By Geoff Maslen. A leading Australian vice-chancellor has broken ranks with his colleagues and condemned the federal government for its radical plans for higher education. Professor Stephen Parker, head of the University of Canberra, says that if the government’s reform bill is passed by the Senate, Australia will be “sleepwalking towards the privatisation of its universities”. Read more...

By John Walshe. Ireland is to get its first technological university with the new Dublin institution, to be followed by more in the regions shortly after. But the development has aroused criticism, particularly in the traditional universities. Read more...

By Jane Marshall. Nearly 300,000 foreign students study in France every year and are not only ‘excellent ambassadors’ who promote the country when they leave – they also contribute a net €1.6 billion (nearly US$2 billion) to the state exchequer, according to a new inquiry.
The report Au-delà de l’Influence: l’Apport economique des etudiants etrangers en France, the first of its kind in France, examined the economic effects of foreign students studying here. It was carried out by the Institut BVA for the government agency Campus France and was based on a representative survey of 4,200 students.
France ranks as the third country globally in numbers of foreign students and is the leading non-Anglophone country in the world, according to the report. In 2013-14, 295,084 foreign students from 190 countries were enrolled in French institutions, an increase of 11% in five years.
The biggest regional group, 43%, came from Africa, followed by 26% from Europe, 19% from Asia, 8% from America and 4% from the Middle East. Read more...

By Ard Jongsma. The Talloires Network of engaged universities continues to grow. It now has 332 members in 72 countries. But dealing with a mandate as broad and diverse as community engagement requires some clear focal points. Read more...

By Munyaradzi Makoni. The ACU Engage Community initiative builds on the success of the ongoing ‘World Beyond 2015 – Is higher education ready?’ campaign and the ACU’s University Extension Network. Read more...

By Yojana Sharma. Four African universities are to receive US$86.6 million over the next eight to 10 years from the MasterCard Foundation in scholarship funds and other support for economically disadvantaged young people, MasterCard Foundation CEO Reeta Roy announced in Cape Town on 3 December. Read more...

By Thierry Luescher-Mamashela. Student engagement is known to correlate well with retention and success but its impact on developing citizenship competences is hardly studied.
A new study report by HERANA – Higher Education Research and Advocacy Network in Africa – in collaboration with Makerere University in Uganda and the University of Cape Town in South Africa, shows that key aspects of the undergraduate student experience have a profound impact on raising levels of citizenship competences. Read more...

By François van Schalkwyk. African research that forms part of the Higher Education Research and Advocacy Network in Africa – HERANA – project has developed indicators to measure university-community engagement projects, to ascertain whether their activities are connected to the strategy of the institution, are linked to external constituents in a sustainable manner, feed into teaching and generate new knowledge. Read more...

By Karen MacGregor. Why is it that while universities talk increasingly about civic engagement, the world is heading in exactly the opposite direction? asked Professor Adam Habib, vice-chancellor of the University of the Witwatersrand, in the opening keynote at the Talloires Network conference last Tuesday. Read more...

By Yojana Sharma. While universities are increasingly encouraging students to be involved in the community and to become engaged citizens, they do not necessarily have control over activities that take place on campuses, or spill onto the streets. Read more...