18 June 2023  Issue No: 744

More mainland Chinese students are opting to study in Asia rather than the West. While the trend is driven by relatively lower costs, experts say high failure rates among those sitting entrance examinations for higher degrees at China’s universities are also a factor.

Job cuts announced by two of New Zealand’s eight universities in the wake of falling domestic enrolments and the ongoing recovery of international student numbers in the wake of COVID have united vice-chancellors, staff and students in calls for a more sustainable funding model.

Temple University Japan Campus, a branch campus that has managed to maintain its relevance for both a local and global market, offers insights into how South Korea can ensure the viability of international branch campuses in the face of declining population growth.

A new book which marks the 10th anniversary of the Centre for Higher Education Internationalisation in Italy opens up opportunities for a meaningful conversation on the role of internationalisation of higher education as an intrinsic part of university practice and responsibility towards society.

Rather than an environment in which assumptions are made regarding students’ political affiliations and values, universities need to be places for students to develop agency to decide on their political beliefs and enjoy the freedom to learn, grow and potentially change their minds.

“Political corruption is detrimental to education, particularly through its effect on unemployment. In a corrupt environment, skills are not put to envy … but, rather, individual relationships [are],” a study on the effect of corruption on human capital development via public investments has found.

A new book that is replete with stories based on interviews with 35 female academics about their misogynistic experiences in a range of research university English departments creates a valuable space in which other women academics can see that they are not alone.

Ending years of intense political debate, Norway’s parliament voted this week to abolish the free-tuition policy for international students outside of the European Economic Area and Switzerland, leaving many people in the sector concerned about the future of the principle of free education.