What are the side effects of internationalisation indicators in rankings?

By Brendan O’Malley – Managing Editor. In our World Blog this week, Hans de Wit warns of the consequences of internationalisation indicators in global rankings, which influence the way universities and governments internationalise and the way internationalisation is measured.
In our series on ‘Transformative Leadership’, published in partnership with The MasterCard Foundation, University World News looks at the barriers to social equity and social justice and ways to overcome them through education.
On that theme Suellen Shay suggests South African higher education leaders look beyond widening access to a vision of equity that is about re-landscaping the terrain to ensure a more appropriate higher education for all. Rebecca Farnum looks at the growing movement of scholactivists, scholars who are keen to ensure their work has social impact.
Brendan O'Malley writes about Geeta Dharmarajan, an inspiring leader in education who has dedicated her life to challenging poverty in the slums of Delhi in India. And Bin Wu and W John Morgan suggest that higher education reform in China needs to be broader than the redistribution of higher education resources by social group, and should embrace the role of universities in transformative social change.
In a Special Report on the NAFSA: Association of International Educators conference held in the US last week, Mary Beth Marklein reports on poll results released at the conference showing a US presidential election victory by Donald Trump could reverse the record-breaking gains in international student enrolment at US universities over the past 10 years.
In Commentary, Pratik Gandhi sets out the benefits to India of attracting more international students, and suggests how this can be done.
Lastly, in Features, Sharon Dell reports on the centenary celebrations of the University of Fort Hare in South Africa – the alma mater of a formidable list of influential African leaders and intellectuals including Nelson Mandela – which were marred by violent student protests. Read more...