aei market overview argentina march 2005

8/2/2019 AEI Market Overview Argentina March 2005

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Market Overview: Argentina

release date December 2005


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Australian Education International


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Table of Contents

1. ENVIRONMENTAL PROFILE .............................................................................................. 41.1. Political Environment............................................................................................................. 41.2. Economy ............................................................................................................................... 51.3. Labour Force......................................................................................................................... 62. EDUCATION FRAMEWORK................................................................................................ 72.1. Argentinas Education Portfolio ............................................................................................. 72.2. Argentinas Education System .............................................................................................. 82.3. Primary and Secondary Education........................................................................................ 92.4. Vocational and Technical Education................................................................................... 102.5. Higher Education................................................................................................................. 112.6. International Education in Argentina ................................................................................... 163. COMPETITOR ACTIVITY................................................................................................... 183.1. United Sates of America ..................................................................................................... 183.2. United Kingdom................................................................................................................... 183.3. Canada................................................................................................................................ 193.4. New Zealand....................................................................................................................... 194. OPPORTUNITIES AND CONSTRAINTS FOR AUSTRALIAN EDUCATION PROVIDERS .....205. CONTACTS ........................................................................................................................ 216. USEFUL WEBSITES.......................................................................................................... 22

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1. ENVIRONMENTAL PROFILE

1.1. Political Environment

Argentina is the eighth largest country in the world and the second largest in South America afterBrazil, with an area of approximately 2.8 million square kilometres and a population of 38.7 million(2004). The country is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean, Uruguay and Brazil to the east, Paraguayand Bolivia to the north, and Chile to the west.

The country is a presidential democracy, having returned to a democratically elected civiliangovernment in 1983 after decades of military rule. Voting is compulsory by universal suffrage.

Argentina is a federation consisting of 23 provinces and a Federal Capital District, Buenos AiresCity. In the years since 1983, the country's democratic institutions have achieved unprecedentedstability, and military intervention no longer appears a prospect. The system of government (at both

the federal and provincial levels) is based on the separation of powers. There are three branches:the Executive branch, the Legislative branch and the Judiciary. No member of one branch ofgovernment can simultaneously perform official duties in another.

At the Federal level, the Executive branch comprises a President, a Vice-President and a Cabinetof Ministers. The President and Vice-President are chosen by direct popular vote for a four-yearterm and one consecutive re-election is permitted. Ministers are appointed by the President.

The Federal Legislative branch consists of a bicameral Congress, namely the Senate and theChamber of Deputies. The Senate is made up of 72 senators - three per province and three for theFederal Capital District. Senators are chosen by direct popular vote for a six-year term. TheChamber of Deputies is made up of 257 deputies, chosen by direct popular vote for a four-year

term. The Federal Judiciary is made up of trial courts, appeals courts and one Supreme Court.

The provinces elect governors, legislators and local officials. Reform legislation in the 1990s led togreater provincial autonomy, particularly in education and health. The provinces receive funds fromthe federal government but also raise their own funds through provincial taxes.

Argentinas two largest political parties are the Partido Justicialista (PJ) and the Unin CvicaRadical(UCR).The PJ party evolved from Juan Perns efforts in the 1940s to expand the role ofthe labour force in the political process. The current President, Nstor Kirchner, belongs to the PJ.The UCR was founded in 1890. Traditionally, the UCR has had more urban middle-class supportand the PJ more labour support; however, both parties are now broadly based.

The economic crisis, which peaked in mid-December 2001 (see p.5), caused civic unrest and theresignation of President De la Rua. Argentina then experienced a fortnight of high politicalinstability, with a succession of three presidents, each remaining in office no longer than a week.Finally, on 1 January 2002, Eduardo Duhalde was appointed as President. Duhalde remained inthis position until presidential elections took place in May 2003, when Nestor Kirchner wasdemocratically elected. Since then, Kirchner has enjoyed consistently solid public approval ratings.

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1.2. Economy

Argentina has a market economy based on an abundance of natural resources, a highly literatepopulation and an export-oriented agricultural sector. Although an industrialised country,Argentinas major exports are dominated by agricultural products, minerals, fats and oils. In the lastdecade, soybeans have become Argentina's main commodity, accounting for 50 percent ofagricultural production and 30 percent of export earnings.

Economic turmoil in the 1980s led to hyperinflation that ended in 1991 with the implementation ofthe Convertibility Plan that pegged the Argentine peso 1:1 with the US dollar. However, persistentbudget deficits, which were incompatible with the convertibility regime, resulted in an unsustainablepublic debt load of US$145 billion and a debt default to private creditors for a total of US$98 billionin December 2001. This economic crisis led to end of the Convertibility Plan and the re-float of theArgentine currency. Following six months of virtual economic inactivity during the first half of 2002,the country has experienced unprecedented growth over the last few years, mainly as a result ofincreased exports due to a favourable exchange rate.

