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.

A short-term impact of the Brexit vote in the UK is a likely uplift in study travel to the UK for English language study because of the value of the pound sterling falling.

A survey of prospective international students has revealed that almost half would be less interested in studying in the country if it were to leave the EU.

The European University Association has created an interactive map documenting support for refugees in higher education across the region. Launched last month, the Refugees Welcome map currently displays 191 initiatives across Europe and further afield and is continuously being updated with new programmes.

The new Erasmus+ programme has paid out €918m in grants for studying, training or volunteering abroad in 2014, the European Commission has said, funding work and study abroad for more than 500,000 students and 150,000 staff across Europe.