By Michael Gardner. Students in the German federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) have staged protests against the centre-right state government’s plans to introduce a new higher education law. Aspects they are criticising include a reintroduction of compulsory attendance at lectures and seminars. More...

By Kudzai Mashininga. Malawi’s President Professor Peter Mutharika has urged students to take advantage of the government’s expanded student loan system, but not to expect free education. More...

By Amber Ziye Wang. China will establish the first national university dedicated to nuclear research, training and academic exchange with support from the country’s state-owned nuclear power developer, echoing a pressing need for specialised talent. More...

By Alex Abutu. An informal survey by University World News reveals that a 2017 directive from the National Universities Commission of Nigeria that mandated each university to admit a maximum of 50 students for each undergraduate course per year has long been abandoned. More...

By Jan Petter Myklebust. In the largest evaluation of the social sciences in Norway ever, five research institutions and 22 research groups have been assessed as world-leading in one or more subjects. More...

By Jan Petter Myklebust. Given the high failure rate of applications for the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research programme, the Danish Agency for Science and Higher Education under the Ministry of Higher Education and Science has, in collaboration with the EU Office at the University of Copenhagen and the Research Support Office at Aarhus University, made a very intelligent move to help scientists navigate the maze they often find themselves in when planning a bid. More...

By Brendan O’Malley. The report, Regions at the Ready: Investing in Australia’s future, says the ‘pivotal’ role regional universities play in regional development extends beyond the provision for tertiary courses and conducting research. More...

By Brendan O’Malley. The United States Supreme Court last Tuesday announced its decision to uphold President Donald Trump’s travel ban targeting seven countries, of which five are Muslim-majority nations. More...

By Brendan O’Malley – Managing Editor. In our series on Pacific Rim higher education and research, Yojana Sharma reports on the views of academics attending the Association of Pacific Rim Universities conference that universities will have a key role to play in bridging new emerging digital divides within countries and globally in the era of artificial intelligence and other new technologies.
   In Commentary, Peter De Costa suggests that transnational higher education between Asia and the West – which has been criticised as a form of neocolonialism – can take a leadership role in connecting people by fostering genuine cross-institutional cooperation. Stig Arne Skjerven and Einar Meier point to recent developments in the European Union that have brought the recognition of education qualifications and academic credits back to the top of the mobility agenda. Also on the topic of recognition of qualifications, Johanna Rasplus writes about a European Union-funded conference held to share good practice on credit recognition to promote increased student mobility in the ASEAN – Association of Southeast Asian Nations – region. And from Africa, Wondwosen Tamrat and Damtew Teferra report on the findings of a study on international students from Ethiopia that employability was their prime motivation for studying abroad.
   In our World Blog this week, Nita Temmerman challenges education institutions to create appropriate processes to encourage young people to follow their imagination, respond creatively to problems, take risks and develop their innovative ability.
   In Features, Wagdy Sawahel reports that African universities are set to become the primary drivers of the Coding for Employment Program, which aims to prepare the continent’s youth for jobs of the future. And Eric Kelderman looks at what the retirement of Justice Anthony Kennedy from the United States Supreme Court could mean for higher education in America. More...