Argentina officially emerged from the default in February 2005 when it issued new debt inexchange for defaulted bonds, thereby completing its long-awaited debt swap.

Argentina has signed a number of investment protection agreements, including one with Australia.This agreement provides additional security to Australian investors by protecting against thepossibility of expropriation of Australian investments and providing an international disputesettlement mechanism. Argentina also has a double taxation agreement with Australia as well aswith key partners.

Argentinas most important trade agreement is Mercosur. Mercosurworks as an imperfect customsunion between Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay, with a common external tariff (CET)

ranging from 3 percent to 23 percent, applied on all but some sensitive products (Argentina'saverage weighted tariff is 13 percent). The main effect of Mercosurhas been significant growth intrade among members, particularly between Brazil and Argentina. Trade between the twocountries increased from US$2.2 billion in 1990 to US$13.2 billion in 2004. Mercosuraccounts for20 percent of Argentina's total exports.

Figure 1. Economic Indicators

2002 2003 2004 2005(*)

GDP (US$ bn) 102.0 129.6 146.4 167.0

GDP per capita (US$): 2,699 3,389 3,788 4,273

Real GDP Growth (% change YOY) -10.9 8.8 8.5 5.4

Current Account Balance (US$ m) 9,142 7,839 3,339 1,237

Current Account Balance (% GDP) 9.0 6.0 2.3 0.7

Goods & Services Exports (%GDP) 27.7 25.0 25.7 24.0

Inflation (% change YOY) 25.9 13.4 4.4 7.5

Unemployment Rate (%): 22.4 17.3 13.8 11.5

*EstimatesYOY = Year Over YearGDP = Gross Domestic Product

Argentinas main industries are edible oils, fuels and energy, cereals, livestock feed and motorvehicles and its main export markets are Brazil (19%), Chile (10.6%), the United States (9.7%),China (7.7%) and Spain (4.6%).

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1.3. Labour Force

Argentinas labour force is approximately 13 million strong and is considered to be well educatedand highly literate. The adult literacy rate among the population aged 15 and over is 97.1 percentfor both males and females.

The unemployment rate as of the third trimester of 2005 stood at 11.1 percent. Nationalemployment grew by 6.8 percent in 2004, although in some provinces this figure is higher. InMendoza, for example, employment grew by 15 percent in the same period. Generally,employment is growing faster in the provinces than in the Buenos Aires metropolitan area. Thegreatest demand exists in small to medium sized enterprises, mainly in the manufacturing industry,where demand increased by 8.5 percent. In the construction industry demand grew by 5.8 percentand in the commerce and services industry by 8.9 percent. Of the new jobs on offer, 57 percentwere for technically qualified personnel.

Despite the steady growth in employment over the past two years, 15.7 percent of companies that

sought to incorporate personnel in the first trimester of 2005 were unsuccessful due to a lack ofqualified applicants mainly in the plastics, automotive and transport, non-metallic minerals,printing and hospitality industries. Of these unfilled positions, 30.6 percent were for operators,27 percent for professionals and 42.4 percent for technically qualified personnel. This has been ageneral trend that has caused the Ministry of Education to begin re-evaluating the technical non-university education sector.

Salaries suffered greatly with the financial crisis in 2001-02 and have not yet fully recovered. Theaverage monthly salary is US$196, with a wide variation in the provinces. In the Federal Capital,for example, the average monthly salary is US$320, while in Corrientes it is US$119.

Unlike most other South American countries, Argentinas population descends mainly from

Europeans. Approximately 80 percent live in urban centres and the most populated provinces areBuenos Aires (16.6 million), Crdoba (3.1 million), Santa F (3 million), Mendoza (1.6 million) andTucumn (1.3 million). Argentina has one of Latin America's lowest population growth rates (about1 percent per annum), which is attributable in part to the economic crisis of 2001-02. It also enjoysa comparatively low infant mortality rate. The age structure of the population is therefore similar tothat of more developed countries, with a median age of about 29 years and a life expectancy of 75years at birth. The average number of years of education in Argentina is 8.8.

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2. EDUCATION FRAMEWORK

2.1. Argentinas Education Portfolio

The Argentine Minister for Education, Science and Technology is Daniel Filmus, an educationalsociologist, who has held this position since President Kirchner came to power in 2003.

