Similarly to previous years, in 2012 ACA’s newsletter has provided its readers with an extensive coverage of European and international developments in the area of higher education.

Overall, ACA’s monthly publication included around 140 articles on national and international trends in higher education across the globe, covering 40 countries or world regions. In terms of European policy developments, 50 articles were published in this past year. The newsletter team also reported on 124 books, reports and other publications. In addition, we have also informed our readers about 28 EU funding opportunities.

Despite the wide range of topics covered in 2012, some cross-cutting themes emerged.

In terms of European policy developments, the future European Programme for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport – Erasmus for All –, which will run from 2014 to 2020, has been at the forefront of the policy discussions at the EU level. The Programme is now waiting for the European Parliament’s first reading and our newsletter will continue to report on this issue in the near future, as more developments arise.

At the national and international levels, the themes of institutional rankings, international student mobility and tuition fees continue to be key recurring themes in ACA’s newsletter. In addition, and following in the economic crisis footsteps, this year has also seen an increase of articles related to budget cuts in the higher education and research sectors.

The ACA Newsletter team looks forward to continue to provide relevant and timely information to its readers on higher education developments in Europe and around the globe.

We wish all our readers a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!