By Munyaradzi Makoni. By focusing on the quality of their note-taking in and out of class, researchers from the University of the Witwatersrand or Wits, South Africa, have established that poor English language competence is hindering the academic performance of a significant number of undergraduate students for whom the language is not their mother tongue. More...

By Rosemary Salomone. A recent decision from the Italian Constitutional Court affirms the primacy of the Italian language in the nation’s education institutions. Though grounded in Italian law, the ruling and its surrounding facts offer useful insights to universities across the globe as they ride the wave of English in the name of internationalisation. More...

A University of Hawaii professor is working to get an entire curriculum at the university taught in Hawaiian to supplement the language courses taught to children across the state, reports Associated Press. More...

By Sharon Dell – Africa Editor. In Africa Analysis, renowned author and academic Ngugi wa Thiong'o encourages every African university and government to become an advocate of African languages, as one step in building an Africa that is economically, politically and culturally empowered and secure in its base. Nickanor Amwata argues that the recent universities audit in Kenya presents an opportunity to restore the reputation of the university system and secure the long-term survival of the country’s universities.
And in Features, Munyaradzi Makoni reports on a study in South Africa showing that poor English language competence is hindering the academic performance of large numbers of second-language students but early interventions can help, while Ramadhan Rajab writes about efforts to increase the participation of women at universities in Somalia.
In News, Wagdy Sawahel reports on the Africa Capacity Report 2017, due to be released shortly, which finds that the capacity of Africa’s higher education and research institutions to implement science policies and strategies remains low; and Christabel Ligami interviews an expert at the World Bank about the need for more buy-in from African countries to the Partnership for Skills in Applied Sciences, Engineering and Technology PhD programme.
In World Blog this week, Margaret Andrews asks how universities might best prepare people for engaged and productive lives spanning a longer productive life, multiple careers, changing technologies and the new world of work. Read more...