Research

Results from the fifth annual THE World Reputation Rankings show that the USA retains its prestige as a higher education superpower. US institutions dominate the top 10, Asian institutions continued to gain ground and Australia has shown an unexpected downturn in the league table as defined by academics worldwide.

Latest migration data for the UK reveals an erosion in enrolments for the UK's FE sector, while an overall increase in EU migration was behind the net migration headlines. Further declines in Pakistani and Indian student enrolments was also charted as well as a big rise in Brazilian students coming to the UK.

QS has produced a league table comparing quality in higher education by individual subject, with Harvard University leading the pack with the most "first places" for individual subjects. The analysis reflects individual institutions that excel in education in a particular discipline.

The strong demand for education in India combined with ambitious plans by the government to reform the education sector has created the largest opportunity in the world for international higher educators and service providers, according to a new report by the British Council.

Tribal Group has significantly expanded its North American operations by opening offices in the USA and Canada to usher in services from two companies within the group's portfolio: Benchmark+ and i-graduate. The move is timed well as institutions in the US in particular are keen to step up international activities.

Education ministers from more than 80 countries, stakeholders and education experts have gathered in London to discuss education at policy level. Discussions centred around training skilled workforces and understanding that technology has changed the way that students expect to learn.

Foreign students are among the most welcomed immigrants to Britain and 40% of the UK public believes they should be excluded from the net migration target, says a recent Ipsos MORI report. It also reveals public misconception about levels of immigration, and that only 17% of students entering in 2006 legally remained in 2011.

The UK's position as the world's number two study destination was confirmed this week by new Google-led insight into student searches online into education opportunities, but the report predicts that demand for a UK education will shift toward transnational and online programmes.

The UK is the most popular destination for 21% of 10,000 Indian students looking to study abroad surveyed by the British Council recently. But as the cost of international education increases and the quality of domestic higher education institutions improve, more students are opting to stay in country.

The UK's hard line on lowering net migration targets and restricting post-study work rights threatens its position as the second most popular study destination according to a report published today by the Institute for Public Policy Research. It calls for the government to extend work rights and increase the number of students studying in pathway settings.

The number of international students at US HEIs grew by 7% to a record 819,644 students in 2012-13, according to the Institute of International Education's (IIE) latest Open Doors report. China and Saudi Arabia posted the strongest growth inclines in international students. The number of US students studying abroad was also at a record high.

Over 50% of the 60 countries studied have improved their English proficiency over the past six years with Scandinavian countries maintaining the lead and Asia overtaking Latin American and the Middle East. Turkey saw the largest improvement in language ability while Sweden has the highest English proficiency score and Iraq the lowest.

The ICEF i-graduate Agent Barometer indicate that Australia has gained ground in the overall attractiveness of study destinations while Canada inched ahead of the UK to be ranked second in the world in terms of overall appeal for international students.The US topped the list with 73% of agents saying it is a "very attractive" study destination.

A new cross-sectoral survey of New Zealand institutions active in the international education market provides a snapshot of an industry that has a very established K-12 international offer, strong reliance on China across the board, a concensus that South Korea is declining as a source region and an appetite for expansion.

Private education in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is a booming market that will be worth $11.2 billion and service 300,000 students in 2015, due to the promise of long-term revenue from a sector where the demand outweighs supply, payment plans that allow tuition fees to be submitted in advance and government that can provide strong support.