Alliance for Accelerating Excellence in Science in Africa launched

By Karen MacGregor – Africa Editor. In a Special Report ahead of next month’s conference of the International Council for Open and Distance Education, we interview Professor Mandla Makhanya – vice-chancellor of the University of South Africa, which is hosting the event – about global developments in this transforming field of higher education and the challenges and prospects for African universities.
In News, Wachira Kigotho attends the launch of the Alliance for Accelerating Excellence in Science in Africa, a major initiative that will help drive efforts to boost the quality and quantity of research on the continent.
Geoff Maslen reports in Africa Features on last week’s revelation by a global team of researchers of the discovery of ancient human relative Homo naledi, and a record number of fossilised bones, in a cave in South Africa. Munyaradzi Makoni covers a Leadership Dialogue on Global Trends in Technology and e-Learning, where vice-chancellors agreed the need for further investigation and more data to support efforts to drive effective online learning practices.
In Commentary, Lynn Davies contends that legislation against terrorism and political dissent can cause such dissent to withdraw to unsupervised spaces and could make us less safe – it is better to educate against extremism. Angel Calderon warns higher education institutions to prepare for a range of new scenarios as the next 25 years could see a shift in cross-border mobility of students, academics, skills and ideas. And Jane Knight and John McNamara report that a major survey on transnational education paints an overall positive picture of its impact in host countries, especially in providing increased access for local students. Read more...