By Brendan O'Malley – Managing Editor. In World Blog, Hans de Wit explores some of the tensions arising from universities increasingly teaching in English rather than the local language in continental Europe, and highlights a study in the Netherlands that offers a balanced approach to dealing with this complex issue.
   In Commentary, Sjur Bergan and Stig Arne Skjerven contend that the recognition of foreign qualifications is a moral duty that is key to building inclusive societies, and they examine the impact of the Lisbon Recognition Convention and what the future may hold. John Daniel warns universities planning to expand internationally to ‘look before they leap’ as changing political attitudes globally pose challenges for international education and accreditation. Peter Scott writes that universities need to be pragmatic and strike the right balance in their defence of free speech – while free expression is a core value in the academy, no sensible person would argue that freedom of speech should be absolute.
   Also in Commentary, Anand Kulkarni discusses how global and domestic university rankings can be used as a valuable tool for promoting reform in the Indian higher education system, while Angel Calderon compares the 2017 Academic Ranking of World Universities with the 2003 ranking of the top 500 universities, pointing out significant geopolitical shifts in higher education. And William G Tierney acknowledges the accomplishment of launching the University of Southern California’s new US$700 million campus, but expresses concern about its leaders’ inability to speak out on pressing national issues.
   In Features, Sungula Nkabinde reports on a new economics curriculum for undergraduates developed by internationally renowned economists, which seeks to make economics more relevant to today’s problems, while Tunde Fatunde reports that a strike by public university staff in Nigeria over funding and salary issues is set to continue and campuses will remain closed. More...

By Brendan O'Malley – Managing Editor. Under our Academic Freedom topic, Bruce Macfarlane says universities must demonstrate their belief in their founding principles by standing up to censorship, such as the recent attempt by China to censor certain Cambridge University Press articles.
   In Commentary, Jonathan Jansen warns against the new normal of violence and disruption on South African university campuses, and other pressures with potentially devastating consequences for universities, as discussed in his book As by Fire: The end of the South African university. Ludovic Highman discusses ways in which British universities can ensure that their voice is heard in negotiations over new post-Brexit free trade agreements. And Valesca Lima argues that, if the will is there, politicians and academics can help take UK-Latin America higher education cooperation to a new level irrespective of how Brexit turns out.
   Also in Commentary, Rami Ayoubi and Hiba Massoud write that Syria’s continued policy of sending postgraduates to study in the West, despite the current conflict, has led to an increase in its international publications but created tensions between academics schooled in publishing nationally in Arabic and those publishing internationally in English. Sandra Milligan says her analysis of 100,000 online learners indicates that online learning systems, apart from imparting skills and knowledge, can also teach students how best to learn. And Angel Calderon highlights the dominance of private universities in the recent Times Higher Education ranking of Latin American universities – a consequence of under-investment in public higher education in the region.
   In World Blog, Patrick Blessinger and Enakshi Sengupta commend those who are working towards inclusivity of educational environments and encourage education, civic and other leaders to do more to ensure refugees have access to education, including higher education.
   In Features, Suvendrini Kakuchi reports on a research study launched in Japan into the motives behind science misconduct, in the wake of scandals which have led to retractions of research papers from prestigious journals, while Stephen Coan reports on the recent appointment of Professor Nelson Torto as the executive director of the African Academy of Sciences' Governing Council, highlighting Torto’s belief in the power of research. More...

By Brendan O'Malley – Managing Editor. In Features, Nic Mitchell reports on a new study in the United Kingdom which shows that many students from under-represented groups are put off study abroad by the length of such trips, and suggests shorter study trips as a way to close the gap in participation rates between more and less affluent students.
   Also in Features, Wagdy Sawahel looks at student dropout rates in South Africa and debates around how to tackle the issue, after a survey found that 50% of students felt they were not prepared for the transition from secondary to tertiary education, while Richard Freeland enters the debate about the nature of the modern academic presidency following Drew Faust’s decision to step down as president of Harvard in the US.
   In Commentary, Fay Patel adds to the decolonisation discourse, suggesting that moving on from colonial suffering requires a decolonisation of the mind before attempting to decolonise shared living and learning spaces. Futao Huang and Tsukasa Daizen highlight research in Japan which shows that political events in the US and UK have exerted very little influence on the appetite for internationalisation in Japanese universities. Elli Yiannakaris challenges universities to find a way to ‘teach’ entrepreneurship to the youth that positively transforms the individuals involved. And David Santandreu Calonge, Patrik T Hultberg and Eugene Lee discuss the phenomenon of the ‘pig mum’ in South Korea, arising from excessive competition for access to the best universities and the best jobs, and suggest open dialogue to find solutions to these educational issues.
   In World Blog, Nita Temmerman says adjusting to life and study in another country can be daunting for international students, and a positive student-supervisor relationship can make all the difference.
   In our Academic Freedom section, Suluck Lamubol reports that five academics who participated in an international conference on Thai studies have been charged with violating the military junta’s ban on political gatherings in Thailand, a move condemned by Human Rights Watch and others. More...

