In The News

Filipino Nurses Losing Out to Chinese

August 6, 2002
Greater numbers of Chinese nurses are now finding employment in the UK and US, fast overtaking the demand for popular Filipino nurses. Chinese nurses have gained the upper hand as a result of their improved proficiency in English and their consent to pay higher placement fees as part of a salary reduction scheme. China helped the nurses by providing language instruction, prompting some in the...

Cybercafe Crackdown May Trip up Leering Boys

Ian Fisher August 1, 2002
In the name of fighting terrorism, the Government of Pakistan has imposed new regulations that would keep track of cybercafe users. The new rules require cybercafes to register with the government and to ask every customer for proof of identity so as to track terrorists and deny them access to public computers. However, like the rest of the world, porn sites, email accounts and chat sites are...

25 Million Around the World Learning to Say Ni Hao

July 24, 2002
In the last century, only English, French and Spanish could claim the title of an international language. But thanks to Beijing’s new policy of increased communication and cooperation with the international community, the study of Mandarin is growing rapidly at colleges and universities worldwide. Though regional dialects persist throughout China, Beijing's insistence that Mandarin become...

RI's 'Madrasah' Producing Techno-illiterates

Mochtar Buchori July 3, 2002
Mochtar Buchori contrasts the difference between political and cultural madrasas. The political madrasas, which are found mainly in Pakistan and Afghanistan, teach Islamic fundamentalism. However, the cultural madrasas, found in Indonesia with some supported by the government, teach respect for Islam along with a liberal education. Buchori argues that the challenge for Indonesia is to increase...

Globalization Narrows Gender Gap: World Bank

June 13, 2002
Andrew Mason, an economist with the World Bank, has found that globalization not only reduces poverty and raises income but also helps narrow gender inequalities in education, nutrition, and health. However, he cautions, governments need to continue their efforts to reduce inequalities. Although export promotion has created millions of new jobs for women "at wages higher than in traditional...

In Europe, Going Global Means, Alas, English

John Tagliabue May 19, 2002
En inglés, auf Englisch, en anglaise, en inglese, in English, please. The number of schools and academies that teach English has increased dramatically in Europe. Indeed, as companies increasingly seek transnational markets and employees, English has become the 'lingua franca' of board meetings and cross-border communications. Company workers, especially high-ranking ones, are polishing...

Thais Flock to China for Higher Education

February 21, 2002
The number of Thais attending Chinese universities has grown six-fold in recent years. Lower fees, China’s growing economic power, and the fact that many are third generation Thai-Chinese are reasons cited for the increased enrollment. Favored courses include Chinese language, medicine, acupuncture and business. Despite having one of the largest education budgets, Thailand was ranked 45th out of...