How is COVID-19 impacting international education?

CCG Webinar

How is COVID-19 impacting international education? 

International education has already been impacted dramatically by COVID-19. These changes give a glimpse of how international education may evolve in the long term.

On April 17, the Center for China and Globalization (CCG) held a webinar titled “How will COVID-19 change the landscape of international education?” The online seminar brought together educators, scholars, and experts to discuss the current situation and dilemmas of Chinese international students resulting from the worldwide COVID-19 outbreak, as well as providing insights and perspectives on the development of international education in the future. 

Wang Huiyao, CCG president, said that international education is vital to bridge the global divides and increase international understanding. He called for enhanced exchanges and cooperation in tackling challenges facing the international community.

Peggy Blumenthal, senior counselor to the President at the Institute of International Education (IIE), emphasized that we should create opportunities for students at every economic level, in every country and in every institution to benefit from available resources to fulfill the mission of international education.

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Mark Wrighton, chancellor emeritus at the Washington University in St. Louis, said that the pandemic threatens international collaboration as travel restrictions have limited in-person interactions. The pandemic also illustrates the importance of building infrastructure for international collaboration and cooperation.

Xue Lan, dean of the Schwartzman College at the Tsinghua University and CCG expert advisor, pointed out that we should learn from the process of fighting COVID-19 to enrich the traditional model of international education and enhance education and learning models.

Denis Simon, executive vice chancellor at the Duke Kunshan University and CCG international advisor, said that online and face-to-face interaction are not “either-or” alternatives, or that online channels are simply a weaker substitute for face to face interaction. He said advances in technology add value to the overall student experience.

Jeffrey Lehman, vice-chancellor at the New York University Shanghai and CCG international advisor, said that the pandemic will bring about big changes in human behavior,  but that these changes are not going to be quite as sweeping as some people might imagine.

David Fleshler, vice provost for International Affairs at the Case Western Reserve University, said that developing a blended model that takes advantage of both face-to-face and online education is important. Such a combination can enrich the curriculum and offer students more flexibility.

Shen Wei, associate pro-vice-chancellor at the Deakin University and CCG nonresident senior fellow, thought that the travel ban, support for international students and visa schemes have an impact on signaling openness, diversity, and care and responsibility for international students. 

Stuart Perrin, associate principal of Entrepreneur College at the Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, said that while the coronavirus knows no borders, international education also should know no borders. He said we should not let COVID-19 be a barrier to the development and continued progress of international education.

John Zhang, director of the Penn-Wharton China Center and CCG expert advisor, said that educational content should change in response to the overreach of globalization in recent years. He said that society and businesses are intensely focusing on efficiency and profitability. 

CCG Books

● Published by Edward Elgar 

● Edited by Wang Huiyao, President and Miao Lu, Vice President, Center for China and Globalization(CCG), Beijing, China 

More Information

An excellent guide for understanding the trends, challenges and opportunities facing China through globalization, this Handbook answers the pertinent questions regarding the globalization process and China’s influence on the world.

With contributions from leading experts and international researchers, each chapter covers key topics regarding China’s participation in globalization, including: China’s new role in global economic governance; outward direct investment; China’s soft power and the implications for foreign relations; global migration, diaspora and talent. An enriching range of case studies and extensive empirical research are used to explore the successes and failures of globalization in China, and to discuss the dilemmas facing decision makers in today’s globalized world. A major contribution to the field, this Handbook offers valuable insights to China’s often misunderstood globalization process.

An essential reference for academics and researchers looking for a go-to empirical resource, this Handbook provides scholars of economics, politics and East Asian studies with an exemplary selection of contemporary research on China and globalization.

● Links：

https://www.e-elgar.com/shop/handbook-on-china-and-globalization

● Published by Springer

● Authors: Wang Huiyao, President and Miao Lu, Vice President, Center for China and Globalization(CCG), Beijing, China 

The first effort to address the gap regarding higher-end talent within the scholarly work on internal labor migration in China

Provides an essential overview of the major milestones in China’s talents attraction policies, as well as several recommendations to help further improve those policies

Investigates corresponding policies in Germany, Japan, and Singapore to serve as a basis for comparison

Provides a snapshot of first-hand reference material for relevant stakeholders involved in cooperation with China

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This book offers the most comprehensive, up-to-date assessment of China’s domestic and international migration. Restructuring economic development requires large numbers of educated and skilled talents, but this effort comes at a time when the size of China’s domestic workforce is shrinking. In response, both national and regional governments in China have been keen to encourage overseas Chinese talents and professionals to return to the country. Meanwhile, the Chinese government has initiated a number of policies to attract international highly-skilled talents and enhance the country’s competitiveness, and some Chinese policies have started attracting foreign talents, who are coming to the country to work, and even to stay. Since Chinese policies, mechanisms, and administration efforts to attract and retain skilled domestic or overseas talents are helping to reshape China’s economy and are significantly affecting the cooperation on migration and talent mobility, these aspects, in addition to being of scholarly and research interest, hold considerable commercial potential.

● Links：

https://www.springer.com/gp/book/9789811362552#aboutBook

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