reach to set up “a comprehensive strategic partnership of cooperation Cambodia –China” on 13 December 2010.

Zuo Wen-xing, Charge d’Affairs of China’s Embassy to Cambodia stated that Confucius is a great thinker and educator in ancient China. Confucius' Confucianism has had a profound impact on the development of Chinese civilization for more than 2000 years, and it is an important part of Chinese traditional culture.

“The Confucius Institute, named after Confucius, not only has distinct Chinese characteristics, but also carries the good desire of China to strengthen cultural exchanges with the world and inherit the friendship between China and the people of all countries in the world.”

Since the establishment of the first Confucius Institute in the world more than ten years ago, the construction of Confucius Institute has developed rapidly. So far, 162 countries and regions have set up 550 Confucius Institutes and 1172 Confucius classrooms in primary and secondary schools. There are 69 countries In the United States, there are more than 2.

8 million Chinese students; in the United Kingdom, there are 200,000 Chinese students in more than 5200 primary and secondary schools, according to Zuo Wen-xing.

She also stated that the establishment of Confucius Institute at University of Battambang will certainly play a positive role in enhancing mutual learning between Chinese and Cambodian civilizations, deepening the friendship between the two peoples, close cooperation in the fields of culture and education between the two countries, and making important contributions to inheriting the brotherly friendship between the peoples of China and Cambodia.

Dr. Ma Jianfei, deputy chief executive of Confucius Institute Headquarters has sent a congratulatory message to the Confucius Institute at the University of Battambang. He noted that both China and Cambodia have a long history and splendid civilizations, and the friendship between the two countries have been enhanced with the passage of time.

“Cambodia is one of the first countries to respond to the “Belt and Road” Initiative. China and Cambodia are strengthening their mutual political trust and expanding pragmatic cooperation in various fields,” he said.

“Cambodia has become China’s important trading partner and investment target country in Southeast Asia. Cambodia has become a major trading partner of China and is one of the target countries for business investment in all sectors in Southeast Asia,” he added.

Dr. Ma Jianfei hoped that the two universities will give full play to their respective advantages, cooperate sincerely and work together to consolidate the foundation of Chinese language teaching, carry out varied cultural activities, and strive to make the Confucius Institute a bridge for education, cultural exchanges and cooperation between the two countries, promoting mutual understanding and cementing the friendship between the people of China and Cambodia.

It should be reminded that Confucius Institute of the University of Battambang is the second institute in the Kingdom of Cambodia, which was approved by the Headquarter Confucius Institute at the end of 2018 after the Confucius Institute at the Royal Academy of Cambodia established in 2009. Confucius Institute of the University of Battambang will open to all students from Battambang with official enrollment from 2020. These majors such as Chinese, along with Information Technology, E-commerce, Tourism, Law, Engineering, and Agriculture.

=FRESH NEWS

Source: http://en.freshnewsasia.com/index.php/en/localnews/16316-2019-12-28-01-56-28.html

Orientation Workshop on Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme (HKPFS) Presented by the EdUHK at UBB, Cambodia

On the evening of March 04, 2018, the University of Battambang (UBB) organized an Orientation Workshop in Hong Kong Ph.D. Fellowship Scheme (HKPFS) to study at the Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK), China. This fellowship is funded by the Research Grants Council (RGC) of Hong Kong since 2009. Prof. Lo Sing Kai, who is Associate Vice President and Dean of the Graduate School of EUHK, together with two other delegates, Ms. Poon Sin Yi Teresa, who is Assistant Registrar and Head of Administration and Ms. Wang Yifei who, is Special Project Manager of Graduate School have presented the detailed information about the fellowship and how to prepare an impressive application to succeed in this prestigious fellowship.

Consistent with the One Belt One Road Policy announced by the Chinese Government, the Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK) is keen to get Ph.D. students from Cambodia, particularly in the UBB. On behalf of H.E. Sieng Emtotim, Rector of UBB, lecturers and students, Dr. Sam Rany, Vice-Rector of UBB has expressed his profound thanks to the delegates who contributed their valued time and resources to motivate UBB’s staff and students to apply for this fellowship and he strongly hoped that UBB’s lecturers and students will get this Ph.D. Fellowship under their facilitation and cooperation. 

