One of Italy's top universities has sent shockwaves through the country's higher education system by announcing that from 2014 its courses will be taught exclusively in English.

The radical move by Milan's Politecnico university will, according to its rector, Giovanni Azzone, "contribute to the growth of the country". He said the strategy would attract brain power and yield the high-quality personnel that would "respond to the needs of businesses".

But the announcement has sparked a furious debate among academics and public officials. The higher education minister, Francesco Profumo, told La Stampa newspaper that he hoped other leading institutions would follow suit.

Others expressed alarm at the move. Luca Serianni, an eminent linguist at Rome's La Sapienza university, said the move was "excessive and not only in the ideological sense".

Despite having some of the oldest universities in the world in cities such as Bologna, not one Italian college appears among the world's top 200. Nepotism and closed-shop recruitment of staff have largely been blamed.

Lower fees help to fuel rise in UK applications to institution where most undergraduate classes are taught in English

When she alights from the Eurostar at St Pancras – not very often these days – Dani Older finds herself groaning and pining to turn around to get back to "Europe".

"I cycle around here on a day like today, sunshine and snow, and I just think how lucky I am," said the 23-year-old from Guildford in Surrey, who is halfway through a three-year BA in arts and culture at Maastricht University in the Netherlands. "It's a romantic weekend away kind of place. I'm definitely in no rush to go back home. I'm thinking of doing a master's here."

Older is one of scores of English students discovering the possibilities of swapping university life at home for a quite difference experience on the continent – without the inconvenience of having to speak a foreign language.

Parents are encouraging their children to enrol in foreign universities to avoid soaring tuition fees in England.

Universities across the world report unprecedented levels of interest from UK sixth formers in the run up to the introduction of £9,000 a year tuition fees in England.

Applications are being driven by parents who want to avoid paying £27,000 for a three year degree or having their teenagers saddled with years of debt.

Families are prepared to spend hundreds of pounds on visits to overseas campuses to persuade children to look for courses that as well as being cheaper might give them a competitive edge in the dire UK job market.

Graduates seeking work are being urged to develop ‘global employability skills’ to help them succeed in an increasingly competitive international marketplace. Multinational employers are looking for graduates who can bring something ‘over and above’ core graduate skills.

In a groundbreaking research project, the Association of Graduate Recruiters (AGR), Council for Industry and Higher Education (CIHE) and research agency CFE,have explored how businesses define global graduates and what higher education institutions and policy makers can do to develop graduates capable of competing on the international stage.

Leading employers, who collectively recruit over 3,500 graduates each year, across a range of sectors, were asked to rank a list of key skills for global graduates and placed multilingualism low down. While the ability to speak a foreign language is an important skill, it was viewed as a complementary rather than an essential skill. Employers recognise that it is not only linguists who have the potential to become highly sought after global graduates.

Student fairs and proper research can help give you some crucial insights into overseas education, says Jessica Moore

‘Not to know is bad. Not to wish to know is worse’, runs an African proverb. For those considering a university education, it’s advice worth heeding – and suitably international advice at that. “ A degree has become a commodity,” believes David Plummer from Solihull. “There’s a significant price tag. If you’re spending that sort of money, it makes sense to shop around.” By which he means: get online, get on the phone, and seek out the best product for the best value.

Plummer’s daughter has her heart set on a five-year dentistry course in Dubai. “You need to put in the research to make sure you’r e investing in the right way for your child. Although teaching in the UK is great, the standard of accommodation isn’t comparable to what we can get in the Middle East. Quality of life should match the quality of education.”

The UK is the third most expensive place in the world to go to university, it emerged today, with fears it could top international league tables when fees soar next year.

Figures show that undergraduates in just two other countries – the United States and Korea – currently pay more for a degree than in the UK.

Data from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) showed that students were charged the equivalent of almost £3,100 a year for a university course in 2008/9.

It put the UK above Japan and Australia and significantly higher than European competitors such as France, the Netherlands and Sweden, where tuition is free.

A Midland company which helps UK youngsters to study abroad has been deluged with interest amid rising tuition fees.

The organisers of a new exhibition – The Student World Fair – have seen no fewer than 1,200 students register, and has had to increase its capacity with demand soaring.

Jemma Davies, of The Student World which is based in Coventry and is organising the event, said the level of demand comes after record numbers wanting university places this summer left around a third of students having to reconsider their options.