Category: Education

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Business Economy Education

Job cuts to hit education sector

Rejoicing Maths Day.(photo:https://pixabay.com/)

Edtech companies laid off most employees, with 18 edtech startups firing more than 8,200 workers…reports Asian Lite News

Top chief financial officers (CFOs) have warned about job cuts across the board in the education market over the next six months, as tech and media sectors bear the brunt of global economic slowdown.

According to a a survey of 600 CFOs by Coupa, a Cloud-based platform, 100 per cent of CFOs in the education sector responded with “reduce workforce” for actions they need to take in the next six to 12 months to drive growth in the event of a recession, reports Fox Business.

Data compiled by Zippia showed the educational services in the US lost 136,000 employees from June 2021 to June 2022.

Coupa CFO Tony Tiscornia was quoted as saying that the education industry’s “workforce declines in the next half year to year will offset potential challenges in the event of a recession”.

E-learning company Udemy cut 10 per cent of its workforce and Seattle Public Schools prepare for layoffs under a $131 million budget deficit, the report noted.

In India, nearly 23,000 employees have been laid off by 78 startups, including unicorns like BYJU’S, Ola, OYO, Meesho, MPL, Innovaccer, Udaan, Unacademy, Vedantu, Chargebee, Cars24, LEAD and others, according to leading startup news website Inc42.

Edtech companies laid off most employees, with 18 edtech startups firing more than 8,200 workers.

The US survey noted that other sectors most impacted include Communications with 60 per cent of the sector’s CFOs pointing to layoffs as a solution.

According to the survey, only 20 per cent of CFOs in healthcare and accounting think layoffs are on the table over the next six to 12 months.

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-Top News Education UK News

UK may limit foreign students’ family entry

UK mulls immigration curbs on foreign student families

A near-eightfold rise in the number of family members joining foreign students has left Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Home Secretary Suella Braverman worried, reports Asian Lite News

International students are likely to be restricted from bringing their spouses and children to the UK unless they study “high-value” degrees under government plans.

According to The Times, foreign students granted visas to study science, mathematics, and engineering can relocate to the UK with dependants.

A near-eightfold rise in the number of family members joining foreign students has left Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Home Secretary Suella Braverman worried.

According to new immigration figures, 490,763 students were given visas last year.

They were accompanied by 135,788 dependants — spouses and children — up from 16,047 in 2019.

Of these, India became the largest source of students with 161,000 students, including 33,240 dependents, coming to the UK last year.

Asylum backlog hit a record high, with more than 160,000 migrants waiting for decisions on their applications, the report said.

The government is yet to make a final decision on the contentious matter.

Braverman has drawn up proposals to reduce the number, which includes shortening the duration foreign students can stay in Britain post their course.

(PHOTO CREDIT: University of Greenwich)

However, according to the Department of Education, the restrictions will bankrupt UK universities, which depend on foreign students for money.

According to estimates, international students add 35 billion pounds a year to the economy.

According to UK-based New Way Consultancy, foreign students and their dependents contributed to the UK economy not just through fees of 10,000 pounds to 26,000 pounds but also via an NHS surcharge of 400 pounds a year for the student and 600 pounds for a dependent.

It warned that curbs on graduate work visas will force Indian students to shift to countries like Australia and Canada, ultimately leading to the end of the student market in the UK.

More than 45,000 people crossed the Channel to the UK in small boats over the past year, according to government figures, with 90 crossing on Christmas Day alone.

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Business Education India News

University of Virginia, O.P. Jindal ink pact for scholar exchange

The deal will serve as a foundation for more agreements between UVA and JGU schools and institutes to support student exchanges, joint research and symposia, and other collaborative activities…reports Asian Lite News

The University of Virginia has inaugurated a new partnership with the O.P. Jindal Global University (JGU) — one of India’s leading private universities located near New Delhi — to provide a significant new platform for student and scholar exchange, joint research on topics of global importance such as democracy and environmental sustainability, and a general expansion of UVA’s engagement in India.

UVA Provost Ian Baucom and JGU Vice Chancellor Raj Kumar signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) committing to the partnership during Kumar’s visit to Charlottesville with five of JGU Deans and other senior staff.

The document will serve as a foundation for more agreements between UVA and JGU schools and institutes to support student exchanges, joint research and symposia, and other collaborative activities.

