Asia Top Stories
Ahead of a record high youth unemployment rate, the Chinese government has been pushing out a raft of measures in advance of the graduation of around 11.6 million students in July. But are such measures enough to address structural problems in the post-pandemic economy?
PHOTO
Asia News
A meeting of science ministers of the G7 advanced economies held in Sendai, Japan, last week called for appropriate rules to protect against “outside interference” in international education and research to improve research security and integrity.
PHOTO
PHOTO One of Hong Kong’s top universities – the Chinese University of Hong Kong – will reduce student and academic representation on its governing council if a taskforce report on the university’s governance is fully implemented, giving external members, including political appointees, more say on key university matters.
PHOTO China has announced a major drive to reform university disciplines to increase the proportion in the higher education system of programmes on new technologies and priority industries, while culling subjects that do not contribute to the country’s goal to become a global science and technology power.
Hopes are high for a ‘revolutionary’ reform of the education system, including higher education, following the surprise electoral victory of Thailand’s Move Forward Party, which is driven substantially by support from young people, including university students who took part in the 2020 pro-democracy protests.
In Hong Kong’s universities, academics of mainland Chinese origin this year outnumbered Hong Kong faculty for the first time, according to official figures, raising fears that an ongoing trend in this direction could affect the international character of universities in Hong Kong, and the culture of open research.
The number of Bangladeshi students going abroad in search of world-class degrees and to acquire knowledge and skills has tripled in the past 16 years, data shows, due to low quality higher education and limited employment opportunities, along with political uncertainties, at home.
Asia Commentary
As competition around employment increases, Chinese students seeking jobs in Singapore would do well to focus on building a reliable social network that can boost a job seeker’s credentials by implying they bring resources other than their own skills, abilities and knowledge.
PHOTO
PHOTO From finances to teaching and learning, COVID-19 affected different universities in different countries in different ways, with many acting quickly to adapt to the situation. By comparing their performances, we can understand what helps them to stay resilient and prepare better for future disruption.
PHOTO The development of high quality non-profit private universities over the past half-century, especially in the Global South, represents a remarkable development: despite the challenges they face, these elite private institutions have brought vitality to an often moribund higher education environment in their country.
Asia Blog
Short-term changes in research and publishing-related policies in universities and long-term changes to the education system more broadly are needed in Pakistan to produce research that not only has the promise of global impact but is connected to and usable by communities.
PHOTO
Asia Features
South Korea is ramping up its research, training and international collaborations as part of its push into space, which includes setting up the Korea Aerospace Administration – its own version of United States space agency NASA – and big increases in the country’s space-related budget.
PHOTO
SDGs in Asia
After national governments, higher education institutions are the second most commonly involved organisations in addressing the Sustainable Development Goals or SDGs around the world and, while they obviously face resource constraints, universities are nonetheless in a prime position to involve young people in SDG-related work.
PHOTO
Sponsored Article
PHOTO Accelerating Community Energy Transformation is a University of Victoria-led collaborative initiative that brings together over 40 partners, including Indigenous knowledge keepers and community leaders, to create innovative place-based solutions for energy system transformation. Promoted by the University of Victoria.
Sponsored Article
PHOTO Africa needs to stop paying the price for the rest of the world’s recalcitrance to act fast enough in response to the irrefutable conclusions that climate change is real and that the impact of global warming could be devasting, says Professor Guy Midgley, interim director of the School for Climate Studies at Stellenbosch University, South Africa. Promoted by Stellenbosch University.
Sponsored Article
PHOTO Researchers from the United Arab Emirates University have shown that the potential benefits of building energy savings and a cooler indoor environment, as well as improved cooling effect on air temperature at pedestrian level, strongly indicate that a cool roof with high solar reflectance and albedo is a promising strategy for buildings in regions with hot, arid climates. Promoted by United Arab Emirates University.
Sponsored Article
PHOTO A new university ranking system aims to serve as a catalyst for positive transformation in higher education, ensuring that universities create an environment grounded in integrity and sustainability that inspires and supports students and staff in the development of novel solutions to global challenges. Promoted by Globethics.net.
Sponsored Article
PHOTO In the publication of its first progress report on its contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals, the University of Pretoria is navigating new territory at the same time as it is acknowledging its clear stewardship role in protecting the environment and biodiversity. Promoted by the University of Pretoria.