A webinar was jointly organized by Global Research Forum on Diaspora and Transnationalism [GRFDT]and The Center For Research on North America (CISAN), UNAM on the topic ‘Student Migration During And Post COVID-19:Latin America And Mexico’.
Miss Alma Maldonado, Researcher for the Center For Research And Advanced Studies, Mexico who was one of the eminent panellists said that online teaching has cut down the exposure and experience that international students receive on campus.
Addressing new challenges
According to Professor Alma Maldonado, the Center For The Study Of Higher Education, College Of Education, University of Arizona, in this current crisis, we need to rethink and redefine the major issues and new challenges that universities are facing. There have been several discussions regarding the internationalization of universities and the extent to which an international student can also be an online student.
In her opinion, rich foreign experiences constitute the life an international student. But due to COVID-19 and its consequent restrictions in travelling, international students are denied from gaining ‘in person’ foreign experiences.
Virtual classrooms as aspects of an academic new normal
Academicians all over the world are caught off-guard since suddenly the pandemic has transformed them into online teachers and online students. This particularly makes the condition of the inexperienced international students more vulnerable.
“The recent debate in the US regarding migration and issue if you are not taking classes at campus and you are not considered as an international student and all your rights are curbed and you will be deported”: Alma Maldonado
Mexico: A Case Study
“If you are not in the country, you are not allowed to receive the national scholarship as aninternational student because you are not in the continent,” she said. Another side of the debate is that it has a lot of implications in terms of migration and rights of the international students.
The next challenge they are facing is the inequities or gaps in terms of access to technologies. This issue is also faced by many developing countries. The Minister of Higher Education in Mexico said that it is expected to lose at least 8% of the total enrolment in higher education due to the pandemic. The actual loss is expected to be around 300,000. However, she pointed out the importance of movements across borders even if a worldwide health crisis has almost confined us within our national boundaries.
Mr. Unnikrishnan V is pursuing a Masters in Economics. He has a deep-rooted interest in Migration, Development, and Health issues. Twitter ID:-@unnikrishnan_21