Quality education and climate action are two of the highest priority issues for would-be university students, according to research conducted by THE Student.

In a survey taken by 2,000 prospective international students, participants were asked to vote on which of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) they thought were the most important. SDG 4 (quality education) and SDG 13 (climate action) were voted the highest priority SDGs, with 37 per cent and 33 per cent of the votes, respectively.

Higher education is – thankfully – in a moment of transition. After the murder of George Floyd last year and in response to the continued push of the Movement for Black Lives, universities around the world are responding by pledging a commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. Some are even going so far as to declare themselves “anti-racist universities”, which is a welcome change.

Budgeting is not the most exciting topic, but financial well-being is critical to your overall university experience.

Recent research commissioned by financial education resource Blackbullion found that nearly half of students have considered dropping out of university or deferring by a year because of financial barriers, which has only been exacerbated by Covid-19.

As the American writer Shelby Foote once said: “A university is just a group of buildings gathered around a library.”

Though so much information for most people’s studies is now online, you can’t beat the feeling of sanctuary and calm you get from a good library. Whether you use them for research, reading or just to escape the world for a few hours, libraries are an essential part of the university experience.

When it comes to thriving tech sectors, certain cities and locations spring to mind: London, San Francisco and Tokyo, maybe. 

However, have you considered Mumbai or Frankfurt or the US state of North Carolina? According to a new series of Digital Leader rankings, these are among the top locations for a digital education. 

Sponsored content: created in partnership with the University of Manchester.

It’s an uncertain time for students. Headlines warn us that employment prospects have been diminished by the pandemic, and many graduates who do start work can’t meet their colleagues in person. Meanwhile, the labour market is shifting so rapidly that it’s hard to know what qualifications will be most sought after.

Growing up, being able to understand how infections and diseases can be treated with a simple pill or injection fascinated me. I was keen to understand how this was possible.

One of the biggest challenges that face university students who are studying virtually is how to make friends and connect with fellow students.

With most classes and social events occurring on Zoom, opportunities to meet new people can be limited. However, making friends isn’t impossible. Here, current international students share ways in which they have made friends through their screens. 

If you’re interested in studying abroad at an English-speaking university or another type of education institution, you will need to demonstrate a level of proficiency in the language. The IELTS Academic test is one of the main ways to do this.

Introduced in 1989, IELTs (or, to give it its full title, the International English Language Testing System) is one of the principal English language proficiency tests for non-native speakers looking to study or work abroad or migrate.

It is offered at more than 1,200 test centres in over 140 countries and territories.