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Universities and <keyword id="20257650" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="higher-education-institutions" source="keywords">higher education institutions</keyword> in India can now admit students twice a year similar to the admission process followed by universities abroad, according to the <keyword id="19932585" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="University-Grants-Commission" source="keywords">University Grants Commission</keyword> (UGC) Chairman Jagadeesh Kumar. The two admission cycles will be July-August and January-February from the 2024-25 academic session. "If <keyword id="21269142" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-universities" source="keywords">Indian universities</keyword> can offer admission twice a year, it will benefit many students. Such as those who missed admission to a university in the July/August session due to a delay in the announcement of board results, health issues, or personal reasons. Biannual university admissions will help students maintain motivation since they do not have to wait one full year to be admitted if they miss admission in the current cycle," UGC Chairman Kumar said on Tuesday. Currently, UGC Regulations allow the Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) to admit students in one academic session in a year starting in July/August. An 'Academic session' is twelve months, beginning in July/August. Indian HEIs, therefore, follow the academic session that begins in July-August and ends in May-June. UGC had decided in its 571st commission held on 25 July 2023 to permit <keyword id="22014108" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="biannual-admissions" source="keywords">biannual admissions</keyword> under Open and Distance Learning (ODL) and Online modes in January and July during an academic year. As per the information furnished by the HEIs on the UGC DEB portal, in addition to a total of 19,73,056 students were enrolled in July 2022 and an additional 4,28,854 students joined in January 2023 in ODL and online programs. Considering the tremendous response and interest from the students in ODL and online programs in biannual admissions, in its meeting held on May 15 this year the UGC took a policy decision to allow Higher Education Institutions who offer programs in regular mode to admit students twice in a year, either in January/February or July/August from the coming academic year, the UGC chairman said. Those institutions that have the required infrastructure and teaching faculty can utilize the opportunity to admit students biannually. Offering biannual admissions is not mandatory for the HEIs; it is the flexibility that UGC provides to the HEIs who want to increase their student intake and offer new programmes in emerging areas. To be able to admit students twice a year, HEIs must make suitable amendments to their institutional regulations. UGC Chairman Kumar said, "With biannual admissions in place, Industries can also do their <keyword id="22014800" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="campus-recruitment" source="keywords">campus recruitment</keyword> twice a year, improving employment opportunities for the graduates." Biannual admissions will also enable the HEIs to plan their resource distribution, such as faculty, labs, classrooms and support services, more efficiently, resulting in a better functional flow within the university, he said. Noting that Universities worldwide already follow a biannual admission system, he said that if Indian institutions adopt the biannual admission cycle, they can enhance their international collaborations and student exchanges. "As a result, our global competitiveness will improve, and we will align with the global educational standards," the UGC Chairman said. Biannual admissions can substantially increase the Gross Enrolment Ratio and make India a 'Global Study Destination' as envisioned in National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, he said. Further, Kumar said that if HEIs adopt biannual admissions, they need to work on administrative intricacies, good planning for increased use of available resources, and providing seamless support systems for the smooth transition of students admitted at dissimilar times of the year. "HEIs can maximize the usefulness of biannual admissions only when they sufficiently prepare the faculty members, staff and students for the transition" SEE ALSO:<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/ios-18-announced-with-apple-intelligence-improved-privacy-controls-customisable-home-screen-and-more/articleshow/110883233.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/ios-18-announced-with-apple-intelligence-improved-privacy-controls-customisable-home-screen-and-more/articleshow/110883233.cms" target="_blank">iOS 18 announced with Apple Intelligence, improved privacy controls, customisable home screen and more</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/apple-vision-pro-to-be-available-in-nine-new-countries-but-india-is-not-one-of-them/articleshow/110883439.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/apple-vision-pro-to-be-available-in-nine-new-countries-but-india-is-not-one-of-them/articleshow/110883439.cms" target="_blank">Apple Vision Pro to be available in nine new countries, but India is not one of them</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/webstories/ixigo-ipo-now-open-price-band-to-risk-factors-all-you-need-to-know/slidelist/110867238.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/webstories/ixigo-ipo-now-open-price-band-to-risk-factors-all-you-need-to-know/slidelist/110867238.cms" target="_blank">Ixigo IPO now open – Price band to risk factors, all you need to know</a>

Universities in India can now admit students twice a year on lines of foreign varsities: UGC chairman

The <keyword id="44171" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="ugc" source="Orion">UGC</keyword> has warned edtech companies and colleges offering degrees in collaborative arrangements with <keyword id="6726010" type="General" weightage="70" keywordseo="foreign-universities" source="Orion">foreign universities</keyword> not recognised by it, according to officials. The <keyword id="56459" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="university-grants-commission" source="Orion">University Grants Commission</keyword> (UGC) has also reiterated that none of these degrees will be valid and cautioned students against taking admission in such courses. "It has been observed that many <keyword id="505101" type="General" weightage="60" keywordseo="Higher-Education-Institutions" source="Orion">Higher Education Institutions</keyword> (HEIs) and colleges have entered into collaborative agreements with foreign-based educational institutions or providers not recognised by the commission and have been facilitating the issuance of foreign degrees to the students," UGC Secretary <keyword id="722170" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="manish-joshi" source="Orion">Manish Joshi</keyword> said. "Any such kind of collaboration or arrangement is not recognised by the UGC and, accordingly, the degrees issued subsequent to such collaboration arrangement are also not recognised by the commission," he added. Joshi said it has also come to the UGC's notice that some edtech companies are advertising in newspapers, social media and television, offering degree and diploma programmes in online mode in association with some foreign universities and institutions. "Such a franchisee arrangement is not permissible and any such programme or degree shall not have UGC recognition. Action will also be taken against all the defaulting edtech companies as well as the HEIs under applicable regulations," Joshi added. "Students and the general public are advised to exercise due caution and any enrolment in such courses will be at their own risk," Joshi added.

UGC warns edtech companies offering degree courses online in association with foreign universities

