Establishing a joint degree programme offers unique rewards and challenges

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...