I want to study abroad. What should I do?

Scholarships to Study in the US

International students often state boldly,"I want a "full scholarship" and "full financial aid" to study in the US. Often they will ask, "Can you guarantee that I will get a full scholarship?" There are a few simple truths about scholarships for international students in US universities:

1. There are very few scholarships for international students.

2. These are merit-based, not need-based. In other words, rarely will a student get a scholarship because they "need the money."  Scholarships are given out based on merit and accomplishments.

3. Most scholarships are awarded AFTER the student is admitted, not as part of the acceptance letter.

4. You must have good communication skills to get a scholarship. This means you must be able to speak English and write English well in order to qualify as a meritorious student.

If someone tells you that they can "get" you a scholarship because they have "connections" in US universities or know how the "system works" well heck, then I am the Queen of England writing this blog post.

Dr. Uma G. Gupta is the CEO of USAsiaEdu, a consulting company that recruits students for US universiteis. www.USAsiaEdu.com She can be reached at exec@usasiaedu.com

International students - uncle is not always the best judge!

International students sometimes have a tendency to select their university based on where their uncle or some relative lives. This is particularly true for Asian students. We repeatedly get requests from students stating that they MUST find a university in the same street where their uncle, sister, friend, or someone close lives (Ok, street is an exaggeration!)

Ask yourself if you want to make the most important decision of your life that will have great consequences on your career and future income based on where your uncle lives. You want to study abroad so that you can learn to fly, adapt to new cultures, face new challenges, meet new people, and get out of your comfort zone. It won't happen if you decide to live only next to uncle and go to the university that is next to uncle's house. In general, this is a bad idea. Occassionally, a great university that has exactly the program you are looking for is right next to uncle's house, in which case it is a great, great idea!

Dr. Uma G. Gupta is the President of USAsiaEdu (www.usasiaedu.com) and recruits international students for US universities. She can be reached at exec@usasiaedu.com

I haven’t taken the GRE yet – What do I do?

Many students are confused about whether they should wait for their GRE scores before starting their admissions process.
GRE scores form an important part of the application bundle, but it is not the only deciding factor for university admissions. Universities are interested in looking at the overall profile of the student and not just academic scores.
If you plan to take your GRE in later stages of the application time-line, say around February or March, you can make sure that all other documents are in place for the application to be complete. Following few steps would help you speed up the application process in paucity of time.

1. If you haven’t already taken your TOEFL, start by doing that. TOEFL is an English exam that is required by most US universities. It is a test of your knowledge of the English language. For anyone whose medium of education has been English, this should be a fairly easy exam requiring minimal preparation.
2. Prepare a shortlist on the basis of your academic and non academic profile and use mock test score as a proxy for your GRE scores. Be realistic about your expected scores. If you expect you can increase your score from 1000 in mock tests to 1300 in the final test – you are wrong.
3. Identify and approach your referrers for recommendation letters. It is often the case that students are not in regular contact with their referrers. It is a good idea to start interacting with them, to remind them of your strengths and contributions.
4. Look at university requirements and start drafting the required essays for completing the application form.
5. Obtain college transcripts for previous educational qualifications and get them attested if required. USEFI is the best source for such attestation for US university applications.

There is a lot of work that goes into making a successful application and delaying the process only because of unavailability of GRE scores is novice.
Starting the process late does not mean that you will not get admission - only the top 25-30 universities have their deadlines in December or January. If you organize your thoughts and make an action plan for your application, the confidence will reflect in your application and help you secure admission in good universities.

Five steps to apply for an MBA

There are some important steps international students must follow in applyting to a business school in the United States: 

1. Selecting where to apply

2. The GMAT

3. Formatting your undergraduate transcripts (academic records) for US schools (this can

sometimes be done after you have been accepted).

4. Completing the applications

(a) Basic information

(b) Essays

(c) Letters of Recommendation (very important)

(d) Academic records

(e) Other Activities

5. Obtaining financial guarantees (and applying for financial aid)

6. Obtaining the necessary visa's and paperwork

I have never heard about this university!!

International students and their families sometimes wrongly assume that if they haven't heard about a college or university, it must be a bad university. That is like saying if you have not heard about a city somewhere in the world, it must be a terrible city. The United States has close to 3500 colleges and universities. Even people born and brought up in the US often don't know or have not heard about all the 3500 institutions. It doesn't mean they are bad or not worth getting to know. It simply means YOU have not heard about it. 

 

London, Paris, New York and a few other cities in this league are like Harvard, Yale, Princeton, and MIT. Everyone (almost everyone) has heard about these cities and these institutions. But there are many great places in the world (that is why travel magazines sell so well!) that no one has heard about and yet are great treasures. This is true for universities as well.

Advice: Don't disregard a university because you have not heard about it. Research it and then decide what you want to do! The most important lesson for those interested in study abroad is to keep an open mind!

Dr. Uma Gupta is the President of USAsiaEdu. She blogs about study abroad and international students.

