24 March 2019  Issue No: 239

Current protests over tuition fee increases at the University of Juba and other public universities in South Sudan represent a watershed moment, with implications for the future of the university and higher education in the country.

The Ugandan parliament this week forwarded a list containing the names of 60 'sexual predators' in learning institutions, including 19 academics at five universities, to the police Criminal Investigation Department, after a report suggested they were repeatedly harassing students.

A new online course for doctoral supervisors is aimed at building the capacity of higher education staff in the face of growing demand for PhDs throughout the African continent and concomitant low completion and high student dropout rates.

The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) Young Scholars in Africa Conference, held in Nairobi, Kenya, from 1-3 March, aimed to identify and tackle the reasons behind Africa’s shortage of young scientists and scholars, a situation which impedes socio-economic growth and fails to provide the rapidly growing higher education sector with the necessary human resources and to build up adequate research.

The annual leadership retreat facilitated by Inyathelo: The South African Institute for Advancement, aimed at university vice-chancellors and other educational leaders, was held from 21-23 January in Cape Town. While issues relating to long-term sustainability of higher education institutions topped the agenda, a number of burning issues such as race and inequity in the sector were also considered.

Canadian academic institutions need to do more work to promote reconciliation between the country’s indigenous population and descendants of settlers from overseas and more recent immigrants, a forum of experts, including senior academics, in Toronto, Canada, has been told.

Canada is no longer a second-choice destination chosen by those who were unable to obtain a United States student visa, as recent rises in Vietnamese students attests. Buoyed by its immigration policy, it is becoming an increasingly popular destination for international students.

In order to attract international students, the Chinese government has taken several measures, such as providing scholarships, encouraging the provision of English-taught courses and granting work permits. But the language barrier and limited job opportunities present challenges in attracting more degree-seeking students.

Supported by her professors, Tanyaradzwa Chinyukwi is working with other young change-makers to enable local women and girls in Zimbabwe and Zambia to break through the barriers of poverty and patriarchy to end the normalisation of abuse and exploitation and help them achieve their potential.