25 August 2019  Issue No: 248

Political parties should be banned from university campuses in South Africa, according to a number of leading academics and senior administrators who attended a recent academic round-table discussion on the book Rebels and Rage: Reflecting on #FeesMustFall by University of the Witwatersrand Vice-Chancellor Professor Adam Habib.

The website 'Study in North Cyprus' describes the territory as a “student paradise”, but the recent murder of another Nigerian student in Northern Cyprus – in this case at the hands of fellow Africans – continues to raise questions about the quality of life for African students in the self-declared republic.

There is much hype about Africa replacing China as a source of international students, with the statistics suggesting a growing demand for higher education. For institutions thinking of recruiting in Africa, there are several issues to consider before committing resources.

The second Higher Education Forum for Africa, Asia and Latin America (HEFAALA) symposium was held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on 26 and 27 July 2019. Jointly organised with St Mary’s University, the symposium was marked by discussions and analyses of topical higher education issues of regional, trans-regional and international significance by experts from the three regions and beyond.

External funding threatens the future of European universities, in particular their ability to remain comprehensive and to maintain a balance between arts, humanities, social sciences and sciences. Great knowledge may be left uncovered as a result of subtle shifts in the flow of university resources, and the consequences for society may be serious.

The latest Academic Ranking of World Universities shows a lot of instability, a further weakening of the position of universities in the United States and Europe, and the growing role of highly cited researchers in boosting performance.

Australia’s oldest citizens are graduating in increasing numbers from universities, demonstrating that ageing has not affected their mental abilities. The latest is 90-year-old Lorna Prendergast who graduated from the University of Melbourne on 27 July with, appropriately, a masters degree in ageing.