The UAE Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research has issued Ministerial Resolution No. (173) of 2025, setting a unified regulatory framework for governing practical training programmes in higher education institutions. The resolution seeks to align higher education outcomes with labour market needs and ensure the quality and effectiveness of such training programmes, reports the Emirates News Agency (WAM).

Universities in Kenya have been directed to provide correct fee information on student portals to prevent confusion as the new academic semester begins. This comes even as most students reported that they have not received Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) funds released by the Ministry of Education on Tuesday 19 August, reports Lucy Mumbi for The Eastleigh Voice News.

With United States President Donald Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill’ or ‘BBB’ set to alter how families and students finance higher education starting in July 2026, a new survey suggests the majority of college students expect to be affected by the bill, reports Marina Dunbar for The Guardian.

The Trump administration can slash hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of research funding in its push to cut federal diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, the Supreme Court (SC) decided on Thursday 21 August, reports Lindsay Whitehurst for AP News.

According to the newly released Higher Education Insights Report from higher education marketing and research firm Validated Insights, higher education enrolments in the United States continue to grow – up more than 3% over 2024, reports Business Wire for Morningstar.

A report released last week from the Higher Education Policy Institute found that students in the United Kingdom today need to work more than 20 hours a week to meet a “basic standard of living”. A similar study carried out last year by the same organisation found a record 56% of full-time undergraduates had paid employment while studying, with many working and studying an average 56 hours a week, reports the Guardian community team for The Guardian.

Belgian university rectors have repeated their call to suspend Israel from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme. In its war in Gaza, Israel has failed to honour its association agreement with the European Union, the rectors argue, which states that both parties must respect human rights, reports David Matthews for Science|Business.

For the first time, anyone wishing to write their doctoral thesis in Berlin can now do so at a university of applied sciences. The Berlin Science Administration has granted the Berliner Hochschule für Technik (BHT) and the Hochschule für Technik und Wirtschaft Berlin (HTW Berlin) the right to award doctorates, as was announced in a press release, reports Berlin.de.

A large majority of financial aid administrators, 72%, say they’ve experienced “noticeable changes” in the Federal Student Aid office’s communications, responsiveness and processing timelines since the United States Department of Education’s (DOE’s) mass layoffs in March, reports Natalie Schwartz for Higher Ed Dive.

As August progresses, college-bound students in the United States and their parents are increasingly focused on funding higher education. Despite common concerns, there is still ample time and funding available for those seeking financial aid, reports KHQ.

United States President Donald Trump suggested on Tuesday 19 August he will pressure the Smithsonian Institution – a premier museum, education and research complex for US history and culture – to accept his demands, just like he did with colleges and universities by threatening to cut federal funding, reports Kanishka Singh for Reuters.

Morocco has taken a decisive step in reshaping its higher education system with the publication of Official Gazette No. 7430, which enacts provisions of Framework Law No. 51.17 on the education and training system. The measure enforces that universities and professional schools that rely on foreign languages of instruction include at least one module in the Arabic language within their scientific, technical and professional programmes, which are mostly taught in foreign languages, reports Issam Toutate for Morocco World News.

Greek university rectors are calling for a complete restructuring of higher education as the country’s demographic crisis threatens to devastate enrolment numbers starting in 2026, reports Apostolos Lakasas for Ekathimerini.com.

On Tuesday 19 August, a group of around 80 protesters assembled outside the Department of Foreign Affairs to demand the Irish government facilitate the evacuation of Palestinian students with places at Irish universities, reports Theo Puech for The University Times.

Nine students in Gaza with full scholarships to study at British universities have been told the United Kingdom government is working to facilitate their evacuation, reports Sally Weale for The Guardian.

Forget all-nighters at the library or critical thinking; students are now relying on artificial intelligence to get through university, reports Lauren Adams for The Tab.

Manchester United and Greggs’ famous sausage rolls are no match for the financial firepower of Britain’s leading universities, despite many members of the public thinking otherwise, according to research, reports Richard Adams for The Guardian.

A team of artificial intelligence experts have reported a major advancement in safeguarding open-weight language models, reports Jacob Manuschka for the Oxford Mail.

The American Bar Association is taking steps to appease critics of a proposal that would double law students’ required number of hands-on learning credits with several concessions meant to make the plan more palatable, reports Karen Sloan for Reuters.

Artificial intelligence is beginning to help doctors screen patients for several routine diseases. But a new study raises concerns about whether doctors might become too reliant on AI, reports Geoff Brumfiel for NPR.

Climate scientists are organising a coordinated public comment on a United States Department of Energy report that casts doubt on the scientific consensus on the climate crisis, reports Dharna Noor for The Guardian.

