23 January 2022  Issue No: 676

Expanding the European Universities Initiative and establishing a joint European degree are at the heart of the European Strategy for Universities and recommendations for “building bridges for effective European higher education cooperation”, proposed by the European Commission, but universities have concerns about funding and implementation.

China National Knowledge Infrastructure or CNKI – a comprehensive database of Chinese academic journals, newspapers and research papers – has lost a legal battle over copyright infringement after a retired professor accused it of uploading more than 160 of his articles without permission or payment.

The controversy over the admission and deportation of world number one tennis star Novak Djokovic, who had not been vaccinated for COVID-19, will do nothing to reduce the bad taste left in the mouth of many international students over their treatment by Australia during the pandemic.

The European Strategy for Universities and the European Council Recommendation published this week represent a bold attempt to transform higher education in Europe and maximise its capacities and capabilities based on the principle of ‘inclusive excellence’. Priorities include expansion of Erasmus+ and the European Universities Initiative.

A Westminster Higher Education Forum debate over proposed legislation has exposed some of the knotty challenges that exist in attempts to balance academic freedom and freedom of speech with the protection from bullying and harassment of controversial researchers and minority student groups.