Africa

A proposal by the UK government to charge visitors from "high risk" countries a £3,0000 visa bond has stirred reactions from parents and potential students in the UK's third largest student market, Nigeria, as well as an outcry from members of the government. Despite assurances from the UK's ambassador to Nigeria Andrew Pocock that the scheme, if introduced, would affect very few people, there is still palpable confusion.

The prestigious Nelson Mandela Rhodes Scholarship programme looks set to expand its support for postgraduate study in South Africa after a successful fundraising campaign. Trustees have instructed the leadership to look into the possibility of doubling its scholarships after raising R106 million (US $10.8 million).

The English language travel industry in South Africa saw growth in both student numbers and weeks from 2011 to 2012 and providers are bullish about 2013 after a solid first half of the year according to the national association of English language centres, EduSA. Improved numbers are driven by renewal in interest from traditional European markets and a boom from neighbouring African countries.

Non-profit, online institution the University of the People will team up with Microsoft's 4Afrika Initiative to offer 1,000 scholarships to students across Africa. The news follows recent research from eLearning Africa that shows HE stakeholders believe mobile technologies are a dominant "change driver".

The essential role skills play in the global economy was highlighted last week at the 42nd World Skills Competition in Liepziger, Germany, organised by WorldSkills International. The competition involved one thousand youngsters from 52 countries and regions who competed in a variety of skill sets.

Demand for quality education continues to grow across Africa as lack of funding, inadequate infrastructure and demotivated faculty drive Africans to study abroad, according to a study by Campus France, the French government's higher education promotion arm. However France, the top destination, has seen its dominance slip as students increasingly choose to study within their region.

Good Hope Studies, an English language school in South Africa, has been targeting Brazilian education agencies to win increased business from the South American country. It recently hosted a fam tour for 10 agencies that included meeting Brazilian students already studying in the country.

The British Council has signed two new agreements with Microsoft to improve digital education in developing nations via a top-down professional development programme for educators...

The South African government has proposed an internationalisation strategy to strengthen economic and political relations with other countries, saying that although internationalisation exists at individual institutions it remains uncoordinated at the national level. It has plans for boosting exchange within Africa and building links globally.