The work of the Council of Europe in the field of higher education and research focuses on issues related to the recognition of qualifications, public responsibility for higher education and research, higher education governance and other fields relevant for the establishment of the European Higher Education Area by 2010. The Council of Europe also supports reform of higher education in the so-called priority regions, mainly the South East Europe, South Caucasus and CIS countries. The link address is: http://www.coe.int/t/dg4/highereducation/Default_en.asp

 Mediterranean Universities Union (UNIMED), founded in the early 90s, is an Association of Universities from countries in the Euro-Mediterranean basin. UNIMED’s main aim is to develop scientific and educational cooperation in the Euro-Mediterranean region, in order to contribute to the process of integration between the two Mediterranean shores. UNIMED collaborates with its network universities in several activities in different fields including among others tangible and intangible cultural heritage, economics, energy, environment, management of water resources, transports, health, media, new technologies, history, agriculture, tourism. The link address is: http://www.uni-med.net/

By Nick Anderson. The Washington Post asked several leaders of colleges and universities about President Obama’s plan to rate their institutions by 2015 and link student aid to those ratings by 2018. 
Read on for responses from leaders of Cornell, Johns Hopkins, Georgetown, Catholic, Howard, Morgan State, the University of the District of Columbia, the University of Massachusetts, the University of Maryland at College Park, Oregon State, University of Virginia, George Mason, William & Mary, University System of Maryland, Goucher, Vassar, St. John’s, Marymount, Washington and Lee, Davidson, Stevenson, Hood, Trinity Washington and Excelsior. Read more...

 The European University Association (EUA) represents and supports higher education institutions in 46 countries, providing them with a unique forum to cooperate and keep abreast of the latest trends in higher education and research policies. Members of the Association are European universities involved in teaching and research, national associations of rectors and other organisations active in higher education and research. The link address is: http://www.eua.be/Home.aspx

 The International Research Universities Network (IRUN) is an international network of broad-based research universities. The aim of IRUN is to further improve the quality of research and teaching at the universities involved. Within the Network, the exchange of researchers, lecturers and students will be encouraged and facilitated. The link address is: http://www.irun.eu/

 The Euromed Permanent University Forum (EPUF) is a network of more than a 100 Euro-Mediterranean Higher Education and Research Institutions, established in Tampere (Finland) in 2006. The EPUF’s main objective is the creation of a sustainable Higher Education Area in the EuroMed Region. They contributes to the promotion of a knowledge society and encourages collaboration and dialogue between the region’s educational institutions and cultural traditions. The EPUF, also promotes a sustainable development of scientific and technological exchange in which, education and civil society are also involved. The link address is: http://www.epuf.org/home

 The Community of Mediterranean University (CMU) was thus set up in 1983, to generate a process of renewal and modernisation which would help its adhering members to overcome many serious problems. As the years passed, this process has continued by means of a series of initiatives that have met with such widespread support that the CMU now numbers over 160 members. The link address is: http://www.cmungo.org/

By Alice Philipson. Oxford University risks undermining its reputation by accepting wealthy foreign students with poor grades for “purely commercial reasons”, an internal report warns. The “associate students”, who generally have lower average grades than a typical Oxford undergraduate, pay as much as £13,000 a term and can stay for up to a year. Although the students are not officially part of the university, senior figures said they “pose severe reputational risk” because their academic standards are “often low”. The report said that colleges, which are independent of the university and are free to set their own admissions policies, granted them admission for “purely commercial” reasons. Read more...