Hello Reader,

We are delighted to present to you the July 2019 issue of EduChat. We proudly announce that Sannam S4 has won the Consultancy of the Year Award at the UK-India Awards 2019. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to all our clients and partners for being a significant part of this journey.

In this edition, we highlight two reports under the section ‘Digital Future’, the former on the effects of increasing automation and the latter on the launch of Microsoft Intelligent club hub in India. Subsequently, our section on ‘Insights’ features a country-wise analysis of the QS World University Rankings 2020, along with a report on the decision-making factors behind international students’ planning to study abroad.

This edition also covers a mixture of ‘News’ on a range of higher education-related subjects such as, growing Sino-Russian academic ties, India’s recognition of Australian pathway degree credits, UAE’s announcement of five-year student visas and residency opportunities and more.

A section called ‘In Other News’ has been added in this edition, where we feature a brief write-up called ‘India’s endeavor to improve quality and access leads to EQUIP’ by Ms. Divya Sahni, Manager, Stakeholder Relations, Sannam S4.

Best wishes and thank you in advance for your feedback which would help us to improve the quality and impact of the forthcoming issues.

Happy Reading!

Digital Future

Industrial robots are bringing jobs back home, but not for low-skilled workers

Microsoft Intelligent Cloud Hub AI-Powered Digital Labs launched in India

Research reveals that increasing automation is positively associated with reshoring of production i.e. production in the home country. The driving mechanism behind it being, robots for production back in the home country becomes cheaper over time due to increasing efficiency in automation. However, this increases employment and wages only for high-skilled but not for low-skilled workers.

Under the programme, Microsoft would offer infrastructure, content and curriculum, developer support and access to its Cloud and AI services to 10 higher educational institutes in India. In addition, the company would also facilitate setting up of core AI infrastructure and Internet of Things (IoT) hub along with providing access to a wide range of Azure AI services such as Microsoft Cognitive Services.

Insights

QS rankings 2020 indicates a strong performance of countries such as Brazil and China

How, when and what international students use in planning for study abroad

Despite US dominating international university league tables with 10 spots in the top 20, the country registered its “worst performance on record”. Countries such as Australia, Brazil, China, Russia and the Middle East have significantly improved their performances. For the US, the top losses were in the criteria of academic reputation, international students and faculty ratio; employer reputation registered slight improvements.

Students usually find university websites the most useful tool in their research when planning to study abroad. Websites should prioritise teaching quality, accommodation information, student testimonials and graduate outcomes. Along with marketing collaterals such as brochures, 85% of students use social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, regarding the research on study abroad.

In Other News

On June 29, 2019, the Ministry of Human Resource and Development (MHRD) released a five-year action plan termed the “Education Quality Upgradation and Inclusion Programme (EQUIP). This action plan is expected to outline the official implementation plan for the National Education Policy (NEP), which is due to be approved by the cabinet. Here’s a brief write-up on EQUIP, by Ms. Divya Sahni, Manager, Stakeholder Relations, Sannam S4.

NEWS

Brazil

Brazil: funding freeze will hurt mobility

Brazil and Austria sign a scientific cooperation agreement

Brazilian Internet of Things (IoT) plan inches closer to reality

On May 15, the Education Minister announced that a proposed 30% budget cut would apply to all Brazilian public universities. This slash will cover utility bills, scholarships, cleaning, maintenance and security, amongst other discretionary budgets.

Brazil and Austria sealed an agreement enabling both the parties to encourage and support development activities related to science, technology, research and innovation between government institutions, higher educational institutions and national research centres.

The final version of Brazil’s national strategy for IoT has been presented to the President. The document sets out the national strategy for stimulating business and attracting investments in four core verticals, Smart Cities, Healthcare, Agribusiness and Manufacturing.

China

Growing Sino-Russian academic ties

Tapping into China’s tech startup ecosystem: Walmart

US universities reconsider research links with Chinese AI company

The agreement between Tsinghua University and Saint Petersburg State University will lead to the creation of a Russian Research Institute at the Beijing University, which will conduct research on Russia-China relations in industrial development, education, science and technology.

