Daily Higher Education News: 29 January 2013

The TopUniversities.com guide to the latest higher education news from around the world, on 29 January 2013.

Proposed US legislation would allow international students to apply for residency

A new US bill on immigration includes a proposal to allow international students to apply for permanent residency (a ‘Green Card’) while still holding a student visa, reports National Journal. The Immigration Innovation Act also includes plans to increase the number of visas for highly skilled workers, and to allow unused Green Cards or work permits to be extended for certain types of immigrant – including those with advanced degrees from a US university in a STEM subject, and ‘outstanding’ academics.

Watchdog highlights corruption in Indonesian education

The non-profit organization Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) says around a third of the country’s education budget for 2012 was ‘misappropriated’ during the purchasing of goods and services, University World News reports. The group recorded 40 cases of corruption in the country’s education system last year, with the largest losses to the budget being caused by officials marking up prices and then pocketing the difference. ICW researcher Febri Hendrik said this is likely to impact on the quality of education provided, and the quality of graduates produced.

Taiwan government to fund cultural events at universities worldwide

Taiwan’s Minister for Culture has announced a scheme to fund events promoting Taiwanese arts and culture at universities and other institutions around the world, reports the Taipei Times. The project will allocate US$4 million over four years, to support a range of lectures, festivals, workshops and exhibitions showcasing the country’s traditional and contemporary arts and culture. The aim is to collaborate with 40 institutions, with seven already signed up: the US’s Boston University and UCLA, Canada’s University of British Columbia, Germany’s Heidelberg University, the Netherlands’ Leiden University, and the UK’s Cambridge and SOAS.

Brown may extend ‘need-blind’ admission to international students

The US’s Brown University (ranked 42 in the latest QS World University Rankings) has released a report stating its aim of extending need-blind admission to all students, including those from overseas. Ken Miller, a member of the university’s Committee on Financial Aid, said he was optimistic that sufficient funds would be raised to achieve this aim, reports The Brown Daily Herald. The committee’s interim report also recommended allowing international students to reapply for financial aid each year.

Danish universities say employing foreign researchers too bureaucratic

Universities in Denmark say it has become more difficult and more expensive for them to hire foreigners, reports The Copenhagen Post. While the government has identified attracting highly skilled foreign workers as a priority, universities say new regulations have unnecessarily slowed down the process of hiring overseas workers. The government has also not yet fulfilled a pledge to abolish the DKK3,165 (US$570) fee which foreign researchers have to pay to get a residency permit.