Chinese Interest Grows for US Study Tours

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A surge in inquiries from China for overseas study tours to the U.S. suggests that parents of children from primary to high school are willing to pay the big money so their offspring can have an American classroom experience during their summer vacations. Yvonne Shi, director of Offer Education Consulting in El Monte, California, said study tours offer children authentic American courses, the experience of living with American families or in school dormitories, a variety of extracurricular activities, English classes and visits to schools where they could enroll full time. Shi told VOA Mandarin that this year, despite the simmeringmore

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Senate Confirms Chairman of Joint Chiefs

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 The Senate on Wednesday confirmed Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr. as the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, putting him in place to succeed Gen. Mark Milley when he retires at the end of the month. Brown’s confirmation on an 83-11 vote, months after President Joe Biden nominated him for the post, comes as Democrats try to maneuver around holds placed on hundreds of nominations by Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville over the Pentagon’s abortion policy. The Senate is also expected to confirm Gen. Randy George to be Army Chief of Staff and Gen. Eric Smith as commandant ofmore

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Congress Could Stall a Landmark Research Funding Bill

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The CHIPS and Science Act was signed into law a year ago and promised billions of dollars in funding for science at U.S. colleges and universities. However, Congress is already falling short of the funding targets called for by the legislation, instead focusing on investments in America’s semiconductor industry. Katherine Knott explains the situation for Inside Higher Ed. (August 2023) …

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One Professor’s Homework? Make a Friend

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Martha Mulally, a biotechnology professor in Canada, urges each of her students to make a friend in the course. She noticed that students seemed disengaged and lonely, not knowing how to interact with each other after years of virtual instruction during the pandemic. So, she insists they work together outside of class in groups of their choice: not just because it’s good for them, but also because it’s good for their learning. “The reality is that science is a team sport,” Mulally says. Beckie Supiano profiles some of the unlikely, and heartwarming, friendships students have made in her report formore

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Northwestern University Has Tips for International Students

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The Daily Northwestern, the student newspaper at Northwestern University, has advice for international students bound for the U.S. The tips include:  Familiarizing yourself with the restrictions that come with an F-1 visa holder. Tapping on-campus resources like the Office of International Students for support. Read the full story here. (August 2023)  …

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How International Students Can Feel More at Home in US

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Indian news outlet Telangana Today has some tips on how international students can acclimate to life in the United States. They include: Attending welcome-week events organized by the university. Taking advantage of support services offered by the school’s international student office. Joining clubs and organizations. Read the full article here. (August 2023) …

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Vietnam, US Upgrade Partnership; Activists Critique Silence on Human Rights

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Hanoi and Washington have announced an upgrade in bilateral ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership, the top designation in Vietnam’s diplomatic hierarchy. A U.S. strategy of noninterference into Vietnam’s domestic politics has been crucial to Hanoi agreeing to the deal, experts say, but activists and rights groups are frustrated by the lack of focus on human rights as the crackdown on civil society worsens in the Southeast Asian country. U.S. President Joe Biden arrived in Hanoi on Sunday to meet with General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong. That afternoon, Trong and Biden announced they had agreed to a comprehensive strategic partnershipmore

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US House’s Bipartisan Measures Target Iran Over Woman’s Death, Missile Program

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The U.S. House overwhelmingly approved measures Tuesday targeting Iran for its human rights record and placing restrictions on the country’s ability to import or export its expanding arsenal of weapons. The measures would impose a series of sanctions on Iran’s supreme leader, president and other individuals as Washington seeks to further punish the Islamic Republic ahead of the one-year anniversary of nationwide protests. The resolutions will now go to the Senate, where it is unclear if the Democratic-controlled chamber will take them up. The first bill takes aim at Iran’s production and exports of missiles and drones by sanctioning individualsmore

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Road to Grad School for 1 Afghan Student Has Been Far From Simple

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Amena Sadat, a political science Ph.D. student at the University of California, Riverside, fled Afghanistan with only the clothes on her back after the Taliban took over. Her educational journey has been harrowing. Many of her family members did not want her to study, and one, a local politician, even canceled a scholarship rather than award it to her. But she did not give up. Imran Ghori reports for the university publication Inside UCR. (August 2023) …

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Affirmative Action Ban Affects Elite Hiring, Not Just Elite Admissions

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While the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling eliminating affirmative action in college admissions only applies to higher education, many elite industries, such as consulting and investment banking, that hire students right out of college may struggle to meet their own diversity goals, according to an article in Forbes. While firms have promised to broaden their search, some observers are questioning their dependence on elite schools in the first place. Forbes investigates.(August 2023)  …

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North Carolina School Will Offer Early Admissions for First-Generation Students

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Many selective universities in the U.S. offer “early action,” which can boost a student’s chances of getting in if they apply early. These programs have been criticized, since underprivileged students are often unfamiliar with the deadlines and unable to get their applications in on time. Now, Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, plans to only offer the option to students who are the first members of their families to attend college. Liam Knox has more for Inside Higher Ed. (August 2023)  …

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Can 14th Amendment Keep Trump From Seeking a Second Term?

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A new lawsuit to bar former President Donald Trump from appearing on the 2024 Colorado primary ballot has revived a legal and political debate over an obscure provision of the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, or CREW, a progressive watchdog, filed the lawsuit on behalf of six Colorado voters on Wednesday. It claims that Trump is ineligible to run for the White House again because he supported an “insurrection” against the Constitution on Jan. 6, 2021, when a mob of his supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol to disrupt the Congressional certification ofmore

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Could ‘Google Effect’ Make You Less Smart?

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A 2011 study claimed that information learned from Googling is less valuable because we don’t remember it. There was academic controversy over the findings, but new follow-up research suggests the “Google Effect” is real. The easier it is to find information, the less likely you are to retain it. Jill Barshay summarizes the research for The Hechinger Report. (August 2023) …

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Prosecutors Seeking New Indictment for Hunter Biden

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Federal prosecutors plan to seek a grand jury indictment of President Joe Biden’s son Hunter before the end of the month, according to court documents filed Wednesday. The filing came in a gun possession case in which Hunter Biden was accused of having a firearm while being a drug user, though prosecutors did not name exactly which charges they will seek. He has also been under investigation by federal prosecutors for his business dealings. Prosecutors under U.S. Attorney for Delaware David Weiss, newly named a special counsel in the case, said they expect an indictment before Sept. 29. Hunter Biden’smore

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US Lawmakers Have 10 Working Days to Keep the Government Open

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US lawmakers face a long list of priorities as they return to work this week after their monthlong August recess. With battles looming over U.S. aid to Ukraine and a possible impeachment of President Joe Biden, the top concern remains funding the U.S. government to keep it from shutting down on Oct. 1. VOA’s Congressional Correspondent Katherine Gypson has more. …

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How to Plan Finances if You Want to Study Medicine in the US  

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If you plan to study medicine in the United States, you need to plan your finances first.   Even schools that don’t carry the prestige of universities like Harvard or Stanford will require fees, tuition, books and materials, and you’ll need to cover living expenses for the eight years it takes to get an undergraduate and medical degree.   The Education Desk of The Indian Express has some tips for helping students and parents prepare. (August 2023)     …

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