5 December 2021  Issue No: 671

Following COP26, now is the time for the international higher education community to act to address the climate crisis. In doing so, it will win more than it loses – not just in terms of its carbon footprint, but through becoming more interactive, inclusive, intercultural and international.

China has promised to roll out higher education programmes in African countries spanning the medical, innovation, climate change and agricultural development fields in a wide-ranging support package that is poised to further cement Beijing’s footprint on the continent.

While two-thirds of their students come from disadvantaged families, historically black colleges and universities or HBCUs in the United States are more than two times more successful in propelling their graduates into the middle or upper classes than the nationwide average, says a report from the United Negro College Fund.

Do we need to ban education agents or is there another more ethical way of recruiting international students? One way is to create an impartial advisory body that treats students and parents as the primary clients and is based on fees or commissions, but not both.

Despite concerns that Chinese students will stay close to home after COVID, there are reasons to believe they will continue to want to study abroad, particularly in the United States and the United Kingdom. These include the cultural experience, pressure from parents and influencers and gaokao frustration.

The COVID-19 pandemic forced higher education institutions to go online to continue and survive, sparking a debate on whether going digital can provide greater opportunities for internationalisation of higher education, including for under-represented and disadvantaged students, and at a lower cost.

Africa has experienced more military coups than any other continent worldwide, with five coups this year alone – in Niger, Chad, Mali, Guinea and Sudan. This turns the spotlight on the role of African military academies in preparing military leaders for 21st-century security challenges.