Ian Baucom said that JGU emerged as an attractive partner because of our common values of public service, academic freedom, and strong interdisciplinarity in preparing our students to be productive members of society.

“Jindal’s commitment to building a strong liberal arts core and focus on combining its students’ academic achievement with practical experience is particularly noteworthy and will offer our students and scholars rich opportunities,” he said.

Provost Baucom mentioned that a university cannot exist or solve problems of today’s world in isolation within its own borders.

“By engaging across boundaries with distinguished international partners like Jindal, we will substantially increase our success in expanding knowledge on, and devising effective solutions to, problems that have global dimensions such as climate change and effective healthcare,” he said.

The Founding Vice Chancellor of O.P. Jindal Global University Kumar, Prof. (Dr.) C. Raj Kumar said that the partnership will allow the students to develop a holistic understanding of the globalised world with cooperation in exchanging knowledge, perspectives, and cultural experiences.

“The partnership will provide transformative prospects of higher education and learning to students in both the universities and enable our faculty members to pursue joint teaching and collaborative research with a view to advancing the cause of international education and institution building,” he said.

“The MOU paves the way for opportunities to promote student exchange programs as well as faculty exchange programs. It creates opportunities for dual degree programs and pathways programs in which students from both countries and both institutions are able to pursue degrees in each other’s universities. This I believe is a very important facet of the national education policy, and also the current thinking within the government when it comes to public policy in relation to higher education and internationalization. The MOU also looks at joint conferences, joint research initiatives and joint publications. It essentially enables intellectual partnership between two major institutions. The University of Virginia was established by none other than Thomas Jefferson, and we aim to draw inspiration from the world’s best universities to build capacity in India.”

UVA’s Vice Provost for Global Affairs Ambassador Stephen D. Mull said that the time is ripe for expanded US engagement with Indian higher education, which will be vital for universities like UVA that want to have a global impact.

“The country is the world’s biggest democracy with a population bigger than the US, Europe and Latin America combined,” he said, adding that India has brilliant students, scholars and entrepreneurs who want to partner on some of the world’s biggest challenges.

“Since 2019, the number of new Indian graduate and professional students studying in the US has skyrocketed by 430 per cent, clearly indicating vast potential for higher Indian enrollments here at UVA. I came to work at the University of Virginia for many years serving as a US diplomat. I did not need any convincing about the strategic importance of India and the importance of developing a very strong relationship with India because India, from our perspective, is only going to be playing a greater role in the world. An important part of this emerging strategic relationship has to be a very close relationship. between our two academic communities. The University of Virginia is one of the oldest public universities in the US. As Professor Kumar mentioned, it was founded by our third President Thomas Jefferson who believed it was vitally important for our democracy to succeed to have institutions like the University of Virginia to prepare citizens to fully participate in the life of democracy. That was a challenge when our University was founded in 1818. In fact, one might say, it’s s an even greater challenge today. With all the considerable threats and challenges we democracies face in common or the different places around the world.”

Launched in 2009, JGU has swiftly developed into one of India’s consistently top-ranked institutions with 10,000 students, a highly internationalized faculty with a 1:9 ratio to students, and a substantial budget for further growth.

Under the leadership of Kumar, a Rhodes Scholar and Harvard Law alumnus, the university has grown into 12 schools with faculties dedicated to law, business, liberal arts/humanities, media studies/communications, public policy, international relations, and publichealth/human development.

The Indian government’s new National Education Policy (NEP) promises to liberalise Indian education system removing the obstacles to international engagement, including a substantial easing of barriers to the work of international universities within India.

JGU is one of 14 “institutions of eminence” that the Indian government has identified as particularly prestigious universities that enjoy special autonomy and privileges enabling them to play leading roles in shaping Indian higher education.

Along with the Ambassador Stephen D. Mull, Vice Provost for Global Affairs, the academic delegation of University of Virginia includes Professor Nicole Jenkins, Dean, McIntire School of Commerce; Professor Jennifer Bair, Associate Dean for the Social Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences; Mr. Dudley Doane, Director, International Studies Office; Professor Pankaj Gupta, Director, Yamuna River Project; Ms. Judi Byers, Director of Admissions, McIntire School of Commerce; Ms. Darci Spuck, Director of Advancement, McIntire School of Commerce and Dr. Ingrid Hakala, Director, Global Internship Program.

