University World News Africa Edition
10 September 2017 Issue 204 Register to receive our free e-newspaper by email each week Advanced Search

NEWSLETTER


It’s time to take self-serving, flawed university rankings less seriously


   In Africa Analysis this week, Damtew Teferra explains why it would be wise for the world, especially Africa, to ignore reputation-based global university rankings.

   In Africa Features, Wagdy Sawahel reports, on World Suicide Prevention Day, that the rising number of suicides among North African students and graduates has seen the spotlight turned onto the role of universities in supporting vulnerable students.

   In a Q&A, Munyaradzi Makoni interviews the new president of the Association of African Universities, Professor Orlando Antonio Quilambo, on his future plans and priorities.

   In Africa News, Gilbert Nganga writes about the current wave of interest from foreign funders in higher education infrastructural development in Kenya, while Sharon Dell highlights a recently launched survey to examine the conditions facing early career academics and researchers in Africa.

Sharon Dell – Africa Editor

AFRICA NEWS


KENYA

Foreign firms to plug universities’ infrastructure gap

Gilbert Nganga

Foreign financial institutions and private equity funds are lining up millions of dollars to invest in Kenya’s higher education, potentially helping to narrow the damaging infrastructure gap facing the sector.

AFRICA

New survey to assess challenges facing young scholars

Sharon Dell

What are the unique challenges faced by researchers and academics early in their careers and how can they be better supported? A new study – geared towards early-career scholars in all disciplines in Africa – is set to find out.

KENYA

In between elections, universities brace for disruptions

Christabel Ligami

After resuming operations last month after a four-week closure to accommodate the recent presidential elections, universities are bracing themselves for further disruptions as academic staff are due to strike next week.

AFRICA

New programme to produce high-level agricultural skills

Sam Otieno

African universities are set to benefit from a new €4.2 million (US$5 million) programme that will train postgraduate students in 11 countries in three thematic project areas: crop improvement; aquaculture and fisheries; and fragile ecosystems management.

AFRICA

E-learning hub a ‘short-cut’ to agricultural knowledge

Sam Otieno

The Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture is working jointly with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations to implement an e-learning hub intended to enhance the capacity of agricultural graduates to meet the changing demands of the agricultural sector.

AFRICA ANALYSIS


AFRICA

Tempest in the rankings teapot – An African perspective

Damtew Teferra

There are many reasons why the world, especially Africa, would be well served to ignore reputation-based international university rankings.

AFRICA FEATURES


NORTH AFRICA

Rising student suicides – What can universities do?

Wagdy Sawahel

As the world marks the 15th World Suicide Prevention Day on 10 September, the rising number of suicides among North African students and university graduates is turning the spotlight onto the role of universities in supporting vulnerable students and raising awareness around mental health issues.

GLOBAL

Commonwealth campaign sees universities as peacebuilders

Munyaradzi Makoni

As places where ideas can be advanced and challenged in an atmosphere of tolerance and objectivity, universities play a critical role in promoting mutual respect and understanding between people of different faiths and beliefs.

Q&A


AFRICA

Meeting the challenge of sustainability

Munyaradzi Makoni

The new president of the Association of African Universities for 2017-20, Professor Orlando Antonio Quilambo, was elected at the association’s 14th General Conference. He spoke to University World News about his plans at the helm and the importance of Africa-based funding for the organisation.

AFRICA BRIEFS


DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO

Minister asks Huawei to interconnect all universities

Higher Education and Universities Minister Steve Mbikayi is counting on connecting all the country’s universities and other institutions to each other through new technologies as a key part of his action plan to improve and modernise the higher education system.

ANGOLA

New institute of health inaugurated in Sumbe

A new institute of health with capacity to train nearly 2,000 students in nursing and laboratory work has been inaugurated in Sumbe.

NEWS – Our correspondents worldwide report


GLOBAL

Chinese universities hit new heights in global ranking

Brendan O'Malley

United Kingdom universities have taken the top two places in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings for the first time, but the key trend is the continuing rise of Chinese universities which have taken two top-30 places for the first time. China’s lower-ranked universities have also made big gains.

AUSTRALIA

Rankings results show ‘risks posed by HE cuts plan’

Geoff Maslen

The threat from Chinese universities to Australian universities' standing in international rankings, demonstrated in the latest Times Higher Education World University Rankings, has led to claims that a planned AU$2.8 billion (US$2.2 billion) government cut to universities’ funding will weaken their competitiveness internationally.

UNITED STATES

Trump’s DACA decision bars door into higher education

Mary Beth Marklein

United States President Donald Trump’s decision last week to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, programme for children of undocumented immigrants without a clear legislative solution leaves them unable to enrol in college or university and prompted stern rebukes from US higher education leaders.

INDIA

Plan for universities to hold jobs for foreign faculty

Ranjit Devraj

India wants to hire more foreign academics to boost its performance in international university rankings. But plans to keep one in five faculty jobs for foreign academics have led to fears that universities will have to pay the cost without any increase in funding.

UNITED KINGDOM

Government unveils post-Brexit science position paper

Brendan O’Malley

The United Kingdom will seek a far-reaching agreement to strengthen science and innovation collaboration with European partners post-Brexit and would prefer to design a new type of deal than build on existing precedents, according to the government’s position paper.

FRANCE-GERMANY

France and Germany start joint climate change research

Michael Gardner

France and Germany have launched a joint research programme as a contribution to implementing the 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change. The programme, part of the French ‘Make our Planet Great Again’ initiative, invites climate, energy and earth system scientists worldwide to engage in research in the two countries.