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Israel launched a "limited" ground offensive in Lebanon after killing a top Hezbollah leader in airstrikes.</li><li>The attacks came just days after the US called for a 21-day cease-fire on September 25.</li></ul>The Israel Defense Forces, in a statement, confirmed it had begun a "limited, localized, and targeted" <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/israel-launches-ground-offensive-into-lebanon-destroy-hezbollah-targets-2024-9">ground offensive in Lebanon </a>early Tuesday local time, aimed at the Iran-backed militant organization, Hezbollah, after trading back-and-forth strikes with the group for nearly a year.The ground offensive came after a series of airstrikes on September 27 that killed Hezbollah's longtime chief, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://businessinsider.com/who-was-hassan-nasrallah-the-hezbollah-leader-killed-by-israel-2024-9">Hassan Nasrallah</a>, a major victory for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.That Israel conducted the operations just days after the US called for a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2024/09/25/joint-statement-by-the-united-states-australia-canada-european-union-france-germany-italy-japan-saudi-arabia-united-arab-emirates-qatar/">21-day cease-fire</a> on September 25, however, only reinforces that Israel has its own interests, and a now-emboldened Netanyahu won't easily be reined in by the US, which has so far failed to deescalate the situation since the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-is-there-fighting-in-israel-and-what-caused-the-conflict-2023-10">October 7, 2023, Hamas terrorist attack</a>, foreign policy experts told Business Insider.The US, a key Israeli ally and intermediary in peace talks, has thus far failed to broker a cease-fire, negotiate the release of hostages being held by Hamas, or reign in civilian deaths in Israel's fight in Gaza.And despite increased international pressure for a cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah following a series of <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/hezbollah-pager-explosions-lebanese-residents-abandon-devices-2024-9">deadly pager explosions</a> in Lebanon earlier this month, Israel launched airstrikes and, now, what it is calling a "limited" ground invasion.Chuck Freilich, a former deputy national security advisor who served for over 20 years in Israel's security establishment, told BI that while Nasrallah's death was seen as a major accomplishment for Israel and the US, the strike "also reinforces the long-standing dislike for Netanyahu and the belief that he is not a reliable partner for the US."Freilich, currently a political science professor at Columbia University, noted that the relationship between Israel and the US has been tense before — recalling a 2014 incident wherein an official in then-President Barack Obama's administration was quoted calling Netanyahu a "<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/netanyahu-chicken-comments-obama-israel-boehner-2014-10">chickenshit</a>." Benjamin Radd, a research fellow with the UCLA Center for Middle East Development, told BI that President Joe Biden's lame-duck status might be influencing Netanyahu's decision-making."I think we have a situation where the Israeli prime minister is finding himself a window with which to operate, where internationally — or at least here in the US — there seem to be number one, distractions, and number two, a candidate whose positions on Israel's foreign policy decisions might be more favorable toward the Prime Minister," Radd said, referring to a potential Donald Trump win in the upcoming election.Netanyahu, Radd said, seems to be seizing his opportunity for escalation in a way he wouldn't necessarily do if Biden weren't on his way out of office.Sean McFate, a national security and foreign policy expert at Syracuse University, told BI that the airstrike is a "major escalation" in the conflict and that Israel is not a "finger puppet" to the US that will easily kowtow to outside demands."I think it's hubris to think that America can just pull a leash, and Bibi does what we want," McFate said of Netanyahu using his nickname. Israel scored a major win by taking out <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/netanyahu-tricked-nasrallah-with-un-speech-official-says-2024-9">Nasrallah</a>, McFate said — a move that Biden acknowledged as a "measure of justice" in the same statement in which he called for diplomacy in Gaza and Lebanon.He added that the prime minister may also consider the US an unreliable partner.In May, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/us-has-been-holding-up-several-weapons-shipments-israel-2-weeks-source-says-2024-05-07/">Reuters</a> reported that the Biden administration paused a weapons shipment to Israel to oppose an apparent move to carry out an offensive into Rafah in southern Gaza."We have promised weapons, we don't deliver them on time," McFate said of Netanyahu's possible thinking. Israel ultimately went ahead with its military plans in Rafah.The killing of a top Hezbollah leader and the subsequent ground invasion complicates the already murky path to de-escalation.Netanyahu, who is in a politically fraught position as he faces <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/israeli-pm-benjamin-netanyahu-indicted-on-fraud-bribery-charges-2019-11">corruption charges</a> (he denies wrongdoing) and has yet to secure the remaining hostages held by Hamas since last October, may now be even more emboldened, McFate said."The question is, what happens next? Does Israel escalate? Does Hezbollah escalate? Does Iran escalate?" McFate added. "We're at the most volatile moment since October 7."Representatives for the State Department and the Israeli prime minister's office did not respond to requests for comment from Business Insider.

Israel's airstrikes and incursion against Hezbollah show that the US can't easily rein in Netanyahu, foreign policy experts say

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Donald Trump might have upended the veepstakes tradition when he picked JD Vance as his running mate.</li><li>Vance, who holds remarkably similar political views to Trump, isn't going to "balance the ticket."</li></ul>Former President <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trump-luck-classified-documents-assassination-debate-2024-7">Donald Trump</a> upended the election tradition of "<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-flipped-script-jd-vance-not-aimed-balancing-president-ticket-2024-7">balancing the ticket</a>" when he picked Ohio Sen. <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-vice-president-jd-vance-career-facts-2024-7">JD Vance</a> as his running mate. But the MAGA pair is unlikely to disrupt the calculus for an Asia that's already preparing for the possibility of his victory in November, experts say.Vance, a former Trump critic turned MAGA stalwart, has voiced foreign policy views in lockstep with Trump. Both men <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/where-does-trump-vance-stand-on-china-tariffs-inflation-taxes-2024-7">support wide tariffs on China</a> and have <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trumps-running-mate-jd-vance-ukraine-worst-nightmare-analysis-2024-7">criticized US aid to Ukraine</a>.Yet three experts on the Asia-Pacific told Business Insider that regional leaders — having learned from Trump's shock win in 2016 and his subsequent unpredictability — are already laying the groundwork for a scenario where he wins.<h2 id="d60358f2-bcd9-4253-90a1-8c07028ce812">Asia won't be surprised by a Trump-Vance administration</h2>"It would be quite irresponsible if they didn't already countenance this, and I think, to be honest, we will not see the overreactions that we saw earlier or in parts of Europe," said <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="c-link" href="https://dr.ntu.edu.sg/cris/rp/rp00194">Dylan Loh</a>, assistant professor of public policy and international studies at Singapore's Nanyang Technological University (NTU).Trump previously <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-tpp-trans-pacific-partnership-what-it-means-2017-1">reneged on deals</a> he felt were disadvantageous to the US and pressured allies like <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://foreignpolicy.com/2019/11/15/trump-asks-tokyo-quadruple-payments-us-troops-japan/">Japan</a> and <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-thaad-south-korea-2017-4">South Korea</a> to support US defense costs.But Loh believes regional stability will prevail."I think Trump's tenure has shown that fears of abandonment or ignorance of politics in Asia are overblown," he said.The most prominent US-aligned governments in Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and the Philippines have been hedging their bets and working carefully to make their economies and supply chains more resilient, said <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://discovery.nus.edu.sg/2380-ja-ian-chong">Chong Ja Ian</a>, a political science professor at the National University of Singapore."Other Southeast Asian states seem to believe they can weather another Trump administration, perhaps by freezing on the efforts of the northeast Asian US allies and partners plus the Philippines," he said.It's not just economics. The Philippines, for example, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.cnbc.com/2024/07/09/japan-and-the-philippines-sign-landmark-defense-deal-to-counter-china-.html">inked a new defense pact with Japan</a> in July as it grapples with the threat of an increasingly belligerent China in the South China Sea. This comes as the Philippines signs maritime agreements with key NATO countries <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://ipdefenseforum.com/2024/04/philippines-u-k-strengthen-ties-to-boost-maritime-security-cooperation/">like the UK</a> and <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1692751/ph-france-sign-agreement-strengthening-maritime-industry">France</a>.<h2 id="d23ca00c-37ca-4167-bbb6-cebb083b0d0f">US-China relations won't change much, whether it's Trump or Biden at the wheel</h2>Even though Trump started the US-China trade war, experts say that China won't be too bothered if he returns to the White House.This, NTU's Loh said, is because President Joe Biden hasn't really deviated from Trump's hawkish stance against the Asian giant.For one, the Biden administration has <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-tariffs-trade-restrictions-budget-deficit-biden-trump-stephen-roach-2024-7">kept most of Trump's China tariffs in place</a>. In fact, Biden introduced some of his own when he announced a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/white-house-joe-biden-hikes-tariffs-on-chinese-made-evs-2024-5">100% tariff on Chinese electric vehicles</a> in May."For China, any preferences for either Trump or Biden is going to be marginal," Loh said."I think it is quite clear that regardless of whether a Democrat or a Republican is in office, the general bipartisan mood of seeing China as a threat or a strategic competitor will not abate," he added.<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.rsis.edu.sg/profile/kevin-chen-xian-an/">Kevin Chen</a>, a research fellow at NTU's S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, told BI that China may even prefer to have Trump back in power due to the turmoil he'll bring to the US' foreign ties."Given how Mr Trump would likely alienate US allies and partners with his policies, Beijing may prefer that he retake the White House to give them more opportunities to spread their influence," Chen explained.That said, most Asia-Pacific countries will shy away from appearing to take sides or expressing relief if either candidate wins."There's a joke in Japanese diplomatic circles that the outcome of a US presidential election is like opening a Christmas present, except that they must express that 'this is exactly what I wanted' regardless of the result," Chen said.

