In The News

International Students Find Roles in US Presidential Campaign

Paul Elish and Susan Froetschel March 22, 2016
The percentage of international students enrolled at US colleges and universities has climbed over the past five years, due to rising applications from overseas and declining enrollment by US students. College administrators encourage civic engagement for all students, and international students are following the US presidential race. “The election will determine the roles for foreign nationals...

Denmark the “Happiest Country” and Burundi the “Least Happy”

March 21, 2016
Wealth and weather may not influence happiness as much as many may assume, and inequality contributes to unhappiness. The UN's Sustainable Development Solutions Network ranked 156 countries by analyzing surveys in which people are asked to evaluate their lives on a scale of 1 to 10 and measurements of GDP per capita, social supports, health and life expectancy, freedom to make life choices,...

Americans Rank Last in Problem-Solving With Technology

Douglas Belkin March 11, 2016
In four decades, the United States went from having the most educated workforce in the world to struggling with math. In the midst of a US presidential campaign, voters express anxiety about jobs, competition, trade and immigration. Many demand local control over schools while rejecting a common curriculum. US skills are flagging, suggests a report that ranks the country’s workers as last for “...

Closure of Balkan Route Divides Europe

March 11, 2016
Decisions by Macedonia, Slovenia, Serbia and Croatia to close borders to refugees fleeing war in Syria and elsewhere in the Middle East are dividing the European Union, suggests an article from Deutsche Welle. Closing borders does not resolve the problem, contends German Chancellor Angela Merkel who favors organized and united management of the refugee crisis and suggests a divided response...

Whisper It Softly: Muslims Are Part of Europe's Future

Shada Islam March 10, 2016
Violent conflict in the Middle East is driving hundreds of thousands of refugees toward Europe – a crisis that is straining resources, explains Shada Islam, policy director of Friends of Europe based in Brussels. The continent is divided over welcoming the refugees and settling them in different countries, with some politicians stoking fear and warning about a clash of cultures. “Muslims, also,...

UN, Rights Groups Say EU-Turkey Migrant Deal May Be Illegal

Stephanie Nebehay and Gabriela Baczynska March 9, 2016
European nations are trying to stop the flow of refugees fleeing conflict in the Middle East with tight border controls, and some leaders hope to return migrants who arrive by boats. A Turkish proposal to accept the return of some migrants in exchange for funding and visa-free travel for Turks could be illegal, warns the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. International law would require...

Rising Tide

March 7, 2016
As Macedonia, Austria and other European nations tighten borders against refugees fleeing Syria and other conflict zones, Greece must manage a bottleneck. Tent camps and reception camps are over-crowded, and food is in short supply. “Now almost 30,000 migrants are bottled up in Greece” and “local aid agencies worry that 200,000 people may arrive in March alone,” reports the Economist. NGOs and...