By Alex Usher. There are branch campuses and then there are branch campuses.  Mostly, branch campuses are set up in temporary (often rented) premises, and try to scratch a living charging locals what the market will bear and trying to keep costs down through whatever mix of contract academic staff and distance learning from the “home campus” will work while keeping students coming through the door. Read more...

By Liz Reisberg. The continuing stream of articles covering student indignation on campus over a supposed lack of respect and tolerance for other cultures just makes me sigh. Although I pride myself on a certain degree of political, cultural, racial sensitivity (Granted, it’s still a work in progress) I do worry that this kind of “sensitivity” is out of control. Read more...

By Alex Usher. You would be forgiven, over the past 24 months or so, for growing ever more confused about when tuition is “free” and when it is not.  Can it be called “free tuition” if a student has to pay living expenses?  Is it only free tuition if only some students receive “free education”?   What about if we look at “net price” (i.e. tuition minus grants)?  It’s actually kind of tricky. Read more...

By Ararat L. Osipian. In Ukraine, research and education are institutionally separated. This separation, inherited from the Soviet era, results in universities scoffing at research and research institutes unmotivated to cooperate with universities. Read more...

By Madelaine Leitsberger. Austria is one of the transit countries for refugees on their way to Germany. It faces great infrastructure and organisational difficulties to deal with the masses of people crossing the border but also with those who decide to stay. Approximately 90.000 applications for asylum have been submitted in 2015 in contrast to 28.064 applications in 2014. Read more...