By Wachira Kigotho. Senegalese President Macky Sall has called on African countries to allocate more than 1% of gross domestic product to research, if the continent is to make headway with its development agenda – and he pledged to become a continental political champion for the cause, alongside the African Union Commission. Read more...

By Wachira Kigotho. Former United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan has challenged African countries to stop armed and political conflicts and embark on strategies to improve higher education in order to pave the way for economic development and social progress. Read more...

By Karen MacGregor. The African Union Commission is planning to convene an African Dialogue later this year to facilitate conversation between political, academic and business leaders about what needs to be done to move the continent towards inclusive growth and prosperity, commission Chair Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma told the African Higher Education Summit. Read more...

By Karen MacGregor. Fifteen universities from eight African countries have launched an alliance of research universities, at the African Higher Education Summit in Senegal’s capital Dakar. The focus of the group will be to build African research excellence as a “vital precondition” for the continent to develop and exert control over its future. Read more...

By Karen MacGregor. Africa – which more than a decade ago declared the diaspora to be its sixth region – plans to launch a ‘10/10’ initiative that will sponsor 1,000 scholars in the African diaspora a year for 10 years to continental universities and colleges for collaboration. Read more...

By Karen MacGregor. The African Higher Education Summit has called for radical expansion of higher education to achieve an enrolment ratio of 50% within 50 years. A draft declaration and action plan also urges greater investment in higher education and research, improved graduate employability and enhanced diversification, differentiation and harmonisation at all levels by countries. Read more...

By Brendan O’Malley – Managing Editor. This week’s edition includes a Special Report from Senegal on the African Higher Education Summit, the first gathering of its kind for the continent, which, Karen MacGregor reports, has called for 50% enrolment in higher education by 2050.
In Features Mary Beth Marklein interviews online pioneer Shai Reshef who has established a university where tuition is free and academics from some of the world's top universities design and teach the curriculum.
In Commentary, Viviane Callier, Richard H Singiser and Nathan L Vanderford argue that administrators are transforming universities into businesses for their own benefit and need to be more accountable. Anne Schiller analyses the opportunities and challenges in South Korea's experiment in independent foreign partners sharing a campus. Aldwyn Cooper says UK universities not only have a responsibility to give the public the facts on EU membership, they have a lot to lose if Britain pulls out.
In our World Blog Margaret Andrews says new players are entering the market for management education and students can now choose from an array of offerings and providers. Read more...