The University of Melbourne (UoM) breached Victoria’s Privacy and Data Protection Act when it used its wi-fi network to surveil students and staff holding a pro-Palestine protest last May, which could have resulted in a “significant breach of trust”, the state’s deputy information commissioner has found, reports Caitlin Cassidy for The Guardian.

From SG$300 (US$230) fines to suspension and even expulsion, universities and polytechnics are getting tougher on those caught vaping on campus, report Erin Liam and Abigail Ng for Channel NewsAsia.

The Putin regime is attacking Ukrainian universities, trying to show the world community that its crimes go unpunished. This was stated today, August 19, on air on the FREE TV channel by the director of the Eastern Human Rights Group, PhD in Political Science Vera Yastremsova, reports Shostal Oleksandr for 112.ua.

The UK University Repression League Table 2025, released last week by Social Innovators for Justice, ranks 139 universities based on two categories: Crackdown on activism, reports James Walker for The National.

The University of Victoria (UVic) has fired one of its longest-serving professors after complaints he sexually harassed two women – including a graduate student, reports Jason Proctor for CBC News.

First-year students reporting to public universities are facing steep financial hurdles, with some institutions demanding payments of up to Sh50,000 (US$387) before admission. The unexpected requirements come as many learners wait for disbursement of loans from the Higher Education Loans Board (Helb), reports Janet Onyango for The Star.

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced that public universities in Nigeria must complete their 2025 admission processes by 31 October 2025, while private universities must wrap up by 30 November 2025, and all other tertiary institutions by 31 December 2025, reports Rosalia Ozibo for Nairametrics.

Shiv Kumar Gautam, a 23-year-old student who came to Japan as a teenager, nearly gave up his plans to advance to higher education here, reports The Asahi Shimbun.

The government said on 19 August it has no plans for now to bring back travel restrictions on National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN) borrowers who fail to repay their loans, reports Muhammad Yusry for Malay Mail.

Taiwan’s Ministry of Education has projected that first-year university enrolment will fall from 270,000 in 2015 to just 173,000 in 2028 and decline further to 146,000 by 2040, reports Focus Taiwan CNA English News.

Hala Alsammak has been through far more than most 20-year-olds. Nine months ago, she packed up her life in Gaza and made the difficult decision to start afresh in Australia, reports Nandini Dhir for ABC News.

When Ar’reiona Green was accepted to Sacramento State last year, she knew she would need books and school supplies. She didn’t expect to need a toolbox. Or hangers. Or that her dorm room wouldn’t come with a fan or a lamp, reports Dawn Fallik for The Guardian.

A former Michigan State University (MSU) student is suing MSU for US$100 million claiming exposure to chemicals led to her thyroid cancer diagnosis, her attorneys announced on Friday, reports Demonte Thomas for The State News.

More than 14,000 students, faculty, alumni and members of the public signed a letter urging Harvard to reject any deal with the Trump administration that would sacrifice the university’s autonomy, report Samuel A Church and Cam N Srivastava for The Harvard Crimson.

Research from Ravensbourne University London reveals that informal channels, from chats with the family to TikTok videos, have greater impact than formal careers services, heightening the chance of future skills gaps, reports EB News.

British student accommodation developer Unite Group has agreed to acquire Empiric Student Property, creating a US$14 billion student housing giant as United Kingdom university enrolments rise, reports Reuters. The cash-and-stock deal, which values Empiric at £634 million (US$860 million), adds to a wave of transactions in the UK real estate investment trust sector, and comes amid a broader surge in takeover bids for British firms.

A financial crisis threatening the academic future of nearly 200 Ghanaian students at the University of Memphis in the United States has been temporarily averted, reports MyJoyOnline.com.

Since 1990, Morocco’s scholarship programme for Niger – part of a broader cooperation dating back to 1976 – has enabled over 2,000 Nigerien students to study in Morocco, with about 700 currently pursuing education in the country, reports Adil Faouzi for Morocco World News.

The Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, has revealed that a federal university in Nigeria has about 1,200 staff members despite having fewer than 800 students, reports Qosim Suleiman for Premium Times Nigeria.

Artificial intelligence has shifted from futuristic theory to global necessity, reshaping economies, public services and knowledge systems. Iraq, emerging from decades of conflict and institutional fragility, is now taking measured steps into this transformation, reports Shafaq News.

Syria and the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) discussed ways to strengthen cooperation in higher education and research during a meeting in Damascus on Sunday, reports the Syrian Arab News Agency, SANA.