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-Top News Australia Education

Big relief for foreign students in Australia

The revised cap will help international students to support themselves through their studies, while maintaining study as the primary purpose of their visa…reports Asian Lite News

The allowable work hours cap for international students will be increased from 40 hours to 48 hours per fortnight, along with a two year work visa extension, beginning July 1, 2023, the Australian government announced.

The revised cap will help international students to support themselves through their studies, while maintaining study as the primary purpose of their visa.

Student visa work restrictions were relaxed throughout the pandemic, and they were completely removed in January 2022 to allow primary and secondary student visa holders to work over their normal limit of 40 hours per fortnight to address workforce shortages.

This will end on June 30, and the fresh cap will apply to all international students, no matter when they began studying.

The government also announced that a two-year extension of post-study work rights is available for international graduates with select degrees that are in areas of verified skill shortage.

This extension will give eligible international higher education graduates an additional two years on their Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485). The extension is in addition to the existing additional one to two years of work rights for eligible students who study, live, and work in regional areas.

Australia to up work hour cap for international students in July

For select Bachelor degrees, post-study work rights will be increased from two to four years, three to five years for select Masters degrees, and four to six years for all doctoral qualifications.

“Enabling students that gain an education in Australia to stay longer and contribute to our economy benefits us all,” Minister for Home Affairs Clare O’Neil said.

“After a lost decade on immigration and skills we are looking for ways to utilise skilled migrants via enhanced training and better targeted, less exploitative programs for temporary visa workers and students,” she added.

There are 1,00,009 Indian students studying across various Australian universities, according to a report released by the Indian External Affairs Ministry for the year 2022.

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Business Education India News

Dassault Systemes encourage Indian students to innovate

We motivate students to create the next innovations of the world: Dassault's Suchit Jain

Jain shared the example of Samriddhi Pandey, Founder and CEO of the Mumbai-based Defy Aerospace that designs, develops and builds a unique drone technology for commercial cargo operations to help the healthcare sector in the country…writes Karishma Saurabh Kalita

As India witnesses a surge in new startups across industries where young entrepreneurs are taking the risk of building something useful for the society, Suchit Jain, VP of Strategy and Business Development at Dassault Systemes, has stressed that the goal is to motivate students and youth in the country to create the next big innovations for the world.

Jain, who holds a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from IIT-Bombay and a master’s degree in structural mechanics from the University of Southern California, told IANS that they have been working with startups from the very beginning, when “we started 25 years ago”.

“We invested a lot in this education and we continued to do so because it forms a virtuous cycle where the students would come out and be motivated to create the next innovations of the world,” he said on the side-lines of the a3D Experience World 2023′ here.

He went on to say that this works out well whether they start a startup by themselves or go on to be employed by an entrepreneur.

“Our goal has always been not to just give them free access to software but to put them in a network in various ways for them to succeed in their ventures,” Jain noted.

Dassault Systemes. (Photo: Twitter/@Dassault3DS)



When asked about empowering youth in India, Jain said they have been working a lot with students, especially women.

“When I visited India in November 2022, as part of our design competition called ‘Aakruti-Shaping Imagination’ which saw the participation of more than 320 colleges from all over the country, there was a prize for an all-girls team.

“There were several girls from engineering backgrounds who had submitted their designs. The idea here was to motivate them,” he added.

Jain shared the example of Samriddhi Pandey, Founder and CEO of the Mumbai-based Defy Aerospace that designs, develops and builds a unique drone technology for commercial cargo operations to help the healthcare sector in the country.

“Her story is very interesting. She’s making large-sized drones for the delivery of medical supplies. What is amazing here is that she has made her name in a field which is generally dominated by men,” he informed.

Jain earlier told that he found out that a lot of startups and programmes were government funded and private organisations were not ready to put their money in.

“But this is now changing. In the last 3-4 years, hardware startups have been coming up in India. We see a positive outlook for the coming time with this kind of change and with the greater participation of women,” said the executive.

“When I went to my engineering school (IIT-Bombay), we had very few female counterparts, but the scenario now is completely different,” he added.

