5 September 2020  Issue No: 610

University leaders have had to handle a ‘perfect storm’ of COVID-19, economic downturn and societal upheaval with Black Lives Matter. Five women university presidents from the Association of Pacific Rim Universities talked to University World News about the challenges of steering their institution through the ‘triple whammy’.

Peking University, one of China’s top universities, has announced tighter rules for attending online conferences organised overseas, including in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macau. Human rights groups say these amount to restrictions on academic freedom and do not comply with international human rights standards.

These are difficult times, but University World News’ readership is expanding rapidly due to our extensive coverage of the impact of COVID-19 on higher education globally. If you value what we do, you can help us build our audience further simply by sharing any of our articles on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn. Or you can help us secure our future by making a donation – just click on the yellow advertisement below.

Student accommodation is an often-overlooked part of the student experience. While online learning has been possible for many students, the suspension of in-person classes due to COVID-19 has highlighted the importance of the on-campus experience. Universities should consider housing’s role in that.

The results of the Times Higher Education or THE World University Rankings 2021, published on Wednesday, underline the continuing shift of strength of higher education and research around the world, with universities from the United States and United Kingdom being challenged by universities from Asia, particularly mainland China.

From COVID-19 to climate change, economic disparity and insecurity, today’s ‘wicked problems’ seem to be growing. To solve them requires transdisciplinary, global collaboration and a reorientation to teach students to think differently, to take risks and become the change agents we need.

The president of the Globethics.net Foundation talks to University World News about his vision, just published, for a world in which the rise of nationalism, polarisation and popular unrest are countered by an ethical approach to leadership, in which higher education has a vital role to play.

The third edition of Student Affairs and Services in Higher Education: Global foundations, issues, and best practices is an enormous volume, involving around 250 authors and others from 125 countries. The open access book was recently published by the International Association of Student Affairs and Services with Deutsches Studentenwerk. In this three-part Special Report, authors describe and interpret the landscape of student affairs globally, developments and issues, achievements and challenges.

Conformity to traditional cultural beliefs and societal expectations have contributed significantly to gender gaps in science, technology, engineering and mathematics or STEM fields in Africa, according to a new study conducted by the Nairobi-based African Academy of Sciences.