NORTH KOREA

PUST stays open, but British Council suspends teaching

Yojana Sharma

Despite new travel curbs on United States passport-holders and tension over missile tests and military manoeuvres, the private Pyongyang University of Science and Technology or PUST, which teaches in English, is staying open. But the British Council has suspended language teaching at all North Korean universities.

HONG KONG

Pro-independence banners re-emerge on campuses

Mimi Leung

Banners advocating Hong Kong’s independence from China have re-emerged at several Hong Kong university campuses despite moves to tear them down at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, in a renewed show of defiance following the jailing of three former student leaders.

COMMENTARY


GLOBAL

How do university rankings maintain their influence?

Miguel Antonio Lim

University rankings’ influence continues to increase even though academics are often very sceptical about them. Why? Part of the reason lies in the need for greater accountability and the way rankings are increasingly curating spaces of higher education expertise, including summits and conferences.

GLOBAL

Frugal MOOCs – The future of refugee higher education?

Mariam Aman Shah and David Santandreu Calonge

Massive open online courses or MOOCs in their current form, shape and design do not socially empower those who most need it, such as refugees. But if we adopt a frugal approach that is adaptable and contextualised, existing barriers to online education for refugees can be overcome.

GLOBAL

Evidence-based policies for all – Except for science?

Yves Gingras

Science funding decisions should be based on proof of what works, not on vested interests and anecdotal evidence. The concentration of funding in a few hands goes against the data on diminishing returns and cannot maximise the probability of scientific breakthroughs.

GLOBAL

Young researchers need help with academic networking

Donatella Camedda, Ana Mirman-Flores and Ashling Ryan-Mangan

Universities across the world recognise the value of networking as a way of fostering research collaboration, mobility exchange and curriculum improvement, but young researchers often struggle to find a way to build professional relations that will lead to effective collaboration.

WORLD BLOG


GLOBAL

Fees, disruption and the meaning of the university

Tom Abeles

Universities are in for a long cycle of disruption as alternatives compete to provide qualifications. This means their funding models are up for debate as never before as the whole concept of the university comes under scrutiny.

FEATURES


NORWAY

Should universities be run like businesses?

Jan Petter Myklebust

A group of academics in Norway are questioning the way universities are increasingly being run as businesses, with policy choices based on financial returns rather than societal needs. The ‘New Public Management’ style of governance of universities and public services was slated by well-known academic Frank Aarebrot ahead of the 11 September general election.

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WORLD ROUND-UP


UNITED KINGDOM

Student suicide rate hits record levels at universities

A new study has shown that a record number of students in higher education in the United Kingdom have killed themselves in recent years. The alarming statistics also claim that the number of undergraduates who have disclosed mental health problems during their first year has grown to a total of over 15,000 in a decade, writes Oliver Cragg for the International Business Times.

CHINA

More rural youngsters entering top universities

China has launched three special projects to broaden rural students’ access to universities, helping 100,000 poor youngsters enter their dream universities in 2017, reports People’s Daily Online.

SOUTH AFRICA

Parliament committee slams R14m payment to student

The parliamentary portfolio committee on higher education and training has slammed the R14 million (US$1 million) accidentally paid from the National Student Financial Aid Scheme into a Walter Sisulu University student's account as "dubious" and "unacceptable", writes Khanyisile Ngcobo for Independent Online.

HONG KONG-UNITED KINGDOM

UK visa delays put Hong Kong students’ places at risk

At least 220 Hong Kong students are at risk of missing classes – or even losing their place – at British universities because of visa delays, writes Peace Chiu for South China Morning Post.

HUNGARY

Philosopher returns doctorate in protest over Putin

Hungarian philosopher and left-wing intellectual Mihály Vajda said he has returned his honorary doctorate to the University of Debrecen because the university has also awarded an honorary title to Russian President Vladimir Putin, reports Novinite.

MALAYSIA

More pursuing masters degrees to gain job-market edge

More Malaysians are pursuing masters degrees in public and private learning institutions, with some juggling work and studies at the same time, to gain an extra edge in education in view of today’s tough job market, writes Yuen Meikeng for The Star.

CHINA-UNITED STATES

Surge in university giving by donors of Chinese descent

Major philanthropic gifts by Chinese Americans have surged nearly fivefold to almost US$500 million in recent years, with most of the money going to higher education, a new study has found, writes Teresa Watanabe for the Los Angeles Times.

INDIA

Universities body drafts policy to check plagiarism

The University Grants Commission has released draft regulations to create academic awareness about responsible conduct of research and prevention of misconduct including plagiarism in academic writing, writes Anisha Singh for NDTV.

AFRICA-CHINA

Increasing number of Chinese students head to Africa

Many Chinese students have their eyes set on American and European universities for overseas study because of advanced social development, but a growing number of Chinese students are going against the trend and receiving their education in African countries, reports ECNS.

UNITED KINGDOM

Indefensible vice-chancellor salaries may attract fines

Universities will be fined unless they can justify paying their vice-chancellor more than the prime minister, writes Camilla Turner for The Telegraph. Institutions will be forced to demonstrate that vice-chancellor salaries over £150,000 (US$196,000) represent value for money.

UNITED STATES

Boston’s aid plan achieves leap in equitable access

With a single change in its financial aid policies – wiping out all loan funds for any student eligible for a Pell Grant – Boston University has increased the proportion of its first-year students who qualify for the federal grants for low-income students to 18.2% this autumn, from 14.6% a year ago, writes Doug Lederman for Inside Higher Ed.

KENYA

Private universities reject state-sponsored learners

Private universities have turned away many government-sponsored students, citing poor funding, write Peter Mburu and Linet Amuli for the Nation. The problem has been reported in at least 28 universities.

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