Hungary: Central European University Gets Reprieve; New York Governor Intercedes
The Hungary government, which this spring passed a law threatening the small, highly recognized institution with closure, has said it will allow CEU’s Budapest campus to continue operations through 2017/2018. New York governor Andrew Cuomo, meanwhile, has said he is ready to enter into negotiations with the Hungarian government to address the situation. The State of New York and the Hungarian government have a formal agreement which allows CEU, which opened in the wake of the collapse of the Soviet Union, to offer both Hungarian and U.S.-accredited Masters and PhD qualifications. The Hungarian government’s actions have raised widespread protests both with Hungary, and among academics around the globe. Read more about the situation in this month’s issue of WENR [1].
Science Business
June 1, 2017
United Kingdom: ELT Sector Sees Drop in Student Weeks and Numbers
The U.K.’s ELT sector has seen sharp declines in student weeks and student numbers in the last year. Recent visa policy changes and what many describe as an unwelcoming political climate may be keeping foreign students away. The full effects of the recent Brexit vote on international student numbers have likely not yet been fully realized; an influx of foreign students attracted to the U.K. by the weakening of the pound have likely mitigated some of the vote’s true effects.
The Pie News
May 12, 2017
Germany: State Introduces Tuition Fees for Non-E.U. Students
The southwestern state Baden-Wuerttemberg has approved plans to begin charging tuition fees for non-E.U. students this fall. Tuition for students entering from outside the European Union will be 1,500 euros (USD $1,635) per semester, with those currently enrolled exempted. Several popular destinations for international study are getting ready for the change, namely, University of Freiburg, University of Stuttgart, and Heidelberg University. Some German states, including Baden-Wuerttemberg, previously tried introducing tuition fees for all students in the mid-2000s, but later reversed course.
German Pulse
May 4, 2017
Europe: Reuters Releases Ranking of Europe’s Most Innovative Universities
Reuters has released its second annual ranking of Europe’s Most Innovative Universities, and for the second year Belgium’s KU Leuven takes the top spot, followed by Imperial College London, and the University of Cambridge. The list defines an innovative university as one that is: advancing scientific fields, inventing new technologies, and driving the global economy. The ranking primarily considers the publishing and patent filing of European institutions, due to this the list may overlook some very innovative programs that don’t produce an output that is evaluated in this metric.
Reuters
May 3, 2017
Ireland: Applications from the U.K. Drop as British Students Face the Prospect of Non-Resident Fees
The prospect of a post-Brexit rise in college fees for U.K. students travelling to Ireland to study has led to a 10 percent drop in applications since the Brexit vote. If no agreement is put in place between the E.U. and the U.K., British and Irish students could be faced with paying non-E.U. student fees when moving to study in Ireland or the UK. Currently any student in the EU can move to study in another country in the European Union and pay the same fees as they would in their home country. The Irish Department of Education has said it will not enter into separate bilateral negotiations with the U.K. or Northern Irish governments to arrange a specific deal for Irish and British students, and the issue will have to be agreed on an E.U. level with all 28 states involved.
Irish Times [2]
May 2, 2017