Asia is preparing for a rogue US if Trump and Vance win the election, security and foreign policy experts say

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Ukraine's International Legion was born in 2022, a home for foreigners eager to fight Russia.</li><li>Ukraine said 20,000 signed up, though experts said 4,000 was a more realistic peak figure.</li></ul>Three days after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy <a target="_blank" href="https://www.president.gov.ua/en/news/zvernennya-do-gromadyan-inozemnih-derzhav-yaki-pragnut-dopom-73213">issued a clarion call</a> for "friends of peace and democracy" to join the fight from abroad.Zelensky's International Legion of Territorial Defense of Ukraine (ILDU) was born, echoing the <a target="_blank" rel=" nofollow" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Brigades#Formation_and_recruitment">International Brigades</a> that fought fascism in the Spanish Civil War of the 1930s.Many answered. Outside Ukraine's embassy in London <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ukraine-the-uk-volunteers-joining-zelenskys-international-legion-2022-3">Business Insider found men</a> lining up to serve."If they need to shove a rifle in my hands and put me on the front, then that's what they need to do," said one, a nightclub worker."It's better than sitting with my thumb up my ass."The Legion emerged from these recruits — some with military experience, some without.It has been deployed across the front lines in some of the war's toughest battles, where any of its members died.Carl Larson, a US veteran who served in Iraq, spent three months fighting around Ukraine's eastern city of Kharkiv in the summer of 2022. He told BI his comrades' motivations were mixed."Many of us were there for the right reasons, to defend democracy," he said."Lots of others," though, "were there for the wrong reasons: adrenaline junkies, people looking for a surrogate family, or because they had personal problems back home."Studies from in <a target="_blank" href="https://www.rusi.org/explore-our-research/publications/rusi-journal/international-legion-ukraine-exploring-background-and-motivations-foreign-volunteers">July</a> and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.rusi.org/explore-our-research/publications/commentary/why-foreign-volunteers-enlist-ukrainian-international-legion">September</a> last year by the London-based Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) reached a similar conclusion.Some parleyed their postings into <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/american-social-media-war-hero-accused-stolen-valor-in-ukraine-2023-7">fame on social media</a>, issuing impassioned dispatches from the war zone.BI's coverage of the International Legion since its inception found that recruits were a mixed bag of qualified veterans,<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ukraine-foreign-legion-veterans-glory-seekers-and-social-media-stars-2022-4"> glory-seekers </a>and people trying to give their often chaotic live meaning but totally unsuitable for a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/they-went-to-ukraine-to-be-war-heroes-and-fight-russians-2022-4">military role in a war zone.</a>In one case, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/a-us-veteran-went-to-ukraine-and-made-a-shock-defection-to-russia-2023-3">a Legion volunteer from Alabama</a> even defected to Russia.Some volunteers barely lasted a week. A Russian missile strike in March 2022 hit a base near Lviv being used for foreign fighters.<a target="_blank" href="https://t.me/people_of_action/1441">According to Ukrainian officials</a>, dozens of Ukrainians were killed and more than 100 foreign volunteers injured, ending their campaigns before they began.Marco Bocchese, assistant professor of international relations at Webster Vienna Private University and an author of the September RUSI study, called the attack a "watershed moment" for many foreign volunteers.<div type="image" title="Soldiers walk amid destroyed Russian tanks in Bucha." height="5760" width="8640" msid="110034912" hostid="261" sizebytes="3949322"></div>Ukraine originally said 20,000 foreign volunteers had signed up to fight. Bocchese told BI that this figure was "pure propaganda."In January last year, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/01/18/foreign-fighters-war-ukraine-volunteers/">The Washington Post estimated</a> that the figure was likely closer to 3,000.Four experts contacted for this report estimated the May 2024 strength of the legion at between 1,000 and 2,000.Some foreigners have found other homes in the Ukrainian military: in the intelligence services, or in separate Ukrainian units, such as the elite <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/helmet-cam-us-fighters-in-ukraines-chosen-company-rush-russian-trench-2023-9">Chosen Company</a> — a reconnaissance and assault unit composed of US and Australian volunteers within the 59th Motorized Brigade.This video from 2023 shows the Chosen Company at work:Matteo Pugliese, a researcher at the University of Barcelona who authored the July study, told BI that Ukrainian intelligence coordinates its own branch of foreign volunteers."This includes three Russian groups, Belarusian units, the Georgian Legion, and Western veterans with better combat skills," he said.All told, this might add another 1,000 or 2,000 soldiers, for a total of 3,000-4,000 foreigners fighting in Ukraine.They are at best a small fraction of <a target="_blank" class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.politico.eu/article/ukraine-war-hang-on-in-2024-to-win-in-2025-putin-zelenskky-russia-counteroffensive/">Ukraine's 800,000-strong military.</a><h2 id="ca692652-31c6-4bfb-ab87-d1395dc6e1fa">Killed in action</h2>International fighters proved "more expendable than Ukrainian soldiers for high-risk operations," Pugliese said.Indeed, Larson, who headed a 25-man platoon of legionaries in 2022, said he and his men were a "sacrificial unit.""We were a speed bump," he said. "If the Russians had come, we could have held them up for maybe an hour."Larson said that many foreign volunteers, especially those who had fought in places like the deserts of Iraq, struggled to adapt to both the terrain in Ukraine as well as the weapons used there."We lost many guys to drones," he said.The Legion's press service declined to comment on its strength, citing security reasons.A spokesman, Oleksandr Shahuri, said that more than 100 nationalities had joined up.A <a target="_blank" href="https://taskandpurpose.com/news/americans-killed-ukraine-russian-invasion/">report by Task and Purpose</a> in February of this year concluded that at least 50 of those who died were US citizens, a figure that is likely an undercount.Of those 50, most had served in the US military, including 20+ Army veterans and 12 ex-Marines.There was a Green Beret and a Navy SEAL. Some had conventional military careers, others left after getting into trouble.A US State Department spokesperson said there is no official tally."Our ability to verify reports of deaths of US citizens in Ukraine is extremely limited," they said. "In addition, not all US citizen deaths may be reported to US authorities. For these reasons, we are unable to provide a definitive number of all US citizens who have been killed."<h2 id="f3a24dfe-470c-4ee4-895c-77be8cb6e0c5">The Legion's future</h2>Earlier this year, Zelenskyy <a target="_blank" class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.politico.eu/article/volodymyr-zelenskyy-allow-foreigners-serve-national-guard-ukraine-war/">issued a decree</a> allowing foreign nationals legally in the country to enter its National Guard. He also <a target="_blank" class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.voanews.com/a/decree-could-give-ukrainian-citizenship-to-foreign-fighters-nation-s-diaspora-/7450717.html">proposed legislation </a>making it easier for foreigners defending Ukraine to receive citizenship.That could prove "very enticing" for some foreign volunteers, Bocchese said. "Many want to make Ukraine their future home."In some states, fighting for Ukraine means giving up your freedom back home. Austria, Montenegro, Kosovo, and India made it illegal to join up."Some will be facing criminal sanctions upon returning home for the fact that they enlisted in a foreign unit," Bocchese said.For that reason, many hope to gain citizenship and "put roots down," said Larson, the US veteran.Ukraine's efforts to draft its own men mean the Legion is "no longer decisive or relevant in strategic terms," Pugliese said.An April 2024 increases payments for Ukrainian volunteers, adds new punishments for draft dodging, and seeks to compel Ukrainian men living abroad to come home.According to Larson, who continues to help recruiters for the Legion, sign-ups have dwindled by two thirds since the flood of March 2022."Half the signups are from Latin America now," he noted, a big shift.<div type="image" title="Colombian veterans who joined the Ukrainian armed forces to help fight Russia." height="1333" width="2000" msid="110034914" hostid="261" sizebytes="246866"></div>In the fall of 2023, the Legion began admitting Spanish-speaking applicants, many of whom were inadmissible before, Pugliese told BI.Some had made it in but were mistreated by their officers, he said.The new Bolivar Battalion, for example, was <a target="_blank" class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://i-ua.tv/programs/1222/83166-el-batallon-bolivar-en-ucrania-y-la-cultura-de-la-libertad-batalion-bolivar-i-kultura-svobody">formed</a> by fighters from Venezuela, Ecuador, Argentina, and Colombia and was is led by a Venezuelan anti-government fighter.Many are former professional soldiers from Colombia, battle-hardened fighting drug cartels and rebel groups in their homeland.Experienced non-commissioned officers can earn four times as much as back home, or even more, <a target="_blank" class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-colombian-foreign-fighters-professional-soldiers-07b5cb7949bd10234e7456f9c1c20b08">the Associated Press</a> reported.Latin Americans "have different motivations from typical Western soldiers," Larson told BI."They're there for the money."

