I've been wanting to highlight what's happening over at Small Planet Studio for some time now as I really like what Cate Brubaker has created and is doing! I've been following her blog for a long time now and I think many IHEC Blog readers will enjoy it as well.
One thing I wanted to highlight over at Small Planet Studio are the teleclass workshop opportunities available. The next teleclass is a two-session workshop scheduled for March 20 & 27 entitled "Working Successfully and Authentically in the Corporate World" offered by Vicki Flier Hudson of Highroad Global Services and Cate Brubaker of Small Planet Studio. If you are interested in this workshop you can receive a discount rate if you register by Wednesday, February 21st at midnight EST by using the coupon code "authentic" (no quotes) as the price goes up by $20 on Thursday You can read more about this workshop and register at http://smallplanetstudio.com/corporate/.
As you check out Small Planet Studio you might want to consider joining the VIP community [free] for access to free teleclasses and monthly updates! You can also connect with Cate and Small Planet Studio on LinkedIn, Facebook and on Twitter.
Please note that I receive no compensation for posting about this teleclass and my only incentive is to highlight the work of someone I respect and doing some real great things in the field!
I want to alert IHEC Blog readers to a relatively new publication in the field. Published in September, 2011, LL.M. Roadmap: An International Student's Guide to U.S. Law School Programs by George E. Edwards is a valuable resource for any international student with an interest in pursuing a legal education in the United States with a specific focus on the LL.M. degree. LL.M. Roadmap provides a wealth of information in its 624 pages that is not only beneficial to prospective international students but also to international educators and other stakeholders within higher education here in the United States. The following table of contents demonstrates the value of this resource and demonstrate the wealth of knowledge and expertise that Professor Edwards brings to the table:
Part I - International Students Earning U.S. Law Degrees: What's so Special bout U.S. Legal Education? Chapter 1: Globalization and the Need for Transnational Lawyers Chapter 2: Seventeen reasons for international students to earn a U.S. LL.M. Chapter 3: "Types" or "Categories" of LL.M. Degree Programs Chapter 4: General and Specialized LL.M. Degrees Chapter 5: U.S. & Foreign Legal Systems; U.S. & Foreign Legal Education
Part II - Ranking, Reputation & Reality: 218 Criteria for Choosing the "Best" U.S. LL.M. Program for You Chapter 6: Law school ranking, reputation & reality: Choosing the "Best" U.S. law school for you (And avoiding "cash cows" & "diploma mills") Chapter 7: 218 criteria for choosing the "Best" U.S. LL.M. program for you (LL.M. Programs from A-Z)
Part III - How To Get Admitted to the U.S. Law School I Choose Chapter 8: Getting Admitted - U.S. Law School Admission Policies & Practices; Law School Mission Statements; Educational Agents & Admission Consultants Chapter 9: Your LL.M. Program Application: How do you convince a U.S. law school to admit you? Chapter 10: Personal Statements & Application Essays, Writing Samples, CVs and Resumes, and Personal Interviews Chapter 11: Recommendation and Referral Letters Chapter 12: Parlez-Vous English? English Language Proficiency Requirements Chapter 13: Document Authentication & Verification; Scholarship Request; Financial Resources Proof
Part IV - Receiving the Law School's E-mail or Letter: You Are Admitted, Not Admitted, Put on Hold, ow Waitlisted Chapter 14: Receiving the Law School's Letter or E-mail: You Are Admitted (Firm); Admitted (Conditional); Not Admitted; Put on Hold, or Waitlisted Chapter 15: Degree Requirements for LL.M. Programs (Tips on how do do your best and to succeed in your LL.M. program) Chapter 16: How do they teach at U.S. law schools? Chapter 17: Legal Communication: Legal Analysis, Research and Writing. Chapter 18: Writing an LL.M. Thesis Chapter 19: Student Organizations & Extra-Curricular Activities
Part V - Student Visas & Other Immigration Documents Chapter 20: U.S. Student Visa - High Hurdles? Chapter 21: Visa & Immigration Issues After You Arrive in the U.S. Chapter 22: Working with Your Student Visa - On Campus & Off-Campus
Part VI - How To Pay For My U.S. Law Degree? Chapter 23: LL.M. Degree Costs: Hidden Expenses, Cutting Costs & Saving Money Chapter 24: Scholarships, Tuition Discounts, and Other LL.M. Funding for International Students Chapter 25: Student Loans: Avoiding U.S.-Based Student Loans
Part VII - Getting a Job; Achieving Other Post-LL.M. Goals Chapter 26: Achieving Your Career Goals: Strategies for LL.M. Students & Graduates Chapter 27: Optional Practical Training (OPT) for F-1; Curricular Practical Training (CPT) for F-1; Academic Training (AT) for J-1; & Other Work in the U.S. During & After Your LL.M. Chapter 28: Bar exams and practicing law in the U.S. after your LL.M.
