3 December 2020  Issue No: 294

Radical affirmative action programmes may be required to grow the share of female students enrolled in science, technology and innovation and to increase the number of female lecturers and researchers, who remain woefully under-represented in these fields in African higher education institutions.

The new principal and vice-chancellor of the University of South Africa or UNISA wants the institution to reclaim its space as an innovative leader in distance and open education, and make sure the university contributes to South African and Africa-wide goals on sustainable development.

Having more women in the workplace generally benefits growth and prosperity in a nation. Although the situation has improved steadily over the past decades, the labour force gender gap is still an issue of concern globally. According to a 2019 International Labour Office report, the global gap in labour participation rates between women and men was 27% in 2018.

The OR Tambo Africa Research Chairs Initiative announced its first 10 research chair holders on 27 October. It is funded through a partnership between South Africa’s National Research Foundation, the Oliver and Adelaide Tambo Foundation, Canada’s International Development Research Centre and the national research grant-making councils of the countries hosting the chairholders.

British higher education faces two diverging paths when it comes to international students after Brexit. To remain competitive, it needs to ensure that government policy and investment are aligned on promoting United Kingdom higher education globally and build on its lead in transnational education.

Many different academic disciplines have helped to shed light on the COVID-19 pandemic, but one area that doesn’t get as much credit is data science. However, educating the public about counting and ranking is also a vital part of universities’ public service role.

The German government has announced a massive €4 billion (US$4.8 billion) budget to support research projects addressing global warming and sustainability under its FONA strategy over the coming five years.

On 27 January 2021 University World News, in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation, will be bringing together experts and practitioners from the International Association of Universities, the Talloires Network of Engaged Universities and the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program in an online webinar on how universities can improve their social impact.

Ted Mitchell, president of the American Council on Education, has written to United States President-Elect Joe Biden and Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris on behalf of 43 US university associations calling on them to move to ensure that American colleges and universities are “once again, the destination of choice for the world’s best international students and scholars”.