Jon Aizlewood

Language chain the OISE Group has launched a boutique school in the heart of London for corporate clients. The school, in Fitzrovia, has welcomed professionals from Toshiba, KPMG and Banque de France who pay upward of £900 per week for business English training.

IALC has announced two new members are joining its association, which only allows quality-checked independent schools to join. Piccola Universita Tropea, in southern Italy, and CES, which represents family-run English language schools in the UK and Ireland, are in...

Enrolment on online courses in Europe increased 15-20% last year, the continent's largest degree search engine, StudyPortals has estimated, suggesting interest is growing in this previously slow moving sector. The website, which has just launched its EU-funded DistanceLearning portal, added that the number of universities offering distance learning also grew to 500 – up 40%.

Russia will double the number of scholarships for foreign students at its universities from 10,000 to 20,000 in a further bid to increase interest in its education system. However, the president of Russia’s Association of Foreign Students has told The PIE News that the country has a long way to go to fulfil its potential as a study destination, and the lack of a coordinated strategy on building numbers does not help.

In a move that could shake the agent sector, China is to launch a "permanent" student fair in Shanghai next June where overseas institutions can recruit Chinese students directly all year round. The IEEC centre will host 800-1,000 schools...

A bill that sought to expand the number of visas issued to international students of Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) by 55,000 was defeated last week in the US House of Representatives, although some accord on the issue was reached. Political support for easier access for STEM students to the UK is also gathering...

The Taiwanese study abroad market has continued to decline this year, after a recorded drop in 2011, with students shunning language and degree study abroad in favour of short-term working holidays overseas, according to industry sources. UK educators testify to a change in market trends and agents point to less earning potential for them.

International students affected by London Metropolitan University's stripping of HTS status will be able to continue their studies from Monday, after a high court ruling last week. The decision comes as London Metropolitan University is granted the right to take legal action against the government via a judicial review for revoking its highly trusted sponsor status last month.

At an illustrious bash in New York this week, the 10th anniversary of the USA's Scholar Rescue Fund (SRF) and its valued work was celebrated by international education luminaries and honorary guests. Organiser, IIE, which manages SRF, presented humanitarian awards to the fund's founders.

The language learning hub of Malta hosted a major cross-sector ELT conference last week to increase awareness of English language learning across the country, in response to growing competition from rival study destinations. Demand is reported to be slowing, in large part because of the recession.