The startup ecosystem in India is growing fast and in the next few years, “we look forward to more innovations, more entrepreneurs, with even a greater participation of women”.

India continues to be the third largest tech startup ecosystem globally (after the US and China). The country also added the second highest number of unicorns in the world, with over 23 added in the CY2022, according to a latest Nasscom-Zinnov report.

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Economy Education India News

21% increase in higher education enrolment in 2020-21

Online class.

Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka and Rajasthan are the top six states in terms of number of students enrolled….reports Asian Lite News

The total enrollment in higher education in India has increased to nearly 4.14 crore in 2020-21 from 3.85 crore in 2019-20. Since 2014-15, there has been an increase of around 72 lakh in the enrolment (21 per cent), the All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) 2020-2021 stated on Sunday.

Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka and Rajasthan are the top six states in terms of number of students enrolled.

Enrollment has increased in 2020-21 compared to 2014-15 in the specialised universities relating to defence, sanskrit, biotechnology, forensics, design, sports etc.

The AISHE report says that among disciplines at undergraduate level, enrollment is highest in Arts 33.5 percent, followed by Science 15.5 per cent, Commerce 13.9 per cent and Engineering & Technology 11.9 per cent.

Among streams at postgraduate level, maximum students are enrolled in Social Science 20.56 per cent followed by science 14.83 per cent.

Of the total enrolment, 55.5 lakh students are enrolled in Science Stream, with female students (29.5 lakh) out numbering male students (26 lakh).

As per response in AISHE 2020-21, about 79.06 per cent of the total students are enrolled in undergraduate level courses and 11.5 per cent are enrolled in postgraduate level courses.The total number of pass-outs has increased to 95.4 lakh in 2020-21 as against 94 lakh in 2019-20.



The Ministry of Education released this survey on Sunday evening.

It says that the female enrolment has increased to 2.01 crore from 1.88 crore in 2019-20.

The percentage of female enrolment to total enrolment has increased from 45 per cent in 2014-15 to around 49 per cent in 2020-21.

As per 2011 population projections for 18-23 years age group, the gross enrollment ratio (GER) has increased to 27.3 from 25.6 in 2019-20.

The total number of teachers are 15,51,070 of which about 57.1 per cent are male and 42.9 per cent are female. The female per 100 male faculty has improved to 75 in 2020-21 from 74 in 2019-20 and 63 in 2014-15.

The survey revealed that the total student enrolment in the northeastern states is 12.06 lakh in 2020-21 as compared to 9.36 lakh in 2014-15.

The female enrolment in northeastern states is 6.14 lakh in 2020-21, higher than the male enrolment of 5.92 lakh.

For every 100 male students, there are 104 female students in NER. The female enrolment outnumbered male enrolment for enrollment time in 2018-19, and the trend continues.

A total of 191 new higher education institutions have been established in northeastern states since 2014-15.

The enrolment in distance education is 45.71 lakh (with 20.9 lakh females), an increase of around 7 per ent. Government universities contribute towards 73.1 per cent of the enrollment. Government colleges contribute towards 34.5 per cent of the enrolment.

According to the survey, the highest number of universities are in Rajasthan (92), Uttar Pradesh (84) and Gujarat (83).

The college density, the number of colleges per lakh eligible population (population in the age-group 18-23 years) has been 31. This was 27 in 2014-15.

States with the highest college density are Karnataka (62), Telangana (53), Kerala (50), Himachal Pradesh (50), Andhra Pradesh (49),Uttarakhand (40), Rajasthan (40), Tamil Nadu (40).

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Arab News Dubai Education

Dubai Cares highlights roadmap for transforming education

Dubai Cares pavilion concluded its participation at Expo 2020 Dubai, attracting 246,720 visitors of all ages and diverse nationalities over the 6-month period…reports Asian Lite News

Dubai Cares that brought education to the forefront of global engagement and action in the pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai is drawing on its 15 years of sector leadership globally. Dubai Cares, a civil society organization formally associated with the United Nations Department of Global Communications (UN DGC), made significant strides in 2022 that have catalyzed its efforts towards placing education and learning at the heart of human development efforts through a whole-of-society, ecosystem approach.

