By Hans de Wit. On 18 September 2015 Philip Altbach and I wrote a University World News commentary about the slow reaction by higher education to the refugee crisis in Europe. Since then both the crisis itself and the response by universities and higher education organisations in Europe and beyond have escalated rapidly, the latter a positive sign of the commitment and engagement of the higher education community. Read more...

By Brendan O’Malley – Managing Editor. In our World Blog this week, Hans de Wit says it is time for substantial concrete actions to provide access to higher education for Syrian refugees as education is at the heart of a long-term solution to the crisis.
In Commentary Jeremy Rappleye and Edward Vickers contend that Japan is overlooking the importance of building stronger ties with other Asian countries in its educational internationalisation efforts. With the national elections in Myanmar now over, Roger Chao Jr sees an urgent need for the government to begin drafting a national higher education law and to consider international best practice with regard to the higher education governance system. Rachel Brown contends that the Global Innovation Exchange – the first outpost of a Chinese university in the United States – reflects a next step in China’s soft power strategy. And in the United States, Andrés Castro Samayoa, Marybeth Gasman and Paola ‘Lola’ Esmieu consider strategies to widen access to study abroad – to provide all students with the opportunity to cultivate a global mindset.
In Features, Jan Petter Myklebust looks at which institutions and regions have dominated in accessing European Research Council grants, following the release of a recent report.
In a Special Report, University World News highlights the findings of the UNESCO Science Report: Towards 2030 launched last week, including the fact reported by Wachira Kigotho that there has been a shift in global science from basic to applied research. Read more...