Tution fees in world trade competition
PARIS (esna) -- Tuition fees for international students can be a tool of labour market policy. In commercialised higher education systems as in the US, the UK, Canada or New Zealand fees for internationational and domestic students do not necessarily differ. But when Sweden raised fees for non-EU nationals, 80 percent of them stayed away. A new OECD policy brief sheds some light on risks and effects of fees ... read more
ESNA talked to Gabriele Marconi, one of the authors of the study ... ESNA podcast 15.5.17
Brussels students on the barricades again
BRUSSELS (brussels times) -- A presentation by the Secretary of State for Migration and Asylum, Theo Francken (New Flemish Alliance) anticipated to take place at the Free University of Brussels was cancelled. 50 to 100 students blocked the entrance and displayed banners saying “Refugees welcome - Abandon free trade” ... read more 03.05.2017
Slovenian students shrink
LJUBLJANA (vecer) -- The number of students tertiary education in Slovenia is in decline. Nearly 80,000 were enrolled in 2016/17, one thousand less than last year and 36,000 less than ten years ago ... read more 11.05.2017
Italians ready to abandon the beauty
ROME (repubblica) -- Half of the Italian students are ready to leave and work in another country, the university survey Almalaurea found. More than three quarters of Italian students speak decent English now, one in three would even accept leaving the continent, although the employment situation for graduates has slightly improved over the last years ... read more 16.05.2017
Portuguese unions oppose ‘foundation’ model
LISBON (público) -- The Portuguese education union Snesup unanimously rejects the model of ‘university foundations’, approved in 2007 and supported by the current government. The company-like school model increases precarious employment ... read more 10.05.2017
Students in Barcelona protest high fees
BARCELONA (ep) -- Continuing the wave of protest in March and April, even in early May thousands of students took the streets in the centre of Barcelona in protest against high fees. They demand tuiton to be lowered by a third and their three-year degrees to be approved. The protest is part of long lasting opposition against the ‘Law Wert’ of 2013 that made universities more expensive and selective ... read more | and here 11.05.2017
Google against protectionism in Zurich
ZURICH (der bund) -- Google is expanding its office in Zurich and keen on talented students - regardless of their origins, and the ETH Zurich is not charging higher fees from international students who cannot, however, be employed like Swiss nationals. Therefore, a leading Google engineer said Switzerland wants to be a world class football team, but without foreigners. A voice from Basel countered: Switzerland has the ‘Real Madrid Syndrom’, it buys the stars but neglegts the local offspring ... read more 16.05.2017
Austrian students demand privileged use of fees
VIENNA (presse) -- The Association of Socialist Students in Austria (VSStÖ) demand that, in accordance with the University Law from 2004, students can have a say in how tuition fees are to be used. All Austrian universities together received about 20 million euros in fees this year, a law expert estimates. The science ministry plans to eliminate the regulation ... read more 11.05.2017
Turkey: academics on hunger strike
ANKARA (pen international) -- Fears are growing for two Turkish academics whose health is deteriorating after more than 60 days on hunger strike. Nuriye Gülmen and Semih Özakça went on hunger strike Ankara, demanding that their jobs be reinstated. They are two of 4,811 academics and 40,000 teachers who were dismissed by emergency decree following the coup attempt of 15 July 2016 ... read more 11.05.2017
Smart drugs popular among European students
LONDON (guardian) -- UK institutions are being called on to consider measures such as drug testing to stem the rise of ‘smart drugs’. The most commonly used ones are Modafinil, Ritalin and Adderall. Current estimates indicate about 10 to 15 percent of European students have tried to enhance their cognitive performance with drugs at least once ... read more 10.5.17
Global cyber attack hits universities hard
(div) -- A massive cyber attack over the last weekend hit 200,000 users of Microsoft systems in over 150 countries, says Europol, including companies, public organisations and universities. Denmark, Russia and Spain were among the victims affected by the massive hacker attack. Universities in Greece and Italy also were hit ... read more | and here 14.05.2017
Essay mills in high demand
EDINBURGH (scotsman) -- Essay writing companies are in high demand by students. The Scottish universities association and the student union said the companies were “acting immorally on all levels”, preying on vulnerable students, many of whom have jobs to finance their studies. Costs vary but the average price charged for a 1,000-word essay is 138 pounds, dissertations cost approximately 1,700 pounds ... read more 14.05.2017