Advocating for global education transformation

This ecosystem approach to transforming education is captured in Dubai Cares’ Framework for Global Education Transformation, which was launched during the World Government Summit 2022 as part of Expo 2020 Dubai. The Framework served as a core guiding tool for countries during the Transforming Education Summit (TES) National Consultations that took place as part of the 77th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), and was extensively referenced across National Consultation Reports outlining individual nation’s plans path for transforming education. It also informed global discussions and proposed solutions for education transformation through featuring in the Discussion Paper for TES Action Track 2 on “Learning and skills for life, work, and sustainable development”.

In addition, the UAE-based global philanthropic organization, in collaboration with Education Commission, unveiled the Rewiring Education for People and Planet report at the UN Transforming Education Summit (TES), held as part of the at 77th UNGA. The Report captures key recommendations for rewiring education extracted from discussions and insights shared during the RewirEd Summit at Expo 2020 Dubai, and offers six concrete “win-win” solutions that promote a cross-sectoral ecosystem approach to align thinking and action for transformational education outcomes and to further achieve progress across the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Further, Dubai Cares, through its participation at COP27 that was held in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, also stressed upon the importance of the education sector’s role in combating climate change and advocating for the inclusion of education as a necessary and permanent pillar in all future COP agendas to deliver on the promise of a sustainable and human future for all. Through its high-level interventions, the organization highlighted the significance of integrating education and climate in national agendas to achieve global education transformation.

In addition, Dubai Cares demonstrated its enduring commitment to promoting and prioritizing Early Childhood Development (ECD) at the World Conference on Early Childhood Care and Education as a key partner in the formulation of the global ECD agenda. The event, which took place at Tashkent, Uzbekistan in November, saw the organization participate in a series of high-level sessions and meetings. The event culminated in the launch of the Tashkent Declaration on Early Childhood Care and Education, with the Dubai Declaration on Early Childhood Development, launched by Dubai Cares in partnership with UNICEF and MoFAIC, serving as one of its critical building blocks.

Moreover, Dubai Cares pavilion concluded its participation at Expo 2020 Dubai, attracting 246,720 visitors of all ages and diverse nationalities over the 6-month period.

Commenting on Dubai Cares’ achievements in 2022, His Excellency Dr. Tariq Al Gurg, Chief Executive Officer and Vice-Chairman of Dubai Cares, said: “Education has always been the cornerstone of human progress and prosperity. The importance of education in solving the many complex and interconnected crises facing humanity today has never been more prominent.  This has been Dubai Cares’ central message to the world through all our engagements in 2022. We must realize – now more than ever – that education is the connecting link across the SDGs and must be seen as the common thread that runs through all our development agendas for people and planet. As we move forward, Dubai Cares will continue to advocate for the role of a transformed education ecosystem as a game-changer for the sustainable development of our communities and economies.”

Moreover, the RewirEd Global Declaration on Connectivity for Education, which was unveiled by Dubai Cares and UNESCO during the RewirEd Summit at Expo 2020 Dubai, has contributed significantly to shaping plans and solutions for digital transformation by serving as a guide for Transforming Education Summit, Action Track 4 on “Digital Learning and Transformation”.  Since its launch, work has been underway to position the Declaration as center stone for collaboration and collective action and Dubai Cares is now part of discussions with UNESCO and other stakeholders for its operationalization, scheduled to kick off in 2023.

Another critical document that was shared with the Transforming Education Summit Secretariat and its Action Track Leads is the Dubai Cares Evidence Dossier, which synthesized over 65 research and evaluation projects supported by Dubai Cares over the past 15 years, to inform global discussions, planning, and decision-making for each of the five Action Tracks of the Transforming Education Summit.

Furthermore, Dubai Cares’ catalytic funding to systems change experiments has enabled partners to pilot and showcase innovative solutions for rewiring education ecosystems through human-centered approaches for people and planet. The success stories, learnings, and innovations extracted from Dubai Cares’ portfolio, and disseminated through regional and global engagements, have enabled the organization to continue advancing the global education agenda through contributing evidence-based tools and solutions for improved learning outcomes and education systems.

Encouraging UAE individuals and organizations to make collective impact

On World Food Day, which is marked on 16 October every year, Dubai Cares, along with the award-winning author Flavel Monteiro, launched the “Dine. Feed. Educate” initiative to raise funds in support of the education of underprivileged children globally. The initiative offered the UAE community the opportunity to enjoy 7 unique dishes prepared by 7 renowned chefs from 7 restaurants across the country, with proceeds going towards Dubai Cares’ school feeding programs.

