By Nick Holdsworth. Russian universities are poised to emerge from decades of relative obscurity and become a new force in international higher education, experts in international ranking say at a QS global summit in Moscow on achieving university excellence. More...

By Ria Nurdiani. Indonesia will have at least one foreign university’s branch campus operating this year as the government finalises detailed regulations to allow them in as part of the country’s attempts to improve higher education performance. Other measures include pushing for some local universities to become ‘world-class’ by providing additional funding. More...

By Brendan O’Malley. Oxbridge students work harder, are more satisfied and get better value for money than other students but have less creative and original teaching, according to a new report on the student experience at the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom. More...

By Brendan O’Malley. The United Kingdom's Prime Minister, Theresa May, said last Monday she is seeking full continued participation in the European Union’s next research and innovation programmes post Brexit, which the UK would willingly pay for. More...

By Brendan O’Malley – Managing Editor. In Commentary, Jessica Kling writes about the challenges and rewards of establishing a joint international undergraduate degree programme as the two universities involved – in Japan and the United States – jointly enrol their first cohort of students this year. Genevieve Barrons contends that the unwillingness of formal education systems to allow themselves to be ‘disrupted’ means millions of people, particularly refugees, will remain on the margins. Robert Ubell advises university leaders to look before they leap when it comes to launching international branch campuses as the reputational and financial risks are high. And Andrew Gunn and Priya Kapade wonder if other countries will follow the example of the UK government in addressing concerns about grade inflation at universities, as the phenomenon of rising grades seems to have gone global.
   In our World Blog this week, Kriengsak Chareonwongsak says universities in Asia are still placing too much emphasis on theoretical knowledge instead of striking a balance between theory and practice to make graduates more marketable to employers, but this is changing.
   In Features, Wagdy Sawahel outlines the findings of a report entitled Attacks on Medical Education, which explores the impact on medical education of armed conflict and civil disturbances in seven countries where conflicts are ongoing, while Maina Waruru reports on efforts to develop common standards for postgraduate training in East Africa. More...

Students are increasingly becoming selective in their choice of degrees and where they want to study, according to data from the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service, writes Wachira Kigotho for Standard Media. More...

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Higher Education Department in Pakistan has successfully constructed 10 additional universities, including two female universities, during its five-year tenure, according to a performance report issued by the department last week, reports the Pakistan Observer. More...

The proportion of the United States college-going population comprising non-traditional students – at least by some common indicators – has dropped off in recent years as the economy has continued to improve. And among those pursuing graduate education, the share of black students accumulating significant student debt levels has shot up sharply, outpacing other student groups, writes Andrew Kreighbaum for Inside Higher Ed. More...

A consortium of Swedish universities and research institutions will not renew its current contract with Elsevier that expires at the end of June, Times Higher Education reported on 16 May, writes Ashley Yeager for The Scientist. The move comes not long after academic institutions in other countries have let publishers’ subscriptions lapse when fee negotiations came to an impasse. More...

Universiti Sains Malaysia’s Association of Academic and Administrative Staff has asked that public universities be allowed to self-manage, including to review the pay packages for academics, and to be free from laws that restrict freedom of discussion, writes Yimie Yong for The Star Online. More...