2:50 X Discussion 1. Discuss the role of the EU in respect of Environmental Regulation in respect of the European Environment Agency (EEA). Read and understand the article below. : According to UNESCO there were over 5.3 million international students in 2017, up from 2 million in 2000 More than half of these were enrolled in educational programs in six countries: USA. UK. Australia. France. Germany, and the Russian Federation. The global higher education market has become a huge industry that was valued at USD 65 4 billion in 2019. and projected to reach USD 117.95 billion by 2027 But in a world where students either cannot - or will not - leave their home country due to health concerns - can such startling growth continue? Talking to those in the front-line of the sector around the world, there is confidence the internationalisation of education will continue, but that it will almost certainly look different as both students and institutions adapt to a dramatic change in circumstances, "I think there will be a real sea-change in terms of global mobility across the board with people making greater use of video conferencing and on-line collaboration platforms for international dealings", says Simon Mercado, Dean of the London campus of ESCP Business School, the world's first business school founded in France 1819 and committed to a multicultural learning approach with additional campuses in Germany, UK. Spain, Italy and Poland. "There will be definite echoes of this in the education sector where we will see greater evidence of virtual mobility for both staff and students and a more responsible approach to the cross-border movement of persons and services. I'm not talking about a paradigm shift where people regard physical mobility as something from an earlier era, but I do expect a significant rebalancing." And some in the sector even seem to believe that this re- setting will present not just challenges, but also significant opportunities. "This pandemic offers an opportunity to reimagine international education and partnerships that span borders," Joanna Newman, Chief Executive and Secretary General of the Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU), which represents more than 5002:50 X Discussion evidence of virtual mobility for both staff and students and a more responsible approach to the cross-border movement of persons and services. I'm not talking about a paradigm shift where people regard physical mobility as something from an earlier era, but I do expect a significant rebalancing." And some in the sector even seem to believe that this re- setting will present not just challenges, but also significant opportunities. "This pandemic offers an opportunity to reimagine international education and partnerships that span borders," Joanna Newman, Chief Executive and Secretary General of the Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU), which represents more than 500 institutions across 50 countries. "COVID-19 has given us more scope than ever before for collaboration - the necessary move to online, at such short notice, has prompted innovation and created the potential for more access and inclusion in international education, Universities are still adapting but the technology we're using now can be used to expand access to education. This doesn't mean that once this is over, education should be purely online, but blended learning can enable universities in developing countries to offer quality teaching at scale. This could mean that international education will be much more inclusive and could ultimately lead to more partnerships between institutions in developed and developing countries, to share content and resources." Joanna Newman suggests that the students of 2021 could have the best of both worlds, benefitting from institutions mastering the art of virtual learning. but with the opportunity to still have the campus experience. However, she acknowledges that achieving this will entail careful planning and sustained effort. "It is now more important than ever to support student learning and discovery - and this is an undeniable challenge as institutions switch to online teaching and upskill their staff. 1. What are the main points in the above article? : What do you understand by blended learning? 1 Give your opinion on the advantages of virtual learning