2 February 2020  Issue No: 583

With internationalisation of higher education, the Wuhan coronavirus outbreak – combined with larger than usual international student movements to and from China during the January holiday period – has meant that a large number of universities in different countries have had to bring in contingency measures to help control the spread of disease.

Days before leaving the European Union, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said a fast track visa for scientists, mathematicians and researchers would be launched in February, hoping to send a message to the world that the United Kingdom is “open to the most talented minds in the world”.

International university partnerships work best when everyone feels a sense of belonging and is supported within an international ‘community of practice’. Problems encountered become mutual problems and any successes are mutual successes to be shared.

The United Kingdom left the European Union on 31 January 2020. In a briefing on implications and the road ahead for higher education, the European University Association points out that both sides agree on the end goal of a close relationship in research and education – but achieving this will be complicated by a short timeframe and complex EU policy processes.

Half of 15-year-olds in 41 countries expect to work in one of 10 popular jobs that are ‘traditional’, with some at risk of becoming automated out of existence, says an OECD survey. It found inequalities in career choices and options, confusion about how qualifications relate to careers, and some ‘negative misalignment’ in the qualifications young people aspire to versus what they need to achieve job goals.