Ukraine was a magnet for foreign fighters. After 2 bruising years, many are disillusioned or dead.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Iran launched a drone strike on Israel despite warnings from the Biden administration.</li><li>The attack shows how much the US has lost control of the conflict in Gaza, a military expert said.</li></ul><a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/iran-launches-drone-attacks-on-israel-2024-4">Iran's barrage of attacks against Israel</a> represents a stark reminder of how the US has been unable to ameliorate tensions in the Middle East and contain the ongoing conflict in Gaza, a national security and foreign policy expert told Business Insider.On Saturday, Iran launched missiles and drones against Israel in what officials from Iran described as retaliation for the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/deadly-israeli-strike-syria-could-put-us-forces-crosshairs-iran-2024-4">airstrike on the country's consulate in Syria</a> nearly two weeks ago. The airstrike killed two Iranian generals and five officers, the Associated Press reported.The US anticipated that Iran would strike back, but it was only a matter of when and how. President Joe Biden told reporters on Friday that he expected Iran to attack Israel "sooner, rather than later."The president also re-affirmed <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-iran-readying-cruise-missiles-possible-strike-on-israel-reports-2024-4">US support for Israel</a> and had a simple, brief message to Iran: "Don't."Iran's brazen dismissal of Biden's warning may be the result of a series of inconsistent strategic moves from the US with its handling of the Israel-Gaza war, Sean McFate, a national security and foreign policy expert at Syracuse University's Maxwell School of Citizenship &amp; Public Affairs, told Business Insider.<h2>'No strategic competence'</h2>McFate told BI that Iran's retaliation was a way to show the international stage that the country had a backbone after Israel's airstrike in Damascus. But, more broadly, Saturday's attack shows just how effective <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-is-there-fighting-in-israel-and-what-caused-the-conflict-2023-10">Hamas' October 7 attack on Israel</a> was at stoking chaos in the Middle East, McFate said.Hamas "launched this as a way to disrupt the melting of relations between Israel and the Gulf states," McFate said, referring to how diplomatic relations between Israel and Arab countries had been thawing before the war. Biden similarly stated that Hamas was trying to disrupt his administration's efforts to normalize ties between Israel and Saudi Arabia, as well as with others in the region, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/11/29/gulf-gaza-israel-uae-bahrain/">The Washington Post</a> reported.With the war in Gaza, the US wedged itself into the battle and has so far shown conflicting messages to the world through its <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/photos-military-aid-us-sending-toward-israel-hamas-attack-2023-10">military support for Israel</a> and simultaneous <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/senate-foreign-aid-proposal-includes-billions-humanitarian-aid-gaza-ukraine-2024-2">humanitarian aid for Gaza</a>, leaving Gulf countries such as Iran to feel more defensive, the expert said."The fact that the Biden administration is both arming Israel and sending aid to Gaza shows the world that the Biden team has no strategic competence," McFate said. "They've already lost control."McFate pointed to the ongoing <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-did-russia-invade-ukraine-putin-politics-motive-2023-6">Russia-Ukraine war</a> as another example of one of the Biden administration's strategic misfires.Throughout the 2024 election cycle, Biden has said that the US must <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/biden-changes-tone-ukraine-support-as-long-as-we-can-2023-12">maintain its support for Ukraine</a> against Russian aggression. But the president's support for Israel runs counter to the reasons he said the US should support Ukraine."The administration wants to be the firefighters in a raging house fire," McFate said. "But I think for them to do that, they need to extend more leverage on the government of Israel by conditioning further military support. Israel has basically said, 'Drop off your munitions. Don't answer the door. Just leave,' like your Uber driver. I think the administration has been a little too timid in how to deal with Israel."In recent weeks, US support for Israel showed some signs of wavering as Biden called for an <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/biden-threatens-us-support-for-israel-in-netanyahu-call-2024-4">immediate cease-fire in Gaza</a> during a call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, according to the White House.In a Saturday statement after Iran's strikes, Biden condemned the attacks and said he had spoken with Netanyahu over the phone to say that the US remains steadfast in its support for Israel."I've just spoken with Prime Minister Netanyahu to reaffirm America's ironclad commitment to the security of Israel," Biden said. "I told him that Israel demonstrated a remarkable capacity to defend against and defeat even unprecedented attacks — sending a clear message to its foes that they cannot effectively threaten the security of Israel."However, in the same call, Biden told the prime minister that the US will oppose a counterattack against Iran, a senior White House official told <a target="_blank" href="https://edition.cnn.com/middleeast/live-news/israel-hamas-war-gaza-news-04-13-24/h_9af74a4dbc6d0137a9a2597bd1f5e2a6">CNN</a>.A White House spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

Iran's strike on Israel shows how the Biden administration has lost control of the conflict, foreign policy expert says