I want to get into a ranked university

Every student I know (almost everyone!) I know wants to gain admission to a ranked university in the US. Students with high GMAT or GRE scores and students with low GMAT or GRE scores - everyone (really!) wants to get admission to a "good" university or a "ranked" university - preferably in the Top 50, most students say to me. One of the reasons these universities and colleges are ranked among the best in the world is because they are HIGHLY selective. If you have low test scores, the chances of you getting admission to a highly ranked university is pretty slim. In fact, even if you have high test scores, there is no guarantee that you will get admission into a top ranked university. In some cases, the rejection rate is 75% or higher. In other words, only 1 out of every 4 applicants may get in!

This does not mean the end of the world. This does not mean that universities that are not on the "ranked" list are bad or that you won't get a good education if you attend a university that is "non-ranked." Some very fine universities and colleges do not appear on the ranked list for reasons that have nothing to do with quality. While ranked universities are renowned for their quality, the opposite is not true. In other words, simply because a university does not appear on the ranked list, does not mean it is a bad university. 

Advice: Aim high but be realistic. Otherwise, you will set yourself up for disappointment

Why study in the US? Eight Good Reasons!

Many students are excited about the prospect of studying abroad. "I want to study somewhere else in the world other than my home country!" is commonly heard around the world. Today there are many interesting study abroad destinations - US, UK, Australia, Canada, Singapore - to name a few. While several countries offer great programs at great universities, the US continues to attract record numbers (yes, I am biased!)

So what makes the US the most favored destination in the world:

1. US colleges and universities offer hundreds and hundreds of programs in every imaginable subject and even in those fields that you never imagined existed! If you are looking variety, look no further.
2. The US has a range of universities from the very best in the world to average ones and some even below par. Select the right university for the right reasons.
3. US education is recognized world over.
4. US education encourages creative thinking and problem-solving (not in all cases, but in many cases!) Case studies, class presentations, group projects, research papers, and essay exams all test the abilities of the learner in different ways and caters to different learners as well.
5. If you want to pursue higher studies, it is easy to move from undergraduate to graduate to post-graduate in the US. There are many gates that open readily for the student who wants to continue to study.
6. You will meet people from all over the world! Guaranteed!
7. A meaningful degree from a good university will lead to a good job. You have to compete with the best, but if you are good, you will land in a good place.
8. Most faculty genuinely care about international students and will work closely with them. They are bright, dedicated, and creative (not all faculty, but most are!0
   

I am sure there are other good reasons as well including making lots of friends, being free to do what you like, and achieving great things.

Dr. Uma G.Gupta is CEO of USAsiaEdu (http://www.USAsiaEdu.com), a New York company that helps international students with study abroad decisions.

I want to study in the US!

For many international students, studying in the US is a life-long dream. A great education, great career prospects, and a great nation that values freedom and diversity is an exciting landing place for any student! Unfortunately the process of selecting the right university for the right reasons is not an easy choice for many international students. They are overwhelmed with questions:

1. What should I study?
2. How do I find the right university?
3. What kind of a job will I get once I graduate?
4. What is the time line for applying?
   
5. Will I get admission?
6. Will I get a scholarship?
7. What tests should I take?
8. What scores should I make on these tests?
9. What should my essay say about me?

These and many other questions make it difficult, very difficult, for international students to take the next step forward.

While there are many websites, combined, they tend to confuse the student more than offer clear counsel. What should a student do? Where should a student begin to learn about this process? When is it a good time to start researching your university and your career? These and other similar questions will be addressed in this blog.
In the meantime, if you have any questions you can write to me at exec@USAsiaEdu.com

Dr. Uma G. Gupta is the CEO of USAsiaEdu, a New York company, that helps international students interested in studying in the US.

Use of "Agents" by US Institutions

In my quick analysis of the higher educational landscape in the US, there appears to be several categories of institutions:
1. Those that are against the use of agents because they have a philosophical, moral, and ethical disagreement with the very idea of paying someone to recruit a student.
2. Those that use agents, but rather not speak about it publicly because they are concerned that it may affect their brand or image
3. Those that use agents and are open and enthusiastic about it
4. Those that wish they could use agents, but do not have the support of their top administration.
5. Those that are researching the idea, but are yet to make a decision.
6. Those that have no interest at all in the topic because international student recruitment is not high priority. What did I miss?

In the meantime, UK, Canadian, and Australian universities are efficiently and enthusiastically using agents to achieve their recruitment goals, while US institutions are waiting and watching. Further, many international students are making institutional choices based on what their agent tells them. Sometimes they make the right choice if they are working with the right agent, and at other times they realize too late that they received the wrong advice. US institutions interested in international student recruitment must engage in open discussions on this issue if we are to attract the best and the brightest. Is anyone aware of list of US institutions that use agents?

Dr. Uma G. Gupta is the President of USAsiaEdu, a higher education consulting company, that offers cross-cultural recruitment, retention, and transitional services for institutions. She can be reached at exec@USAsiaEdu.com

A Teacher Remembers Fondly What it Means to Teach

Mr. Arshad Nissar is a Senior Design Engineer atAdvanced Micro Devices in Boston and wrote the following piece in response to one of my discussions on LinkedIn.

