Last week brought new developments for academic freedom, international mobility and student representation. Courts provided temporary protection against restrictive US education policies, but students elsewhere faced exclusion from democratic processes, inaccessible scholarships and proposed new restrictions based on nationality and religion.
Last week in brief
- Scholars at Risk documented 382 attacks on higher-education communities across 59 countries and territories.
- A US federal judge blocked new fixed-period admission rules for international students one day before their planned introduction.
- Thirteen students and researchers from Gaza remained unable to take up scholarships in Belgium after the government failed to agree on their evacuation.
- Italy’s prime minister announced plans to cap foreign students per classroom and prohibit face coverings in schools.
- Delhi University held student-union elections amid disputes over housing safety, campaigning practices and the exclusion of distance and non-collegiate students.
- A US court struck down the policy behind more than US$600 million in cancelled teacher-training grants, although the ruling does not automatically restore the funding.
Key developments
Global report documents 382 attacks on higher education
Scholars at Risk released its annual Free to Think report on 15 September, documenting 382 attacks on higher-education communities in 59 countries and territories between July 2025 and June 2026.
The report identifies violent repression and increasing government interference in university autonomy as major drivers of declining academic freedom. Data from the Academic Freedom Index also indicate that conditions have deteriorated significantly in 50 of 179 countries assessed over the past decade, while only nine recorded improvements.
The documented incidents include killings, imprisonment, prosecution, dismissals, travel restrictions and institutional interference affecting students, academics and other members of university communities.
Our take: Academic freedom is inseparable from students’ freedom to learn, organise, question authority and participate in public debate. Governments and institutions must treat attacks on students as threats to higher education itself, and not as isolated public-order incidents. Monitoring should be accompanied by legal assistance, protection for those at risk and formal student participation in institutional responses. Read Free to Think 2026.
United States: court blocks restrictions on international students
On 14 September, a federal judge prevented the US Department of Homeland Security from introducing a rule that would have replaced the longstanding “duration of status” system for international students and exchange visitors.
The rule, scheduled to take effect the following day, would generally have limited F student and J exchange-visitor admission periods to four years. Students requiring additional time would have needed to apply for extensions, while postgraduate transfers and changes of programme would have faced further restrictions.
Judge F. Dennis Saylor found that the government had relied on weak justifications and had not adequately considered less burdensome alternatives or the consequences for students and universities. The injunction preserves the existing system while the legal challenge continues.
Our take: The ruling provides important temporary relief, particularly for students in doctoral, medical and other programmes that commonly last longer than four years. International students should not face repeated immigration applications, additional costs or the risk of losing status simply because they follow legitimate academic pathways. Their experiences must inform any future reform. Read the Reuters report.
Gaza: scholarship recipients remain unable to reach Belgium
Thirteen students and researchers from Gaza risk losing scholarships at Belgian universities after the country’s coalition government failed to agree on arrangements for their evacuation.
The group includes students admitted to communications and public-health programmes, as well as researchers awarded academic fellowships. Applicants cannot complete normal visa procedures because these require appointments at diplomatic missions in locations such as Cairo or Jerusalem that they cannot safely reach.
Rectors from the participating Belgian universities have criticised the government’s position, stressing that the students hold verified academic offers and intend to use their education to contribute to Gaza’s eventual reconstruction.
Our take: A scholarship has little value when its recipient cannot safely reach the institution offering it. Governments and universities must establish coordinated visa and evacuation procedures for students in conflict zones, including secure remote processing where in-person applications are impossible. Educational mobility should be protected as part of the wider humanitarian response. Read the report.
Italy proposes restrictions affecting migrant and Muslim pupils
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced on 20 September that her government is preparing legislation to establish a maximum number of foreign students in each classroom and prohibit burqas and niqabs in schools.
The proposed numerical limit has not yet been specified. Meloni said the measures were intended to support integration and language learning and would also require some foreign parents to learn Italian. Pupils without Italian citizenship currently represent approximately 11.6% of school enrolment.
The announcement is a proposal rather than an adopted measure and will require further government and legislative action.
Our take: Language support can strengthen inclusion, but separating or limiting pupils according to nationality risks producing discrimination rather than integration. Restrictions on religious dress must also be assessed against students’ rights to education, equality and freedom of belief. Read the Reuters report.
India: student elections expose representation gaps
Students voted in the Delhi University Students’ Union election on 18 September, with results announced the following day. The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad won the presidency, secretary and joint-secretary positions, while independent candidate Deepanshu Shokeen became vice-president. Turnout reached 40.46%.
Housing safety and affordability became major campaign issues after the collapse of a student accommodation building killed seven people, including five students. The election also prompted protests over the exclusion of students enrolled through the School of Open Learning and the Non-Collegiate Women’s Education Board. Campaigners said approximately 600,000 students across these programmes could not vote in the central union election.
Read the election results and the report on voting-rights protests.
This week: 21–27 September
- 21–27 September — International Week of Deaf People: The week includes the International Day of Sign Languages on 23 September. Schools, universities and student organisations should examine whether teaching, student activities and democratic processes are genuinely accessible in national sign languages. Read about the 2026 observance.
- 22 September — Education House during the UN General Assembly: Education organisations, young people and policymakers will meet in New York for discussions on education financing, crisis resilience, artificial intelligence and student outcomes. The programme includes a youth-led conversation on secondary education and the launch of the 2026–27 Learning Planet Youth Design Challenge, supported by partners including the Global Student Forum. See the programme.
- 22 September — UN General Debate begins: Heads of state and government will address the UN General Assembly through 28 September. Education financing, attacks on education, climate disruption, artificial intelligence and meaningful youth participation should form part of discussions about sustainable development and global cooperation. Follow the UN programme.
- 23 September — Academic-freedom action session: Scholars at Risk will hold an online discussion on applying the findings of Free to Think 2026 through campus activities, awareness-building and advocacy. The session offers student organisations an opportunity to consider how global monitoring can support national campaigns. See the event information.
What we are watching
- Whether governments and universities act on the findings of Free to Think 2026.
- Any appeal against the US ruling protecting international students.
- Efforts to secure safe passage for Gaza’s scholarship recipients.
- The detail and legislative status of Italy’s proposed school restrictions.
- Whether Delhi’s newly elected student union engages in the questions around housing safety and unequal voting rights.
Are important developments affecting students taking place in your country? Students, student organisations and education communities are invited to send them to the Global Student Forum for possible inclusion in a future edition of World Student News.