<ul class="summary-list"><li>A Kremlin spokesperson said many foreign companies are still operating in Russia.</li><li>Two lists that Yale and KSE maintain show most foreign firms have not fully exited the market.</li></ul>After Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, <a target="_blank" href="https://som.yale.edu/story/2022/over-1000-companies-have-curtailed-operations-russia-some-remain">over 1,000 foreign companies</a> announced they would exit Russia in protest against the war.But it's been more than 20 months since the war started, and the Russian government has said many of those companies haven't made good on their word."More foreign companies remain in Russia than those who left the country," Dmitry Peskov, a spokesperson for the Kremlin, told Business Insider in late October.BI looked at two major data sources to fact-check the Russian government's statements.<h2>Kremlin fact-check No. 1: Data from Yale University</h2>Yale University runs <a target="_blank" href="https://som.yale.edu/story/2022/over-1000-companies-have-curtailed-operations-russia-some-remain">an ongoing study</a> that examines which foreign companies have left Russia since the war began.A team of experts and student volunteers with knowledge of 10 languages — including Russian, Ukrainian, English, and Polish — update the list every day. They compile the list using public sources such as regulatory and tax filings and reports from insiders and whistleblowers. <a target="_blank" href="https://media.business-humanrights.org/media/documents/SSRN-id4343547.pdf">Yale's study</a> focused on companies with at least $100 million in global revenue in any single year over the past decade.It breaks its findings down into five categories. Here are the results as of November 22:Yale's data shows that many firms are cutting back on their Russian operations, but that just one-third of the companies it examined have made a clean break with Russia.According to Yale's study, 552 foreign companies are still operating in Russia. This number includes those whose operations are running under a "business-as-usual" approach and those who have curtailed their investments and operations significantly.Meanwhile, another 502 companies have wound down most — if not all — of their operations in Russia while keeping return options open, according to Yale's list. In total, 535 companies have made a clean break with the Russian market.What this shows is that, as the Russian government said in October, the number of companies still operating in Russia is greater than the number of those that have made a complete exit.<h2>Kremlin fact-check No. 2: Data from the Kyiv School of Economics</h2>The <a target="_blank" href="https://leave-russia.org/leaving-companies">Kyiv School of Economics</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://leave-russia.org/leaving-companies">or KSE</a>, also examines company operations in Russia.<a target="_blank" href="https://deliverypdf.ssrn.com/delivery.php?ID=095121121119093083086098068080064078040064035059032043111084085103027018067091101119120010051124040104010087106121122120080006038022029046084098121028110068001065066000092021087065008087093102098112091098065024094067065123020123079083000083088123093098&amp;EXT=pdf&amp;INDEX=TRUE">KSE</a> reviewed the top taxpaying companies in Russia that generated more than $5 million in annual revenue and in which foreigners own a stake larger than 51%. Its list includes information from datasets such as those from Yale's research and another list from the <a target="_blank" href="https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4322502">University of St. Gallen</a> in Switzerland.It gets its data from the news and official company statements. The institute also examines the data with the Ukrainian government and updates its database daily.KSE has six categories for companies in various stages of operations or withdrawal in Russia. Here are their results as of November 21:KSE's data shows that most foreign companies have not left Russia.According to the data, 1,582 companies continue to operate in Russia, and just under 300 have made a full exit from Russia since it invaded Ukraine.<h2>The rate of departures from the Russian market is slowing</h2>To be sure, it's unclear exactly how many foreign companies were operating in Russia before the war began.And even though the data shows many companies still operating — to varying degrees — in Russia, there's more to it than meets the eye, Steven Tian, the research director of Yale's Chief Executive Leadership Institute and one of the lead researchers of Yale's list, told BI.There was an initial rush of exits from Russia in the weeks after it invaded Ukraine — but Tian said companies are now pulling out of the country at a "much slower pace." Many of the biggest household names have already exited the market."Most — but not all — of the companies left in Russia are much smaller," Tian said.In a <a target="_blank" href="https://kse.ua/about-the-school/news/57th-issue-of-the-regular-digest-on-impact-of-foreign-companies-exit-on-rf-economy/">November 20 analysis</a> of its data, KSE said that while the percentage of companies that have shut their operations in Russia rose sharply by mid-April 2022, the ratio of those leaving or staying in the market has been stagnant in the last 15 months.Major brands that have made a clean "surgical" cut from Russia include <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-05-16/mcdonald-s-to-leave-russia-take-write-off-of-up-to-1-4-billion">McDonald's</a> and the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/britains-bp-says-exit-stake-russian-oil-giant-rosneft-2022-02-27/">energy provider BP,</a> which took a $25 billion hit from its departure.The foreign companies still operating in Russia have cited a variety of reasons for not leaving the market, including <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-exit-foreign-company-difficulties-ukraine-war-explainer-2023-3">operational</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-exit-foreign-company-difficulties-ukraine-war-explainer-2023-3">ethical</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-exit-foreign-company-difficulties-ukraine-war-explainer-2023-3">and policy challenges</a>.The Italian fashion firm <a target="_blank" href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-11215837/Big-brands-facing-dilemma-continue-selling-goods-Russia.html">Benetton</a> is operating in Russia with a "business-as-usual" approach. It cited longstanding relationships with its partners and obligations to employees in Russia. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.unilever.com/news/press-and-media/press-releases/2023/unilever-statement-on-the-war-in-ukraine/">Unilever</a> and Nestlé have reduced but not eliminated their business in Russia, citing obligations to their company staff and the Russian people.<h2>Russia is making it difficult for foreign companies to exit</h2>Many companies still operating in Russia are also stuck in the process of exiting the market.The Russian government has been making it <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-exit-foreign-company-difficulties-ukraine-war-explainer-2023-3">increasingly difficult</a> for foreign companies to leave its market. It has introduced a series of steep hurdles to the process, such as demanding companies pay donations to the state and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-penalties-companies-exit-market-ukraine-war-sanctions-timeline-2023-9">sell their assets at a steep discount before they can exit the country.</a>Recently, the Kremlin <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ft.com/content/e0216489-a57d-46d2-90b9-b2e26b0a9973">announced</a> that Western firms that want to exit Russia must <a target="_blank" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/currencies/russia-ruble-capital-controls-dedollarization-dollar-euro-ruble-interest-rates-2023-10">sell their holdings in the Russian ruble</a>. The move could further delay corporate exits and cause foreign-currency transfers for companies leaving the market.As Agathe Demarais, a senior policy fellow at the <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/AgatheDemarais/status/1707761266415088061">European Council on Foreign Relations</a>, told the Financial Times in September, "It is clear in hindsight that it made more sense for Western firms to leave Russia immediately than to adopt a wait-and-see approach."The companies still operating in Russia are contributing to the country's booming wartime economy. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.reuters.com/markets/europe/russias-q3-gdp-growth-estimated-55-rosstat-2023-11-15/">Official estimates</a> indicate Russia's gross domestic product grew by 5.5% in the third quarter from a year ago — reversing a 3.5% decline in the same period last year.But defense and government spending has driven much of Russia's economic growth, which means it's not translating to affluence for many Russians on the ground dealing with rising prices.So, even though the Kremlin has been painting a rosy picture of the country's economy, "the real situation is bad," <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-economy-real-situation-economist-ukraine-war-sanctions-growth-inflation-2023-11">Igor Lipsits</a>, a prominent Russian economist, said.