Kozybayev University in North Kazakhstan will welcome 100 students from Türkiye each year to study under dual-degree programmes with the University of Arizona as part of a new agreement with Eurostar Overseas Education Consultancy, reports Dana Omirgazy for The Astana Times.

Northern Ireland’s ‘brain drain’ will continue until the cap limiting student numbers in our universities is raised, the vice-chancellor of Queen’s University has said, reports Mark Bain for the Belfast Telegraph.

The education secretary has said the government is looking at allowing universities to hike tuition fees every year based on inflation to stop them going bust, reports Millie Cook for the Independent.

It’s A-level results day on Thursday 14 August, and although some will be jumping for joy at their grades, others may be a little disappointed, reports Jessica Lindsay for Metro.

Almost three dozen selective colleges are facing an antitrust lawsuit that alleges they use early decision admissions to reduce competition and financial aid packages for students, reports Laura Spitalniak for Higher Ed Dive.

Harvard University and the Trump administration are getting close to an agreement that would require the Ivy League university to pay US$500 million to regain access to federal funding and to end investigations, according to a person familiar with the matter, reports Collin Binkley for the Associated Press.

A United States judge on Tuesday ordered President Donald Trump's administration to restore part of the federal grant funding it recently suspended for the University of California, Los Angeles, report Kanishka Singh and Nate Raymond for Reuters.

Education Minister Aseri Radrodro has revealed that both Fiji National University and the University of the South Pacific have strongly challenged the findings of a government-commissioned external review into their performance, reports Praneeta Prakash for FBC News.

Vape disposal bins have been placed at Singapore’s six autonomous universities as part of a national push to tackle the rising trend of vaping among youth, reports Shermaine Ang for The Straits Times.

This year, almost 5,000 applicants from temporarily occupied territories (TOTs) entered Ukrainian universities, said Serhiy Babak, a People’s Deputy from “Servant of the People” and head of the Committee on Education, Science, and Innovation, as reported by UNN.

Ministers have been accused of undermining innovation in the north of England after six universities from the south were awarded £10 million (US$13.45 million) to hire overseas talent – with none selected between Birmingham and Glasgow, reports Josh Halliday for the Guardian.

A record number of 18-year-olds are likely to get into their first choice of university this year, the head of the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (Ucas) has said – even if they narrowly miss their grades, as Hazel Shearing reports for the BBC.

New polling reveals how Americans feel about many of President Donald Trump's signature immigration policies and his handling of higher education issues, reports Phil Tenser for WCVB.

Umaymah Mohammad, perhaps the only student in the United States to be suspended from medical school for remarks about Israel and Gaza, has filed a federal lawsuit against Atlanta’s Emory University, alleging discrimination under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, as well as additional complaints under state law, reports Timothy Pratt for the Guardian.

President Trump signed a presidential memorandum Thursday requiring colleges and universities to submit expanded admissions data to the United States Department of Education. The move is the latest salvo in the administration's fight against diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies and is intended to reveal if schools are still preferencing race in admissions even after the Supreme Court banned affirmative action in 2023, reports Cory Turner for NPR.

Alphabet's Google on Wednesday announced a three-year, US$1 billion commitment to provide artificial intelligence training and tools to United States higher education institutions and nonprofits. More than 100 universities have signed on to the initiative so far, including some of the nation’s largest public university systems, such as Texas A&M and the University of North Carolina, reports Kenrick Cai for Reuters.

Nearly half of United Kingdom students now live at home while studying, highlighting a notable shift in how students are approaching university life, reports Chelsie Sewell for the Yorkshire Evening Post.

Left-wing literary journal Overland has published an open letter protesting Special Envoy to Combat Antisemitism Jillian Segal’s “Plan to Combat Antisemitism,” reports Ella McGrath for Honi Soit.

The children of new arrivals who settle in Hong Kong under one of the talent attraction programmes must reside in the city for at least two years before they can apply for government-subsidised places for post-secondary study from the 2027 to 2028 academic year, the government announced on Thursday, reports Stacy Shi for China Daily.

A pair of philosophers have created a programme through which people can volunteer to team-teach online courses at Ukrainian universities, reports Justin Weinberg for the Daily Nous.

The Nelson Mandela-Fidel Castro medical training programme has been controversial from the start. It had high points, low points, and now many say it should have an end point, writes Ufrieda Ho for the Spotlight in an Op Ed.

Brown University has become the third Ivy League campus to reach a deal with the administration of United States President Donald Trump in a bid to restore frozen federal funding, reports Al Jazeera.