Dear Uma these are very inspiring words..!
Having been a teacher myself and having been born to a father who was a great teacher, I can very well understand the noble emotions behind your words. I once did travel the path that you are exhorting. I am still enjoying the tremendous bliss that I found along this path. I want to share some of my own experiences.

I finished my BE from REC Srinagar (now NIT Srinagar) in 1989. That was actually a water-shed year in the history of the valley. Everything changed forever in this year. Insurgency broke out and was at its peak in early 1990's. A meek person like me would have promptly moved out of the valley and pursued higher education or employment elsewhere. However I had an ailing father to care for and he was reluctant to move out of the valley. In addition to this emotional consideration, I found a practical way of contributing to my beloved valley. In retrospect it was time well spent until 1996, when I moved to the United States.

While being a student I almost always had discovered some easier and more interesting way of understanding difficult concepts in Math and Science. I used to make a mental note of what would have been the ideal approach to teach some of those concepts during student days when I was at the receiving end. I would dream-up a whole different way the teacher could have treated the same concept. This helped me to look with introspection into my student’s mind when it was my turn to be a teacher.

Also a teacher MUST challenge the understanding of the students. It is so important. In Indian class rooms, students usually are always found nodding their heads in agreement out of respect for their "revered teacher". Respect for a teacher is in order, but when that becomes too overwhelming it can affect the teaching/learning process. This is mostly culturally driven. Very rarely will you find students who challenge their teachers. Not because the students can’t, but mainly because of cultural mores.

I took a lecturer's job (while still being a BE) at REC

Srinagar

. Having a good a merit and due to the shortage of staff, they let me teach at undergraduate level. I enjoyed it immensely. Since I had been a careful student myself and tried to learn things thoroughly the hard way, teaching was a pleasure. We had to face countless curfews, crack-downs, bandhs and hartals and sometimes simply could not venture out in main parts of the town for fear of my dear life. Against this backdrop, I started a teaching center in my home basement. I taught Physics and Math to high school kids, with emphasis on practical learning. This was something strange at that time as most of the teaching that happened or still happens in Indian schools, colleges and universities emphasizes learning by rote. My approach was to combine the traditional rote method but introduce hands on practical demonstrations and thereby reinforce the theoretical fundamentals.

I had a workshop where I used to devise physics experiments out of wood, wires and other junk that never ceased to surprise my father and my students. Borrowed tuning forks with water level controlled air columns to do experiments on sound, blocks of wood and marbles to do experiments with mechanics, circuits with wires and magnetic needles to do experiments on electricity, medical syringes and tubes to do fluid-mechanics and so on. No experiment was superfluous. Everything was designed to reinforce some concept from course work. I did this work for a short period of about three years.

Eventually I had to leave the valley to pursue my MS at SUNY Buffalo.

This was all about twelve years ago. Some of my students of those days have come quite far. This approach of looking at things beyond the traditional rote method made a difference in the way the graduates of Newton’ Center for Learning (my teaching academy) looked at learning itself. Some may argue there are laboratories in Indian high schools. My argument is, the way these labs are used and how accessible they are to an ordinary student is pathetic. Also the way you could bring the white-board and the lab-desk together presents enormous possibilities. And finally from the brief teaching assignments here in the US and watching my teen-age sons study, doing the experiments hands on has a stronger imprint on the student's mind. Computer simulations as some critics suggested as alternatives to the hands on experiments, do not go far as a learning tool, in my opinion.

My heart yearns to go back and do it all over again, but on a bigger scale.

The Bloated World of Higher Education and the Need to Get Back to Basics

Individually education and entertainment have great value and a great place in American society. As Americans, we have an incredible love affair with education and entertainment. Each has a long and rich history that shows incredible progress and amazing ingenuity. Each has inspired us and taught us.

 

We have built our dreams on the foundation of education and on the wings of imagination of entertainment. It would be hard for us to live without either. Yet, education and entertainment cannot be interchanged. Education is hard work. It may be boring and tedious bordering on drudgery at times, but it is designed with the stirring goal of helping us to stretch and reach beyond our limited and biased view of the world. It is a friend for the long haul – each day, motivating us to be a little more about the world we live in; each day, challenging us to contribute a little more than we did yesterday, and each day inspiring us to enhance our intellectual, emotional, and spiritual well-being. Education is hard work – we cannot equate education with entertainment; educators cannot pretend that their primary goal is to entertain students – engage our students, yes; entertain, no. Unfortunately, some colleges and universities propagate the idea that education without entertainment will not attract good students.

One reason why the cost of higher education continues to soar is because of the increasing demand placed on campuses to entertain students – from athletic facilities that look like Jurassic Park to campus gyms fit for celebrities, from sophisticated computing facilities to fancy class rooms, and from dorms that are mini Ritz-Carltons to dining facilities that offer world cuisine.

 

When we direct precious resources to entertainment rather than education, we defeat the purpose of both. States from California to Florida are in trouble because it is difficult to sustain an education-cum-entertainment model. Like children on Christmas eve who want Santa Claus to bring them more and better gifts each year, students and parents want entertainment for the price of education. Unfortunately, it does not work that way!

Dr. Uma G. Gupta is the President of USAsiaEdu.com, a New York based educational consulting company that specializes in higher education in Asia.

