17 October 2021  Issue No: 664

Today the average white family has roughly 10 times the amount of wealth as the average black family in the United States, while white college graduates have over seven times more wealth than black college graduates and the black student debt crisis is widening the wealth gap.

Amid ongoing COVID-19 upheaval and uncertainty, there is a lot that universities can do to better attract international students and help them to feel a sense of belonging and engagement before they begin their studies, perhaps starting with a personalised conversation with academic staff.

The American University of Afghanistan or AUAF, which is currently unable to operate at its home campus in Kabul in Afghanistan, is to set up a campus in Doha, Qatar. But the future of hundreds of AUAF students, many of them dispersed to different countries, hangs in the balance.

Pressure to publish and climb the rankings is everywhere in higher education and it affects younger academics in developing countries more, where access to journals is more challenging. The skewing and fatigue it induces is damaging higher education in the Global South.

The debate in Norway and other countries about how many international students – or additionally how many international researchers – are too many ignores the fact that academia functions in a global environment today and that domestic students benefit from a diverse academic community.

Structured listening practices should be used to make sure the voices of those suffering the most from climate change are also heard in the growing clamour for something to be done, according to students from Africa and Asia participating in the Talloires Network Leaders Conference.

Researchers in Indonesia are playing a key role in informing efforts to reduce deforestation and fight forest fires that affect air quality in Southeast Asia and contribute to global warming. Community forestry activism – partly due to public education spearheaded by universities – has also contributed.

Peer reviewers provide an essential service, contributing to the quality of articles, but the experience also helps support their own career development, keeping them up to date with developments in their field, building networks and connections, enhancing their writing skills and earning them recognition as experts.