In addition, over the course of the year, Dubai Cares witnessed an overall increase in fundraising and support received from the community, including both home-grown businesses to larger organizations spanning a range of industries such as F&B, retail, education, fashion, sports, finance, and e-commerce.

To show solidarity with the flood-affected families in Pakistan, Dubai Cares, Emirates Red Crescent and Sharjah Charity International launched the “We Stand Together” volunteering initiative in September, in close coordination with the Ministry of Community Development (MoCD) and Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MoFAIC) in the UAE, and with the support of nine other UAE humanitarian organizations. Hosted in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah simultaneously, the initiative saw hundreds of volunteers from across the seven emirates pack 1,200 tonnes of food, health and general hygiene items, including 30,000 food kits, to provide emergency support to the affected people.

In addition, Dubai Cares also hosted three editions of Volunteer Emirates, a local volunteering initiative by the organization that rallies the UAE community throughout the year to donate their time in support of the educational cause. The community engagement program saw hundreds of volunteers enhance the learning environment at three schools including: Al Tafawq School in Sharjah, National Charity School for Boys in Dubai and National Charity Private School – Girls in Nasiriyah, Sharjah. Further, Dubai Cares also extended its support to Senses Residential and Day Care for Special Needs by providing essential anti-bacterial furniture to improve the wellbeing and safety of students.

Receiving global recognition for humanitarian efforts

Additionally, Dubai Cares received Room to Read’s “Global Champion Award” in recognition of its commitment to Room to Read and in honor of its dedication to championing literacy and gender equality in education. Dubai Cares was also presented with the “Humanitarian Award” by Distinctive International Arab Festivals Awards (DIAFA) 2022, in recognition of the organization’s efforts in the humanitarian field to support children and youth’s access to quality education.

Setting the roadmap for the future

Moving forward, Dubai Cares will continue to champion the role of transformed education systems in driving progress across the Sustainable Development Goals by placing education and learning at the heart of human development strategies, to drive a sustainable and prosperous future for people and planet. Therefore, the organization’s 2022 achievements have set the scene for its increasingly prominent role and positioning in global discussions focusing on linking education with other global priorities. Most recently, the organization was named the Education Partner for COP28 where it will bring the global education sector closer to the center of the COP28 agenda.

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-Top News Canada Education

Canada settles residential school reparations lawsuit

Children's shoes are placed on the staircase outside Vancouver Art Gallery during a memorial event for the 215 children whose remains have been found buried at a former Kamloops residential school in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, May 29, 2021. (Photo by Liang Sen/Xinhua/IANS)

Canadian government has announced agreement to settle a class-action lawsuit over residential schools, reports Asian Lite News

Canadian government will pay C$2.8bn as reparations for the abuse indigenous Canadians faced at the government boarding schools. The federal government has agreed to settle a class-action lawsuit brought by two British Columbia First Nations for the loss of language and culture caused by residential schools for Indigenous members.

According to a statement issued by Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada, the government will provide C$2.8 billion ($2.1 billion) to be placed in a not-for-profit trust, reports Xinhua news agency.

“This trust, independent of the Government, will be guided by the Four Pillars developed by the Representative Plaintiffs,” said the statement

The government is committed to addressing the collective harm caused by the residential schools system and the loss of language, culture, and heritage, it added.

The Four Pillars include the revival and protection of Indigenous languages, the revival and protection of Indigenous cultures, the protection and promotion of heritage, and wellness for Indigenous communities and their members, it said.

People light candles as they take part in a memorial event for the 215 children whose remains have been found buried at a former Kamloops residential school in Toronto, Canada, May 30, 2021. (Photo by Zou Zheng/Xinhua/IANS)

Further information on the terms of the settlement will be publicly available over the next month as part of the broader notice plan.

The parties are expected to appear before the Federal Court on February 27 to seek approval of the terms of the settlement, the release said.

According to official figures, at least 150,000 First Nations, Inuit, and Metis children were forcibly removed from their families and communities between 1831 and 1998 to attend residential schools, where they had to abandon their languages, beliefs, cultures, traditions and identities.