In 1993 the then ruling government carried out a complete overhaul of the education system.Under the Federal Law on Education the Government restructured the organisation of schooleducation, made changes to technical and vocational education programmes at the secondaryschool level, and changed teacher education programmes.

The Law came into force in 1995 and was phased in over a five-year period. It decentralised someof the responsibility for education, assigning it to the provinces; established a national system ofinstitutional evaluation; set minimum common knowledge components for students at each level;

and established 10 years of compulsory education comprising one year of pre-school education(Nivel Inicial) for five year-olds and nine of General Basic Education (Educacin General Bsica).

The impact of the 2001-02 financial crises on Argentinas education system can not be overlooked.This period saw many schools take on a social rather than educational role in response to thenumber of school-age children affected by poverty.

As the economic situation improves, the Ministry of Education has increased its budget fromUS$873 million in 2003 to US$1.8 billion in 2005; however, many provinces have not been able todo the same and continue to struggle with minimal education budgets and poor infrastructure.

One of the first undertakings of Minister Filmus was to convene the Federal Education Council,

comprising the portfolio ministers from each province and the Federal Capital, to re-define theFederal Law on Education within the context of Argentinas social, economic and political situation.

The Council defined education policy in Argentina as a strategic means to promote personal,social, economic and cultural development. The Council also expressed a desire to build aneducation system that is articulated to the countrys national development plan. As PresidentKirchner noted, We must stop thinking of education, science and technology as social policies andunderstand them as strategies for development It is indispensable to deepen the ties ofexchange between the education system and the world of production and employment.

The objectives of Filmus term as Minister of Education are outlined in a document entitled QualityEducation for All and comprise the following:

Guarantee a minimum of 10 years of quality schooling for all Argentines; Guarantee a minimum of 180 days of class for all students; Strengthen the role of the Federal Education Council as the official entity for orientation

and regulation of national education policies; Develop education policies that tend to unify the national education system; Guarantee equality of access; Develop strategies to combat social, gender and regional inequalities; Strengthen links between the education system and the workplace; Develop articulation and integration strategies within and among the different levels of

the education system;

Support policies that strengthen, professionalise and improve material and culturalconditions for teachers;

Develop policies of continuing education and innovation for teachers;

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Develop systematic strategies of evaluation of educational quality; Promote the expansion and improvement of educational infrastructure; Promote active collaboration between public and private education; generate active participation among all players of the education system in debate and

implementation of education policies; generate specific programmes for the development of reading; support policies that improve the quality, retention, modernisation and democratisation

of universities; strengthen scientific and technological investigation as public and private resources

improve; integrate the objectives of the education system, universities and the

scientific/technological system; and call on all educators, political parties, religious and industry sectors to assist in the

elaboration of a long-term National Education Project.

Some commentators have suggested that the Federal Law on Education was responsible for thedeterioration of the Argentine education system by decentralising education services and givingmore power to the provinces without guaranteeing the re-distribution of funding and by decreasingthe technical/vocational focus at the secondary school level.

Minister Filmus aims to change these characteristics and has implemented initiatives such asfinancial assistance for schools and scholarships for students, to ensure that they attend schooland that those students who have abandoned their studies return. The Ministry is working on anEducation Finance Law that will guarantee funding to the provinces and teacher salaries,extending class hours and improving digital education.

The Ministry has also formulated the Technical Education Law (Ley de Educacin Tcnica) to re-

introduce into the secondary school system technical qualifications that were eliminated under theFederal Law on Education of 1993. The aim of this Law is to provide qualified personnel to localindustry. The project includes initiatives such as the national recognition of studies, certificates andqualifications, and articulation between different levels of technical/professional education. Itultimately aims to contribute to sustained regional and national growth.

2.2. Argentinas Education System

There are over 41,000 educational establishments (not including universities) in Argentina;78 percent of which are state-run institutions. The remaining 22 percent are private. Stateeducation is free and most private schools are religious (Catholic) or linked to community groups

such as Jewish, American and Anglo-Argentine communities. Many of the latter offer internationalqualifications such as the International Baccalaureate and Cambridge qualifications in the Englishlanguage. Private school fees vary, but can be as much as US$500 per month.

Under the Federal Law on Education, Argentinas education system was completely reformed andten years of compulsory schooling was established, with a guarantee of 180 days of classes perschool year. One year of pre-school education and nine years of general basic education (primaryand lower secondary school) are compulsory, covering children generally aged five to 14 years.The three years of upper secondary school known as Multimodal Education are not compulsory.

Spanish is the language of instruction and English is widely taught. In several provinces, study of asecond language at the lower secondary school level is compulsory, and bilingual schools abound,

although they all fall under the private system.