Part VIII - What Other Law Degrees, Besides LL.M. Can I Receive in the U.S.? Chapter 29: S.J.D. or J.S.D. Degree (Doctor of Juridicial Science Degree) Chapter 30: J.D. (Juris Doctor) Degree Chapter 31: Non-Degree opportunities for Foreign Lawyers; U.S. Law-Related Degrees for Non-Lawyers
Part IX - Legalities, Lifestyles, & Leisure (What Students Need To Know When They Arrive In The U.S.) Chapter 32: International Students Obeying U.S. Law; Safety, Security & Health in the U.S.
Part X - Conclusion Chapter 33: Conclusion
Part XI - End Material Appendix I: Specializations Offered at One or More U.S. Law School LL.M. Programs Appendix II: Scholarship Sources for International LL.M. Students to Study in the U.S. Appendix III: Endorsements for LL.M. Roadmap Glossary
LL.M. Roadmap can be purchased at the following online locations:
In this guest post to IHEC Blog, Study Group’s Michael Cornes, considers the recent revisions to the UK’s international student visa system and their implications for the country’s higher education sector and economy in 2012.
The UK’s coalition government wants to reduce net migration from ‘the hundreds of thousands to the tens of thousands’. Unfortunately due to a technicality, international students have been included in this political catch-all, as they remain in the country for longer than 12 months –according to the UN definition, this makes them migrants.
In an attempt to restrict the flow of international students, the UK Border Agency (UKBA) has revised the Tier 4 visa system, implementing a series of stringent financial, academic and work-related measures to make it harder to secure a visa. The education sector has protested at the changes, fearing they will damage Britain’s ability to export its globally renowned ‘gold standard’ education, at a time when universities need to attract quality international students.
One of the revisions included a new English language level requirement: Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) B1. This was originally set at the higher B2, until the government realised huge numbers of international students would be instantly prevented from studying here (80% of our Chinese students arrive with CEFR levels under B2, yet 98% of them progress to university, for example). The B1 grade was therefore introduced.
The CEFR levels were an interesting choice of measurement for the Home Office and UK Border Agency. Letters between a senior member of the UKBA and one of the co-authors of the CEFR revealed that the UKBA was warned the scale wasn’t suitable, and that minimal consultation took place between the two parties. The government forged ahead regardless.
The decision to exclude genuine international students from learning English before progressing to university has been put into perspective by recent figures from the UK’s Higher Education Statistics Agency, which showed that 503,795 students at British institutions "studied wholly overseas" in 2010-11, up from 408,685 in 2009-10 and 388,135 in 2008-09. This is concerning. While transnational education (TNE) will be a big part of the future HE landscape, the UK benefits most from those international students who are based in Britain. Universities UK’s report on HE’s role in the country’s financial recovery, stated that the sector will be worth £10.4 billion by 2015, and the majority of that will be derived from off-campus expenditure by overseas students. If TNE increases, then the UK’s economy will surely suffer as a result.
International students should be classified as education tourists, not migrants. Prominent think tank The Migration Observatory has confirmed that only 6% of international students remain in the UK after five years – a period of time which could have been dedicated to A Levels and then a three year degree, (without considering further post-graduate study). Lumping international education in with general immigration policy is a dangerous game to play.
