Universities around the globe have swapped out books and exams for noise makers and soccer jerseys, as 2018 FIFA World Cup fever rages.

International universities have converted buildings and classrooms into places where students and locals can gather to support their national team at campus watch parties. This year's tournament in Russia — which began June 14 and ends July 15 — costs $15 billion and is expected to attract more than 3.2 billion viewers worldwide, according to GlobalWebIndex research.

In Nigeria, universities have become a hotbed for World Cup revelry. At Bingham University near the capital of Abuja, hundreds gathered to watch the Nigerian Super Eagles defeat Iceland 2-0. Together, students and locals cheered and sang the country's national anthem following the win.

Meanwhile, at the University of Lagos, the College of Medicine hosted viewing and celebrations after Nigeria's win.

At the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, students and locals celebrated Nigeria's win throughout campus, serenading each other from hostel balconies.

"Actually, it is never fun watching soccer alone at home," said 22-year-old Nigerian Sinclair Lyon Jr. "Nigeria is a place with over 300 tribes and we speak over 520 languages. [Soccer] brings unity and oneness amongst us despite our ethnic and tribal differences. With soccer, we speak one language and that is supporting the super Eagles of Nigeria to victory."

At the University of Benin in Nigeria, students flooded the streets in jubilation following Nigeria's win. Four days later, Nigeria was eliminated in a 2-1 loss to Argentina, but if Twitter activity is any indication, students in Nigeria remained infected with World Cup fever.

​Break in Uruguay

At Catholic University of Uruguay, university officials announced that "all classes and activities" would be suspended until after tournament's conclusion in mid-July. The university in Montevideo is home to over 10,000 students.

"One of the main missions of the university student is to be attentive to the reality that surrounds us, from a critical, academic spirit, but also immersed in it, vibrating and participating with society as a whole," wrote Vice-Chancellor Álvaro Pacheco to the student body when announcing the break.

"It is evident that sports in general, and especially soccer, is an element that defines us as Uruguayans, and that has the virtue of creating a common sense of unity that is rare in our days."

The Uruguayan national team has advanced into the quarterfinals.

Foul flags

Although the national soccer team for Bangladesh has never qualified for the tournament — they rank 194th in world rankings — World Cup mania rages there. Bangladeshis have thrown their support behind Argentina or Brazil, the top South American teams.

Flags, rallies and parades fill the streets of Bangladesh with the team colors of Argentina and Brazil. But the passion has sometimes turned violent, such as earlier this month, when Argentina and Brazil supporters attacked each other with machetes in the town of Bandar, leaving two critically wounded.

The University of Barisal warned students in May against hoisting foreign flags, citing a national law that "the flag of a Foreign State shall not be flown on any car or building in Bangladesh without the specific permission of the Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh."

"As the university is a government organization, we cannot allow such unauthorized activities," university vice chancellor SM Imamul Haque said in an interview with New Age.

During the lead-up to the 2014 World Cup, government officials in the Jessore district appealed to fans to remove Argentinean and Brazilian flags flying from their rooftops. Despite these disagreements, World Cup flags are still flying.

And while many students love soccer, not everyone embraces the party that comes along with the World Cup. Near the University of Moscow, World Cup organizers erected a viewing screen near the university dorms. Although 4,600 students signed a petition to have the screen and noise moved, the Fan Zone remains active.

The Trump administration is opening new investigations into allegations of antisemitism at five U.S. universities including Columbia and the University of California, Berkeley, the Education Department announced Monday.

It's part of President Donald Trump's promise to take a tougher stance against campus antisemitism and deal out harsher penalties than the Biden administration, which settled a flurry of cases with universities in its final weeks. It comes the same day the Justice Department announced a new task force to root out antisemitism on college campuses.

In an order signed last week, Trump called for aggressive action to fight anti-Jewish bias on campuses, including the deportation of foreign students who have participated in pro-Palestinian protests.

Along with Columbia and Berkeley, the department is now investigating the University of Minnesota, Northwestern University and Portland State University. The cases were opened using the department's power to launch its own civil rights reviews, unlike the majority of investigations, which stem from complaints.

Messages seeking comment were left with all five universities.
A statement from the Education Department criticized colleges for tolerating antisemitism after Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel and a wave of pro-Palestinian protests that followed. It also criticized the Biden administration for negotiating "toothless" resolutions that failed to hold schools accountable.

"Today, the Department is putting universities, colleges, and K-12 schools on notice: this administration will not tolerate continued institutional indifference to the wellbeing of Jewish students on American campuses," said Craig Trainor, the agency's acting assistant secretary for civil rights.

The department didn't provide details about the inquiries or how it decided which schools are being targeted. Presidents of Columbia and Northwestern were among those called to testify on Capitol Hill last year as Republicans sought accountability for allegations of antisemitism. The hearings contributed to the resignation of multiple university presidents, including Columbia's Minouche Shafik.

An October report from House Republicans accused Columbia of failing to punish pro-Palestinian students who took over a campus building, and it called Northwestern's negotiations with student protesters a "stunning capitulation."

House Republicans applauded the new investigations. Representative Tim Walberg, chair of the Education and Workforce Committee, said he was "glad that we finally have an administration who is taking action to protect Jewish students."

Trump's order also calls for a full review of antisemitism complaints filed with the Education Department since Oct. 7, 2023, including pending and resolved cases from the Biden administration. It encourages the Justice Department to take action to enforce civil rights laws.

Last week's order drew backlash from civil rights groups who said it violated First Amendment rights that protect political speech.

The new task force announced Monday includes the Justice and Education departments along with Health and Human Services.

"The Department takes seriously our responsibility to eradicate this hatred wherever it is found," said Leo Terrell, assistant attorney general for civil rights. "The Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism is the first step in giving life to President Trump's renewed commitment to ending anti-Semitism in our schools."

The Times of India breaks down the most popular subjects for international students to study in the U.S.

STEM and business lead the pack. Read the full story here. (January 2025)

U.S. News & World report addresses some of the misconceptions about U.S. colleges and universities, including the difficulty of getting a visa.

Read the full story here. (January 2025)

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