Rectors' Meeting in Brussels

Photo: March 6th - 10th, EURASHE (European Association of Institutions in Higher Education) and project coordinator co-organised meeting of twelve leading representatives from TACTIC partner universities from Cambodia, Vietnam and Mongolia. The Rectors’ Meeting took place in Brussels, Belgium in the EURASHE headquarters.

“UBB Delegates attended the TACTIC Rectors’ Meeting in Brussels” Responding to the official invitation from the European Association of Institution in Higher Education (EURASHE) under TACTIC Erasmus+ project, two UBB delegates, H.E. Sieng Emtotim, Rector of UBB and Dr. Sam Rany, Director of Institute of Foreign Languages have attended the Rectors’ Meeting at Brussels, Belgium on March 6-10, 2017. This meeting aims at providing educational leadership training for top leaders from six Asian Universities in Cambodia, Vietnam, and Mongolia, and strengthens the international cooperation among these countries. UBB delegate acquired new knowledge related the roles of stakeholder in development of European Higher Education Institutions including European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA), European Students Union (ESU), European University Association (EUA), and EURASHE. Furthermore, they learned how to apply for some academic and research projects funded by European Commission and agencies. The last day, our delegate has visited the Odisee University in Brussels.

The 3 days intensive program started by the TACTIC presentation by the coordinator of the project Violeta Osouchova from Masaryk University, Brno. Thereafter the presentations of each of the partner institutions followed with emphasis on the expectations from TACTIC project. After the lunch break, EURASHE Project Manager Marko Grdosic and Policy and Communications Officer Alexandre Wipf led the evaluating discussion about strengths and weaknesses of the partner universities, followed by two European Commission representatives Manel Laporta Grau and Antonella Giorgio who covered equally important aspect of the cooperation - the role and significance of European Union in supporting the capacity building in higher education outside European Union.

Second part of the program included presentations on importance of European associations for representing the interests of higher education institutions and role of stakeholders in development of higher education in Europe. Speeches were given by Michal Karpisek, EURASHE Secretary General, Paula Ranne (ENQA, European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education) and Anna Widegren (ESU, European Students Union).

On the last day of the program the participants visited ODISEE University College in Brussels. The day followed by presentation on management of higher education institutions in Belgium by Johan Cloet, former EURASHE Secretary General, former General Director of Lessius University College/Vice-General Director of Thomas More University College in Antwerp, Belgium. After that, with reflections of the participants the Rectors’ Meeting was officially closed. We are looking forward to the meeting of all partners in Hanoi, Vietnam, in December 2017.

A Colonial University for South-East Asia? The Indochinese University in Hanoi (1906-1945)

A Colonial University for South-East Asia? The Indochinese University in Hanoi (1906-1945)
By Sara Legrandjacques

(Sourse: Kyotoreview.org): The article is available at: https://kyotoreview.org/yav/indochinese-colonial-university-for-south-east-asia/

In 2006, Hanoi University celebrated its 100th birthday. In his celebratory speech, the University Rector, Prof. Dao Trong Thi, emphasized the importance of the institution’s history. Referring to its colonial birth, he highlighted almost a century of Vietnamese higher education.

Created by the French twice, in 1906 and 1917, the Indochinese University particularly developed in the interwar period after its rocky start. It remained open during WWII before its appropriation by the Democratic Republic of Vietnam in 1945. It might be suspected that this post-colonial era would have reduced its zone of influence; but from the start, Hanoi University always had striven to be a regional academic hub, especially in South-East Asia.

The 1906 foundation decree by Governor General Paul Beau (1902-1908) introduced this regional goal:

 “A set of higher classes for students from the colony and neighbouring lands is established, in Indochina, under the name “Indochinese University”. This institution aims to expand in the Far-East, especially through the use of French language, European scientific knowledge and methods.” ¹

Since 1902, Chinese students had started to enrol in Indochinese higher schools, mainly Hanoi School of Medicine.The university tried to enlarge this Asian recruitment in order to increase the French influence in the area through the propagation of French knowledge. At that time, Japanese higher schools, renovated in the 1880s, were attracting increasing numbers of students. The British were also creating new institutions in Hong Kong and Singapore. A French institution was seen as a way to compete with them and to prevent local students leaving the colony. As early as 1906, Paul Beau sent letters to French diplomatic representatives in China, Siam, the Philippines, Indonesia and a few more distant lands including Japan and India as an effort to attract potential students. But this regional advertising was hardly efficient: South-East Asian students stayed away from Hanoi and the first – and only – year group was comprised solely of Vietnamese, mostly from the Tonkin region of northern Vietnam. This project suddenly floundered: having opened in 1907, the Indochinese University was closed in 1908 because of financial issues.

