France attracts record number of int’l students, but loses market share
By Beckie Smith. International student numbers in France have continued their upward trajectory to reach almost 310,000 in 2015/16. However, the latest statistics from Campus France show that in an increasingly competitive market, France is not keeping up with the rate of global student mobility as incoming student numbers from China and the Middle East fall. More...
East African Community primed to become harmonised HE region
By Maina Waruru. University students from the East African region will be able to transfer credits from one university to another within the five member states of the East African Community from February, if the region’s heads of state endorse a plan to create a common higher education area. More...
Ireland extends ‘stay back option’ for postgraduates
By Julian Hall. In a move that will undoubtedly shore up Ireland’s positioning in the international education market and make the country more attractive to overseas students, the Irish government has agreed to allow international postgraduates to stay two years after finishing their degree. More...
US PE firm invests £120m in UK student housing
By Julian Hall. The UK’s booming student accommodation sector has a new player, after US private equity firm Starwood Capital Group acquired an operational portfolio worth £120m, in partnership with European real estate investment and asset management firm Round Hill Capital. More...
Apollo Education Group acquired for $1.14bn
By Beckie Smith. Apollo Education Group, which owns the University of Phoenix and BPP Law School, has been taken off the public market in a deal valued at $1.14bn by a group of investors, who have pledged to raise estimations of the US’s for-profit education sector. More...
US: int’l graduate enrolment growth stabilising
By Beckie Smith. Study abroad agencies in China will no longer need to be licensed by provincial authorities in order to operate, the State Council has announced, which should make it easier for newer businesses to enter a market that is currently dominated by larger, long-established brands. More...
China: provincial licensing for education agencies abolished
By Beckie Smith. Study abroad agencies in China will no longer need to be licensed by provincial authorities in order to operate, the State Council has announced, which should make it easier for newer businesses to enter a market that is currently dominated by larger, long-established brands. More...
Erasmus students struggle to make local friends – ESN survey
By Beckie Smith. In a large-scale survey of how friendly universities are, Erasmus students said they struggle to make friends with locals while on exchange, negatively affecting their overall experience. More...
NZ church shelters Indian students facing deportation
By Beckie Smith. A church in Auckland is offering sanctuary to nine Indian students whose visas were cancelled after the education agents they used were found to have submitted fraudulent documents in their applications. Meanwhile, community leaders are calling on Immigration Minister Michael Woodhouse to intervene to stop the deportation of around 150 students caught up in the scandal. More...