10 November 2019  Issue No: 574

Universities need to stand firm on, and provide hard evidence of, the benefits of internationalisation, to counter rising neo-nationalist moves to create a climate of fear, reminiscent of the McCarthy era, which is raising harmful suspicions and jeopardising global collaborations, particularly with China, that benefit the whole world.

The United Kingdom government would be left having to fill a £1.5 billion (US$1.9 billion) hole in funding for research if its Brexit strategy leaves it unable to join the European Union’s Horizon Europe research programme from 2021, according to a new government report.

Putting students into groups to complete an assessment doesn’t necessarily result in collaborative teamwork and productive learning and students often hate it, but might it be the best preparation for the world of work? Academic policy-makers and employers certainly think so.

The European Universities Initiative, the most discussed political project in higher education at the European Union level, offers a great opportunity to deepen collaboration between universities across Europe and revive the debate about necessary system-level reforms. But it is important to be aware of the risks involved.

Several African countries are currently subjected to international sanctions, which, according to a recent report, negatively affect academic research and higher education – even after they are formally lifted.