2 June 2022  Issue No: 362

The African Research Integrity Network, a partnership to promote ethical research practices across the continent, was officially launched on 31 May after years of operating as an informal body of practitioners. This work is much needed in Africa which, along with some other regions, faces huge challenges with research integrity.

Nine out of every 10 Nigerian students are currently seeking opportunities to study abroad, according to a survey. Multiple factors are contributing to students’ interest in foreign education, including rising insecurity due to banditry, terrorism and kidnapping, seemingly never-ending university strikes and a high youth unemployment rate.

African universities have a role to play in training graduates with the requisite skills in climate adaptation and mitigation to help entrepreneurs and policy-makers to understand what these involve in climate change. This will aid in decision-making and foster participation in the new green economy.

Universities in Africa will benefit from ongoing support to boost their knowledge resources, academic cohorts and finances so that they can meet the massification and differentiation challenges that they face, according to a programme officer at one of the largest philanthropic donors to higher education on the African continent.

Despite mixed reviews, most universities have embraced blended learning post-COVID, and while there are still obvious risks involved in a hybrid form of teaching, there are ways for lecturers to ensure that all students are catered for in a way that suits them.

From 1994 until 2019, of the 398 articles focusing on Rwanda that appeared in a selection of leading journals, only 13 were authored or co-authored by Rwandan scholars. That is just 3.3%. This amounts to 25 years of post-genocide literature almost entirely devoid of Rwandan voices. However, a programme to tackle the exclusion is starting to bear fruit.

Since its launch in 2004, Kepler has helped countless young Rwandans attend universities in the country. In April 2022, the cabinet accredited Kepler College. Professor Baylie Damtie, the vice-chancellor of the college, shared his views about the academic focus and programmes of the institution.

A masters in business administration, popularly known as an MBA, can deepen business knowledge, financial planning and networking skills. Once you enter the working world, you have shortcomings, which is why, at the age of 40, fathers, husbands and successful executives may opt to become students again.

Tunisian students who fled from Ukraine have found themselves in academic limbo, struggling to receive recognition for their completed studies at home or in other countries. An option being explored to support them is a joint Tunisian-Ukraine medical training programme based in the North African country.

Doctoral education and training in any country is a lengthy and costly process. It is, therefore, imperative that policy-makers (including funding agencies) are informed about the return on such a (public) investment. Tracer studies offer invaluable information about qualifications and their contributions to knowledge production.

The third UNESCO World Higher Education Conference was held in Barcelona in Spain from 18 to 20 May 2022. The theme was Reinventing Higher Education for a Sustainable Future and the plan was to forge a common roadmap for higher education to 2030. University World News is the exclusive media partner for the conference.

Social and cultural shifts suggest the overarching saga of a model of political economy based on technocratic modernisation is beginning to fray and this may create space for higher education to reimagine its own saga and regain a greater sense of independent agency.

The prospects for success when it comes to changing workplace culture are improved if the institution is receptive to broad participation from the beginning of the change process, including a discussion of the intent of the change and potential implications for different groups.

A new report by UCAS, the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service, and the College Board forecasts that with borders opening up again after the pandemic, the volume of international undergraduate applicants for study places in the United Kingdom will increase by 46% to 208,500 by 2026.