By Jan Petter Myklebust. While the amount of external research income for Swedish universities increased significantly in 2013, the number of new doctoral students fell by 800 to 3,100 – a whopping 20% drop – following the introduction of tuition fees for students from outside Europe three years ago.
Even so, foreigners accounted for 24% of new students admitted to Swedish higher education institutions last year, according to annual statistics compiled by the Swedish Higher Education Authority. Read more...

By Wachira Kigotho. More than 100 universities that are members of the Inter-University Council for East Africa, or IUCEA, have scrapped high tuition fees for students from Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda. These are the five countries that form the East African Community, an economic alliance geared towards economic cooperation and future political integration. Read more...

By Geoff Maslen. All Australian students are required to pay tuition fees when they enrol as undergraduates in public or private tertiary institutions, although the federal government currently subsidises the fees for the majority enrolled in public universities.
Students who are Australian citizens or holding permanent residency visas can defer the remainder of the fee not subsidised by the government, known as the student contribution, through a government loan. They need only repay the loan when they graduate and are earning more than a set amount which next year will be A$53,400 (US$47,000). Read more...

By Makki Marseilles. Greek universities are state-financed and run so students do not pay fees – at least at undergraduate level. However a first degree is anything but cheap, with 'other' costs ranging from as little as €1,000 (US$1,300) to €10,000 – and even €100,000 – a year depending on who you are, the socio-economic position of your parents, the institution attended, the length of studies and even your lifestyle. Read more...

Levels of student tuition or administrative fees, grants and loans continue to highlight stark differences across Europe, according to a new report published by the European Commission's Eurydice network.
The report, National Student Fee and Support Systems in European Higher Education 2014/2015, covers 33 European countries and reveals that fee systems have remained relatively stable across the continent, apart from some notable exceptions. Read more...

By Paul Rigg. The fifth annual international IE University conference on “Reinventing Higher Education” discussed Bologna, English as the lingua franca and engagement between business and universities. But perhaps it will be the ‘digital natives’ of the next generation who will be higher education’s greatest challenge. Read more...

By Nic Mitchell. Staff mobility needs to be given the same kind of attention as is paid to student mobility if universities’ internationalisation strategies are to succeed, says a new report from the European University Association and the Academic Cooperation Association.
The report, Connecting Mobility Policies and Practice: Observations and recommendations on national and institutional developments in Europe, is largely based on the results of the Mobility Policy-Practice Connect, or MPPC, project supported by the European Commission’s lifelong learning programme. Read more...

By Gilbert Nganga. Kenya has set a higher qualifications threshold for the appointment of university lecturers. In a directive to be implemented in the next five years, the Commission for Higher Education said only PhD holders would be allowed to teach at universities as lecturers. Read more...

By Michael Gardner. Students in Germany appear to be chiefly concerned with their careers and show little interest in political issues, according to a survey supported by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, or BMBF. Also, they seem happy with the outcome of the Bologna reforms. Read more...

On 31 October the European University Association, or EUA, issued a statement expressing deep concern about cuts to research and innovation funding – including the Horizon 2020 framework – proposed by the Council of the European Union. If implemented, said the EUA, the cuts would not only jeopardise universities but also economic growth and job creation. Read more...