The Kremlin says more foreign companies are failing than delivering on their promises to leave Russia.  Here's what the data shows.

From the coming new academic session, more than 300 universities across the country can implement the Four-Year Undergraduate Programme (<keyword id="1650316" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="fyup" source="Orion">FYUP</keyword>). However, this will not be mandatory as students will have the option to pursue FYUP or three-year undergraduate programme. According to <keyword id="44171" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="ugc" source="Orion">UGC</keyword>, students will get a four-year undergraduate 'UG Honours' degree with research specialisation. At present, FYUP has been implemented in about 150 universities across the country from the current session 2023-24. According to UGC Chairman Professor M. Jagadish Kumar, this number will double in the next session. FYUP was implemented by 105 universities across the country at the beginning of the academic session 2023-24. The universities implementing four-year undergraduate courses included 19 central universities, 24 state level universities, 44 deemed universities and 18 private universities. These include Delhi University, Aligarh Muslim University, Jammu Central University, <keyword id="64114" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="visva-bharati-university" source="Orion">Visva Bharati University</keyword>, <keyword id="19309330" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="rashtriya-sanskrit-university" source="Orion">Rashtriya Sanskrit University</keyword> and Maulana Azad National Urdu University. Now the number of these universities has increased to 150. Under the framework of FYUP, UGC has provided students the option to pursue a three-year undergraduate degree as well as a four-year Honours degree, following the provisions of the National Education Policy (NEP). According to the UGC Chairman, students will be provided with a three-year UG degree on completion of 120 credits and FYUP Honours degree on completion of 160 credits in 4 years. Students wishing to pursue research specialisation will have to undertake a research project in the four-year undergraduate course. With this, they will get an Honours degree along with research specialisation. Experts believe that the new draft of the Four Year Undergraduate Programme (FYUP) will help students wishing to pursue higher education abroad. The craze among Indian students for studying abroad is increasing year by year. Till November last year, more than 6 lakh Indian students went abroad for higher education, whereas in 2021 this number was 4.44 lakh. As per these figures, Canada, Germany, Australia, United States and Italy are the top 5 countries where more Indian students prefer to study. According to the new draft of UGC, now students will be able to get undergraduate 'Honours' degree only after completing four years instead of three years. UGC says that the draft curriculum and credit framework of FYUP is as per international standards. One advantage of international equality in the level of education is that Indian students will get more opportunities than before for higher education in universities of America and Western countries. However, some academics do not agree with this. Renowned educationist <keyword id="19309331" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="cs-kandpal" source="Orion">CS Kandpal</keyword> said, "FYUP will help those students who are interested in getting admission in many famous universities of America. But there is a need to teach such skills in the programme so that employment can be increased. Such skills will also be very helpful for students studying abroad. These skills may include communication, adaptability, foreign language, and self-awareness." "The basic objective was to include more number of students in the three-year programme in the country. FYUP is an extension of the three-year degree programme. Like in schools you go to class, prepare notes and give exams. You get a grade according to your performance in the exam. With this type of education, students are not prepared to pursue graduation as well as career in good universities abroad, because their aim is only to get admission in a foreign university. Institutions which are planning to start FYUP need to think about this," he added.

300 univs to see national rollout of four-year undergraduate programme

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Russia's deputy finance minister said the country would not let foreign banks exit the market easily, Reuters reported.</li><li>Russia's decision to allow the banks to leave would "depend on the decision to unfreeze Russian assets," he said.</li></ul>Russia is imposing increasing costs for corporate breakups by foreign banks — it's now demanding they unfreeze Russian assets if they want to exit the market."We have stated our position, and it stands — we will be tough in letting foreign banks go, it will depend on the decision to unfreeze Russian assets," Alexei Moiseev, Russia's deputy finance minister, said at a forum on Friday, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/finance/russian-deputy-finance-min-says-moscow-wont-let-foreign-banks-leave-russia-2023-09-01/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reuters reported</a>.Western nations and their allies have <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/repo-global-task-force-freeze-330-billion-russia-oligarch-assets-2022-6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">frozen more than $300 billion in Russian central bank assets</a> abroad as part of their sanctions on Russia over its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. It's not clear how many of these Russian assets were frozen by Western banks.Moiseev's comments come as President Vladimir Putin's regime continues to impose increasing punitive measures on companies trying to exit the Russian market.Despite 1,000 companies announcing they were voluntarily cutting back on operations merely two months after the Ukraine war started in February 2022, just 535 foreign companies have made a clean break with the country, <a href="https://som.yale.edu/story/2022/over-1000-companies-have-curtailed-operations-russia-some-remain" target="_blank" rel="noopener">an ongoing study</a> from Yale University that was last updated on September 3 has found.But it's not for lack of trying: Over 2,000 companies were seeking approval to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-exit-foreign-company-difficulties-ukraine-war-explainer-2023-3">exit the Russian market</a>, but the progress has been slow due to logistical delays, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-exit-foreign-company-difficulties-ukraine-war-explainer-2023-3">among other reasons</a>.Moscow also <a href="https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2023/04/24/russia-seizes-250m-from-business-exodus-donations-rbc-a80918" target="_blank" rel="noopener">charges</a> exiting companies an exit fee of at least 10% of the sale value of the local business. In addition, the Russian government started requiring sellers from "<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-publishes-list-unfriendly-countries-Ukraine-war-condemnation-2022-3" rel="">unfriendly countries</a>" to donate at least 10% of the sale proceeds to the Russian budget <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-ukraine-war-western-firms-leaving-donate-federal-budget-2023-3" rel="">from March 2023</a>.<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-economy-raiffeisen-bank-staff-costs-western-banks-sanctions-2023-8">Raiffeisen Bank</a> — the largest Western bank still operating in Russia and working on a sale or spin-off of its local business — said in its <a href="https://www.rbinternational.com/en/investors.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow">half-year report</a> released on August 1, "The local and international laws and regulations governing the sale of businesses in Russia are subject to constant change."Moiseev said at the Friday forum there was one foreign bank applying to sell its assets in Russia, Reuters reported. He did not name the bank but added that Raiffeisen had not made such an application.<h2>China's Big Four banks are lending billions of dollars to Russia</h2>While Western banks have reduced or are working on reducing their exposure to the Russian market, Chinese banks are trying to fill their shoes.The Kyiv School of Economics found China's Big Four banks — the Bank of China, Industrial &amp; Commercial Bank of China, China Construction Bank, and Agricultural Bank of China — had more than quadrupled their lending to Russia between February 2022 and March 2023, the <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/96349a26-d868-4bd1-948f-b17f87cc5c72" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Financial Times reported Monday</a>.The big four Chinese banks had a combined exposure of $2.2 billion to Russia's banking sector at the beginning of February 2022. That jumped to nearly $10 billion at the end of March 2023, the FT reported.Russia's finance ministry, Kyiv School of Economics, Bank of China, Industrial &amp; Commercial Bank of China, China Construction Bank, and Agricultural Bank of China did not immediately respond to requests from Insider for comment. The Chinese banks declined to comment to the FT.

