19 July 2020  Issue No: 607

Many Pacific Rim universities that were best prepared for campus closures at very short notice in response to the COVID-19 pandemic already had emergency disaster response procedures in place encompassing other natural disasters. These will make them more resilient in future pandemics, university presidents say.

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The Trump administration has U-turned on its new policy of forcing international students to attend classes in person or leave the United States, after mounting opposition from universities and legal challenges from top higher education institutions, it was announced in court.

At a time of constant disruption, the curriculum needs to enable meaningful learning pathways and help reduce unnecessary bureaucratic practices. The relationship between and progression to different level qualifications should be at the centre of curriculum planning and design in post-secondary education and training.

More than 12,000 Hong Kong students and other citizens have been offered extended Australian visas that could lead to them obtaining permanent residency. Australia’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced the decision in response to China’s crackdown on personal freedoms and dissent in Hong Kong.

Chinese culture has long excelled in incorporating elements from outside its border but has fallen relatively behind in reaching out to others. Such a disposition has left deep marks on the ways in which Chinese higher education interacts with the rest of the world.

Somaliland’s higher education capacity may have been growing, but a lack of financial and human resources and the continued lack of international recognition of its country’s self-declared independent status continue to impede progress, say local education leaders.