OpenAI introduced a major update to ChatGPT on Tuesday with the launch of Study Mode, a new feature designed to help students learn, rather than just giving them answers. This is the latest sign that education is becoming a new battlefield in the AI war, reports Alistair Barr for Business Insider.

Although military research has never been strictly prohibited, traditionally Flemish universities have always approached it with caution. However, this is now changing in the light of increased defence spending by European governments and growing interest in military projects on the part of researchers, reports VRT NWS.

At least 300 Cambodians studying and living in Thailand have returned home after reportedly facing discrimination and abuse from Thai authorities and ultranationalists following armed clashes at the border, reports Hang Punreay for the Khmer Times.

The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) is calling on the European Union to introduce a major change to its rules to encourage member states to invest more in R&D: decouple national research and innovation investments from deficit rules until the EU’s 3% of GDP target is met, reports Martin Greenacre for Science|Business.

Following the Education, Human Development and Community Development Council’s approval, the UAE’s Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research has announced a new academic calendar structure to be implemented across all public and private higher education institutions for the academic year 2025-26, reflecting a shared commitment to advancing the national education system, reports Gulf News.

About 1,700 foreigners have already applied to study in Ukraine since 1 April 2025, when the new Unified Interagency Information System was launched. The system was created with the support of the European Union under the DT4UA and EU4DigitalUA projects implemented by the e-Governance Academy (Estonia), reports EU Neighbours East.

Professor Gordon Awandare, founding director of the West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens (WACCBIP) and pro vice-chancellor for academic and student affairs at the University of Ghana, has admonished the government to end the wasteful funding of foreign scholarships. Instead, he has charged authorities to reinvest the funds in Ghana’s local universities, reports Myjoyonline.

The government in Kenya can no longer afford to fund university education. Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi says a drastic rescue plan is now on the table. It includes staff cuts, the sale of satellite campuses, and a controversial funding model that could lock out thousands of students from poor backgrounds, reports Mary Muoki for Citizen Digital.

Japanese electronics giant Fujitsu said on Thursday that it and Nagoya University have jointly developed an artificial intelligence-based simulation technology aimed at promoting ride-hailing services, reports The Japan Times.

Six university students drowned on Wednesday 23 July after falling into a flotation cell during a study visit at a copper-molybdenum ore-dressing plant in North China’s Inner Mongolia autonomous region, local emergency authorities said on Wednesday night, reports China Daily.

A universal cancer vaccine – what once seemed like a pipe dream – may be inching closer to becoming reality, report Annika Kim Constantino and Ashley Capoot for CNBC.

United States President Donald Trump waded into a debate over the influence of big-money payouts in college sports on Thursday, signing an executive order adding federal government scrutiny to the practice. The order, which is expected to face legal challenges, seeks to block some recruiting payments by third parties like donors to college athletes in big-dollar sports like football and men’s basketball in order to preserve funds available for women’s and non-revenue sports, reports Trevor Hunnicutt for Reuters.

Academics’ research-publication patterns shift fundamentally after they attain tenure, a coveted status that provides job security in the United States, according to an analysis of more than 12,000 researchers across 15 disciplines, reports Max Kozlov for Nature.

The Trump administration said on Wednesday it would investigate five universities over scholarship programmes for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients, reports Ashleigh Fields for The Hill.

Columbia University in the United States, in hopes of restoring hundreds of millions of dollars in frozen funding, has struck another deal with the Trump administration, the university announced, reports Zachary Schermele for USA Today.

Students from Sofia and other cities across Bulgaria protested under the motto “Education is a right, not a privilege” in front of the parliament building on Thursday, report Risida Dimitrova and Ivan Dolev for the Bulgarian News Agency.

In a significant move to support the long-term recovery of those who endured the atrocities of ISIS, Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Region in Iraq Masrour Barzani has directed his government to implement special educational accommodations for survivors, particularly from the Yazidi community, to facilitate their return to higher education, reports Kurdistan24.

Malaysia’s Ministry of Higher Education has introduced the Code of Practice for Programme Accreditation (COPPA) to serve as a benchmark for designing academic programmes that align with current job market requirements, reports Bernama.

World-renowned researchers from University College London (UCL) and the Royal College of Art (RCA) in the United Kingdom are joining forces to launch a new Centre for Creative AI. Bringing together leading universities and global businesses, the centre will explore bold, innovative uses of AI across entertainment, media, fashion, music and art, reports Business Cloud.

Pressure is mounting on ministers to intervene on behalf of 40 students in Gaza who have been offered full scholarships to study at United Kingdom universities, but are unable to take up their places this September because of government red tape, reports Sally Weale for The Guardian.

