European students have warned that Belarus should not be allowed to join the EU-led higher education zone due to the ongoing repression of students and academics.

A donation of €1.78 million from the Gaddafi family and a PhD granted to one of the Libyan dictator's sons has put the London School of Economics in a pickle, just as a fresh study on EU universities highlights the problems of dwindling public funds for education.

As higher education ministers from 46 European countries are set to meet to celebrate 10 years of higher education reform, a European Commission report has raised the alarm on the threat to universities and colleges from the economic crisis.

MEPs and experts have deplored the 'mismatch' between labour market needs and the offer of university students, with business associations asking the EU to draft different rankings based on the employability and careers of graduates.

The global economic crisis has led to budget cuts in the education sector in member states across the European Union at a time when the bloc is seeking to boost its economy by, among other things, putting education centre of its new economic strategy.