16 December 2021  Issue No: 341

African leaders must up education funding to advance the next generation of scientists, doctors, nurses and health professionals. In addition, investment in laboratories, infrastructure and technologies is essential, scientists who are part of the African Voices of Science initiative said in an open letter to governments and other stakeholders.

Women need no favours to shine as researchers and academics, but they need support. This could be done by enacting laws that protect girls and women against abuse, and against discriminatory institutional practices that inhibit their progress, said Mariam Chabi Talata, the vice president of Benin.

The mining engineer of the fast-approaching Fifth Industrial Revolution should be able to imagine and implement engineering solutions, but should also have non-technical skills such as people-centredness and creativity. In this, mining engineering education, particularly in Africa, has a critical role to play.

Research is one of the core activities of most universities across the globe. It is no different at Ethiopian public universities. But expecting especially masters students to publish in reputable journals could be seen as ‘academic extremism’ that disregards international experiences, the national context and students’ interests.

Climate change is the biggest health threat facing humanity, threatening the progress in development, global health and poverty reduction made over the past 50 years, according to the World Health Organization. In the process, existing health inequalities between and within populations keep on widening.

Attacks on educational institutions in north-western Nigeria are affecting the mental health of students and staff. Amid a shortage of mental care facilities on campuses, the National Association of University Students has asked the government to show concern for the mental state of students in insurgency-ravaged areas.

Africa’s academic diaspora can work alongside their peers from higher education institutions in their homelands to build stronger, vibrant research communities and generate new knowledge. Successful and mutually beneficial projects involving researchers and teachers on various continents show that much can be achieved through these collaborative efforts.

China has been seeking to develop its own approach to research evaluation that moves away from a focus on the quantity of publications in international journals. During COVID it has moved further towards emphasis of research that reflects national priorities.

The number of English-taught programmes offered by universities outside the four leading English-speaking destinations for international students has shot up by 77% since the beginning of 2017. China is leading the charge to upset the traditional stranglehold of the United States, United Kingdom, Australia and Canada in providing degree courses taught in English.