QS-MAPLE, the equivalent of the NAFSA and EAIE conferences in the Middle East and Africa, will be held next month in Al Ain, United Arab Emirates. The 6th QS-MAPLE (Middle East and Africa Professional Leaders in Education) conference will feature the 2016 QS University Rankings Arab Region, an exclusive QS Rankings Masterclass, two exciting QS Squared Debates, and a diverse line-up of top speakers from academia and government from the Middle East and beyond. Read more...

By Eric Hoover. Alexander W Astin has something to say – a lot to say, really – about smartness. He knows some people won’t want to hear it, especially if they happen to teach college students for a living. Read more...

By Denislav Atanasov. Bulgarian students have many opportunities to study abroad. Since Bulgaria joined the European Union in 2007, exchange programmes have become more popular, yet only a fraction of students take part in them. In 2014, only 0.68% of all Bulgarian students attended a foreign university, making the country one of the least active in Europe. Read more...

By Christine Arnold and Grace Karram Stephenson. Over the past 30 years, higher education has transitioned from an elite endeavour to an open market. The number of post-secondary institutions around the world has increased exponentially, often through the founding of small-scale, private operations. Read more...

By Goolam Mohamedbhai. The existence of corruption in higher education has been known for decades and published papers covering the topic in specific countries or regions have been appearing since the year 2000. Read more...

By Rajani Naidoo. Competition has colonised our world. Everywhere we go, every step we take we hear the siren call of competition. In higher education, too, we are trapped in a competition fetish. Read more...

By Brendan O'Malley. Graduates from richer family backgrounds earn significantly more after graduation than their poorer counterparts, even after completing the same degrees from the same universities, according to new research. Read more...

By John Walshe. Ireland’s next Minister for Education and Skills will face a major political challenge in ensuring the sustainability of the country’s higher education system that is both under-funded and under pressure to take in more and more students. Read more...

By Hiep Pham. Vietnam’s National Assembly last week approved Phung Xuan Nha, current president of Vietnam National University, Hanoi as the country’s new Minister of Education and Training. Read more...

By Nic Mitchell. Two of the most prestigious universities in Paris have agreed to merge by 1 January 2018. The newly elected boards of Paris-Sorbonne and Pierre and Marie Curie universities voted last week to formally commit to the plan following the re-election of pro-merger presidents at both institutions. Read more...