11 July 2021  Issue No: 651

Conventional ways of addressing inequality in higher education do little to address bias. What is needed is not one-off tickbox exercises but a systemic approach, involving a focus on developing inclusive leadership and a commitment to driving innovation through harnessing diversity of thought.

The Association of African Universities has launched an initiative with a private partner to provide universities, academics and students on the continent with access to a low-data online learning management system that could provide support amid the ongoing migration, due to COVID-19, to a blended and online learning environment.

Singapore is looking at possible legislative measures to curb foreign influence on organisations including universities, its minister of home affairs said after parliamentarians raised concerns about foreign influence operations and foreign intelligence recruitment from the city-state’s universities in the wake of espionage cases involving academics.

Syrian refugee students in Lebanon are at particular risk from the country’s economic and social collapse. They were facing discrimination, insecurity, destitution and displacement even before the pandemic led to devaluation and hyper-inflation. International agencies need to understand the challenges they are experiencing.

A new book of young authors says existing ranking and publication impact metrics hinder the development of universities and scholars’ ability to focus on locally contextualised social responsibility, and lead to the exclusion of the vast majority of Global South and non-Anglophone European intellectual communities.

Indonesia can only reach its carbon emissions target if government, NGOs, businesses and universities work together, according to the University of Indonesia’s Research Center for Climate Change. Local communities are keen to shift to alternative energy sources and student researchers are helping them.