The British Council's large annual "Going Global" international education conference was held in Miami last week and attracted more than 1,000 participants. "Inclusion, Innovation and Impact" was the theme.

South Africa is celebrating 20 years of democracy. The higher education system has doubled in size since the first democratic elections on 27-28 April 1994 and has been restructured and transformed. University World News looks at the sector and some of its challenges today, as seen through the eyes of academics.

The Mauritius International Knowledge Investment Forum 2014 was held in London last month, attended by representatives of governments, business, universities and related organisations. It was part of the Indian Ocean island's intensive efforts to become a higher education hub.

With universities around the world forging partnerships with institutions in China, University World News looks at features of successful collaborations, a start-up that links students in China to entrepreneurial learning in Britain, and an award-winning partnership between a Chinese and a US university.

Around 130 representatives of leading UK universities and a range of countries, as well as students and parliamentarians met in London at a seminar on "Implementing the Outward Student Mobility Strategy and Engaging with the Reformed Erasmus Programme". University World News was there.

In this Special Report, produced in collaboration with the Association of Commonwealth Universities, we look at the role of higher education in responding to global problems and how universities might engage with post-2015 international development goals.

Brendan O’Malley, one of the journalist founders of University World News and chair of our board, was the lead researcher for Education Under Attack 2014, produced by the Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack. He reports on the study’s findings as they relate to higher education.

In this special series on the topic of student mobility, University World News correspondents describe the flow of students away from and into different countries. They also highlight the marked contrast, in Western countries especially, between the number of foreigners they enrol and the far smaller proportion of their own students willing to go beyond their borders.

A major study of science granting councils in Sub-Saharan Africa has been undertaken by the Centre for Research on Evaluation, Science and Technology – CREST – at the University of Stellenbosch in South Africa, funded by Canada’s IDRC – International Development Research Centre. A consultative conference was held late last year, and University World News was there.

University World News looks at higher education issues and trends around the world that are likely to impact on the sector during 2014.