This first failure did not prevent some Asian students from heading to Indochina: Chinese students from the borderlands, especially Yunnan, continued seeking out the school of medicine in the years that followed. They generally frequented Franco-Annamite or Franco-Indigenous schools in China. Furthermore, some of them were resuming their studies. Lieou Han Kouang from Kai-Houa (Yunnan), quit a military career to head to Hanoi to study medicine. This non-commissioned officer had learnt French in Shanghai and Mongtseu. After having his so-called “worthiness” checked, and thanks to support from Hanoi School of Medicine’s French director, Dr Cognacq, he left China on February 2, 1918 and enrolled in the school. ² The Hanoi University would reopen in 1917-1918 for the second time. However, French authorities were becoming increasingly suspicious of cross-border nationalism so some new rules were dedicated to this specific audience. Students were admitted for precise purposes, like helping and assisting French medical doctors in their country of origin.

Did the reopening of Hanoi University in 1917-1918 give a new momentum to this regional influence? It seems difficult to say. The renewed institution was comprised of five schools: medicine, public works, administration, teaching, and agriculture-forestry. Despite students from Southern China being attracted to Hanoi particularly by medical studies, this assessment must be put into perspective: most of the Chinese, according to the French historian Daniel Hémery, would rather chose France, ³ or other Asian, European or American countries, instead of Indochina. The Indochinese University’s audience remained local, all the more so as no mention of a regional purpose was included as part of Governor General Albert Sarraut’s plan in 1917:

“I’ve established a Board for Higher Education whose mission is to prepare the creation, organize the system and formulate the curriculum of higher schools that will be opened in Indochina to French and Native students and will be gathered to constitute the Indochinese University.” ⁴

When the Business School (1920), the School of Applied Sciences (1922), the School of Fine Arts (1924),  the School of Veterinary Training (1928) and finally, a Law School (1931) opened, this local trend still remained. By 1929, 511 students frequented the university. About half of them came from Tonkin, the northern province of Indochina where Hanoi is located. Around one-quarter were from the South, Cochinchina, and between 10 percent and 15 percent were from Annam (central Vietnam). In a nutshell, the Indochinese University was above all else a Vietnamese University. It was neglected by the Cambodians and the Laotians, even though their lands were parts of French Indochina. As Buddhist education was preserved by the colonizers, they were taught in pagoda schools, inside or outside the colony, in Siam for instance.

This trend would become noticeable in the later colonial period, when in 1939-1940, 732 students were studying at Hanoi university (table 1).

	French	Tonkin	Annam	Cochinchina	Cambodia	Laos	Chinese & Others

Biography of Dr. Sam Rany, Cambodia

Dr. Sam Rany was born on March 11, 1982 in Kampot province, Cambodia. He is currently the Vice-Rector of the National University of Battambang (NUBB), which is a public university in the northwestern part of Cambodia. Dr. Rany is the former Director of the Institute of Foreign Languages at UBB, from September 2008 to May 2017. He has also been a co-director of the Confucius Institute of the National University of Battambang (CINUBB) since 2019. 

He earned his PhD in Higher Education Administration from the School of Educational Studies, University of Science Malaysia (USM) in 2016. His doctoral thesis is entitled "The Influence of Institutional Integration Factors on Students’ Intellectual Development: A Case Study of three Cambodian Public Universities". He obtained a Certificate of General Administration from the Royal School of Administration, Cambodia in May 2017, and he received a Certificate of E-Teacher Certificate of English for Specific Purposes (ESP) from Oregon University and a Certificate of Using Educational Technology in the English Language Classroom from Iowa State University, sponsored by the U.S. Embassy to Cambodia in 2010 and 2021 prospectively. He graduated with a Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Law (LL.B & LL.M) from the Royal University of Law and Economics (RULE), Cambodia in 2004 and 2007 respectively. His bachlelor thesis is entitled" State Responsibility in the International Law", and master thesis is entitled" The Notions of Goodfaith in the International Sale of Goods."