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It is common for state schools to have two sessions per day, either in the morning or in theafternoon, and, to a certain extent, students can select their preferred session. Private schoolsusually require full day attendance in order to deliver curricula in English and in Spanish.

The national curriculum is organised according to three levels: national, provincial and local. TheCommon Basic Contents - Contenidos Bsicos Comunes (CBC) are common to all schools andaim to ensure the acquisition of basic competencies in subjects such as Mathematics, Language,Science and Technology. Approximately 30 percent of the curriculum consists of ProvincialCurricular Designs - Diseos Curriculares Provinciales which are formulated to suit identifiedregional needs, and the remaining 20 percent consists of Institutional Education Projects(Proyectos Educativos Institucionales), designed to fit the needs of individual institutions.

Funding for education is divided between the provincial and federal governments the federalgovernment provides 60 percent of each provinces total education budget, with the provincemaking up the remaining 40 percent. Generally, the tertiary sector receives federal funding and theprovinces fund the school sector. Most schools depend on funding from parent co-operatives, as

funds received from the federal government are not sufficient. State school students do not payfees, but they do have to purchase their own stationery and uniforms and arrange their owntransport. Public universities are also free but there is constant debate regarding the introduction offees. Private university fees can range from ARS200 to ARS1600 per month (A$88 to A$700).

The academic year is similar to the Australian one. Classes run from March to December, dividedinto two semesters for government schools and three terms for private schools. Universitycalendars can vary, but classes usually run from April to December and are divided into twosemesters.

2.3. Primary and Secondary Education

General Basic Education is compulsory and comprises primary and lower secondary education. Itis nine years in length, divided into three three-year cycles. The entry age is six years and isgenerally completed at 14 years of age. The curriculum includes Mathematics, Language andLiterature, Natural and Social Sciences, Technology, Art and Physical Education. Students whocomplete 10 years of education, comprising Initial and General Basic Education, are awarded aPrimary Education Certificate.

Upper secondary multimodal education (Educacin Polimodal) is not compulsory and lasts forthree years. Students may choose between five major study areas or modules:

Natural Sciences, Health and the Environment; Economics and Organisation Management; Productivity of goods and services; Arts, Design and Communication; and Humanities and Social Sciences.

All modules have common competency-based core subjects in:

Spanish language and literature; Mathematics; Foreign languages; and Ethics, Civics and Health Education.

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Each module also has subject areas in Natural Science, Humanities and Social Science,Technology and Arts, and Communication. Although each module contains these subject areas,the weight given to each of these subject areas varies depending on the students chosenspecialisation.

Assessment is school-based and there are no external examinations or assessments. Oncompletion of multimodal education, students are awarded the secondary school title of Bachiller,which legally entitles them to enrol at a public university.

Figure 2. Argentinas Primary and Secondary Education Cycle

2.4. Vocational and Technical Education

Given the recent lack of skilled and technically qualified workers in the Argentine workforce,vocational and technical education is receiving a significant amount of attention from thegovernment. The changes that were introduced by the Federal Law on Education of 1993 virtuallydid away with the technical secondary school system and the Government is looking to introduce acompletely renovated system that is competency-based and industry-led.

As it stands, vocational and technical training at upper secondary level is for students who areenrolled in that level or who have graduated from multimodal education. The training is calledTechnical and Professional Pathways - Trayectos Tcnico-Profesionales (TTP) and is

administered by the National Institute for Technical Education Instituto Nacional de EducacinTcnica (INET). In theory, competency-based modules have been devised in consultation witheducators, industry groups and trade unions and the programmes are closely aligned with industry.One of the intended outcomes of the TTP programme is to introduce students to life-long learning.However, this is not always the case and the Government realises that this system needs to beredesigned.

There are some 1,700 non-university tertiary institutions (Terciarios) in Argentina, two-thirds ofwhich are public. Some are run by trade associations, such as the automotive and printingindustries. Over two-thirds of the 1,700 institutions are teacher-training institutes. More recently,private institutes have appeared in response to industry needs in areas such as hospitality,information technology (IT) and computer repairs, business administration, welding, construction,auto mechanics and child care. There is no system in place to regulate private institutions,although they must be authorised by the Ministry of Education in order to grant their own awards.Most of the courses offered by the Terciariosare from two to four years in duration.

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A two-year, full-time programme leads to a Certificate of Professional Aptitude. Three-yearprogrammes result in an award known as a Certificate of Competence and students may go on tocomplete a fourth year for the title of Technical Assistant.

Argentine society has tended to stigmatise individuals who have been trained in the vocationaleducation and training system. In a country where state universities are free and there are noentrance examinations, these professionals are sometimes poorly regarded for the simple fact thatthey did not attend university.

