Global Student Stories – 17/2/17

This week’s global student stories include controversy over a veterinary scholarship in Australia, threats of violence against academics in Turkey, a rise in Russia’s foreign student quota and issues over student subsidies in Hong Kong.

Australia: Veterinary scholarship under fire for preferring white males

The University of Sydney’s new postgraduate scholarship for Veterinary Science students has been accused of preferring “male applicants who are from rural and regional areas” over others.

The Prof Marsh Edwards AO scholarship is available for the first time this year. It will provide the successful student with nearly $30,000.

The head of the university’s scholarship offices likened the grant to the “discrimination” of non-aboriginal students in other grants the university has on offer.

Despite a statement issued by the university that cited the donor’s wish “to address the current underrepresentation of males in the student cohort”, one female student argues that while this is certainly the case, there is still a gender pay gap in the veterinary field, as well as fewer women in senior positions and more barriers in general for advancement.

Student Women’s Officer, Imogen Grant, makes the point that: “affirmative action should only apply to people who have structural barriers to receiving an education.” Students are now calling for reference to gender to be removed from the scholarship’s preferences.

Turkey: 330 Academics dismissed in last week

A further 330 academics in Turkey were dismissed from their positions last week as part of a new government decree that comes as part of the country’s continuing state of emergency.

The decree was issued on 7 February 2017. It is based around allegations that these academic staff were involved in the July 15 2016 coup attempt.

Several academics have levied accusations of abuses and threats of violence – with testimonies sent to University World News speaking of blocked passports and credit cards, prevention from working in academia at home and abroad, denial of a pension and access to lawyers as well as mob violence and threats of lynching.

Bianet News says 4,811 academics from 112 of Turkey’s 191 universities have been discharged, with many of the dismissals coming as a result of alleged involvement to last year’s failed coup or links to Fetullah Gülen, who currently resides in the USA.

Authorities allege that those involved in the movement led by Gülen were behind the coup and they are attempting to identify these individuals and eliminate Gülen’s influence within Turkey’s higher education institutions.

Russia: Plans to increase quota of foreign students by 30%

The official press service has revealed that the government plans to increase the quota for the number of international students studying at Russian institutions by 30% with an additional 200,000 places being made available this year.

Deputy Minister of Education and Science Lyudmila Ogorodova stated: “We have approved a proposal to increase the quota for foreign students this year. Domestic universities are currently ready to take such a number of foreigners. 

“Those investments which have been made by the state in university infrastructure, and in particular domestic science and education, in recent years have made it possible to develop programmes in English and to prepare English-speaking teachers.”

It has been claimed that many of the country’s larger universities regularly file applications that exceed the current quota, with places on courses for medicine and biotechnology most in demand.

Up to 20,000 of the new places available will be state funded, with restrictions on visas for international students also being eased. Whereas students previously had to apply for two separate visas, one for entrance exams and one for enrolment, they will now only have to apply for one.

Hong Kong: Disagreements over funds given to mainland Chinese and overseas students

The University Grants Committee, Hong Kong’s higher education funding body, have been criticised by lawmakers for subsidising students from mainland China and overseas, while thousands of local students go without.

An official report has revealed that in the 2015-16 academic year, of those enrolled in publicly funded university programmes, three quarters were from mainland China.

Despite there being 22,000 school leavers in Hong Kong meeting undergraduate requirements in 2016, the UGC only had enough funding for 15,000. It is claimed that many of the other 7000 local students have been forced to seek degrees overseas or attend private institutions instead.

Hong Kong’s adoption of a scholarship scheme that promotes the “One Belt, One Road” system has been blamed, as it promotes taking on students from countries in specific areas that are in economic relationships with China.

Criticism has been raised that Hong Kong is pandering to Beijing through the adoption of this scheme to the detriment of local students.