Breaking News
NORTH KOREA-RUSSIA
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Yojana Sharma
Following a rare meeting of education ministers, some experts say that Pyongyang’s request to step up the number of North Korean students going to study in Russian universities could be a way for Pyongyang to bypass United Nations sanctions on North Korean workers.
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BANGLADESH
Mohiuddin Alamgir
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UNITED KINGDOM
Nic Mitchell
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Top Stories
GLOBAL
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Short, cost-effective and aligned to labour market
Hakan Ergin and John Brennan
The increasing popularity of micro-credentials could lead to a drop in demand for higher education or people turning to non-university providers that can offer more practical and market-driven training. The efficiency of micro-credentials in quickly equipping learners with skills suggests a promising future.
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RUSSIA
Maria Yudkevich
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UNITED STATES
Nathan M Greenfield
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AFRICA
Wachira Kigotho
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News
GLOBAL
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Wachira Kigotho
The latest QS rankings by subject for 2024 suggest that academic excellence is no longer solely confined to traditional study destinations and specific regions but is slowly becoming more widely distributed as rising centres of academic excellence start to emerge around the world.
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UNITED KINGDOM
Liz Newmark
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INDIA
Shuriah Niazi
India’s premier institutes of technology, or IITs, are intent on increasing their global footprint by going beyond the traditional internationalisation of research and exchange partnerships. This month the Indian Institute of Technology Madras launched a foundation to drive innovation and entrepreneurship and boost its global presence.
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CHINA
Yojana Sharma
The case of a top student who was denied admission to postgraduate programmes at two top Chinese universities, allegedly on the grounds that he was cruel to animals, has sparked a major debate on whether personal conduct and moral attributes should be considered above grades in university admissions.
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DENMARK
Jan Petter Myklebust
A recent report commissioned by the Danish Ministry of Higher Education and Science shows the full extent of sexism and harassment experienced by PhD students in Danish institutions and highlights concerns over the loss to academia in particular of talented potential women researchers.
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DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO
Augustin Sadiki
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Special Report: AI and Research
GLOBAL
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Research that uses generative AI is expanding rapidly across fields, and is said to be accelerating and transforming scientific knowledge. Today we launch a weekly series of articles on AI and Research exploring the multiplying ways in which AI is involved in higher education research. The series will culminate in a special briefing in June.
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DENMARK
Jan Petter Myklebust
In two major studies in Denmark, experts in computer science and in the sociology of science are exploring how researchers are using generative AI – and how rapidly evolving AI tools might change ways in which scientific knowledge is produced and diffused.
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BANGLADESH
Yojana Sharma
University-based academics from across Asia have been working with Bangladesh policy-makers to identify gaps and bottlenecks in using artificial intelligence in maternal healthcare, and to prepare the ground for an upgrade in health services that would in future use advanced technologies such as AI.
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Special Report: ABET 2024 Symposium
GLOBAL
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University World News was the media partner at the 2024 ABET Symposium, titled “Science Fiction to Science Fact: The impact of AI on higher education” and held in Tampa, Florida, in the United States from 4-5 April. In this special report, our journalists cover the symposium and present an overview of AI in higher education the world over.
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GLOBAL
Nathan M Greenfield
Many speakers at the 2024 ABET Symposium, which focused on the impact of AI on higher education, highlighted the exciting potential of AI-enhanced education but also warned of AI’s many flaws, lack of transparency and the need to meet accuracy and ethical standards.
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GLOBAL
UWN Reporters
It has been said that journalists write the first draft of history. This is the first draft of the history of generative AI as it intersects with higher education, according to the writers of University World News. Many of these writers are leading academics, giving this ‘first draft’ greater depth.
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World Blog
GLOBAL
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Fabrizio Trifiro
Transnational education, or TNE, is not a quick solution to address revenue shortfalls because of dwindling public funds and international student recruitment at home. Successful TNE, in its different modalities, is a resource-intensive endeavour requiring long-term commitment. And it should be transformational, not only transactional.
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Features
AFRICA
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Amy Paterson
Medical education in Africa involves a unique blend of cultural, community and hands-on training – so why is it so undervalued in university rankings? What are the reasons? What needs to change? A medical doctor and researcher has shared her insights in a higher education blog platform of the London School of Economics and Political Science.
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Top Stories from Last Week
UNITED STATES
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Nathan M Greenfield
A recent poll suggests the policies making headlines in the United States, on topics such as abortion, gun control and freedom to study critical race theory, do not necessarily align with what the people who attend, or hope to attend, college actually want.
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IRELAND
John Walshe
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GLOBAL
Nathan M Greenfield
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AFRICA-GLOBAL
Goolam Mohamedbhai
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EUROPE
Kateryna Suprun and Jussi Kivistö
An upcoming meeting of the European Higher Education Area ministers that will hopefully approve the definition of the EHEA’s fundamental values, will also test the will of the Bologna Process to practise what it preaches and exclude Russia and Belarus as member countries.
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PHILIPPINES
Kalinga Seneviratne
Far-reaching legislation lifting constitutional restrictions on foreign investment could pave the way, if successful, for the establishment of branch campuses of foreign universities. But there is disagreement among the Philippines’ leading government higher education agencies and other stakeholders on the benefits of foreign universities.
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BANGLADESH
Mohiuddin Alamgir
Private universities in Bangladesh are at loggerheads with the country’s tax authorities over payment of 15% income tax, which was imposed following a verdict by the appellate division of the Supreme Court, pushing private higher education institutions into crisis.
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GLOBAL
Patrick Blessinger, Abhilasha Singh and Madasu Bhaskara Rao
People must be provided with the knowledge and skills they need to address climate change effectively. Universities need to lead society on sustainable development and integrate sustainability principles into their curricula across all disciplines in a comprehensive and integrated way.
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Sponsored Article
Jessica Silwick
The fast-changing developments in artificial intelligence, a field that is dominated by men, are threatening to disrupt many economic and professional sectors worldwide. ABET has developed comprehensive guidance which it hopes will boost the role women play in STEM education and professions, including in AI.
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Sponsored Article
UAE University staff
In support of both national and global initiatives to address climate change, the United Arab Emirates University launched the ‘Green Research Projects’, a programme designed to finance and bolster research endeavours focused on sustainability and climate change.
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Sponsored Article
UAE University staff
In support of national and global efforts to find innovative solutions to the challenges of climate change and within the UAE University’s roadmap toward COP28 and beyond, the university has aligned its research priorities with the UAE’s (COP28) historic consensus.
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Sponsored Article
University of the Free State staff
The University of the Free State in South Africa has excelled over recent years as a research-led, student-centred and regionally engaged university that contributes to development and social justice through the production of globally competitive graduates and knowledge.
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Sponsored Article
The Education Collaborative staff
The Education Collaborative, an initiative started by Ashesi University in Ghana in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation, is one of Africa’s biggest platforms of higher education stakeholders. Since 2017, the Collaborative has led a new model for collaboration in African higher education that is helping to grow the strength of the ecosystem.
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At first glance, the process of taking attendance looks simple: confirming a student’s physical presence at a particular place and time. However, the intricacies of the practice of taking student attendance involves far more, and the implications of its use can be profound.
The rising number of Chinese students studying in South Korea suggests a shift in focus from Westward student mobility to intra-Asia student mobility and an appreciation of the positional advantage it offers to many Chinese students. But challenges still exist for returning graduates.