Jon Aizlewood

As of January 1, 2014, London-based Excel English and Cairns College of English in Australia are now part of the International Association of Language Centres (IALC)– a network of independent language schools teaching their native language to international students.

Apollo Global, the investment branch of Apollo Education Group – one of the world's largest private education providers – has acquired Australia-based Open Colleges– a leading distance education provider in operation since 1910. Open Colleges says the deal makes international expansion more viable.

A record 1,000 educators, exhibitors, speakers and agents attended ICEF's North America workshop in Miami this month, making the three-day event the largest of its kind in North America. 14% of the 402 agents attending had not been to an ICEF workshop before, contributing to an increase of 24% in participants overall.

After three months of negotiations, a coalition agreement between Germany's biggest political parties has been reached. Among its objectives, the new government aims to increase international students studying in Germany to 350,000 by 2020 and increase outbound mobility to 50%.

ISIS Education has announced its first on-campus college partnership with De Montfort University (DMU) in Leicester, UK after launching its higher education pathways division earlier this year. The collaboration marks the end of a year of expansion for the London-based education group.

A new regulatory policy "is coming" that will pave the way for parity of policy between UK HE institutions and Alternative Providers (APs) from the private sector. Universities Minister David Willetts addressed Study UK members this week, whose members represent the "voice of independent education". He also spoke about student number controls at APs.

Australia's Trade and Investment Minister Andrew Robb announced Uttam Kumar from India the winner of the Win your Future Unlimited competition that awards an international student a year of free tuition, return flights, accommodation and internship opportunities in Australia.

A free language exchange platform connecting teenagers around the world was launched three months ago and has attracted over 1,000 users so far. The Spanish developers aim to have 100,000 young people using the service by the end of next year.

IIE in the USA has launched a pilot course, Connecting with the World: International Relations at Higher Education Institutions, offering training in international engagement to ministry officials and higher education representatives in Myanmar.

High and junior high school English language teachers in Tokyo will be required to study a TESOL abroad, in a bid by the Tokyo Board of Education to raise the standard of English teaching in schools. Teachers will spend three months in an English-speaking country, living in a homestay.