Many Romanian students consider Austria
More than one in 10 Romanians who are planning to study abroad have Austria in mind, according to a poll.A survey among university students who have spending one or more semesters abroad in mind, revealed Great Britain as the most favoured destination with 51 per cent ahead of France (30.6 per cent) and the United States (23.1 per cent).The Romanian Times reports that Germany came third with 22.2 per cent, followed by Austria (14.5 per cent).Meanwhile, political leaders in Austria are engaged in a bitter debate over how the quality of higher education in the country could be improved.The Social Democrats (SPÖ) have ruled out reintroducing college tuition fees which were abolished in 2008. Beatrix Karl, science minister of the SPÖs coalition partner, the Peoples Party (ÖVP), angered many university students by calling a re-implementation of the fees “an option” when she was sworn in last year.A majority of students at universities and colleges across Austria is reportedly unhappy about overcrowded courses, the quality of some lectures and the poor condition of facilities.University heads have appealed to the SPÖ-ÖVP coalition to spend more on higher education, while many economists warn Austrias industry and society may fall behind in international comparison due to the alleged declines in quality.