Foreign graduates being lost to visa curbs and fees

Sweden prides itself on being a country that welcomes immigrants, but foreigners like Chinese engineering student Zhao Shuqi may be excused if they think otherwise, reports AFP. During her years at Stockholm's Royal Institute of Technology, or KTH, she has experienced an abrupt change in policy that has introduced fees for students from nations outside the European Union.

Zhao began her studies at KTH before fees were introduced in 2011, but since then she has paid a total of 290,000 kronor (US$45,000), with the help of her parents and part-time jobs.
That's about 10 years of income for the average urban resident in China, and what's more, once she has received her qualification, she is likely to be asked to leave the country, unless she does something about it.

"I must find a job before I graduate, or else I cannot stay," she said. Since introducing fees Swedish universities have struggled to attract foreign students, and critics now warn its visa system pushes highly qualified graduates out of the country.
Full report on the Australian site