Sponsored by University of Phoenix.
Become part of the solution to California's looming workforce shortage. Think Ahead.

 

Is a college degree worth it?

Recently, there is a growing debate about the worth of a college degree, particularly an expensive college degree. Burdened with college loans that suck the life line out of our young graduates, many are now questioning the real value of a college degree.

Unlike some nations where not every high school graduate is expected to go to college or earn a four-year degree, corporations in the

United States

require or prefer a college degree for many entry-level positions. When you probe this somewhat indiscriminate requirement, hiring managers often confess that the reason they look for at least a college degree is because students, particularly high school students, and now even college students, are not adequately prepared to meet the demands of the workforce.   So does this mean that if you don’t have a college degree you cannot make a decent living? Be a part of the American dream? Become an entrepreneur? Far from it! What this means is that you must have a love for learning and knowledge – whether you get it online or in a class room setting. You must continually learn new things; take a course or attend a workshop or become an apprentice. You must invest your time and effort in developing the right skills for the workforce and the right attitude for success. So what are a few important skills for the workforce (with or without a college degree)?

• The ability to read, write, and speak. In short, communications. We may not all be perfect at all three, but it is important to have above average skills when it comes to communications.
• Critical thinking and problem-solving: Can you take a problem, analyze it thoughtfully, and come up with a meaningful and comprehensive solution? Or, do you expect your boss to hand hold you every step of the way?
• Understanding of the fundamentals of the business world: one may not all be terrific in accounting, but one should have some understanding of business functions. A holistic understanding of the business world is important.
• Can you speak a language other than your own? If you plan to serve more than your street corner, language skills become vital.
• Good ethics: what will you do when no one is watching? Do you have an understanding right and wrong?

These skills can be honed, with or without a college degree and for those who do, success is assured.

 

Dr. Uma G. Gupta is the President of USAsiaEdu.com, a New York based educational consulting company that specializes in higher education in Asia.

Sponsored by University of Phoenix.
Become part of the solution to California's looming workforce shortage. Think Ahead.

College is not for everyone, but wisdom and financial success are within reach

Recently, there is a growing debate about the worth of a college degree, particularly an expensive college degree. Burdened with college loans that suck the life line out of our young graduates, many are now questioning the real value of a college degree.

Unlike some nations where not every high school graduate is expected to go to college or earn a four-year degree, corporations in the United States require or prefer a college degree for many entry-level positions. When you probe this somewhat indiscriminate requirement, hiring managers often confess that the reason they look for at least a college degree is because students, particularly high school students, and now even college students, are not adequately prepared to meet the demands of the workforce.

So does this mean that if you don’t have a college degree you cannot make a decent living? Be a part of the American dream? Become an entrepreneur? Far from it!

You can – provided you invest time and effort in developing the right skills for the workforce and the right attitude for success. So what are a few important skills for the workforce (with or without a college degree)?

• The ability to read, write, and speak. In short, communications. We may not all be perfect at all three, but it is important to have above average skills when it comes to communications.
• Critical thinking and problem-solving: Can you take a problem, analyze it thoughtfully, and come up with a meaningful and comprehensive solution? Or, do you expect your boss to hand hold you every step of the way?
• Understanding of the fundamentals of the business world: one may not all be terrific in accounting, but one should have some understanding of business functions. A holistic understanding of the business world is important.
• Can you speak a language other than your own? If you plan to serve more than your street corner, language skills become vital.
• Good ethics: what will you do when no one is watching? Do you have an understanding right and wrong?

These skills can be honed, with or without a college degree and for those who do, success is assured.

TEN COMMANDMENTS FOR MINORITY STUDENT SUCCESS

Like the Ten Commandments, the key ideas and principles to ensure the success of minority students looks simple on paper, but will take soul-searching and tireless effort to implement. Here are my Ten Commandments to assure the success of minority students!

1. Raise the bar. Have high expectations. Expect great things from minority students, instead of diluting standards, explicitly or implicitly.
2. Elementary school is not just playtime. Lay a strong foundation. Do not treat students as if they are on an escalator that automatically moves to the next level. Instead work to ensure that the foundation is strong.
3. Don’t treat schools with heavy minority populations as second class citizens. For all the talk on equality and importance of education, schools with heavy minority populations are shamelessly neglected.
4. Invest in libraries. Read to young children. Reward them for reading. Make reading the nerve center of schools.
5. Open their eyes to the world. Minority children need to develop a global view. Multi-culturalism and global competencies are keys to their success.
6. Find mentors and role models. If there is one thing that has a long-lasting impact, it is having a mentor.
7. Expose them to new and emerging careers. Many students still believe that nursing and fire-fighting are the only two careers available to them.
8. Inspire the community to ensure that every minority kid is a success story. It takes a village to raise a child.
9. Pay teachers well. Respect and honor them. The work they do is challenging and often goes unnoticed.
10. Hold parents accountable. School is not a day time nursery and they have a role to play in the education and well-being of their child.

