9 June 2022  Issue No: 363

The African Research Universities Alliance, or ARUA, a network of 16 institutions, has launched a strategic plan as a framework towards increasing the continent’s contribution to global research output to 5% over a period of 10 years and growing the number of research clusters.

June 2022 makes it a year since the Nigerian Senate passed a bill to end the age-long dichotomy between the bachelor degree and the Higher National Diploma and the manifestation thereof in the workplace, but President Muhammadu Buhari has yet to take a stand.

Dr Alex Magaisa, who taught at the Kent Law School in the United Kingdom, was an authoritative voice in Zimbabwean legal and political circles and was instrumental in the crafting of the country’s 2013 constitution. Those who knew him believe he has left a powerful legacy.

Amid expert gatherings across the world in preparation for the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Egypt later in 2022, COP27, specialist Professor Pauline Dibi-Anoh of the University Félix Houphouët-Boigny in Côte d’Ivoire emphasises the importance of scientific evidence to tackle climate change.

Institutional contexts, capacities and culture determine how a university handles crises. This was no different at the United States International University Africa as its management team navigated difficulties ranging from land grabs to COVID-19. But, along the way, there was some self-sabotage.

A growing number of students in Ethiopia appear to be drawn to online sports betting, which has recently been licensed. But an activity aimed at fun, entertainment and leisure can become an addiction that affects academic performance as well as leading to financial and psychological problems, including suicides.

Respected global medical journal The Lancet will continue to reject papers with data from Africa that fail to acknowledge African collaborators, in the interest of building African research and of promoting integrity, equity and fairness in research collaboration, according to Senior Executive Editor Dr Sabine Kleinert.

Why does critical thinking appear to be missing from universities in Sub-Saharan Africa, leaving a terrain of chalk and talk teaching practices that have contributed to rote learning, repetition and the reproduction of generic material for sit-down examinations – often recited from old notes?

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.

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.

By ensuring that non-academic stakeholders are included in the design and delivery of research, and that academic and non-academic expertise is embedded in policy-making, we can start to transcend boundaries and move towards a more connected and democratic approach to knowledge production.

Nordic governments are putting measures in place to combat intellectual espionage and information misuse in international research collaborations. But the exercise raises questions about how far centralised control over academic cooperation can go before it takes its toll on the quality of science.