By Sharon Dell – Africa Editor. In Africa Analysis this week, Damtew Teferra explains why it would be wise for the world, especially Africa, to ignore reputation-based global university rankings.
   In Africa Features, Wagdy Sawahel reports, on World Suicide Prevention Day, that the rising number of suicides among North African students and graduates has seen the spotlight turned onto the role of universities in supporting vulnerable students.
   In a Q&A, Munyaradzi Makoni interviews the new president of the Association of African Universities, Professor Orlando Antonio Quilambo, on his future plans and priorities.
   In Africa News, Gilbert Nganga writes about the current wave of interest from foreign funders in higher education infrastructural development in Kenya, while Sharon Dell highlights a recently launched survey to examine the conditions facing early career academics and researchers in Africa. More...

By Sharon Dell – Africa Editor. In Africa Analysis, Jonathan Jansen warns against the new normal of violence and disruption on South African university campuses, and other pressures with potentially devastating consequences for universities, as discussed in his book As by Fire: The end of the South African university.
   In Africa News, Munyaradzi Makoni reports on a lecture by renowned African scholar Professor Mahmood Mamdani on ‘Decolonising the Post-colonial University’ at the University of Cape Town in South Africa – the same institution Mamdani left 16 years ago after disagreements with colleagues over the content of a new curriculum, while Maina Waruru reports on the struggle by some private universities in Kenya to stay afloat, despite recently being allowed to admit government-sponsored students.
   In Africa Features, Stephen Coan interviews Professor Nelson Torto, recently appointed as the executive director of the African Academy of Sciences' Governing Council, and highlights Torto’s view on the power of research to propel Africa into the future, while Wagdy Sawahel writes about the challenge of meeting the needs of students with disabilities in North African universities.
   In World Blog, Patrick Blessinger and Enakshi Sengupta commend those who are working towards inclusivity of educational environments and encourage education, civic and other leaders to do more to ensure refugees have access to education, including higher education. More...

By Sharon Dell – Africa Editor. As part of our Special Report on the launch in Tanzania of the Alliance for African Partnership, which is the brainchild of Michigan State University, Penina Mlama discusses the need for a more reflective approach to building partnerships in the arts and literature between Africa and the rest of the world. In a series of other articles in our Special Report, Munyaradzi Makoni reports on some of the discussions which took place at the launch of the Alliance for African Partnership, which will innovate research collaboration between African institutions and international universities to tackle global challenges.
   In Africa Features, Sungula Nkabinde finds that in using data analytics to boost student success, knowing what data is important and how to use it is critical. Christabel Ligami interviews vice-chancellor designate Professor Barnabas Nawangwe about his plans to position Uganda’s flagship Makerere University as a leading African institution for academic excellence and innovation.
   In News from around the continent, Kudzai Mashininga reports on the Zimbabwean cabinet’s approval of a new university to be named after President Robert Mugabe, the anticipated cost of which will amount to a quarter of the national budget, and Wadgy Sawahel writes about the launch of a new doctoral school in Burundi. More...

By Sharon Dell – Africa Editor. In Africa Analysis, François van Schalkwyk argues that accessible, usable and relevant open data on South African universities makes it possible for stakeholders and the public to monitor, advise and challenge – from an informed vantage – South Africa’s universities and the policies that steer their transformation.
   In Africa Features, Tunde Fatunde writes that Nigeria’s University of Maiduguri will remain open in defiance of ongoing terror attacks by Islamic terror group Boko Haram, while Ochieng’ O Benny writes about the benefits of staff academic exchanges in Africa.
   In News from around the continent, Christabel Ligami writes about the rollout of a virtual university focused on regional integration in Eastern and Southern Africa, while Gilbert Nakweya interviews experts at the recent inaugural Africa-China World Bank Education Partnership Forum on the need for African universities to establish clear guidelines and timelines to ensure greater self-reliance when entering partnerships, especially with partners in the Global North.
   In our World Blog, Hans de Wit reflects on the discourse on higher education internationalisation, highlighting common misconceptions in the past and some major misconceptions he is likely to address in future. More...