Community Colleges Expand their Focus on International Students

If you are a community college that is not paying close attention to recruiting international students, well, you must. Recent trends show a steady and impressive increase of number of international students at community colleges in the United States. In some cases, it is serendipity. Students simply seem to show up at the doors of community colleges even without any specific or targeted recruiting effort on the part of these institutions. (Many four-year institutions and graduate schools would love to have this problem!) Others are focused on international student recruitment because they are committed to campus diversity; and yet others understand the importance of international students to their bottom line and to their articulation partners.

Regardless of the reasons for expanding international student recruitment, community colleges face both enormous opportunities and a few noteworthy challenges. The opportunities are that there is a growing middle class in countries like India and China. The US educational brand is still strong and impressive around the world.

 The challenges are in many parts of the world decision-makers, including students and parents, do not fully understand the role of community colleges in higher education and those who understand do not always subscribe to the value of a community college education. There is still some "prestige" issues associated with community colleges in the minds of some.

Regardless, these barriers can be overcome and must be overcome. Community colleges provide superior education at a dream price! They add value and nurture students in impressive ways.

USAsiaEdu offers international student recruitment fairs tailored for community colleges. Contact exec@USAsiaEdu.com for further details.

Five Tips for International Students Studying in the USA

Contributed by Maya Richard, content writer, primarily writing about comcast deals

The university system is the United States provides an extensive research network that allows international students to work with world-renowned scholars. While these opportunities are great, so are the guidelines and restrictions that apply to students coming from abroad to study in America. We consulted with some leading international education experts to gain insight into the top tips to help students seeking to study in the USA:

 • Select Your College Institution Carefully During the Admissions Process Although you may be tempted to apply to the most highly rated academic programs overall, there are a number of important factors that will determine the success of your international study program. In particular, inquire into the specific international student cultural and academic programs to help you get acquainted on a new campus. Once you feel comfortable with the accommodations, then look into the specific courses of study and the academic resources (including professors), especially if you're considering graduate study.

• Look into All of Your Financial Options Today's student loan market is much more competitive than it was a few years ago, so tuition and living costs should be a primary factor to consider before deciding upon a college. Inquire with the prospective college's financial aid department to determine the merit scholarships or work-study programs that might help you to finance your education.

 • Find Options to Continue to Develop Language and Cultural Skills For many students, coming to the US for studies can be an extensive transition from their home country. Even if you speak fluent English, there are a number of colloquialisms and regional dialects that will take some time getting adjusted to – check if the college offers programs for students who speak English as a second language, along with cultural groups, to help you get acquainted to American culture.

• Make Sure You Apply Early for your Student Visa Often times, you can work with the University you intend to enroll with to get all of your student visa paperwork figured out. (see Student Visas.) Take the lead on the process by ensuring that you have a passport from your out-bound country, as well as an visa, along with demonstration that you have the necessary funds to pay for your course of study. If you're coming into the country with a domestic sponsor, fill out your I-134 affidavit form in advance. For students who intend to remain in the US for the long-run, begin to look into the citizenship acquisition process.

• Once You Decide Upon a College, Make Contact with the University Early After you go through the decision process, take extra care to cover all the bases in the enrollment process as well as reaching out to University representatives early on to facilitate the transition process.

The One-Million Children's Book Drive

The Make a Difference in India LinkedIn Group that I started is launching an ambitious program to donate one million (1,000,000) children’s books to rural and disadvantaged children all over the world where Asian-Indians live and work by December 2009. This initiative is for anyone with a love for children!

Read this message, spread this message, and act!

The program works as follows:
1. Donate new or used children's books to a rural school, library, or organization of your choice.
2. If you wish, write the name of the donor and the slogan – Making a Difference!
3. Send an email to MillionBooks09@gmail.com with your name, contact details, number of books donated and the name and address of the school or library to which you donated. Please indicate if you wish to remain anonymous.
4. Plans are underway to work with a Trust (in the interest of disclosure, please note that this is my family trust) in India to facilitate this project.

Need for volunteers!
1. We need an army of volunteers to spread the word, particularly those with media experience and those with access to the publishing industry.
2. Need experienced volunteers to mobilize groups and create a grass roots movement.
3. Need one volunteer with good record-keeping experience.
5. Need a financial institution with trust management experience to volunteer for pro bono work.

For all inquiries and suggestions, please send an email to MillionBooks09@gmail.com.

Thank you and I look forward to working with you on this exciting adventure!

Uma Gupta

Ratan Tata - India's Obama? He may be one step ahead of Obama.

Many Indians living abroad, including those living in India, have at some time or the other experienced a tight knot in their stomachs when a politician from India is on the news or is giving a media interview. We are embarrassed that so many of them come across as such bumbling idiots - unprofessional, ignorant, and pompous. And then there is Ratan Tata - spit-polished, dignified, poised, and as original and authentic as they come.

I sat glued to CNN as Fareed Zakaria interviewed Ratan Tata. With an underplayed grief in his voice and sorrow in his face, he vowed to rebuild the Taj, gave all the credit to his employees, reminscinded about his great grandfather and urged India not to sweep its mammoth problems under the rug. How can you not love such a man? Many of us from India have a long, long love affair with the Tata's for good reason. Their pedigree shows in such elegant and enormous ways. Ratan Tata is the most authentic leader that India has and God knows, Indian leaders need authenticity and a large dose of reality and humility.

