13 May 2021  Issue No: 313

In the absence of proper funding for the academic pipeline and the production of new knowledge, higher education systems could succumb, producing large numbers of undergraduates with degrees that are of little economic value. Prioritising student access over institutional viability spells trouble, experts warned at a webinar on the student debt crisis in South Africa and called for a differentiated funding strategy.

Cape Verdean public universities are competing to raise their country’s profile as an international higher education centre – launching new modern facilities, degree courses taught entirely in English and engaging in multiple international agreements. With the expansion of the sector and various initiatives to boost graduate employment, institutions are hoping to persuade more students to stay at home for their studies.

In the wake of the recent student protests and the resulting suspension of tuition on some higher education campuses throughout South Africa, the management teams from public universities have become used to criticism levelled against them for their handling of these crises and for the financial decisions underpinning them. But, when it comes to finding a new financial solution for higher education, we should think beyond a mere tinkering with existing models, and rather consider total transformation.

Students in South Sudan are frustrated at the lack of internship opportunities in their country because of the COVID-19 pandemic, saying the problem is delaying the completion of their university education. Young people who have been turning away from the military to study should be supported to obtain their qualifications as an educational strategy to support peace efforts and to end the civil war.

The hybrid university has been much talked about during the pandemic, but it is not just about technical fixes. It requires a deep transformation of the very essence of what a university is. It is not a system or space but a home and a place.

The dominance of the employability agenda at universities and the focus on science, technology, engineering and mathematics or STEM subjects has led us to downplay the role of the arts, humanities and social sciences, but COVID-19 has shown that it is central to how we rebuild after the pandemic.

As India reels with record numbers of COVID-19 cases and a health system suffering shortages of beds and oxygen and unable to cope with soaring admissions, universities are having to use their own facilities to care for sick faculty, staff and family members.