The Government plans to overturn this community sentiment by designing new technical educationprogrammes in close conjunction with industry sectors. In this way, technical qualifications maybecome more associated with employability, generating a sense of appreciation amongst students,industry and the general community. It is also intended that stimulating the technical educationsector will encourage life-long learning and lead to the development of clear lines of articulationwithin the education system.

To this end, a series of national fora on vocational and technical education have been held indifferent provinces and the Ministry of Education is expected to formulate a national strategy withinthe next 12 months.

2.5. Higher Education

In Argentina there are 38 state universities and six state university institutes, 41 private universitiesand 13 private university institutes, one provincial university, one foreign university and oneinternational university, all of which are accredited by the Ministry of Education and recognised bythe Government.

Figures from 2003 indicate that there were 1,279,000 students enrolled in state universities andinstitutes and a further 216,000 enrolled in the private system. The largest university by far is theUniversidad de Buenos Aires (UBA), with over 325,000 students. This is followed by theUniversidad Nacional de Crdoba (113,296 students), which is also the oldest university, havingbeen founded in 1631. Universidad Nacional de La Plata is the third largest university (90,564students) followed by Universidad Nacional de Rosario (72,932 students) and UniversidadNacional de Tucumn (57,009 students).

Another university, Universidad Tecnolgica Nacional, has just under 64,000 students spread over29 faculties and academic units throughout the country. Its main focus is on meeting the needs ofregional industries and it trains engineers in a variety of specialisations. It offers training with astrong practical focus, which distinguishes it from the more theoretically based Engineering

faculties in other public universities.

The university institutes are specialised institutions focussing on particular fields such asAeronautics, Maritime Studies, Health and Medical Studies and the Arts. They also include traininginstitutions for the armed forces and the police.

The most popular degrees at the university level are in Economics and Management, with over300,000 students, followed by Law, Architecture and Design, Engineering, Computer Sciences,Medicine, Education and Psychology. This applies to both the public and private sectoruniversities.

Private universities emerged in Argentina in 1958 and qualifications from private universities onlygained recognition by the Government during the late 1980s. Official recognition by theGovernment authorises a private university to grant its own awards, although the universitycontinues to be supervised for six years after gaining recognition.

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Private universities fall into two main groups. The larger and older institutions are located mainly inBuenos Aires, with a few in the regional cities of Crdoba, Mendoza and Tucumn. This groupincludes the two older Catholic universities dating from the 1950s, Universidad Catlica andUniversidad del Salvador, and some established by private foundations dating mainly from the

1970s, such as Universidad de Belgrano.

The other group comprises newer and smaller universities located mainly in Buenos Aires, whichare run by various foundations, professional bodies and religious groups. The individualuniversities usually offer only a few fields of study or specialise in areas such as Business,Finance, Economics, Medical and Health Sciences, Engineering and Technology.

Both public and private universities in Argentina are autonomous and free to determine their owninternal policies. The administration of public universities is somewhat political and involvescommissions or councils of administrative staff, academic staff and students.

Rectors of state universities participate in the National Inter-university Council and Rectors of

private universities have the Council of Rectors for Private Universities. Both are discussion foraand neither has the authority to establish national policy.

Under the Higher Education Law of 1995, the National Commission for University Evaluation andAccreditation Comisin Nacional de Evaluacin y Acreditacin Universitaria (CONEAU) wasestablished to help improve the quality of university education in Argentina. The process consistsof two steps self-evaluation and external evaluation. Institutions may choose to be evaluatedexternally by CONEAU or by evaluation agencies formed by the universities themselves. Externalevaluations take place every six years and complement the self-evaluations.

The university entrance examination system was abolished in 1983 in order to increase thenumber of students enrolled in university. Any student who holds a multimodal secondary school

title is legally entitled to enrol in a state university. This has led to huge enrolments in the first yearof some programmes and most universities now deliver preparatory courses for first year studentsin order to weed out unsuitable students. Consequently the first year drop-out rate is very high.Most private universities have implemented admissions evaluations for prospective students.

The average length of study for an undergraduate degree is five years, although many studentstake much longer. It is characteristic of Argentine universities that students attend part-time anduniversity buildings are often deserted during the day.

Another characteristic of Argentine universities (particularly state universities) is the lack of auniversity campus. Faculties can be spread across the city in different buildings, and in somecases faculty buildings (Agriculture, for instance) may be many kilometres away. Some universities

offer student accommodation, but more often than not this is organised privately.

Largely due to the economic crisis of 2001-02, state universities remain severely under-funded andare in need of heavy investment in infrastructure and facilities. Strikes are also a feature as under-paid academic staff demand more pay and better working conditions.

