By Karen MacGregor. The Association of Commonwealth Universities, or ACU, last week launched a Research, Knowledge and Information Community aimed at connecting university staff across the Commonwealth to share experiences and explore ideas and potential collaboration. It is the second of three communities – the others focus on community engagement and international education. Read more...

By Karen MacGregor. Africa’s around 20 science academies have a crucial and collaborative role to play in tackling problems and driving development, according to Academy of Science of South Africa President Daya Reddy. But efforts to grow science are constrained by brain drain – at least one third of African researchers are plying their trade outside the continent. Read more...

By Karen MacGregor. “The last five years have seen a sea change in how research is done,” said Professor John Wood, secretary general of the Association of Commonwealth Universities, or ACU. Major trends include clustering, international engagement and a move towards ‘open science for open innovation’. Read more...

By Jan Petter Myklebust. University leaders and student unions have criticised the government for publishing graduate salary levels in its new online universities guide, arguing that it could misinform applicants and push them to base their choices on “where the money is”. Read more...

By Brendan O'Malley. A global coalition of UN agencies and international NGOs is stepping up its international campaign to win support for the ending of military use of schools and universities in conflicts.
On 12 May the Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack, or GCPEA, called on states to ensure their armed forces do not use schools and universities in wars – because it puts the lives of students and staff at risk and causes long-term harm to education.
They urged them to sign a ‘Safe Schools Declaration’ – which also applies to universities – and is being finalised at an inter-governmental conference in Oslo, Norway, on 28-29 May. Read more...

By Maina Waruru. Kenya’s Commission for University Education, or CUE, has directed universities to cease teaching diploma and certificate courses by July, and also to end collaboration with middle-level colleges in delivering non-degree courses. As a result, universities stand to lose large amounts of fee income. Read more...

By John Gerritsen. New Zealand’s universities are urging high-school students and their parents to make sure they understand exam requirements following a 17% fall in the number passing the entrance exam in 2014 compared to the year before. Read more...

By Jan Petter Myklebust. There is a significant correlation between the quality of higher education undertaken and the income of graduates ten years after graduating, a new report says. But access to the top universities is still heavily weighted in favour of students from families with a higher level of education. Read more...

By Suluck Lamubol. Thailand’s military-dominated National Legislative Assembly has passed bills granting four major public universities increased autonomy, which opponents regard as a step towards privatisation. Read more...

By Suvendrini Kakuchi. Japanese academics worried about the country’s growing revisionist mood have welcomed an open letter by an international group of scholars to conservative Prime Minister Shinzo Abe calling for an end to nationalistic interpretation of the sexual slavery practised by the Imperial Army in World War II. Read more...