The annual Ibero-American report has been published by the Scimago Research Group. This is an analysis of the research activity of universities and research organizations in Latin America, Spain and Portugal. Scimago is adamant that this is a research evaluation tool and not a league table. The report is based on publications in the Scopus database and covers the years 2008 – 2012.The Science and Technology Select Committee of the upper house of the British parliament, the House of Lords, has investigated the number of international students in STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) in British universities and the impact of immigration policy. Over the last two years the number of international students fell by 10%. 
By Andreas Schleicher. The world is rapidly becoming a different place, with globalisation and modernisation imposing huge challenges to individuals and societies. Schools need to prepare students to live and work in a world in which most people will need to collaborate with people of diverse cultural origins, and appreciate different ideas, perspectives and values; a world in which people need to decide how to trust and collaborate across such differences, often bridging space and time through technology; and a world in which their lives will be affected by issues that transcend national boundaries. Twenty-first century schools help students to develop autonomy and identity that is cognisant of the reality of national and global pluralism, equipping them to join others in life, work and citizenship. More...
This post, written by Bruegel's Olga Tschekassin, discusses the latest results on Europe's poverty rates, unemployment rates and income inequalities. The post is a part of the Wikiprogress Series on Jobs and Earnings. 
VPL (or APL, APEL, RPL, PLAR, EVC, RPLO, VNIL, RVA) is crucial for empowering citizens to be more employable on the labour market, to be self-confiding in choosing for personalised learning programmes and/or for activating citizenship.
Many countries have national governments, employers, trade-unions, social organisations, volunteering organisations, schools/universities and many others inveput a lot of effort in developing citizen-steered systems for Validation of Prior Learning.
By Zain. In my previous post, I talked about IELTS preparation with a focus on the reading section of the exam. In this space, I will try to present some solutions to the challenges that students face in preparing their listening and speaking skills for those sections. You may doubt your own English language abilities, but it is possible to achieve a good IELTS score if you follow certain handy tips, and, needless to say, keep on practicing. Here are some ways to improve your listening and speaking skills as part of your IELTS preparation. More...
For those interested in pursuing studies in the fields of political science and international studies, the QS World University Rankings by Subject includes a dedicated listing of the world’s 200 top universities for politics and international studies.
A quarter of the 200 top political science schools are claimed by the US, reflecting the latter’s overall dominance of global rankings tables. The UK is not far behind, with 39 of the top 200 political science schools, followed by Australia and Canada with 14 each. More...
ESN has experienced first hand the difficult access to Visas and Residence Permits. Our Web Project Administrator Salih Odabasi from Turkey was not able to join us here in the headquarters in Brussels for his elected term 2013/14. Not only did his application get rejected but it also took more than 3 months after handing in the final documents to get an answer.
The European Commission has proposed in 2013 a revision of VISA Directive 2004/114 to improve the access for students, youth workers and volunteers. More...
The 1st Validation of Prior Learning VPL Biennale was held at Inholland University, Rotterdam, from 9 to 11 April 2014. More than 200 participants from European countries, the Republic of Korea and Canada attended the conference.
The aim of the event was to share how governments, employers, trade unions, social and volunteering organisations, schools, universities and other institutions are linking VPL to qualifications, further education and training, employability and personal development.
In her keynote speech, Madhu Singh, Senior Programme Specialist at UIL, highlighted the potential of the UNESCO Guidelines for the Recognition, Validation and Accreditation of the Outcomes of Non-formal and Informal Learning for empowerment and participation in the learning society, and examined how countries were making progress in relation to the six action areas and six core principles as stated in the UNESCO Guidelines.
UIL has previously collaborated with Inholland University on the publication of Linking Recognition Practices and National Qualifications Frameworks in 2013.
For more information on the 1st VPL Biennale go to: http://www.vplbiennale.com/.
The European Training Foundation (ETF) held its international conference entitled “Making Better Qualifications” at the European Parliament in Brussels on 8 and 9 April 2014.
During the event, 120 participants from the EU and ETF partner countries and beyond (Hong Kong SAR China and Australia), as well as UNESCO representatives, identified how vocational qualifications are being reformed. The ETF study on qualifications reforms in ETF partner countries was presented, and in three workshop sessions, participants discussed how to make better qualifications, ensure trust, and bring qualifications closer to their countries’ citizens.
UIL is collaborating with ETF and the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (CEDEFOP) on the Global Inventory of National Qualifications Framework.
More information on the ETF conference is available at: https://connections.etf.europa.eu/.
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