Argentine universities increasingly recognise the need to have international agreements andtwinning arrangements not only for the benefit of students and academic staff, but also in order todifferentiate themselves from the increasing number of competing universities in the market.

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Figure 3. Argentine Universities

State Universities in Argentina

Universidad de Buenos AiresUniversidad Nacional de Catamarca

Universidad Nacional de Crdoba

Universidad Nacional de Cuyo

Universidad Nacional de Chilecito

Universidad Nacional de Entre Ros

Universidad Nacional de Formosa

Universidad Nacional de General San Martn

Universidad Nacional de General Sarmiento

Universidad Nacional de Jujuy

Universidad Nacional de la Matanza

Universidad Nacional de la Pampa

Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia Austral

Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia San Juan Bosco

Universidad Nacional de la Plata

Universidad Nacional de la Rioja

Universidad Nacional de Lans

Universidad Nacional de Lomas de Zamora

Universidad Nacional de Lujn

Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata

Universidad Nacional de Misiones

Universidad Nacional de Quilmes

Universidad Nacional de Ro Cuarto

Universidad Nacional de Rosario

Universidad Nacional de Salta

Universidad Nacional de San Juan

Universidad Nacional de San Luis

Universidad Nacional de Santiago del Estero

Universidad Nacional de Tres de Febrero

Universidad Nacional de Tucumn

Universidad Nacional de Villa Mara

Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires

Universidad Nacional del Comahue

Universidad Nacional del Litoral

Universidad Nacional del Nordeste

Universidad Nacional del Noroeste de la Provincia de Buenos Aires

Universidad Nacional del Sur

Universidad Tecnolgica Nacional

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State University Institutes

Instituto de Enseanza Superior del Ejrcito

Instituto Universitario Aeronutico

Instituto Universitario de la Polica Federal Argentina

Instituto Universitario de Seguridad Martima

Instituto Universitario Nacional del Arte

Instituto Universitario Naval

Private Universities in Argentina

Pontificia Universidad Catlica Argentina

Universidad Atlntida Argentina

Universidad del Centro Educativo LatinoamericanoUniversidad Abierta Interamericana

Universidad Adventista del Plata

Universidad Argentina de la Empresa

Universidad Argentina John F. Kennedy

Universidad Austral

Universidad Bls Pascal

Universidad CAECE

Universidad Catlica de Crdoba

Universidad Catlica de CuyoUniversidad Catlica de La Plata

Universidad Catlica de Salta

Universidad Catlica de Santa Fe

Universidad Catlica de Santiago del Estero

Universidad Champagnat

Universidad de Belgrano

Universidad de Ciencias Empresariales y Sociales

Universidad de Concepcin del Uruguay

Universidad de CongresoUniversidad de Flores

Universidad de la Cuenca del Plata

Universidad de la Fraternidad de Agrupaciones Santo Toms de Aquino

Universidad de la Marina Mercante

Universidad de Mendoza

Universidad de Morn

Universidad de Palermo

Universidad de San Andrs

Universidad del AconcaguaUniversidad del CEMA

Universidad del Cine

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Universidad del Museo Social Argentino

Universidad del Norte Santo Toms de Aquino

Universidad del Salvador

Universidad Empresarial Siglo 21

Universidad Favaloro

Universidad Juan Agustn Maza

Universidad Maimnides

Universidad Notarial Argentina

Universidad Torcuato Di Tella

Private University Institutes

Escuela Universitaria de Teologa

Escuela de Medicina del Hospital ItalianoInstituto Tecnolgico de Buenos Aires

Instituto Universitario ISEDET

Instituto Universitario IDEA

Instituto Universitario Escuela Argentina de Negocios

Instituto Universitario Escuela Superior de Economa y Administracin de Empresas - ESEADE

Instituto Universitario CEMIC

Instituto Universitario de Ciencias de la Salud Fundacin H.A. Barcel

Instituto Universitario de la Fundacin ISALUD

Instituto Universitario de Salud Mental de la Asociacin Psicoanaltica de Buenos AiresInstituto Universitario Gastn Dachary

Instituto Universitario Italiano de Rosario

Provincial Universities

Universidad Autnoma de Entre Ros

Foreign Universities

Universidad de Bologna (Italy)

International Universities

Facultad Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales - FLASCO

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Figure 4. Provinces of Argentina

2.6. International Education in Argentina

Argentines have been studying overseas for at least 100 years. Given their strong Europeanbackground, in the past it was common for children from wealthy families to finish their schoolingand continue on to university in England, France, Italy and Spain. More recently, however, thetendency is for students to consider overseas studies for short-term English language programmesand postgraduate degrees.

