Growing inequalities in higher education globally are undermining ethics

By Karen MacGregor – Acting Global Editor. In World Blog, Hans de Wit contends that growing divides between world-class and other universities are tempting many institutions in directions of corruption and unethical behaviour.
In Commentary, among other articles Angel Calderon welcomes the new Times Higher Education Latin America university rankings, but writes that there is room for improvement and some omissions. Cristina González and Liliana Pedraja argue that Hillary Clinton’s plans for free tuition for some students and Chile’s bid to roll back privatisation represent the reassertion of higher education as a public good.
Robert Coelen and Jiang Bo outline the breathtaking scale of higher education internationalisation in China, and its key lines of development. Tom P Abeles maintains that student unrest in the United States and South Africa reflects deep problems with their education systems that academics and students ought to tackle together, and Jenny J Lee describes how the hit-or-miss enactment of immigration policies by South Africa is wreaking havoc among international students.
In Features, Mary Beth Marklein finds former US senator Bob Kerrey prepared to resign as chair of the board of Fulbright University Vietnam, because of his tainted Vietnam war record, but wanting to “put this war behind us”. We interview executive director of the European Association for International Education Leonard Engel about issues confronting international education, ahead of the Global Conference on Internationalisation of Higher Education. Yojana Sharma looks at a trend among universities in India to shed colonial-style graduation robes and mortar boards for traditional Indian garments, and Nicola Jenvey reports on the scaling up by Canadian universities of programmes and services for indigenous students, a pathway to reconciliation. Read more...