6 April 2023  Issue No: 400

Universities in Africa should make the most of their current ‘window of opportunity’ to access part of the €150 billion (US$163 billion) that the European Union agreed to invest in the areas of public health, a green transition, innovation and technology as well as capacities for science.

Students from Sub-Saharan African countries say that they are being discriminated against in Tunisia’s banks and post offices, preventing them from receiving international money transfers to pay for essentials. This comes in the aftermath of President Kais Saied’s call in February for “urgent measures” to counter “hordes” of Sub-Saharan migrants.

Two types of pressures necessitate revisiting the role of a professor. Firstly, the pressure to account for “market-friendliness” and, secondly, to respond to the transformation and decolonisation imperatives as a result of massification. In this context the professorial role may need to re-adapt to respond to broader socio-economic and political exigencies affecting higher education.

New legislation about dealing with mental health issues is expected to also improve mental health facilities and care on Nigerian campuses, something which is currently missing in the higher education system. Universities, experts say, have a role to play in tackling mental health challenges in society.

Bias in research and its benefits, power imbalances and other inequities has long plagued scientific collaboration. Now ethics experts from around the world have published the Cape Town Statement on Fostering Research Integrity through Fairness and Equity, with 20 recommendations to guide all stakeholders in achieving more just research practice.

This is part of a weekly University World News special report series on ‘AI and higher education’. The focus is on how universities are engaging with ChatGPT and other generative artificial intelligence tools. The articles from academics and our journalists around the world are exploring developments and university work in AI that have implications for higher education institutions and systems, students and staff, and teaching, learning and research.

In an era of stricter securitisation of research, more thoughtfulness and better professional judgement are required from several groups in order for international research collaborations to continue and for the global science system to have a chance to remain at least somewhat open.

A report from the Belarusian Students’ Association, highlighting the persecution of students within Belarus and the discrimination they suffer beyond, urges the Czech Republic to resume issuing study visas for Belarusians and the European Commission to increase support for students fleeing persecution.

The new United Nations treaty – 19 years in the making – which provides a legal framework for the establishment of vast marine protected areas represents enormous opportunities for ocean science and the building of marine-related scientific research capacity around the world, experts say.