Argentine students tend to complete their undergraduate degrees in-country and considerinternational qualifications for postgraduate degrees overseas. This is seen as conferring a highdegree of professional prestige.

Students increasingly seek funding support to undertake studies overseas; however, there is nogovernment agency that provides this service. The Argentine Ministry of Education provides a list

of available scholarships from international sources on its website and Fundacin Aragon, a non-profit foundation, is the main source of information on international funding for studies overseas.

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In an effort to lure clients back into the Argentine banking system, several local banks areconsidering providing overseas and local study loans as part of their services, but their mainconcern is that they have no support from the Government or the private sector.

Spain is by far the largest provider of scholarship funding in Argentina, largely for shortpostgraduate programmes, but Japan, Italy and Germany also figure prominently.

Most universities have international student exchange agreements, but since the financial crisis thetraffic of students has mostly been towards Argentina and not out-bound. The lack of reciprocity inexchange agreements is a problem for some foreign universities who rely on this method as ameans of eventually obtaining fee-paying students. Also, many Argentine universities are reluctantto waive their students fees for semester-long study-abroad programmes. The newer, privateuniversities are more active in this area and have implemented successful exchange programmes.However, students at these universities are more likely to belong to the upper socio-economicsector and consider international experience essential for future employment.

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3. COMPETITOR ACTIVITY

3.1. United Sates of America

The United States has a strong presence in Argentine education through the FulbrightCommission, Embassy activity and the Argentine-North American Cultural Institute (ICANA), ofwhich there is a branch in most major cities. The USA has its own annual Study USA road show,as well as being the main participant in events such as the MBA Tour.

ICANA provides advice on and oversees examinations for GMAT and TOEFL, counsels studentson studying in the USA, and links North American and Argentine educational institutions, as well asoffering English language courses.

In 2001, the USA was the top education destination for Argentines with just under 12,000 studentsacross all sectors. However, this number has since dropped due to the backlash against the US

following the Argentine financial crisis and the increased difficulty in obtaining visas.

Figures for higher education students, however, remain very much unchanged, as the followingtable shows:

Figure 5. Argentine Higher Education Students Studying in the USA 2000-2005

Students by Academic Level 2000-01 2001-02 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05

Undergraduate 1,237 1,381 1,401 1,504 1,245

Graduate 1,654 1,797 1,963 1,927 1,807

Other 281 266 280 213 311

Total 3,172 3,444 3,644 3,644 3,363

Source: Opendoors

3.2. United Kingdom

The UK is represented in Argentina by the British Council, which has branches all over the country.The Council is consulted by the Argentine Government on education reform matters and it has anon-going relationship with all of the prestigious bilingual schools in Argentina. It also counsels

students, offers education seminars, provides English language courses and access to an on-linedatabase of educational institutions in the UK, as well as allowing public access to an Englishlanguage library.

The British Council does not organise or participate in the main education fairs that take placeannually in Argentina, but regularly arranges visits and seminars by groups of UK universities tolocal bilingual schools.

The UK is a popular destination for short-term English language programmes taken mainly duringthe southern hemisphere winter and school summer holidays.

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3.3. Canada

In 1998, the Canadian Education Centre, together with the Canadian tourism bureau, established adrop-in information centre in Buenos Aires for students. The centre provides information onstudying in Canada and student visas, and since 2002 provides classes in the French and Englishlanguages.

It is estimated that some 400 Argentines study in Canada each year. The province of Quebec isactive in promoting migration of skilled Argentines and advertisements are regularly seen in localpublications.

3.4. New Zealand

New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE) offers a student counselling service in their premises,located in the New Zealand Embassy in Buenos Aires.

Argentines travelling to study in New Zealand for a period of less than six months do not need avisa. New Zealand offers 400 working holiday visas annually to young Argentines. NZTE alsoassists with links between industrial sectors such as the dairy industry in Argentina and NewZealand universities. This, in particular, has influenced the number of specialist study tours byArgentines to New Zealand.

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4. OPPORTUNITIES AND CONSTRAINTS FOR AUSTRALIANEDUCATION PROVIDERS

Argentina is emerging from one of the most far-reaching financial and social crises in its history

and many fundamental government policies have either changed or are in the process of changing.While the country has long recognised the importance of education and, in fact, was a leader inLatin American education policy and systems for many years, bureaucracy and a debilitating lackof funds have caused a deterioration of the local education system.

As the countrys economic situation improves and industry realises that there is now a lack oftechnically skilled and qualified personnel, the Ministry of Education is in the process of respondingto the need for far-reaching reforms in the vocational and technical education sector and hasmentioned in the media that countries like Australia are seen as having the model to follow.

