South Korean universities, which are worried about their futures due to dropping birth rates, are studying ways to make inroads abroad, reports The Korea Herald.Ewha Womans University in Seoul recently disclosed its plan to branch out into the United States and China. National universities not in Seoul, which are dealing with an ever-falling number of entrants, are also showing deep interest in setting up schools in foreign countries.

The entry of mediocre foreign students into Australia is likely to be restricted with new norms making education institutions responsible for the genuineness of their admissions, which will be reflected in their ratings. However, students opting for top universities will have much easier entry, with no questions asked about financial support by the immigration department.“Institutes will be forced to do tougher screening and mediocre students are likely to be automatically weeded out due to the new norms of the Department of Immigration and Border Protection,” says Nisidhar Borra, director of Storm, a consultancy dealing with foreign education. “If institutes make a mistake, their rating will be at risk and they will be nailed.”

Education authorities are concerned that the fallout of the Brexit vote will lead to a dramatic increase in the number of Irish and other European students in higher education in Ireland.Some 10,905 Irish students currently study in United Kingdom colleges and universities. The head of the Higher Education Authority said many of these students may opt to study at home in future given uncertainty over fees for Irish students in the UK. Tom Boland said that in principle Irish students would be treated as international students – who face much higher fees – in UK universities unless a deal was struck with authorities there.He said there would likely be greater demand for places in Irish universities not just from Irish students, but from European Union students seeking to study in an English-language environment.

Leading universities will offer fully accredited undergraduate courses online within five years, says the founder of a leading United States online university network, writes Sean Coughlan for the BBC.Daphne Koller, chief executive of Coursera, said the technology was available but universities had been hesitant about their "reputation". So far, online courses have mostly offered certificates for short courses rather than full degrees. Speaking at an educational technology conference in London, Koller said the next stage for online learning would be leading universities offering mainstream undergraduate courses online, with invigilated exams and full degrees.

Chile’s President Michelle Bachelet last Wednesday endorsed her government’s goal of making free universal higher education a reality for Chilean youth, reports PGurus.“Free and good higher education for everyone is what we want, and it is possible,” Bachelet said at an event in Pedro Aguirre Cerda, a city within the Santiago Metropolitan Region. “We have proposed a realistic mechanism that is… gradual to make it universal little by little,” Bachelet said, in a message apparently directed at those impatient to see the president come through on her fundamental campaign promise to provide free quality education.

Academics have criticised note-sharing websites that allow students to buy cheap study notes as they think it will stop them attending class, writes Max Margan for Daily Mail Australia. Thousands of students are using the note-sharing technology and can purchase lecture summaries for as little as A$2 (US$1.5) through websites such as NoteXchange.