In the report, Forbes Magazine's Senior Editor (Asia) Robyn Meredith writes, "While India has the sympathy of the world after the recent attacks, India could have an Obama moment -one in which a leader, whose personal history epitomizes the country's principles, marches forward to unite the country during its very moment of trauma. India has a chance now to get it right, but it needs a strong, credible leader to step up." (SI Dose)

Ratan Tata operates in a political world in India that is highly bureaucratic, intensely corrupt, callous, and even lawless sometimes. Yet he stands tall - unwilling to be bought or sold, a visionary who leads under enormous challenges. He is what India's spirituality teachings teaches us to be and yet is so rarely, rarely practiced among Indian leaders. Yeah, Ratan-ji!

English - the only currency for global communications

An ESL Innovation for International Schools

Technological ESL Innovations for International Business Schools

CEEMAN NEWS
Issue 50 Winter 2008

Posted with permission from Glenn McInnes.

Business schools have a vested interest in ensuring that all students are proficient in English to properly prepare them for a global business world.

More and more business schools located in non-English countries offer English MBA programs to prepare graduates for the worldwide “language of business” while enrolling foreign students with a tested English proficiency to “internationalize”.

Most students with English as a second language, who often constitute 10 to 20 per cent of American and Canadian business schools, have acceptable English (as measured by TOEFL) but don’t fully understand oral English (pronunciation and comprehension). They usually read more slowly, have an English accent which is often difficult to understand, and it’s not clear that they comprehend everything being said.

While these students nevertheless complete their program through very hard work and many extra hours, one of the authors has observed that in North-American, European and Asian MBA classes, foreign students are often slowly segregated as courses commence, and cultural and social diversity is not always enriched. Often international and multi-cultural enrichment does not compensate for the risk of lower grades and additional work for local students. They neither want limited communication to hold back their working groups nor to be in charge of all the reports and/or presentations.

These observations demonstrate an absolute need for better oral (and written) English skills to improve the educational outcome of all students with English as a second language entering the global business world.

Universities frequently address this problem with expensive ESL labs and English tutors. Many MBA programs also offer classes on business report writing and presentations which don’t address the serious communication deficiencies of non-native English speaking students who require individual tutoring and mentoring. Few, if any, MBA program have the resources to tackle individual deficiencies.

Non-native English speaking students will soon have a fairly inexpensive but quite effective personal online ESL tools accessible from anywhere in the world through a PC and an Internet connection.

One that is not much different than English tutoring will be “Business as a Second Language” (“BSL”) which will be available in 2009 from BusinessWeek at an expected price of $20 per month. BSL will be an electronic English tutor that will help intermediate and advanced English learners perfect English pronunciation and oral and reading comprehension at “normal” speaking and reading speed. It will provide business content, with instant feedback on pronunciation.

These web-based tools will individually tutor and coach individuals with basic English who need to perfect their oral and reading skills. They will allow students to speak and:

• Measure – pronunciation instantly and in reports
 
• Playback – how it should sound

• Practice – correct and perfect
 
• Comprehend – dictionary lookup

These new technological innovations have the potential to reduce business schools’ ESL lab capital investments and ESL tutoring operating costs while graduating more proficient students.

You may obtain your own free trial subscription of Business as a Second Language from www.businessweekbsl.com/2020.

Jean-Louis Malouin Ph. D. is Past Professor and Dean of the Business Schools of the University of Alberta, Laval University in Quebec City and the University of Ottawa. He presently teaches an MBA Business Strategy course in Asia.

Glenn McInnes is the President of 2020 Higher Education International and was the founding president of the University of Fredericton which offers a fully online EMBA. He is the chair of the Canadian Bureau for International Education SIG on e-International Education and past national president of the Canadian Information Processing Society. glenmci@magma.ca

2020 Higher Education provides strategic guidance on best academic and business practices for international online universities.

The Central and East European Management Development Association (CEEMAN) was established in 1993 with the aim of accelerating the growth in quality of management development in central and Eastern Europe. Gradually CEEMAN has become a global network of management development institutions interested in quality of education and innovations in this field, as well as in the broad area of subjects related to change. CEEMAN has expanded to include 170 institutional and individual members from 42 countries in Europe, North America, Latin America, and Asia. 

 

http://learnhub.com/lesson/page/6779-an-esl-innovation-for-international-schools

Is your child ready to be a global citizen?

Global Indian Foundation to set up 15 schools in India

By    IANS

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

http://www.siliconindia.com/shownews/48992

 

New Delhi: The Global Indian International School, a Singapore-based non-profit organization, which has its branches in seven countries and imparts education with an Indian spirit, is all set to open 15 more schools in India by 2010. The Foundation has 15 schools in seven countries with more than 17,000 students from India, Malaysia, Japan, Vietnam, New Zealand, Thailand and Singapore.

The goal of the schools, according to Atul Temurnikar, co-founder and chairman of GIF, is quality  quality education, and affordable education with global standards.