Russia says it will not let foreign banks exit the market easily &mdash; unless they unfreeze Russian assets

As international borders reopen with the Covid situation easing, studying abroad is set to grow in the coming years and according to new forecast, over 18 lakh <keyword id="43976" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-students" source="Orion">Indian students</keyword> are set to opt for <keyword id="12237833" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="foreign-colleges-and-universities" source="Orion">foreign colleges and universities</keyword> by 2024. While the demand for studying abroad is increasing and the outflow is also increasing, student expenditure is soaring and is likely to touch $75-85 billion by 2024, which will be an increase of more than 2 times from 2019. While the sector faced a stunted growth in 2020-21 as international borders were closed to combat Covid, it is now expected to regain momentum as things become normal, according to the report by Bengaluru-based market research firm <keyword id="3359665" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="RedSeer" source="Orion">RedSeer</keyword>. "We are bullish about this segment's growth in the coming years. Our research shows that the total number of Indian students studying abroad will stand at around 18 lakh by 2024," said Abhishek Gupta, engagement manager at RedSeer. Nearly 7,00,000 students applied to study abroad in 2019. "In 2019 alone, around 420k students headed out but the total number of applicants was around 1.7 times. This colossal increase is due to factors like rise in GDP in the past two decades leading to more consumption and awareness about education abroad," Gupta mentioned. The growth in the outflow rates had outpaced domestic student growth by 6 times in 2016-19 which shows the massive demand that this segment is witnessing. "Our research shows that currently, 770k Indian students are studying abroad from 440K in 2016 which is a 20 per cent growth. On the other hand, the growth in the domestic region has been merely 3 per cent when compared to the demand for education abroad," the analyst informed. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/corporates/news/adani-green-shares-jump-as-the-group-adds-5-gigawatts-of-renewable-energy-capacity-with-a-3-5-billion-deal-with-softbank-and-bharti-group/articleshow/86746182.cms">Adani Green shares jump as the group adds 5 gigawatts of renewable energy capacity with a $3.5 billion deal with Softbank and Bharti Group</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/environment/news/the-earth-is-losing-its-shine-and-heres-why-we-should-be-worried/articleshow/86746118.cms">The earth is losing its shine and here’s why we should be worried</a>

Over 18 lakh Indian students to go for foreign education by 2024, says report

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The war in Ukraine has drawn foreign fighters to the armies on both sides.</li></ul>The war between Russian and Ukraine has become a magnet for foreign fighters from numerous countries who can be found in the ranks of both armies.Some of those fighters come from unlikely places. For example, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UnDHSv58rtc&amp;t=3s" target="_blank" rel="noopener">videos</a> have appeared showing citizens from Nepal — home of the legendary <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-10782099" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gurkha soldiers</a> — who have joined the Russian military. In a recent interview with the <a href="https://www-nepalpress-com.translate.goog/2023/06/11/336502/?_x_tr_sl=auto&amp;_x_tr_tl=en&amp;_x_tr_hl=en-US" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nepal Express</a>, two young Nepalis described their service. One was a student at a Russian university, while the other was a former Nepalese Army soldier who worked as a security guard in Dubai before visiting Russia as a tourist and then enlisting.In September 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a <a href="https://www.rferl.org/a/putin-decree-simplified-naturalization-foreigners-army/32059786.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">decree</a> speeding up the citizenship process for foreigners who signed a contract to join the military. Yet the two Nepali soldiers made clear that serving in Russia's notoriously brutal military was not their first career choice. The Nepali student said emigrating to the US or Britain would be difficult, which left the prospect of unemployment in Nepal, a poor, mountainous nation where about one-quarter of the population lives below the poverty line."We were thinking of joining the French army," said the ex-Nepali soldier. "There was a long process and it was difficult to enter Europe. Russia became easy."<div type="image" title="Afghan commando force members take part in their graduation ceremony at Afghan National Army Special Operations Corps in Kabul, capital of Afghanistan, Jan. 13, 2020." height="3840" width="5622" msid="102015503" hostid="261" sizebytes="425592"></div>Ironically, Russia is <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-is-recruiting-the-afghan-commandos-that-the-us-abandoned-2023-1">also recruiting former Afghan commandos</a> who were trained by the US military to fight the Taliban (and whose families probably fought the Soviet soldiers who occupied Afghanistan in the 1980s).Like the Nepalis, the Afghans aren't joining out of love of Russia or hatred of Ukraine. They are being hunted by the Taliban who now rule Afghanistan and need sanctuary and money to support their families, so the prospect fighting for Moscow — for $1,500 a month — is likely the least bad alternative.While Russia is recruiting mercenaries, Ukraine has become a magnet for volunteers who want to fight Russian aggression or find adventure.By mid-2022, after Ukraine formed its International Legion of Defense, <a href="https://time.com/6155670/foreign-fighters-ukraine-europe/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">20,000 volunteers</a> from 52 nations had joined, according to the Ukrainian government. That number has dwindled to an estimated 2,000 to 3,000 — too few to make a major difference in the war — but they still evoke the image of the Spanish Civil War's <a href="https://www.history.com/news/spanish-civil-war-foreign-nationals-volunteer" target="_blank" rel="noopener">International Brigades</a>, when 35,000 volunteers from 52 countries fought Spanish fascists who were supported by Nazi and Italian troops.A new <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/03071847.2023.2215291" target="_blank" rel="noopener">study</a> by Italian researcher Matteo Pugliese found a bewildering array of backgrounds and motivations among the members of Ukraine's International Legion, a battalion-sized force. Some were former officers from NATO nations such as Britain and Canada. Others came from far-right circles or were hard-leftists and anarchists who had fought with the Kurds against ISIS in Syria.<div type="image" title="Ukraine International Legion of Defense" height="1240" width="1240" msid="102015504" hostid="261" sizebytes="185086"></div>One member had fled to Ukraine and joined the Legion after being accused of <a href="https://9now.nine.com.au/a-current-affair/emese-fajk-resurfaces-in-ukraine-following-the-block-scandal/b64a0a19-0ea0-4092-9ab9-7ccbcb13f7e1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">committing fraud</a> in Australia, while another had been a career criminal in Poland and Ukraine. The legion's members also included former soldiers from Latin American militaries, which have produced <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/haiti-assassination-shows-how-colombia-is-a-source-for-mercenaries-2021-7">mercenaries who operate around the world</a>."The majority of legionnaires come from North America, Europe and Latin America, but are led by a diverse set of motivations, have a variety of personal backgrounds and the majority has no previous political affiliation," Pugliese concluded.Politically, these volunteers are a sensitive issue. Governments tend to get nervous about citizens who serve in foreign armies, especially when they come home. After World War II, the FBI <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20131231001607/http://www.alba-valb.org/resources/lessons/world-war-ii-letters-from-the-abraham-lincoln-brigade/premature-antifascists-and-the-post-war-world/?searchterm=bill%20susman" target="_blank" rel="noopener">persecuted American volunteers</a> who had fought in the Abraham Lincoln brigade during the Spanish Civil War. In recent years, several governments have <a href="https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/article/repatriating-isis-foreign-fighters-key-to-stemming-radicalization-experts-say-but-many-countries-dont-want-citizens-back/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">denied the return</a> of citizens who fought in the Syrian Civil War, viewing them as security threats and political liabilities.Significantly, Pugliese found that most of the volunteers fighting for Kyiv had not been radicalized by their experiences. They are "either grateful for the fraternal bond of camaraderie among legionnaires, or disillusioned and traumatized."Michael Peck is a defense writer whose work has appeared in Forbes, Defense News, Foreign Policy magazine, and other publications. He holds a master's in political science. Follow him on <a href="https://www.twitter.com/@mipeck1" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow">Twitter</a> and <a href="https://affiliate.insider.com/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fin%2Fmipeck%2F&amp;amazonTrackingID=null&amp;site=bi&amp;vikingID=63a0ec69c4cc6f36ff0dbbd6&amp;platform=browser&amp;sc=false&amp;disabled=false&amp;sessionID=1666393597540n9zaize3&amp;postID=64b520c74cdae07c3e2bfb95" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noindex noopener sponsored">LinkedIn</a>.