 

He has also been a lecturer at NUBB since 2008; he has worked closely with the US Embassy in terms of educational cooperation since 2009. He had hosted three US English Fellows, Mrs. Connie Leonard, Dr. Virginia Simmons, and Mr. Adam Aultowski, who had been sent by the US Embassy to work at the University of Battambang. He has successfully completed a two-year project with 25 disadvantaged students funded by the US Embassy, namely, the English Access Micro-scholarship Program from 2015 to 2017 at NUBB. He is also actively involved in some project coordinators' work, including Erasmus+, KOICA, JICA, USAID, and World Bank (HEIP). His areas of interest included English for Specific Purposes (ESP), Legal Studies, Public Policy and Public Administration, Cambodian Educational History, Higher Education Leadership and Administration, Educational Assessment, and other Social Science Research.

JENESYS 2016 Home-Stay Program for Young Cambodia Government Officials in OSAKI City

Japan (5-6 November 2016): It was my great pleasure and privilege to attend the homestay program organized by the JICE in Osaki City and Miyagi Prefecture. I and two other colleagues, Mr. Sun Sokhet and Va Vannak, from the Royal School of Administration had stayed with a Japanese family, Mr. Aoki Akira and Mrs. Aoki. Mr. Akira is retired high school teacher and a member of BoD of the Non Profit Organization (NPO) in Osaki. 

During our staying with their family, we have learned a lot about Japanese cultures, living styles, and other routine activities. The most remembered activities are playing with autism children, walking around the village, farming some vegetables, and practicing mediation (concentration). Our sincere thanks go to their family who accepted us to stay in their house and treated us very well.

#JENESYS 2016
#JICE
#CAMBODIA

Young Cambodian Government Officials attended JENSYS 2016 (2nd Batch, Politics)

Japan (November 17, 2016): Twenty five participants from the Royal School of Administration had attended the Japan-East Asia Network of Exchange for Students and Youths (JENESYS 2016) that had been organized by the Japan International Cooperation Center (JICE) on the Theme of Politics from November 1, 2016 to November, 2016. This program aims at providing a good cooperation and understanding of Japanese culture and society in order to strengthen the spirits of solidarity with Asia through youth exchange activities.

Out of 550 students in the Royal School of Administration, I was selected to attend this crucial program among other 24 participants  in Japan. I have obtained new knowledge and experiences of Japanese culture, public administration, national infrastructure, modernization, and people. I have attended one lecture on "National Public Employees in Japan" offered by Associate Professor Watanabe Yasuyuki, from the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS), Japan. I have learned a lot from his perspectives and experiences how to reform the civil services in the country. Also, he mainly focused on the professional code ethics of the civil servants or national public employees and other regulations. Japan is a good model country in term of transparency and accountability. I also visited the National Diet of Japan (the House of Councillors), and Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affair. 

The most interestingly, I have visited the the region of MINAMI SANRIKU where was destroyed by Sunami on March 11, 2011. The counselor has shared experiences how to manage the national disasters and restore this region.

Moreover, I had experienced two days of home-stay program with a Japanese family in Osaki City. I have learned Onseb Somuries at the Sebsyokan Hotel.

Taking in this blogger, I would like to express my profound thanks to the JICE and Japanese government that provided me golden opportunities to explore Japanese culture, politics, and people. 

China’s Back Yard Cambodia

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/sf/world/2015/09/05/the-push-and-pull-of-chinas-orbit/

CHINA: Foreign student scholarships spark anger as fees rise

Yojana Sharma24 October 2014 Issue No:340

 

 A new plan to lure foreign students with generous scholarships by China’s eastern Jiangsu province, host to a number of foreign branch campuses, has sparked anger in the province over resources being directed towards “wealthy foreigners” while Chinese students struggle with a rising fee burden.

