In a major step to attract students from the SAARC countries, Indian universities will now slash their fees to level them with the Indian students. The University Grants Commission (UGC) has taken a decision in this regard and asked the Central Universities, State Universities and Deemed Universities to implement it immediately. The decision will immensely benefit the aspiring students from Afghanistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Maldives.

The International Finance Corporation, a member of the World Bank Group, signed an agreement last week with Saudi Arabia's Riyad Bank to introduce a new student loan scheme that will finance the education of male and female university students across the country. Under the partnership, the Riyad Bank will originate, fund and administer student loans aimed at encouraging students to pursue higher education in selected disciplines.

Spain's economic crisis is beginning to bite, hitting top Spanish universities - including the Universidad Complutense which joined The Europaeum in 2003. The government's austerity measures kicked in from January and, although education was to be protected, public universities are feeling the pressure as regional authorities propose substantial cuts that will hit higher education.

The government has outlined its plans to introduce tuition and application fees for students from non-EU-EEA countries from the 2011-2012 academic year. In presenting the bill to parliament, the government also announced the fees would be supplemented by new scholarships schemes, one of which will be available to students from countries where Sweden is already involved with long-term development projects

The Home Office has introduced stringent new rules for overseas students seeking to study in the UK. Alan Johnson, Labour's Home Secretary, announced last Sunday that applicants would have to speak passable English and those on short courses would not be allowed to bring in dependants. Those on non-degree courses would be allowed to work 10 hours a week instead of 20. Visas for non-degree courses would be granted to institutions that are on a new register, The Highly Trusted Sponsors List.

In spite of tightened security and controls governing the issuing of student visas, no significant change has occurred in the percentage of foreign students enrolled at US colleges and universities since the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001. Indeed, the proportion - as a percentage of total US higher education enrolment figures - has remained steady at around 3.5% between 2002 and 2009, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

A survey released today by Insight Performance, Inc., a strategic human resources (HR) consulting firm, and SBANE (Smaller Business Association of New England) found that an increasing number of small to-mid-sized businesses in New England are planning to hire employees this year and offer base-pay increases. The Small Business and Human Resources 2010 Outlook Survey uncovers growing optimism among small and mid-sized businesses, but companies expect progress to be slow and incremental.

Despite a budget shortfall, hiring freeze and higher fees, the University of California, Berkeley, continues to attract more and higher quality graduate students, according to new data from the campus's Graduate Division. By far, students say their top reasons to come to UC Berkeley include the chance to work with distinguished faculty and to earn their degrees from world-class graduate programs.

Foreigners studying in France pay the same fees as local students and, unlike in some other countries, they do not contribute vast sums to the state's exchequer. In fact the opposite is the case: the French government expends thousands of euros on each student, regardless of nationality. Foreign students are even eligible for some benefits, such as housing allowances and subsidised canteens.

Only in recent times have the powers-that-be in Finnish higher education been able to bring themselves to utter the word 'fees'. In the Finnish context, the thought of charging students to study had risen only occasionally before discussions led to Finland's new Universities Act of 2009. But radical change is afoot and, from the start of 2010, it became possible for universities to charge tuition fees to students from outside the European Union, although under certain highly restrictive circumstances.

Britain is the second most popular destination for students from overseas, after the US the UK receives more than 350,000 international students each year, more than 20% of the world's share. But university leaders fear public spending cuts over the next three years may put the strength of the higher education sector at risk.

Germany is popular with overseas students and comes third in terms of recruitment from OECD countries. Where they have been introduced, tuition fees appear modest compared with many other countries. But while a number of programmes exist to support students from abroad, World University Service Germany is concerned that fees are proving a deterrent to foreigners, particularly from southern countries.

Tuition fees for foreign students from outside the European Union and the European Economic Area were introduced in 2006 and form part of a broader globalisation strategy for Danish universities as well as a desire to strengthen market mechanisms in higher education. The number of foreign students in full degree programmes and student exchanges had grown significantly in the first years of the new millennium. The number of full degree students grew by 141% in just six years, while the number of exchange students went up by 80% in the same period.

Traditionally The Netherlands has maintained subsidised fees for all students, whether EU or non-EU, which means a fee of roughly EUR1,600 a year. But this situation is changing rapidly and since 2008 non-EU students have no longer been funded by the government. So many universities have started to charge full-cost fees to those who enrol in English-taught degree courses. There is also an emerging private sector offering nationally accredited degree courses on a full-cost basis to Dutch, EU and non-EU students.

Sweden will introduce application fees, and most likely tuition fees as well, for international students from outside the European Union and the European Economic Area from the autumn term of 2011. As an EU member state, Sweden cannot differentiate between its own citizens and other EU citizens.