Kenya’s Ministry of Health has flagged 10 universities for submitting false or unauthorised student data related to medical internships, reports Kevin Koech for Nairobi Leo.

University students in war-ravaged Sudan resumed classes on Sunday 20 July following a two-year suspension due to the ongoing fighting, reports Moses Muoki for Capital FM.

A union in the United Kingdom has said a university is “abandoning” the training that the region “desperately needs” following a decision to cut three mental health courses, reports Neve Gordon-Farleigh for BBC News.

Gen Z is increasingly slamming their degrees as useless, and new research in the United States indicates there may be some truth in that when it comes to the job hunt. In fact, the unemployment rate of males aged 22 to 27 is roughly the same whether or not they hold a degree. It comes as employers drop degree requirements and young men ditch corporate jobs for skilled trades, reports Preston Fore for Fortune.

Workforce Pell is less than a month old and still has a number of implementation steps ahead of it, but Oregon’s higher education and workforce leaders are already enthusiastic about how it may help students and local economies, writes Tiffany Camhi for OPB.

Columbia University in the United States has imposed severe punishments, including expulsion, suspension from courses and revocation of academic degrees, on dozens of students who participated in protests against Israel’s war on Gaza. The student activist group Columbia University Apartheid Divest (CUAD), which has called for the school to cut all financial ties with Israel, said in a statement that nearly 80 students have now been either expelled or suspended for up to three years over their involvement in anti-war protests, reports Al Jazeera and news agencies.

Ghana’s President John Mahama has announced that the government will refund academic fees for all first-year tertiary students enrolling in September 2025, reports Ernest K Arhinful for MyjoyOnline.

The president of the Order of Doctors of Mozambique on Wednesday 16 July contested the end of the subsidy for medical intern students, arguing that the system takes advantage of the skills of “special doctors”, who help decongest hospitals, reports Lusa.

Starting in the 2025-26 financial year, the Global Talent Fund will run for five years and attract experts from a range of industries. Twelve universities and research institutions across the United Kingdom have been selected to take part in the Global Talent Fund, which will see each organisation use part of a £54 million (US$72 million) investment to recruit key researchers in eight high-priority sectors, reports Laura Varley for Siliconrepublic.

India’s high commissioner to the United Kingdom has urged British universities to set up campuses for higher education in the south Asian country. Vikram Doraiswami also called for further opportunities to expand bilateral exchanges – bringing more UK students to India for short stays, internship and collaborative learning experiences, reports Eastern Eye.

Harvard’s battle with the Trump administration over the future of the university reached a crescendo on Monday in a federal courtroom in Boston, as the Ivy League school argued the government had no basis to cut US$2.2 billion of research funding, report Brianna Abbott and Sara Randazzo for The Wall Street Journal.

A week ago, in a conference centre on the campus of the University of Illinois, Chicago, nearly 150 podcasters and podcast support providers gathered at the first Higher Education Podcast Conference – HigherEd PodCon, as it aims to brand itself. Attendees have podcasts, or support podcasts, with specific themes, audiences or tie-ins to higher education or higher education institutions, writes Derek Newton for Forbes.

When United States President Donald Trump signed a megabill with his spending and policy priorities into law on 4 July, he distanced himself from another one of his goals: dismantling the United States Department of Education. Congressional Democrats have already tried to stand in the way of that effort – sometimes literally. So have the federal courts, which continue to debate the legality of the president’s attempts to weaken the agency, whose work impacts students and schools across the country. But there’s one obstacle that’s less evident: the so-called “One Big, Beautiful Bill Act”, writes Zachary Schermele for USA Today.

Lecturers’ earnings at the University of Zimbabwe have shrunk by nearly 90% – and students are caught in the middle of it all. It’s been months since lecturers at the University of Zimbabwe, the country’s oldest and most prestigious university, stepped aside. Their salaries, eroded by inflation and currency devaluation, could no longer cover their basic needs, they said. That was in April, and there’s no sign yet that they’ll return to their lecture halls, reports Gamuchirai Masiyiwa for Global Press Journal.

The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFund) has announced more than NGN77 billion (US$50million) has been disbursed for tuition and upkeep to 396,252 students across 210 tertiary institutions nationwide after the launch of its application portal last year, reports Patience Olumati for Radio Nigeria.

When Anthony Albanese fronted the media in November to announce Labor would cut 20% of all student debt if he won government, he described the move as “about opening the doors of opportunity – and widening them”. Almost nine months later, the key election promise will be among the first pieces of legislation the Australian federal government introduces when parliament returns on Tuesday, reports Caitlin Cassidy for The Guardian.