12 November 2023  Issue No: 762

Universities in Russia are experiencing a structural transformation, marked by decreasing autonomy, militarisation, and ideologisation of curricula. As they distance themselves from Western models, these institutions are reverting to Soviet-era approaches to higher education which are expected to intensify as the war continues.

There have been 439 Palestinians from the university community killed and 11 higher education buildings completely or partially damaged since the start of the Israel-Palestine war on 7 October, according to the Palestinian government. Higher education has been severely disrupted.

Visas issued to Indian students have picked up after a slow-down a year ago, leading with record numbers in the United Kingdom and a significant increase in student visas issued by the United States. This is in contrast with Canada, possibly due to its political row with India.

The United Kingdom government appears to be putting its money where its mouth is to help address challenges and opportunities presented by rapidly advancing AI technology, with a £300 million (US$366 million) investment to create a national Artificial Intelligence Research Resource and the country’s most powerful supercomputer.

The recent Magna Charta Universitatum conference in Poland focused on urban renewal and on the importance of co-creation of knowledge and collaboration with communities to overcome obstacles to societal well-being. This requires a multidisciplinary perspective and openness to diverse partnerships.

The number of students at Portuguese higher education institutions has peaked in the past academic year, and international students rose to 16.5% of the student body. But officials say proactive measures are needed to ensure that a projected future decline is not too steep.

International higher education is traditionally driven by a Western agenda. Growing scholarly discussions around neo-colonisation, post-colonialism and decolonisation in relation to higher education internationalisation are promising contributions towards reimagining the field – but change is barely perceptible.

As the United Arab Emirates prepares to host COP28, the global summit on climate action and sustainable development, University World News is running a weekly Special Briefing exploring the contribution of Gulf states’ universities to climate action and to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

The ASEAN Consolidated Strategy on the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the post-pandemic recovery have profoundly changed the work landscape, underlining the importance of upskilling and reskilling in the ASEAN region through sustainable international partnerships.

Education institutions and policy-makers have a vital role to play in helping to build peace, but first they should take a look at how they might be contributing to conflict, which in many countries around the world can make them a target of attack.

With an eye to developing a clean, alternative aviation fuel to reduce carbon emissions, researchers at the United Arab Emirates University have been focusing on the production of jet fuel from sustainable resources such as halophytes, which are salt-tolerant plants that could be cultivated on a wider scale in the region’s coastal areas. Promoted by the United Arab Emirates University.