Resentment has also grown as foreign students are provided with what is seen as far superior accommodation to that available for local students.

In mid-August, the province’s education bureau launched a ‘Study in Jiangsu’ programme to develop the province into a major destination for foreign students. Under the programme, annual scholarships of 50,000 to 90,000 yuan (US$8,200 to US$14,700) will be made available to applicants from overseas wanting to study at universities, including joint overseas ventures such as Duke Kunshan University and Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University.

Another 50 publicly funded universities in Jiangsu, many in the popular student cities of Nanjing and Suzhou are permitted to take foreign students.

Yang Shubing, director of publicity at the Jiangsu education bureau said the province had some 18,700 foreign students by the end of last year. “To encourage more such students, the provincial scholarship total has reached 15 million yuan each year,” he was quoted in official media as saying.

But the plan has sparked outrage, with local residents criticising the scheme on China’s microblog site Weibo, in particular because it was announced at a time when universities in at least nine Chinese provinces were introducing steep tuition fees rises for local students this year.

In some cases fee rises for locals will be as much as 50% compared to last year or even 75%, as was reported for Ningxia Autonomous Region – a poorer region in western China.

Scholarships and grants for local students have not risen in line with these sharp increases, angering students and families, the Shanghai Daily newspaper reported in August.

Fees burden

University tuition fees for local students remained at around 5,000 yuan (US$817) a year since 2006, when the government imposed a five-year moratorium on raising university fees.

Education commentator Bing Qi said 5,000 yuan today was around 18% of urban residents' per capita disposable income and 56% of rural residents’.

“Therefore, tuition fees should be reduced, not increased,” Bing said, adding in a commentary in Beijing Youth Daily that “the burden on households remains high despite rising incomes in recent years”.

Official figures show that in 2013, the overall value of scholarships totalled 57.41 billion yuan (US$9.38 billion) for 2.65 million Chinese students – or around 1500 yuan (US$245) per student.

“Contrast this figure with the sum Jiangsu is prepared to grant foreign students and it does appear that the concern about ‘discrimination’ or ‘double standards’ is not entirely misplaced,” Shanghai Daily commented.

Jiangsu’s “quest for a leading position in the global education landscape was justified only if it did not come at a cost to locals”, the paper added.

Citizens vented their anger online saying if the government had money for education scholarships it should not be spent on ‘foreign elites’ when many students in poor rural areas were unable to afford fees.

Boosting foreign student numbers

Jiangsu is not alone, however: Shanghai is aiming to attract 70,000 foreign students by 2015, up from 40,000 this year and will increase the number of scholarships for those on longer degree programmes.

Some will be worth 200,000 yuan or US$32,700 over four years of study, including accommodation costs – a huge sum compared to loans and grants for local students, even when taking account of the higher accommodation costs for foreigners.

The Beijing government is actively trying to attract more foreign students and has said it will provide scholarships for as many as 50,000 international students by 2015. Some 18,000 scholarships have been made available for students from Africa since 2013.

Although the majority of foreign students in China are currently from the US and South Korea, Liu Jinghui, secretary-general of the China Scholarship Council, has said Chinese higher education would be promoted more strongly in Europe. Liu said he hoped to increase the 1,087 scholarships provided to European students last year.

As the barrage of online criticism against funds being “diverted” to foreign students rose, the China Development Bank last month announced 14 billion yuan of “new loans” for local students this year through the state loan scheme that benefits some 2.5 million students.

The bank said the cap on the loan amount would be increased by 33% to 8,000 yuan (US$1,300), up from 6,000 yuan previously for each undergraduate applicant. Graduate students will receive up to 12,000 yuan.

The increase of 2,000 yuan per undergraduate student is the first such increase since 2002, with official inflation running at an annual rate of 5 to 6% in recent years. Students in some provinces, including Hainan, held protests last year about the rise in fees and other costs, including canteen food.

"The previous [loan] standard was implemented for more than a dozen years, and many students with financial difficulties said it was far from enough," said Zhang Guangming, director of the China National Centre for Student Financial Aid under the Education Ministry.