Elsewhere the UK’s biggest competitors in the education export industry are taking advantage of our weakening position with proactive steps to secure more foreign students for their universities. About 30% of all current international students in the world are already studying in the United States, and the Obama administration has introduced the Study in the States programme to encourage sector growth. Meanwhile Australia called for an official review into its international education sector after registering a A$2.7 billion drop in revenue in just one year.
International students do little more than arrive, learn and then leave, and in the process they contribute significantly to the UK’s higher education sector and the general economy, yet our government seems intent on driving them away. We still have the opportunity to rightly promote our ‘gold-standard’ universities and fill them with future leaders of industry from emerging economies all around the world. The UUK is now lobbying for international students to be excluded from net migration figures and we are wholeheartedly with them; let’s not jeopardise our privilege to educate, with a politically motivated debate on immigration which has nothing to do with these genuine, valuable, education tourists.
Study Group is a global leader in international education, providing the highest quality educational opportunities for students from over 140 countries. Beginning in 1994 with 7,000 students per year, Study Group now has an enrolment base of 60,000 around the world.
The International Student Office and International Studies and Programs at Harper College are pleased to announce our Second Annual “Develop Your World: International Education Summit 2012” on Friday, March 2, 2012 in the Wojcik Conference Center! Develop Your World: International Education Summit 2012 aims to bring together scholars, faculty, and administrators from Harper College and a variety of Illinois and Wisconsin colleges to highlight and focus on the issues of global education and comprehensive internationalization in general with a specific emphasis on curriculum infusion.
Please inform anyone you believe might be interested in attending. This event is free and open to all.
Program of Events:
8:30 am: Registration and coffee in lobby of Wojcik Conference Center, Harper College
9 am: Keynote address (Wojcik Center Amphitheater): Dr. John Hudzik, , Michigan State University and NAFSA Senior Scholar for Internationalization. [read Dr Hudzik’s guest post on the Chronicle of Higher Education’s International blog]
10:30 am: 2 concurrent sessions:
a) Approaches to Curriculum Infusion (W-216) : Dr. Hilary Kahn, Director of the Center for the Study of Global Change at Indiana University
b) Study Abroad and Curriculum (W-217): Professor Christopher Deegan, Director of Study Abroad at the University of Illinois-Chicago
12 pm: International Buffet Lunch
1 – 2:30 pm: 2 concurrent sessions on curriculum infusion with content from specific geographic regions:
a) Africa (W-216): Professor Jeffrey Rice, Department of History and Program of African Studies, Northwestern University
b) Southeast Asia (W-217): Professor Trude Jacobsen, Assistant Director, Center for Southeast Asian Studies and Department of History, Northern Illinois University
I recently received a copy of a new book called One White Face (2011) from the author Hilary Corna and I just finished reading it and I wanted to share here on IHEC Blog. I've been aware of her book since it was published but had yet to locate a copy so I was very happy to receive a copy form Hilary in the mail.
One White Face is a personal account of Hilary's experiences of being the only Caucasian working for Toyota Motor Asia Pacific as well as her experiences of being a female in a male dominated business culture and society. During her three year sojourn throughout Asia, Hilary excels in her work and earns the respect of her colleagues and mentors at Toyota and along the way she discovers more about herself. I really enjoyed reading One White Face as it provided a wonderful and detailed account of a young woman's (Hillary's) journey into the experience of a lifetime.
As much as I would like to place One White Face on the shelves of Bury Book International Education Library & Archive that will have to wait. I'm first going to give the book to my ten year old daughter Gabriela to read. I think Gabriela will find the book fascinating and it will further develop her interest and curiosity in foreign travel and studies. More important is that I think Hilary is a very motivating young woman and I want her story to further inspire Gabriela to seek her own adventurous path (domestic or foreign) throughout her life.
If you are interested in purchasing One White Face please note that IHEC Blog readers can receive a discount by ordering here and entering the following discount code "P554X5B4" [please note that I receive no compensation for your order or via the discount].
Hilary is half-way through her 2011-2012 book tour which you can learn more about here. If you are interested in having Hilary come to your campus you can find additional information and contact information in the previous link.
