13 October 2019  Issue No: 570

Indian colleges and universities will not be able to collaborate with Chinese institutions without prior approval from the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of External Affairs, the higher education regulator the University Grants Commission of India has said.

Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok has replaced over 60 senior university administrators in accordance with demands made by a Sudanese academics’ association in a move that paves the way for the reopening of the country’s universities.

A new report by a non-partisan taskforce outlines how politics is increasingly influencing government science in the United States, leading to a long list of government actions undermining legitimate science, including lies, corruption and an increase in unqualified appointees on scientific bodies.

The marketisation of international higher education and the focus on students as global consumers of education rather than representatives of their communities or nations with a responsibility to promote national interests abroad have weakened the public diplomacy role of higher education.

Tunisia is partnering with France to open a new university based in the North African country offering to teach business skills and provide degrees that will help build sustainably growing economies in Africa.