Education in Greece is free so no fees are paid by students. Embodied in the country's constitution is that all Greek citizens (and certain foreigners who live and work in the country) are entitled to free education. Entrance to university is subject to examinations and the process in some respect falsifies free state education. Although education at school is supposed to be available to everyone rich and poor, many parents choose to send their children to private schools which do charge fees.

International student fees became increasingly important to New Zealand universities this decade as they sought to increase their income in the face of government control or regulation of most other forms of their income. In 2008, the most recent year figures are available, direct government grants accounted for between 40% to 50% of income for most of the eight universities while domestic students provided 14% to 20% and international students 7% to 15%.

Several leading universities in Taiwan are seeking to attract outstanding Chinese students by offering them scholarships, but instead of using government subsidies for this purpose, the universities plan to raise funds from the business and industry sector. At a seminar Saturday on the impact of opening Taiwan's universities to Chinese students, university presidents from the host National Chengchi University (NCCU) , National Taiwan University (NTU), and National Cheng Kung University (NCKU) shared the view that offering scholarships would be a good incentive for Chinese students to pursue advanced studies in Taiwan.

Shanghai had 34,886 foreign students in 2007 and every year more learners are drawn to the cosmopolitan financial hub of 18.88 million souls. Despite the modernity and Western facades, it takes some getting used to. Some jump in with both feet, some find security in the expat "bubble," some ponder the mysteries of Chinese society over a warming bowl of 6-yuan (88 US cents) noodles and consider each little cultural collision an opportunity to learn. Everybody loves the food.

Taiwanese universities aim to admit Chinese students for the first time next year, an official said Wednesday, but the plan immediately drew criticism from the independence-leaning opposition. Chinese students from 41 of the mainland's universities recognised by Taiwanese authorities are expected to start enrolling as early as the autumn term of 2010, an aide quoted Education Minister Wu Ching-ji as saying.

Three-quarters of universities in England have had to bail out students with emergency funding because of delays to loans and grants, a survey has found. Tens of thousands of students are still waiting for their first maintenance payments as the Student Loans Company (SLC) struggles to cope with demand.

In a country where even the most patient person can be severely tested, Vietnam's university students are now facing yet another hurdle to successfully completing their studies. Having classes scheduled in different campuses means that constant traffic jams force many students to miss classes because they are unable to reach them in time.

Finland no longer has a university in the world's top 100 after its highest ranked university, the University of Helsinki, slipped from 91st to 108th in the 2009 Times Higher Education's ranking of world universities. Helsinki is by far the best performed Finnish university. The next four in the ranking were Helsinki University of Technology, ranked 210th, followed by the universities of Turku, Kuopio and Oulu, ranked 264th, 328th and 331st respectively.

Sarah Lawrence College For the second year in a row, Sarah Lawrence College is the most expensive college in the nation for the 2009-2010 school year, while NYU edges out The George Washington University to take 2nd in the ranking.

Taiwan is likely to allow Chinese students to attend its universities from September 2010, a few months later than expected, Deputy Minister of Education Lin Tsong-ming said.

The Swedish Government is discussing how and when to introduce tuition fees for students from outside the European Union. The reason why Sweden is wanting to introduce an application fee - likely to be around SEK1,000 - is that higher education institutions were this year flooded with 114,900 applications from non-European students, with only 18,000 offered admission. The Swedish authorities believe an application fee will discourage the less serious applications, reducing the administrative burden on Swedish universities that are having to wade through piles of ineligible applications.

New Zealand's universities want the standard required for university entrance from school to change and at least one vice-chancellor says it should be tougher. The country's universities are currently under pressure with more enrolments than they are funded for by the government, and some suggest that a different entry standard could help them manage enrolment applications better.

The United States should aim to double its overall international student enrollments from 625,000 in 2008 to 1.25 million in 2020. This key recommendation is made in a new report, The Global Competition for Talent, published last week by the Centre for Studies in Higher Education (CSHE) at the University of California, Berkeley.

According to recent data from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, today only 71% of students earn a high school diploma, fewer than six in 10 minority students graduate with their peers, and many graduates are unprepared for college. The Foundation says that "Success in the 21st century demands skills, attitudes, and abilities that require more than a high school diploma."

Australia’s Minister for Education has announced the establishment of a student hotline - 1300 363 079 - to enable international students to anonymously raise any concerns they might have during their stay in Australia. The outcomes will be collated and published on the www.studyinaustralia.gov.au site so that all students can benefit from the information.

For a record number of students, A Level results day has also brought confirmation that they have secured a place at university or college for this autumn. A total of 371,016 applicants have had their places confirmed so far, more than 60% of all those who have applied - meaning more people than ever have the reassurance that they know what their future holds.

The UK remains the most sought-after destination for Pakistani students even after nine were held and later deported from Britain on suspicion of terrorism earlier this year, according to student visa consultants.

