14 July 2019  Issue No: 246

Universities in Sub-Saharan Africa have failed to equip the region’s fast-growing youth population with market-driven skills needed for prosperous and equitable societies, and the region’s countries are not reaping the rewards of their investment in tertiary education, according to a new study by the World Bank.

University workers in Zimbabwe say their salaries have been seriously eroded by inflation – so much so they can no longer subsist on them, let alone report for work.

Close links between Tunisian and German higher education systems are boosting Tunisia’s higher education system, but both sides agree on the importance of encouraging Tunisian graduates to return home after exchange studies.

Africa’s demographic dividend provides challenges for policy-makers, but in education we can make a significant difference by changing how graduates think as they enter the world of work.

The Conference of Rectors, Vice-Chancellors and Presidents of African Universities or COREVIP 2019 took place at Al-Azhar University in Cairo, Egypt, from 8-11 July. Hosted by the Association of African Universities, the conference theme was "The Role of Higher Education Institutions in Promoting the Continental Education Strategy for Africa (CESA 16-25)". University World News was at the conference.

A comparison between a university for indigenous students in Mexico and a university in India that is focused on social transformation provides food for thought about how universities can connect with grassroots issues that affect development of the poorest communities.

Can internationalisation of higher education survive the rise of nationalism and will it continue to grow regardless? A recent conference looked at different pathways for internationalisation that offer a more mutually beneficial approach.

A combination of a hostile immigration policy, the threat of a no deal Brexit and a clampdown on academics visiting the United Kingdom are damaging UK academia’s international reputation and this may only be the beginning.

University campuses have become more diverse in an age of migration and student, researcher and faculty mobility. But increasing the numbers of unrepresented groups is not enough: university leaders must break down barriers to ensure all feel included, a conference of Pacific Rim university leaders was told.

Students from 28 top Pacific Rim research universities – in the US, Canada, Indonesia, China, Japan, Australia and elsewhere – have embarked on an innovative programme of problem-solving, designed to create fresh solutions on pressing socio-economic problems that leverage leadership skills and community contacts.

In an extensive analysis, the OECD has examined the fast-changing global higher education landscape over the past 10 years and changes that can be expected in the coming decade. It forecasts that the number of young people with a degree will reach 300 million in OECD and G20 countries by 2030 and highlights challenges of access, cost, quality and relevance.