LET’S GO CANADA

Australia’s Visa Mix-up

ABROAD PERSPECTIVE

U.S. Foundations Fund Higher Education in Africa

OVER THE COUNTER

China’s Move to Punish Exam Cheaters

GLOBE TIPPING

Currency Exchange

LET’S GO CANADA – Australia’s Visa Mix-up

A Bangladeshi student enrolled in a commercial cookery course and showed up for only half his classes, has turned his visa cancellation into a coup for 8,000 others who also failedtoliveuptotheirstudentvisaobligations. An Australian Federal Court ruled the paperwork which directed the student to report to a specific Immigration office had flawed instructions (it should have read he can report to any Immigration office), and now the error has opened the door for thousands of others to reclaim their Australian student visa status, as ordered by the Court. Many of some 8,000 student visa violators have already returned to their home countries, and now Australia is conducting a global awareness campaign – to inform all 8,000, they can come back.

Many Australian academic institutions will not be too pleased to see the ruling on a technicality allow many who clearly abused their student visa privileges, to be welcomed back to Australian universities. The fall-out from the Court decision may also have visa officers in Australian missions abroad take a more discerning view regarding whom they grant student visas to.

ABROAD PERSPECTIVE – U.S. Foundations Fund Higher Education in Africa

Six U.S. charitable foundations will provide US $ 200 million (CAD $ 235 million) to strengthen higher education in seven African nations. The funds will be provided by the Partnership for Higher Education in Africa, which was originally launched in 2000 by Carnegie Corporation of New York, and the Ford, MacArthur and Rockefeller Foundations.

Over the past five years, the foundations have contributed more than US $ 150 million (CAD $ 177 million) to build core capacity and support special initiatives at universities in the six nations of Ghana, Mozambique, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, and Uganda. Kenya has joined as the seventh nation this year.

Key priorities include improving the ICT infrastructure of universities in the region. Projects funded under the original partnership in 2000 included the creation of the Journal of Higher Education in Africa, the allocation of US $ 10 million (CAD $ 11.8 million) towards scholarships for women, and graduate programmes in public health and plant breeding.

Source: “http://www.prnewswire.com/products-services/distribution/usmedia/public-interest-newslines-2.html?id=53477,” US Newswire

OVER THE COUNTER – China’s Move to Punish Exam Cheaters

The Chinese Government is planning a new law that will punish students cheating during exams with a three to seven-year sentence. Two recent instances of exam fraud involving students and teachers have prompted the Government to consider such an action. In the past, cheating was not considered a serious offence, and cheats were prohibited from taking future examinations. But the new law will take a graver view of the offence.

While instances of minor cheating will be punished with the imposition of a fine, large-scale examination fraud would lead to a major sentence. The law will cover national exams, such as the college admission tests, graduate admissions exams and English competency exams, according to Xinhua. It would not apply to individual schools’ internal exams, professional tests, such as those for accountants, or exams run by overseas bodies, such as TEFL exams.

Source: “http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2005/sep/15/highereducation.uk1,” The Guardian, September 15, 2005

GLOBE TIPPING – Currency Exchange

There are many ways for you to change or get money when travelling, and just as many currency valuations for you to consider. One of the best ways is to simply use your credit card for most transactions. Usually, exchange rates when billed by credit card are reasonable, and not the poor rates you might get with currency traders and banks with whom you exchange cash or travellers cheques.

Credit card transactions also consolidate all your bills for accounting and tracking purposes and depending upon the billing cycle, give you more than 30 days to make the payment. If you plan to use your credit card for cash advances – be sure to check with your credit card companybeforehand. Youmayneedtohaveacredit balance in your account in order to avoid costly interest charges and service fees.

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