From our correspondents: Fuelling discontent

Our writers in Europe report on how the energy crisis is affecting students, staff and universities

As autumn rolls towards winter and temperatures drop across Europe, students and academics—like many other people—are facing increasingly tough decisions. Years of reliance on Russian gas have left many countries vulnerable to the energy price hikes induced by Russia’s war with Ukraine, while the knock-on effect of inflation leaves people with even less to spend as the prices of food and other basics rise.

Against this backdrop, many universities have put measures in place to support their vulnerable students and staff, while national governments have announced financial packages to ease the pressure on institutions. Whether these measures are enough to stop students feeling that they have to drop out of university, or to prevent institutions from making drastic changes to stick within their tightened budgets, will become clear over the long winter ahead.