Foreigners, some trained by the US, are fighting on both sides in Ukraine, seeking cash and adventure

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Trump said he would revoke student visas of "anti-Semitic foreigners" if he wins a second term.</li><li>He also said he would not welcome any Gaza refugees into the US.</li></ul>Former President Donald Trump has weighed in on how he will respond to the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/israel-hamas-palestine-conflict-yellen-aid-to-ukraine-biden-economy-2023-10">war between Israel and Hamas</a> should he win a second term.On Monday, Trump delivered a <a target="_blank" href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-iowa-caucus-2024-election-c8f0ff23b1a39fb4e2b7aee9da15f0ed">campaign speech</a> in Iowa and offered no signs of easing up on his immigration policies. Last week, Israel <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/israel-formally-declares-war-on-hamas-seeks-full-control-gaza-2023-10?r=US&amp;IR=T">officially declared war against Palestinian militant group Hamas </a>after the group attacked several towns in southern Israel. Thousands of Palestinian and Israeli civilians have died due to Israel and Hamas' military responses, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/israel-gaza-conflict-hamas-humanitarian-aid-for-palestinians-emergency-funding-2023-10">prompting pressure in the US</a> to not only offer aid to Israel, but ensure Palestinian civilians receive assistance, as well.However, Trump said foreigners in the US who have expressed support for Palestinians and protested Israel over the past week will be deported if he becomes president."In the wake of the attacks on Israel, Americans have been disgusted to see the open support for terrorists among the legions of foreign nationals on college campuses. They're teaching your children hate," Trump said during his Iowa remarks. "Under the Trump administration, we will revoke the student visas of radical anti-American and anti-Semitic foreigners at our colleges and universities and we will send them straight back home."GOP Sen. Marco Rubio also recently <a target="_blank" href="https://www.rubio.senate.gov/rubio-cancel-visas-for-those-endorsing-terrorism/">called</a> for President Joe Biden to cancel visas for foreigners who have expressed support for Hamas. A president has the authority to revoke a visa for a variety of reasons, including criminal activity or immigrant status violation.Trump, and other GOP candidates <a target="_blank" href="https://apnews.com/article/desantis-israel-hamas-gaza-palestinian-refugees-water-73a468f8d030e083844d16e82684c406">like Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis</a>, have also said the US will not welcome Palestinian refugees from Gaza into the US if they win in 2024. President Joe Biden's administration has not yet publicly commented on whether it's considering bringing a large number of Gazans into the US at this time. However, it <a target="_blank" href="https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/u-s-push-for-gaza-border-opening-stumbles-as-humanitarian-plight-worsens-b825d122">plans to push</a> for Egypt to reopen its border to allow the roughly one million civilians Israel <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/israel-military-mobilization-ground-invasion-gaza-evacuation-order-2023-10">ordered to evacuate</a> Gaza to leave the warzone.Students on US college campuses have been under heightened scrutiny over their responses to the war. Following the release of a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/harvard-students-groups-signed-anti-israel-letter-without-them-knowing-2023-10">now-deleted letter from dozens of Harvard student groups</a> that blamed Israel for Hamas' attack, billionaire Bill Ackman <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/bill-ackman-harvard-release-names-students-blaming-israel-violence-hamas-2023-10?utm_medium=newsletter&amp;utm_source=Sailthru&amp;utm_campaign=Insider_Today">called for the release of the names of all students</a> who signed the letter so employers wouldn't "inadvertently" hire them. An NYU law student <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nyu-law-student-bar-association-president-blame-israel-hamas-2023-10?utm_medium=newsletter&amp;utm_source=Sailthru&amp;utm_campaign=Insider_Today">also lost their post-grad job offer</a> over a statement blaming Israel for the Hamas attacks.Other major donors to Harvard, including former Victoria's Secret CEO <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/wexner-foundation-pulls-funding-from-harvard-over-stance-israel-hamas-attacks-2023-10">Les Wexner, ceased donations to Harvard</a>. Former Utah Governor <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/jon-huntsman-family-stops-donations-penn-university-antisemitism-israel-response-2023-10">Jon Hunstman's foundation did the same</a> with the University of Pennsylvania.Beyond the responses to students' and colleges' reactions to the war, Biden is pushing for Congress to<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/israel-hamas-palestine-conflict-yellen-aid-to-ukraine-biden-economy-2023-10"> pass an emergency supplemental funding package</a> that would get aid to Israel as soon as possible. Democratic lawmakers are pushing for that package to include humanitarian assistance for Palestinian civilians — but some Republican lawmakers said they would oppose doing so."The reality is because Hamas is in control, letting aid into Gaza is resupplying Hamas," GOP Sen. Tom Cotton <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/TomCottonAR/status/1714291966912143721">wrote</a> on X, formerly Twitter, on Tuesday. "In the long run, the best way to aid the Palestinian people is for Hamas to be completely destroyed."Still, a group of House Democrats introduced a resolution <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/israel-gaza-conflict-hamas-humanitarian-aid-for-palestinians-emergency-funding-2023-10">calling for a ceasefire</a> in Israel and Palestine — along with "promptly'" getting aid to Palestinians in Gaza.

You Searched For "foreign universities" and got 12 results

Universities in India can now admit students twice a year on lines of foreign varsities: UGC chairman

ANI

UGC warns edtech companies offering degree courses online in association with foreign universities

PTI

Israel's airstrikes and incursion against Hezbollah show that the US can't easily rein in Netanyahu, foreign policy experts say

Lloyd Lee,Katherine Tangalaki…

Asia is preparing for a rogue US if Trump and Vance win the election, security and foreign policy experts say

Matthew Loh,Kwan Wei Kevin Tan

Ukraine was a magnet for foreign fighters. After 2 bruising years, many are disillusioned or dead.

Cameron Manley

Iran's strike on Israel shows how the Biden administration has lost control of the conflict, foreign policy expert says

Lloyd Lee

The Kremlin says more foreign companies are failing than delivering on their promises to leave Russia. Here's what the data shows.

Huileng Tan

300 univs to see national rollout of four-year undergraduate programme

IANS

Russia says it will not let foreign banks exit the market easily unless they unfreeze Russian assets

Huileng Tan

Over 18 lakh Indian students to go for foreign education by 2024, says report

IANS

Foreigners, some trained by the US, are fighting on both sides in Ukraine, seeking cash and adventure

Michael Peck

Trump vows to strip student visas from 'anti-Semitic foreigners' at US colleges if he wins the 2024 election

Ayelet Sheffey

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