Seven Thai universities that appeared in the Top 500 of the Times Higher Education-QS World University Rankings in 2008 have qualified to become national research universities, reports Wannapa Phetdee for The Nation. The scheme to develop Thailand's leading institutions has been approved by cabinet and the Education Ministry will spend Bhat 12 billion - a third of a billion US$ - on it.

Summer enrolment in New York's public colleges soared to the highest level in 18 years, officials said, write Joy Resmovits and Carrie Melago for the Daily News. More than 73,000 students are taking courses at City University of New York schools this summer, up almost 3% over last year.

During a speech at the National Academy of Sciences on April 27, 2009, President Obama announced a National Science Foundation/Department of Energy collaboration that addresses the need to "spark a sense of wonder and excitement" in the nation's young people to pursue careers in science and engineering.

Over the past decade, the number of foreign students seeking higher education in Japan has more than doubled, reports the Daily Yomiuri. In contrast, the number of Japanese students going abroad for their education is waning. In 2008, 123,829 foreign students were studying at the nation's universities and vocational schools, a 240% increase over the 1998 figure, according to the Japan Student Services Organisation.

The number of students enrolled at Swedish universities climbed in 2008 for the first time since the early 2000s, new statistics from the Swedish National Agency for Higher Education (Högskolverket) show, reports The Local. Foreign students account for a large part of the increase. A total of 87,000 new students started courses at a Swedish university for the 2007-08 academic year - 5,800 more than the previous year and the first significant rise since 2002, according to the study compiled for the agency by Statistics Sweden (SCB).

The handbook is available as a pdf download.

The Finnish parliament has voted for the most radical set of reforms of the nation's university system in several decades. Despite a couple of glitches on the way to the parliament, the new act was passed by 168 votes to 16, with the only party-wide opposition coming from Vasemmistoliitto, the Left Alliance.

Pakistan has offered 1,000 scholarships to Afghan students to study in the country in almost all disciplines, writes Asim Hussain for The Daily Mail. Under the phased programme, as many as 200 Afghan students will join Pakistani universities this year. The first batch of students will be admitted in September at the start of the academic year.

A group of science, academic, and engineering organizations urged the federal government to take additional steps to improve the visa process for international students, scholars, and scientists, including creation of a high-level interagency panel to review all the government’s post-9/11 visa policies and procedures. "We have been deeply concerned about the significant increase in delays experienced earlier this year by many international students, scholars, and scientists who have applied for visas to study, conduct research, or attend conferences in this country," the groups wrote in a joint statement. "Lengthy and unnecessary delays frustrate and discourage" these individuals from traveling to the United States to work, study, or attend conferences."

Universities in China are facing similar demands to improve the employability of their graduates as those in the UK, according to new research among employers.

Study in Sweden is a comprehensive resource for information about higher education in Sweden. The site incorporates a database of English-language master’s programs, information about Sweden’s universities as well as practical facts concerning application procedures, scholarships, visas, accommodation and information for learning Swedish as a foreign language.

As violence against international students continues and Australia faces increasingly strident criticism from India, Universities Australia - the vice-chancellors' organisation - has released a "10-point action plan" for student safety. Among the recommendations, the plan calls for strong law enforcement and "necessary complementary actions".

A consortium of universities, institutes and think tanks has warned the US it needs to invest in progressive robotics technology to remain competitive with other global powers.

(Businessweek) Business schools throughout Asia are trying to become more competitive with the top schools in the U.S. and Europe. B-schools in China, Hong Kong, South Korea, and other parts of Asia have been making their curricula more global and recruiting more professors from abroad. At the same time, Asian business schools increasingly are partnering with one another or with schools from the West to offer more options to their students.

In Japan, it has never been easier to find an MBA program. Twenty years ago, only a few universities offered business administration courses, so most aspiring students headed to the U.S. to study. Even as business school degrees gained in popularity around the world, the number of domestic programs edged up only slowly. However, in the last five years the number of Japanese universities with business schools has more than doubled, to 55.

The Bologna process appears to be falling seriously behind in putting its ideas into practice, Europe's students say. They claim the process is in grave danger of being revealed as a superficial redesign of higher education structures in Europe rather than a transformation of the whole academic and learning paradigm.

One in five students who enrol in French higher education quit without qualifying, according to Ove, the National Observatory of Student Life. The organisation says these thousands of young people without a university diploma or degree have "escaped investigation" but now it has decided to fill the research gap and find out why they gave up their studies and how they fared afterwards.

American Senator Paul Simon introduced a Study Abroad Foundation act to the US Senate earlier this month. The act is intended to provide a dramatic increase in the number of American undergraduates who go abroad to undertake part of their studies in other countries.