He said though in India, the standard of value education is remarkable but GIIS has its own role to play as they serve and nurture Indian students to become global players who can be placed in any part of the world with the increase in trade and culture relations in Asian economies.

"This is a part of our "flip-a-generation" program," he added.

Some of the 'Indianness' that GIF tries to inculcate in its students through their curriculum are through compulsory Sanskrit classes - so every student, no matter how his pronunciation is, recites Sanskrit shlokas - and a Mahatma Gandhi Centre for Values and Thoughts, which has a library of books on Gandhi.

Plenty of jobs in a land where education is valued - India!

It is raining jobs in India amid global crisis

By    siliconindia news bureau

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

 

Bangalore: Even as the deteriorating economic conditions are rendering thousands jobless worldwide, India seems to be bucking the trend. In just one week, companies have unveiled plans for massive hiring.

The IT outsourcing sector now has huge hiring plans, despite being vulnerable to the global slowdown. The top five IT companies are set to recruit over 80,000 people this year even after revising earlier hiring targets. Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) and Infosys Technologies - both have adopted a strategy of staggered recruitments - did not so far have scaled back its hiring targets announced earlier this year. TCS, in fact, is set to hire around 48,000 people - just a few thousand short of the number its top customer Citigroup announced it plans to shed in the coming months.

Life insurance companies, the Indian units of foreign drugmakers and the outsourcing sector are clearly on a hiring mode. MetLife, Max New York Life, Tata AIG, Bharti AXA and Aviva are some insurance companies that are in a ramp-up mode as the sector looks forward to boost its staffing levels by around 50 percent over the next few months.

While MetLife India is looking to recruit about 2,000 managers and a whopping 30,000 advisors in the coming months, global management consultancy firm Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu is planning to hire 3,500 employees in the country, aiming to take the total headcount in the country to 12,000 in the next three years.

The industry could hire up to 300,000 financial planning advisors and some 30,000 managers by the end of this financial year to end-March 2009, as it girds up to tap a virgin market, industry officials say.

"Insurance products are perceived as long-term investment tools and people will continue to buy irrespective of the financial crisis. We plan to expand our operations and spruce up recruitment in the next few months," said Max New York Life Insurance director & head of agency distribution, Rajender Sud. The company has around 61,000 agent advisors and 15,227 employees, of which around 21,000 agents and 8,000 managers were hired in the last six months. It plans to add 70,000 agents and 10,000 employees by the end of 2009.

The sector was long dominated by state owned LIC. The companies expect a good financial performance by the sector to justify their hiring spree. Private players have recorded a growth rate of around 42 percent in first-time premium collections for the first half of the current financial year, indicate data available with the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority.

Source: The Economic Times & Business Standard

Everyone wants international students! Why?

There is hardly a college or university in US or Europe that is not actively recruiting international students. They spend significant resources to recruit international students using dedicated staff, glossy marketing materials, and country tours. It is worthwhile to ask the question, "Why?" Why are colleges and universities interested in recruiting from around the world?

The standard and widely cited reasons for this massive effort are:

•  internationalization is good;
• a global view is essential in today's world;
• graduates must be global citizens;
• we want to create a "global village" within our campus;
• diversity is good for society;
• our students must learn to work with people from all over the world;
• new experiences opens our thinking and enhances our creativity;

I am sure there are a few other good reasons as well besides the above list. Presidents' of many colleges and universities are sincere when they cite the above reasons. After all, which institution wants to be known for graduating an ignoramus?

Today, recruiting international students is a thriving business. There are many for-profit and non-profit organizations and corporations dedicated to recruiting international students (including my company!). The websites of many colleges and universities has a dedicated web link that shows photos of happy international students set against the backdrop of colorful flags from all over the world. The message is "Come home to us!"

However, one of the most compelling and less widely known reasons for the big push for international students is economics - yes, good old economics - international students pay anywhere from two to three times the tuition rates of domestic students. In short, they are a great source of revenue for colleges and universities and they don't cost a dime more than educating a domestic student.

In addition, many international students excel in math and science and are dedicated lab assistants, graders, and graduate teaching assistants. They fill doctoral programs and love to live and sleep in labs, passionate about their research and their dissertations. Frequently, they don't have transportation and thus stay glued to the library or the lab. I know because I was one of them.

In today's economic environment, with the state coffers drying up like a patch of desert water, the push for recruiting international students is likely to increase. There are great schools that are genuinely dedicated to the ideals listed above and are passionate about graduating global citizens. And then there are those that want a warm body from another country. It is up to students to be careful when they shop for a university. If you (student) do, you will get a great education in a great country; if you don't, you would have done nothing for yourself - just helped a college or university get rich at your expense.

Dr. Uma G. Gupta is the President and CEO of Global Cube Consultants, an international higher education consulting company. She can be reached at guptaguma@gmail.com

Top schools in the US - wrong!

Ask any international student anywhere in the world and they probably can name the top one, or two, or three, or may be even five colleges and universities in the US. Of course, the favorite ones all over the world are Harvard, Princeton, Berkely, MIT, and Yale. But this is like saying the only good shirt in the world is a Polo shirt or the only good watch in the world is a Rolex. In fact, there are many outstanding colleges and universities in the US that many international students have never even heard about and hence won't consider even applying! Finding a good college is a dance that involves two partners: the student and the college or university trying to recruit the student! Both have to be in harmony if it is to be a great dance!