Many experienced physical, emotional, and sexual abuse, and thousands never came home.

The number of school-related deaths remains unknown due to incomplete records.

Estimates range from 3,200 to over 30,000, mostly from disease.

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-Top News China Education

Chinese students pledge loyalty to CCP before going abroad

Chinese aviation industry and tech acquisition by China

A review of publicly available documents reportedly found evidence that this practice has been going on quietly for more than a decade.

Tens of thousands of Chinese students studying overseas on government-backed scholarships are required to sign a document pledging loyalty to the ruling Communist Party, as well as putting up guarantors who could be forced to repay their funding should they break the agreement, before arriving at overseas universities, Radio Free Asia reported.

Sweden’s Dagens Nyheter newspaper had reported on January 13 that 30 doctoral students arriving in the country had signed contracts pledging loyalty to their government while overseas, requiring them to serve China’s interests during their stay.

A review of publicly available documents found evidence that this practice has been going on quietly for more than a decade, with several versions of the contract and related regulations freely available online, RFA reported.

“During your time studying abroad, you must hone your sense of responsibility and your ability to follow orders, and not engage in any activities that could harm your country’s interests or national security,” the contract states.

Examinees prepare at the exam site at the Beijing Zhongguancun High School in Beijing, capital of China. (Xinhua/Ren Chao/IANS)

“You must consciously protect the honor of the motherland and of your school, and abide by both the laws of China and the country where you are studying,” it says.

Students must also provide the names of two guarantors who countersign the document, in case a student fails to report to the local Chinese embassy or otherwise breaks the terms of the agreement, the documents revealed, RFA reported.

Anyone who tries to resign from their scholarship without authorization or who “behaves extremely badly,” or who just disappears or moves to another country or school without authorization will trigger the repayment of around one third of their funding by their guarantors, they show.

China had said it would send 27,000 students to study overseas on public money for all of 2021, and that their scholarships were entirely conditional on their party loyalty, including a pledge to “come back and serve their country” on completion of their studies, according to another publicly available document, RFA reported.

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Education India News Lite Blogs

Ace Indian Sri Sri University signs knowledge partnership MoU with W20

Prof Rajita Kulkarni, President, Sri Sri University

Ranked as one of the best holistic education offering campus Odisha based, Sri Sri University is the 1st University in India to sign MOU as a Knowledge Partner with W 20, under the aegis of G20 Presidency of India.

Prof Rajita Kulkarni, President at Sri Sri University said, “We look forward to working with the W 20 team this year across important priority areas like women entrepreneurship, climate change, education and skill development.”

W20 is the official G20 engagement group focused on gender equity. Its primary objective is to ensure that gender considerations are mainstreamed into G20 discussions and translated into the G20 Leaders’ Declaration as policies and commitments that foster gender equality and women’s economic empowerment.

Established in Eastern India, known for its beautiful temples, beaches, and diverse natural ecosystems, Sri Sri University is an Indian university established on 26 December 2009. The university came into operation in the year 2012. In a short  span  of just 10 years the university is offering different courses in areas of management, architecture, humanities, agriculture, health and wellness, science, literature, osteopathy and performing & fine arts.

Sri Sri University’s holistic focus on sustainable living, emphasis on synthesis of ancient and modern along with innovation in teaching learning process have been appreciated and received recognition. In 2021 Sri Sri University was ranked 1st in State & Zone & 8th in India (quantum jump from 26th Rank in 2020) under the category of Best Private Universities and 27th in the category of Top 50 University of Eminence (Deemed & Pvt.) by Indian Institutional Ranking Framework (IIRF).

Sri Sri University have incubated and are supporting 89 start ups with a collective turnover of over Rs 50 crore, servicing 3 million customers and supporting livelihoods of over 20000 farmers, informed Rajita.

“Our Incubator is a nodal agency of Startup Odisha and plays a central role in shaping & nurturing the ecosystem of Odisha. As a part of Startup India Seed Fund, we also play a critical role in the startup landscape of India,2,” she boasted.

Sri Sri University recently got a 4 star rating in the IIC rating (Institution Innovation Council) of the Ministry of Education Govt of India, making it at par with the premier IITs of India. The University achieved this in just over 3 years, of which it lost 2 to Covid, making it an even more credible achievement.

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