FRANCE: Low fees but jobs needed to meet costs

Jane Marshall24 October 2014 Issue No:340

 

Students in French universities pay among the lowest fees in Europe. But although education ministers claim that, despite austerity, funding for student benefits has kept up with purchasing power, student organisations say the cost of starting the new academic year for students is up to 2% higher than last year.

The government has not gone down the route of charging students high sums for university studies, and fixes the modest rates by decree. For the 2014-15 academic year, enrolment fees have increased by 0.7%, to €184 (US$236) annually for a three-year licence (bachelor equivalent) course, €256 for a masters, €391 for a doctorate and €610 for an engineering diploma.

But while students do not have to worry about high fees, they need money to live on during the university year. In its inquiry La Vie Étudiante: Repères, the Observatoire de la Vie Étudiante, or OVE, identified the main sources of student income.

The most common was family support, accounting for 30% of student resources and paying an average of €308 a month. This was followed closely by wages from paid work, at 29%, providing €618 on average; then public benefits such as those from the government and from local and regional authorities, representing 25%, and an average of €307 monthly.

Other sources, each representing 6% or less of student income, included contributions from a spouse or partner, savings, and, at a bare 1%, student loans, which are available from some banks under government guarantee.

Nearly one in two students did paid work during the university year, according to OVE, which found that 20% who had a job considered it had a ‘negative impact’ on their studies. More than half considered their employment essential for survival.

OVE reported that a third of the students lived with one or both parents, a third in rented accommodation either alone or in a couple with or without children, and 12% were in private rentals shared with others. Only 11% lived in subsidised university housing. Rents averaged €426 across the country, and were highest in Paris at €597.

The 2015 budget allocated €2.5 billion (US$3.2 billion) for ‘student life’, an increase of €42 million, or 1.7%, over last year.

In September, marking the start of the university year, the Minister for Education, Higher Education and Research, Najat Vallaud-Belkacem, and State Secretary for Higher Education and Research, Geneviève Fioraso, stressed their first priority was to ensure academic success for the greatest number of students, with more help for those from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Among measures they announced were increased grants for more students, continuation of an intensive student housing construction plan and government rental guarantees for those looking for accommodation in the private sector.

However, the government has this year discontinued merit grants, previously awarded to about 7,000 new students each year for three years, in favour of increasing grants paid according to social criteria.

In spite of more generous benefits, students and their families face stiff cost-of-living increases at the start of this academic year, according to the Fédération des Associations Générales Étudiantes, or FAGE, and the Union Nationale des Étudiants de France, or UNEF.

FAGE calculated a student had to spend an average of €2,525 to start the university year, 1.5% more than last year while UNEF reckoned the increase was 2%, “four times the rate of inflation for the past year”. The main causes were higher rents, and increases in unavoidable expenses such as enrolment fees, university meals and social security payments.

While previous reforms had improved the purchasing power of 160,000 students by cutting their study costs by 7.4%, the remainder faced substantial increases of 5.5% for those on grants, and 3.6% for the others, claimed UNEF.

The union said grants reform was “still far from the promise of a student autonomy allowance” made by François Hollande during his presidential campaign, and it urged further benefit increases and widened access for more students.

FAGE asserted that 28% of students had to take paid work to get by, and that there was a 50% risk of academic failure for those who worked more than 12 hours a week. It called for the government to open urgently a “comprehensive and ambitious plan for students’ living conditions”. 

SINGAPORE: Rising fees cloud international hub status

Emilia Tan24 October 2014 Issue No:340

 

Rising university fees for international students are casting a cloud over Singapore’s future as an Asian regional hub for international students – particularly from the rest of Asia. This is despite many parents in the region believing that paying for education is a good investment.

A report by the HSBC Bank The Value of Education found that families in Asia were willing to pay high fees, but recent developments in the city state have shown that tolerance levels for high fees are being reached.

Singapore is now one of the most expensive countries globally to obtain an undergraduate degree once the high cost of living in the city state is taken into account. Foreign student numbers have fallen as fees have been rising – and at a much faster rate than those for locals.

At Singapore’s top-ranked public universities, undergraduate fees for foreign students are around S$15,300 (US$12,000) for humanities and social science degrees, an increase over last year of more than 11%, compared with an 8.6% increase for Singaporeans.

