Jon Aizlewood

A parliamentary report has called for sweeping reforms to address a shortage of affordable and regulated international student housing in New South Wales, Australia, and recommended travel concessions for students to enable them to live farther afield.

The UK chancellor has announced a number of initiatives to help British universities expand overseas. These include an online portal, HE Global, launching in Jan. And Osborne promised a “vehicle” to help the education sector, government and business work together in selling British education abroad.

The Australian government today announced that more international students, will enjoy the extension of post-study work arrangements agreed in September – a sign of its continuing ambition to boost the country’s international education sector.

Sweden has ended its era of free university tuition and saw international HE enrolments slide as a result. However, focusing on quality provision and quality enrolments, Sweden is adapting to its new position in the marketplace and aware that it needs to market its post-study work rights, English medium education, research excellence and links with industry.

Canada has a golden opportunity to boost its profile as a study destination, said industry figures last week at the CBIE conference. One commentator said, “People have been keeping an eye for years on what Australia is doing, but now it's Canada." Efforts to act cohesively and use visa policy as an incentive are planned to capitalise on international student growth.

Grammy award-winning hip hop artist will.i.am will hold a concert in Beijing, December 17th, to build support for the US State Department’s 100,000 Strong...

The UK has become a less welcoming study destination due to its tough new visa rules and problematic visa application process, a survey of international students confirms today. A total of 5,000 overseas students on UK university and college courses were polled, with one in five saying they no longer felt welcome in the country.

Scottish tertiary institution, Heriot-Watt University, has secured a UK£20 million deal to launch a new campus in Malaysia.

STB, Brazil’s largest study travel organisation, announced today that well known industry player, Peter de Jong, is to become their Vice President of Business Development from January 2012. He will help develop new opportunities in North America and Asia at the outbound study giant which places 55,000 students annually.

One of Turkey’s education agency associations, UED, organised a national TV appearance for one of its directors to boost the reputation of education agencies in the sector. Gülcin Taskin, a UED director, appeared on education news show Tercih Başar on the TGRT Haber channel.