Europe's Budget Crisis Hits Universities - Christopher F. Schuetze, NY Times

The Irish changes are part of a larger trend of cost-cutting and reorganization that has drawn student protests across the Continent, as European countries try to balance a largely socialized, affordable higher education system against budget constraints. Despite heavy rains, several thousand students protested against tuition increases and divestment in higher education Wednesday in London, according to organizers. Students, who are among the first group to feel the brunt of cuts, have taken their frustration to the streets and campuses. “A lot of students are protesting how the crisis is affecting both government policy and individual students’ life,” said Taina Moisander, an official of the European Students’ Union. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/26/world/europe/europes-budget-crisis-hits-universities.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0