Access to education is a foremost priority for the ESU, and is an objective that governments across the continent must focus on while making funding for universities sustainable, the group has said in its 2019 policy document.

Higher education representatives gathered to discuss Brexit and the growing trend for universities in Europe to deliver courses taught entirely in English.

EAIE has set up an LGBTQ+ taskforce to advise the organisation on how best to include students, academics and professionals, increase equity and access to education.

UK university members of BUILA are liaising with counterparts in Europe to discuss a mobility plan B should the outcome of Brexit negotiations mean movement of students and staff is impacted negatively.

In a large-scale survey of how friendly universities are, Erasmus students said they struggle to make friends with locals while on exchange, negatively affecting their overall experience. However, the study also shows that most students learned more than they expected about the local culture.

The number of initiatives to support refugee students is multiplying across Europe, but the vast majority of refugees still face insurmountable barriers to HE. More collaboration and action are now needed, UN and HE leaders urged at the EAIE conference.

As conflict and terrorist attacks around the world prompt fears over student safety, some US universities have suspended study abroad programmes in Turkey and elsewhere in Europe while others remain defiant in the face of violence.

In the aftermath of the UK’s historic EU referendum, universities in Europe have been caught up in the vacuum of uncertainty created by Brexit. Speaking with The PIE News, stakeholders discussed the likely fall in incoming UK students over the coming years but said they are hopeful that it could be offset by growing interest from students from other EU states.