Jon Aizlewood

As a study destination, Ireland has long lived in the shadow of its neighbour the UK. However, the trends that caused this are now heading into reverse and with concerted government support and newly positioned immigration policies and work rights, Ireland could be set to make definite gains.

US president Barack Obama has called on congress to make it easier for international students to work in America after they graduate. He criticised current regulations, saying the US was educating then sending home highly skilled graduates with no benefit to the economy.

Dublin-based language school International House has been acquired by the owners of Independent College Dublin, in a deal said to be worth up to €1.6 million. Students at IH Dublin will now be given the option of extending their studies at ICD.

The UK is still the most popular destination for the Swiss, but the USA is catching up quickly, new research has shown from SALTA. Among all language destinations, the UK catered to the majority of Swiss students last year with 21.6% (around the same as in 2010), while the US catered to 19.3% – up 4%.

The ICEF Agent Training Course – offering professional tips to education agents counselling clients about study abroad– has certified its 100th successful 'student'...

Saudi Arabia is to extend its King Abdullah Scholarship Programme, to help 50,000 Saudis graduate from the world’s top 500 universities by 2020. This is good news for international education providers as more than half of Saudis studying abroad are funded through the scheme.

The UK’s ELT sector was encouraged to step out of the shadows and get proactive about its brands at the English UK Marketing conference last week. Delegates heard about market opportunities in Kurdistan and Kazakhstan and were given insights into branding by experts in the field.

UK Minister, David Willetts, met Dlawer Ala’Aldeen, Minister of Higher Education in Kurdistan, to develop links with the scholarship programme...

A leading university association is lobbying the British government to change the way it counts migration figures by excluding international students. Universities UK (UUK) has suggested that by doing so, further restrictions on non-EU student visas could be avoided.

Nine mostly US universities have been honoured for their outstanding internationalisation efforts in awards from the Institute of International Education (IIE)...