Walmart is one of the few multinational corporations in China that is taking advantage of the local tech startup ecosystem. The US-based retailer has been operating in China for more than two decades and started working with tech startups last year.

MIT is re-examining a five-year research partnership with iFlytek, which builds voice recognition and analysis technology. Academics are divided over whether discussions of technology ethics and politics should be allowed to affect research partnerships.

India

QS World 2020: Three Indian varsities among top 200 globally

India recognises Australian pathway degree credits

20 million additional seats in higher education by 2024

Three Indian institutes – IIT-Bombay, IIT-Delhi and IISc-Bangalore – have found place among the top 200 in the prestigious QS World University Rankings 2020. OP Jindal Global University has become the youngest university to break into top 1,000.

India graduates who complete part of their Australian degree with a pathway provider will now have their qualifications officially recognised back home for the first time, in a significant boost for returning students’ employment and further education prospects.

According to President Ram Nath Kovind, the government is striving to increase the number of seats in higher educational institutions by one-and-a-half times by 2024. Additionally, Pradhan Mantri Innovative Learning Programme” will be started to provide quality education.

Malaysia

Malaysia PM kicks off new marketing campaign

UM takes 70th spot on QS World University Rankings 2020

Malaysian government investigating visa fees

A video, created by Education Malaysia Global Services, featured the Prime Minister – emphasising the benefits of a Malaysian education for prospective students, highlighting the country’s high-quality education and the benefits of studying in Malaysia.

University of Malaya (UM) has risen by 17 places to take the 70th position on the QS World University Rankings for 2020, its best showing to date. UM is now among the top 7% of the 1,001 institutions ranked by the QS World University.

Claims of excessive fees by Scicom, the company managing Malaysian study visas, are being investigated by the country’s education ministry. The claims, made in a memorandum to the government, allege since 2014 Scicom increased per student charges by 1,200%.

UAE

Cabinet approves Advanced Skills Council

UAE announces five-year student visas and residency opportunities

Microsoft, EY unveil AI maturity levels in UAE businesses

The UAE Cabinet has adopted the formation of the Advanced Skills Council. The council will support and oversee the implementation of the Strategy for the Advanced Skills National Programme, including objectives to position the UAE as a world leader in advanced skills development.

International students studying in the United Arab Emirates will now be eligible for a five-year student visa, replacing the one-year visa term in place until now. In addition, plans are being finalised to allow students performing exceptionally well to apply for a 10-year residency.

AI Maturity Report in the Middle East and Africa – a new study commissioned by Microsoft and conducted by EY reveal, 94% of companies in the UAE report involvement in AI at executive management level. UAE is set to witness increased adoption of AI within businesses over the next three years.

Vietnam

Vietnam becomes one of hottest startup hubs in the world

Ministry to strongly support innovation and start-ups

Germany helps improve Vietnam’s SMEs via innovation programme

Vietnam is becoming one of the hottest startup hubs not only in Asia but also in the world, according to the International Business Times, a world leading provider of business and financial news. With a population of 95 million, Vietnam is witnessing a surge in a unique startup culture.

The Ministry of Planning and Investment is formulating the National Strategy on Industrial Revolution 4.0, to build the National Innovation Centre (NIC), connect Vietnamese talents through the Vietnam Innovation Network and support innovative enterprises.

Central Innovation Programme for Small- and Medium-sized Enterprises was introduced to Vietnamese and German firms and organisations at a workshop in Berlin. This aims to transfer advanced technologies and improve the technical capacity of SMEs in Vietnam.

The U.S. – India Knowledge Exchange Delegation to India

Facilitating Partnerships, Advancing Research, Fostering Innovation, and Spurring Entrepreneurship.

The U.S. – India Knowledge Exchange convenes the leading minds in academia, innovation, public policy, private sector, non-profit and philanthropy from both countries. The purpose of this Sannam S4 – led initiative is to foster greater cooperation and collaboration on a range of topics of mutual interest and benefit, focused on generating tangible outputs with substantial impact.

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