As an international student, look beyond the four or five colleges that your friends and family can name. Think about what your study of interest and identify all the colleges and universities that offer such a program. Look into the qualifications of the faculty who teach in the program; examine their career placement and assistance; look at the Advisory Board; see if the faculty have published in leading journals; examine the kind of courses and electives the school offers. Don't be biased against a college or university because you have never heard about it!

Students often complain that finding a "good" school is hard work. Amen - it is true. But if you don't invest the time and effort upfront, you may get an education that is not worth much or you may have paid too much for your education!

What is your degree worth?

Today in many parts of the world, a college degree is necessary to find a job and launch a career. For those looking for an exciting and profitable career, the first step is to earn a degree from a good college. So many parents in India invest hard-earned money so that their children can get a college education and earn a degree. Unfortunately sometimes this degree has no value. In fact, some employers openly say that the degree is not worth the paper it is written on! So what should a student or parent do to make sure that the degree has value?

What did I learn? If the degree is easy to earn, watch out. If after you graduate, you still don’t know much about your field, watch out. A degree is a way of guaranteeing employers and others that a student has acquired fundamental knowledge. If that does not happen in some colleges and universities, then employers will not be interested in hiring such students. So even if the college is not strict or rigorous, make sure that you learn discipline-specific knowledge. Apply yourself. Learn about your field as much as you can. Otherwise, your degree is not worth much to you or to anyone else.

Can I read and write? English is widely spoken in India today and employers expect their employees to speak in English. If you can’t read or write well in English, then employers will hesitate to hire you. On the other hand, if you can read and write well in English, your value goes up with employers. This is true not only in your first job, but also when it comes to future opportunities and promotions. So pay attention to your language skills. Learn English. Speak English even with your friends. Listen to English news and programs. Read the newspaper. Write a letter in English. View English as an opportunity to advance your career.

Specialize: Think about your future employer even before you graduate. Who is your ideal employer and why? How can you learn more about the hiring needs of this employer? One way is to visit the Career Section on their website. Study the skill sets that they are looking for and start to prepare yourself for such jobs.

Study Abroad: Not everyone has the financial power to do this, but if you can it is a wonderful learning experience. Today in the US, many colleges and universities provide excellent study abroad programs whereby a student will study in a university in another country for a short period of time. The US is looking for Indian colleges and universities that can host American students and vice versa, looking for Indian students to attend its colleges. 

Tips to Cope on Foreign Campuses

This post was contributed by Kelly Kilpatrick,who writes on the subject of an online degree in classical studies. She invites your feedback at kellykilpatrick24 at gmail dot com.

Tips to Cope on Foreign Campuses: The ardent desire to pursue quality education pushes youngsters to leave behind all they know and love and fly to foreign shores in search of their dreams – this fact is never truer than in the relationship between Indian students and US universities. To lend more credence to this statement, we only have to take a look at the annual report from the Institute of International Education (IIE) and the State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, Open Doors 2006, which states that students of Indian origin outnumbered those from other countries in universities and colleges across the United States of America. They work really hard to secure admission to the school of their choice and are gung-ho when selected, but the moment they board the plane for shores unknown, they are beset by doubts and uncertainties of the next few lonely years in an alien country surrounded by strangers. Here are a few pointers for Indians who are about to embark on this journey and looking for more information on how to cope:

• Familiarize yourself with facts and information of the college you’re planning to attend. Check the school’s website and read its local newspaper to keep up to date with the happenings on campus.

• While you’re at it, read up on life in America and what you can expect once you get there, especially in the place your university is located. The Internet is a great source of information if you know where to look.

• Brush up on your English skills; learn how to talk fluently in the language and how to use American terms and spellings for common words like highway (freeway or expressway in the US) and flat (apartment).

• If you’re finicky about food, make sure you go prepared to do your own cooking with condiments and spices from home. However, living on campus does not allow you to do this, so remain open to the idea of adapting to new foods.

• Indian students are not used to visiting their student counselors and advisors or stopping by their professors’ offices to say hello and introduce themselves or clarify doubts, a practice taken for granted by their American counterparts. They must take advantage of the guidance offered and use it to their benefit.

• Stay in touch with family and friends using online chat software and webcams to reduce the homesickness you feel. It’s true that you’re there to study, but it’s important to get involved in a few social activities as well to reduce the yearning for things and people back home.

• Go with an unbiased mind and be open to try new experiences and make new friends, irrespective of their religion, culture and nationalities.

If we’re to go by another report, this one from the Council of Graduate Studies, nearly half of  US graduate schools are not averse to the idea of accepting foreign students with only three years of undergraduate education in their home countries as opposed to the current norm of four. This move, if implemented, will only see a surge in the number of students queuing up to grab a place in a prestigious university in the US of A.

This post was contributed by Kelly Kilpatrick,who writes on the subject of an online degree in classical studies. She invites your feedback at kellykilpatrick24 at gmail dot com.