The cost of a business degree or management degree has risen in the past year by as much as 15% for foreign students – to S$31,200 (US$24,500), compared with a 6% increase for Singaporeans that allows them to obtain the same degree for S$9,250 (US$7,200).

Fees for undergraduate law degrees have risen by an eye-watering 17% in the past year compared with 8% for Singaporeans, according to official figures. The fees rise coupled with high living costs has been exacerbated by a strengthening of the Singaporean currency, HSBC notes.

With undergraduate tuition fees and living costs per year combined, Singapore is second only to Australia in terms of cost among 15 major higher education destinations for foreign students.

HSBC puts Singapore at US$39,229 a year compared with US$42,000 in Australia. Comparable amounts for the US and UK are US$36,500 and US$35,000 respectively.

Drop in numbers

Despite higher fee rises for foreign students and the indication that their enrolments had dropped, Singapore’s Education Minister Heng Swee Keat noted that the amount collected in tuition fees from international students had barely increased between 2012 and 2013.

In 2013, the amount was S$176 million (US$138 million) compared with S$172 million (US$135 million) in 2012 – after jumping significantly from S$158 million (US$124 million) in 2011.

Immigration authority figures show that some 75,000 foreign student pass holders were issued in July, compared with 84,000 two years ago. The number will be even lower for university students as these figures include those attending secondary schools in Singapore.

Singapore had set itself the headline target of attracting 150,000 foreign university students by 2015 compared with about 30,000 a decade ago. But it is now clear it will fall well short of its ambitions.

The education ministry announced a drop from 18% to 15% in the proportion of places for foreign students overall in Singapore. Nonetheless, in some institutions such as the National University of Singapore, the proportion of foreign students at around 35% of the intake, has not changed since 2011.

The Economic Development Board, which has been promoting Singapore as a hub, declined to comment on whether the 2015 target of attracting 150,000 foreign students had been abandoned.

Jobs situation

Foreign students hoping to stay on after graduation also say that finding a job in Singapore has become more difficult, making it harder to justify the increased costs. Singapore has offered generous scholarships to foreign students but public funding of such scholarships has recently been questioned.

The government revealed earlier this year that foreign graduates who receive Singapore government scholarships and are bound to work in the city on graduation, were taking longer to find jobs. This had led to ‘repayment holidays’ that weigh on the public purse.

The climate has changed in the past two years and now there is rising local hostility towards immigration as jobs have become harder to find, in part due to slowing economic growth. According to official figures, overall graduate unemployment rose from 3.3% to 3.6% in the first half of 2013, higher than the average unemployment rate in Singapore of around 2%.

While no longer speaking of targets, Heng told Parliament in March only that Singapore welcomed foreign students and that it was good for local students to mix with foreign peers.

Fewer places

As part of Singapore’s desire to promote itself as an international hub for education, a number of top overseas universities have been drawn to its shores in the past decade. Almost a dozen foreign branch campuses have been established along with a large number of joint degree partnerships with international institutions.

For example, some 23 Australian institutions are offering courses in Singapore – the largest number offered by foreign universities. Around a third of the intake is comprised of foreign students.

Bringing in foreign students was one of the stated aims of Singapore’s Global Schoolhouse initiative that started in 2002 and included start-up loans and subsidies to foreign institutions to set up branch campuses.

But a tightening of regulations on foreign institutions has led to a number of international institutions shutting down, while others have abandoned Singapore, finding their operations unviable once Singaporean subsidies ended. Local Singaporean students also found the fees too high compared with local universities and overseas students failed to arrive in the numbers hoped for.

The University of New South Wales closed its Singapore branch in 2007 after just one semester after it attracted far fewer students than predicted. In July this year, the University of Chicago Booth School of Business announced it was pulling out of Singapore in favour of Hong Kong.

In November last year, Tisch Asia, New York University’s arts school, shut its Singapore branch, reportedly because of huge deficits due to high running costs, while a joint law course with NYU failed to attract enough students, even after offering scholarships.

Against these mini-disasters, the long-planned Yale-NUS, a liberal arts college, opened its doors last year and a new joint medical school with Imperial College London has come on stream, both charging high fees to international students.