As the Argentine technical education sector is being overhauled, Australian education providersare presented with an opportunity to participate in formulating Argentinas technical education

strategy through, for example, consulting services, teacher training and curriculum design.

Argentina and Australia are similar in many respects: They are both southern hemispherecountries that share the same academic year; they have many common industries such asagriculture, mining, wine and viticulture, sheep/wool, beef, commercial fishing, tourism andhospitality and natural resources; and their geography and demographics are similar.

Australia is not well known in Argentina. Students are more likely to think of the US or the UK aseducation destinations, but those who are aware of Australia as an education destination, admireAustralia and see it as the symbol of what they would like to achieve.

Argentines are well-disposed towards Australians and this opens the door to building relationships.

Australia is a quality education provider that has already found solutions to and solved similareducation problems to those that Argentina is now facing. As Argentinas exports increase,particularly to Asian markets, so does the countrys need for Australian know-how, technology,research and education.

Argentines perceive Australia as being distant and the cost of airfares between Argentina andAustralia is high when compared to other destinations. Although there are now eight flights perweek between Australia and Argentina (four via Santiago with LAN/Qantas and four to BuenosAires with Aerolineas Argentinas), in peak periods it is difficult to purchase tickets and educationagents are discouraged by the fact that they find it difficult to obtain tickets for their clients.

The lack of scholarships or alternative funding for studies can be a deterrent, particularly when

other countries such as the UK, Spain and the USA are offer funding programmes.Argentina is now rated as Student Visa Assessment Level 2 by the Department of Immigration andMulticultural and Indigenous Affairs (DIMIA) across all visa sub-classes, after having been rated 3until April 2005.

Argentine universities are actively seeking agreements with international universities in order toincrease their own competitiveness and provide enhanced learning to existing students. It issuggested that these relationships should be based on specific industry sectors such as wine andviticulture, rather than general agreements. Argentina offers the possibility of interesting researchcollaborations with Australian academics.

Australia is not the study destination of choice for Argentines; however, this is because they know

little about Australia and its education system. As Argentines become more aware of Australiascapabilities as an education and training provider and as the economy fully recovers, it is possiblethat the number of students interested in study opportunities in Australia may grow.

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5. CONTACTS

The Australian Education International (AEI) office located in Santiago, Chile is responsible for theSouth and Central American region. AEI currently has a Service Agreement with Austrade Buenos

Aires to undertake activities on behalf of AEI in the following areas:

Government-to-government relations; Information services; and Promotions and marketing.

Australian Education International, South and Central America

Av. Nueva Tajamar 481Torre Sur, Of. 606Las CondesSantiagoCHILE

Phone: +56 2 203 0577Fax: +56 2 203 0566eMail: [email protected]

Tony CrooksCounsellor (Education, Science and Training) - South and Central America

Sofa PereiraManager Education, Science and Training

Carolina RassMarket Development Officer

Loreto LazcanoOffice Manager

Priscila TrevisanManager AEI Brazil

Australian Embassy, Argentina

Villanueva 1400C1426BMJ Buenos AiresPhone: +54 11 4779 3573Fax: +54 11 4779 3583

Norma RamiroBusiness Development AssociateAustrade Buenos AiresVillanueva 1400(C1426BMJ) Buenos Aires, ArgentinaPhone: + 5411 4779 3575

Fax: + 5411 4779 3583eMail: [email protected]

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6. USEFUL WEBSITES

Argentine Government

http://www.presidencia.gov.ar

http://www.info.gov.ar

Ministerio de Educacin, Ciencia y Tecnologa

http://www.me.gov.ar

Instituto Nacional de Estadstica y Censos

http://www.indec.mecon.ar

Consejo Interuniversitario Nacional

http://www.cin.edu.ar

Consejo de Rectores de las Universidades Privadas

http://www.crup.org.ar

Comisin Nacional de Evaluacin y Acreditacin Universitaria

http://www.coneau.edu.ar

Instituto Nacional de Educacin Tecnolgica

http://www.inet.edu.ar
http://www.presidencia.gov.ar/http://www.info.gov.ar/http://www.me.gov.ar/http://www.indec.mecon.ar/http://www.cin.edu.ar/http://www.crup.org.ar/http://www.coneau.edu.ar/http://www.inet.edu.ar/http://www.inet.edu.ar/http://www.coneau.edu.ar/http://www.crup.org.ar/http://www.cin.edu.ar/http://www.indec.mecon.ar/http://www.me.gov.ar/http://www.info.gov.ar/http://www.presidencia.gov.ar/

aei market overview argentina march 2005

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