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Saturday, May 23, 2009

Global law entrance test now in India

Prachi Nayak

Mumbai: The leaking of the CLAT (Common Law Admission Test) papers last week has left over 13000 students in a lurch.

Thus, making computer based testing the need of the hour. For the very first time, Pearson VUE, a global computer based testing provider of exams like GMAT will hold the computerised global LSAT (Law School Admission Test) in India on May 24.

This year the LSAT-India scores will only apply to the Jindal Global Law School (JGLS), Haryana. However, next year even leading national law schools are considering admitting students on its basis. "Computer based testing will give high level of encryption and security as it is generated in real-time, different for each candidate; removing the worry of leakage, said Sarvesh Shrivastava, MD, APAC, Pearson VUE.

The LSAC (Law School Admission Council) based in USA has brought down the cost of taking the LSAT-India. The test which costs Rs8000 globally, costs only Rs3000 in India which is just Rs1000 more than the national CLAT."The first step to promoting truly global law education in India was to bring in a global selection process," informed Raj Kumar, dean, JGLS.

He added, "Unlike CLAT, LSAT has no jurisdiction based questions. Students are tested on logical reasoning, analytical reasoning and reading comprehension." Even the transparency in results will be greater, as the test taking body and academic institutions are different. For India, Pearson Vue will also grant 50 test fee waivers and 4 scholarships worth Rs1lakh each to top to top scorers at the exam.

In September, 150 top LSAT scorers will experience truly world class law education at JGLS, recognised by the Bar Council of India. It will offer a three-year LLB and five-year BA.LLB courses with national and global perspectives.

Kumar informed, "Our curriculum has been designed by an international group of advisors from prestigious law schools like Yale, Harvard, Cambridge, Stanford and Oxford."He added, "We have managed to rope in full time faculty who have taught at these global varsities; and will ensure a rare teacher student ratio of 1:20." JGLS will also be research intensive school. "We will set up joint research centers with these law schools for human rights, corporate governance, international trade and economic law, global legal profession to improve the field of law, " added Kumar.

These first of its kind courses are priced at around Rs6lakhs per year (including accommodation, food and tuition costs). To help students, JGLS has constituted several scholarships; for instance, 25% of deserving students will get a 50% fee waiver. Further, the astronomical demand for these new age law professionals worldover, is expected to fetch them a salary of Rs75000- Rs1lakh even in Indian firms.

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

University of Phoenix

University of Phoenix
By Brnda Moor

The University of Phoenix is one of the most popularonline education schools that exist. It is an accredited college that offers a variety of degree programs to students who have time constraint issues. The college will be able to work around your busy schedule when offering Internet tutition.

Some of the degree programs that Online Education through University of Phoenix offers are business, technology, health care, education, social and behavioral science. You will find undergraduate and graduate certificate programs as well. You will also find associate degrees, bachelor degrees, master’s degrees, and doctorates are offered through Internet tuition at the University of Phoenix.

When you choose online education you will be obtaining your course work through electronic forums. This means that all information will be coming to you in some type of electronic format. You will be able to download lectures, questions and assignments from the forums. This allows you to look over the information when you have the opportunity. For instance if you are enrolled in Internet tuition you will be able to come home from work and log on to the University of Phoenix or you can log on before you head to work. You will have to log on at least four times a week to get the updated information.

The best thing of course is being able to login when you have the time rather than having to show up at a classroom. You will still be able to work with teams. They have a learning team created with additional assignments and you can also talk with other class members regarding assignments. Online Education through University of Phoenix is easy. The professor will be able to help you if you have questions. Most often you will have to post these questions on the forum so that class members can have a chance to see the questions and help answer them. The professor is going to monitor these conversations to help you out as well.

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

France still a hot student destination

SiddharthKelkar

Pune Although firms abroad are struggling to fund scholarship for postgraduate programmes, students from India opting for higher studies abroad, France in particular, are on the rise.

Philippe Martinet, counsellor for culture and cooperation, Embassy of France, said the number of Indian students going to France for higher studies is expected to go up to 2,700 this year.

“The number of Indian students going to France went up by three times over the last three years. We hope the trend continues this year, too,” Martinet told The Indian Express while on an official visit to the city recently.

The ambitious Alten Scholarship Programme for postgraduate studies in engineering, announced during French President Nicholas Sarkozy’s India visit in January, 2008, has been put on hold this academic year as companies that were to sponsor the scholarships have expressed inability to finance them.

On the other hand, the figures revealed by the French Embassy in the first quarter of 2009, shows that the number of students going from India to France for higher studies has increased by 57 per cent as compared to the first quarter of 2008.

In 2008, 1,757 Indian students went to France as compared to 650 in 2005. The French Embassy has set a target of 4,000 by 2012. “We have 15,000 to 20,000 Chinese students in France. But we are now concentrating more on Indian students,” he said.

According to Martinet, almost 55 per cent of Indians who go to France for studies take up business management while 35 per cent opt for engineering. “We want more students for engineering programmes as quality of these programmes is excellent. We are also looking at more students going in for niche areas like design, film studies and new media,” he said.

He said companies were backing out from scholarship programmes owing to the economic downturn. “The Alten Scholarship is one of the casualties this year,” he said.

The Alten Scholarship is important for Pune as its India office was shifted to Pune from Delhi last year. Out of the 10 students from across the country who got the scholarship last year, three were from Pune. The head office of n+i network, a consortium of 75 French engineering colleges, is also in Pune as the quality of engineering students is said to be better in the city.

The french connection
University of Punewill be an important partner for French institutes in future, feels Philippe Martinet, counsellor for culture and cooperation in French Embassy
Martinet Says, “With the University of Pune's cooperation, we have been working on some flagship projects. UoP vice-chancellor Narendra Jadhav has excellent rapport with the academic experts in France and that will help in a big way”
In December, a French Festival with focus on Pune is being planned, Martinet says