Could this be the beginning of the end of the American century in science?

By Brendan O’Malley – Managing Editor. In Commentary, John Richard Schrock says the rise of China in scientific fields and decline in the volume of science papers written by American scientists, coupled with the fall of international students studying in the United States, may presage the end of US dominance of science. Also focusing on China and the US, Gerard A Postiglione and Denis Simon encourage universities in China and the United States to do what they can to keep US-China relations on an even keel as the trade war between the two leading economies threatens to spill over into academic cooperation. And John Aubrey Douglass warns that the University of California system in the US, celebrated around the world as a model public university system, has reached a tipping point with regard to funding and needs to urgently consider new ways of complying with its public mission.
   In our World Blog this week, Betty Leask, Elspeth Jones and Hans de Wit say internationalisation of higher education must promote inclusive intercultural learning in order to make a meaningful and lasting contribution to the world.
   In our series on Transformative Leadership, published in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation, Joanna Newman encourages universities and governments to work together to empower women academics by redistributing resources and confronting cultural attitudes.
   In Academic Freedom, Jason E Lane argues that as threats against academics and academic freedom intensify around the world, higher education should become more internationally engaged, not less. And William G Tierney warns that academic freedom is on trial in Hong Kong as no one from the city’s universities is speaking up for free speech in the case of two academics going on trial for peaceful protest.
   In Features, Edwin Naidu interviews Mamokgethi Phakeng, the newly appointed vice-chancellor of South Africa’s top research university, the University of Cape Town, who aims to “do things differently”. More...