By Ruben Covarrubias Giordano. I have carefully read the article by Professor Cristina González, posted by your prestigious publication, on Chilean higher education. The article provides an interpretation of the situation in Chile, based on González’ observations during her stay in the country and in the context of a series of lectures that she came to impart. Although the article is very interesting, it is necessary and appropriate to clarify some points. Read more...

By Phil Baty. The development of world-class universities is at the heart of the national strategies of many of the globe’s emerging economies. 
China’s drive to move from a manufacturing to a knowledge economy has been underpinned by generous funding to help its leading institutions compete with the world’s finest. 
In Russia, President Vladimir Putin decreed that five of the country’s universities must feature among the world’s top 100 by 2020 and is backing this up with reforms – and hard cash. Read more...

By Maxim Khomyakov. Internationalisation – together with massification, globalisation and, one should also add, innovation – is key for understanding contemporary academia. Science and scholarship, of course, were always international: one can recall Plato learning in India or the scholars of the early modern period somehow united across Europe in the international Republic of Letters. However, academia has never previously known the truly global circulation of minds (talent and resources) that we experience nowadays. Read more...

By Abu Kamara. In the funding calculus of higher education, diminishing public funds for institutions plus increasing enrolment does not always equal higher priority for student support programmes. As universities scramble to implement cash-sensitive support programmes to meet the unique needs of their growing and diverse student bodies, an informal support economy has been developing within and outside higher education to fill the support gaps. Read more...

By Andrew Masterson. Among ambitious academics, the urge to see one's name in print is strong indeed. ‘Publish or perish’ is the governing dictum. Each piece of diligent research – written, submitted, fact-checked, reviewed, reviewed again and published in a scholarly journal – helps ensure the next grant, the continuation of tenure, the juicy job offer. Read more...

By Ard Jongsma. A high-level policy dialogue in Brussels last month showed that there is both the will and the potential for much closer cooperation between European Union and South African higher education. The meeting ended with agreements in five areas – the rationale for internationalisation, internationalisation at home, quality and quality assurance, open educational resources, and tools and instruments for cooperation. Read more...

By Tunde Fatunde. Kuwait has launched a US$1 million annual award for research in Africa, announced at the third African Arab Summit held under the theme "Partners in Development and Investment" in Kuwait from 19-20 November. And a Kuwaiti charity plans to establish a university in Malawi. Read more...

By Moses Magadza. The university community in Nigeria has welcomed the scrapping by the British government of a controversial proposed £3,000 (US$4,900) security visa bond for ‘high risk’ foreign visitors, including international students from Nigeria. Nigeria had advised the British government not to develop policies that might scare away Nigerian students, who constitute the third largest foreign student population after China and India. Students also constitute the lion’s share of visa applicants. Read more...