By Karen MacGregor – Africa Editor. In Africa Analysis, Adam Habib encourages a thoughtful activism in the South African student movement, as unconstrained populism could lead to higher education that enables access but destroys quality.
Brenda Gourley offers pragmatic solutions to higher education, which has a key role in tackling the challenges of the ‘youth bulge’, particularly in emerging markets. And Neil Pyper says the murder and torture in Egypt of his Italian friend Giulio Regeni, a doctoral student from Cambridge University, is an attack on academic freedom which demands a strong response.
In Africa Features, Wachira Kigotho looks at problems kicked up by the rapid expansion of higher education in Ethiopia, and the need for curriculum reform, more students and academics, new infrastructure and innovation.
In Commentary, Sheila Trahar identifies ways that the internationalisation of universities might help foster social justice within and across borders. Camille B Kandiko Howson outlines research findings on the barriers to career progression that women in academia encounter in mid-career. Ararat Osipian proposes that imposing English as a second language at universities in countries like Indonesia and Ukraine be more closely examined.
And in World Blog, Patrick Blessinger argues that access to lifelong learning and education is a major human rights issue and that higher education is a powerful catalyst for change. Read more...