By Sharon Dell – Africa Editor. In Africa Analysis, renowned author and academic Ngugi wa Thiong'o encourages every African university and government to become an advocate of African languages, as one step in building an Africa that is economically, politically and culturally empowered and secure in its base. Nickanor Amwata argues that the recent universities audit in Kenya presents an opportunity to restore the reputation of the university system and secure the long-term survival of the country’s universities.
And in Features, Munyaradzi Makoni reports on a study in South Africa showing that poor English language competence is hindering the academic performance of large numbers of second-language students but early interventions can help, while Ramadhan Rajab writes about efforts to increase the participation of women at universities in Somalia.
In News, Wagdy Sawahel reports on the Africa Capacity Report 2017, due to be released shortly, which finds that the capacity of Africa’s higher education and research institutions to implement science policies and strategies remains low; and Christabel Ligami interviews an expert at the World Bank about the need for more buy-in from African countries to the Partnership for Skills in Applied Sciences, Engineering and Technology PhD programme.
In World Blog this week, Margaret Andrews asks how universities might best prepare people for engaged and productive lives spanning a longer productive life, multiple careers, changing technologies and the new world of work. Read more...
Universities and their experts can help us ride the wave of disruption
By Brendan O’Malley – Managing Editor. In Commentary, Barney Glover contends that universities are the institutions best equipped to buffer us against the fallout from the disruption which is refashioning the economy, reshaping the way we work and reimagining the way we engage with each other. Ngugi wa Thiong'o encourages every African university and government to become an advocate of African languages, as one step in building an Africa that is economically, politically and culturally empowered and secure in its base. Paul Benneworth, Franziska Eckardt and Matt Bucholski provide evidence that allowing students to learn through research benefits them and universities, as they develop the kind of skills that contribute to innovation. Rosemary Salomone suggests the Italian Constitutional Court’s decision affirming the primacy of the Italian language in the country’s universities may offer insights to universities across the globe as they ride the wave of English in the name of internationalisation. And Lisa Unangst encourages California’s policy-makers to take the lead in promoting equitable access to universities, as an enrolment crisis exacerbates disparities in access for students of colour and lower socio-economic status.
In World Blog this week, Margaret Andrews asks how universities might best prepare people for engaged and productive lives spanning a longer productive life, multiple careers, changing technologies and the new world of work.
And in Features, Munyaradzi Makoni reports on a study in South Africa showing that poor English language competence is hindering the academic performance of large numbers of second-language students but early interventions can help, while Kafil Yamin reports that researchers in Indonesia, especially in poorer parts of the country, are grappling with a 40% cut in research funding due to an economic slowdown, but are adapting by pooling resources in university consortia. Read more...
Governing Against BDS
By Colleen Flaherty. Report says movement to boycott represents challenge to academic freedom in the U.S., and urges trustees to take action. Critics say report is a challenge to academic freedom. Read more...
Too Ethical to Get Ahead?
By Colleen Flaherty. Study finds that physicists are more likely to describe women as ethical scientists, but in ways that potentially limit their productivity and competitiveness. Read more...
Language Study as a National Imperative
By Colleen Flaherty. American Academy of Arts and Sciences makes the case for increasing foreign language learning capacity in a political climate that's increasingly anti-global. Read more...
Report: Job Market Is Strong for Bilingual Workers
By Colleen Flaherty. On the heels of a report from the American Academy of Arts and Sciences urging a national strategy to boost language learning capacity, the New American Economy today released a paper emphasizing the critical need for language skills in the workplace. Read more...
Hidden Figures
By Colleen Flaherty. Women's studies meets mathematics in a new book arguing for a more inclusive cultural notion of numeracy. Read more...
Loud and Clear
By Colleen Flaherty. Study details tool to help professors measure how much active learning is happening in their classrooms. Read more...
Irretrievable Aid Data
By Andrew Kreighbaum. College access advocates scramble as Trump administration says IRS tool designed to simplify student aid process could be unavailable for several weeks. Read more...
IRS Data Retrieval Tool Down
By Andrew Kreighbaum. With state and institutional aid deadlines fast approaching -- some as soon as this week -- the IRS Data Retrieval Tool that allows students and families to transfer their federal tax data directly into the Free Application for Federal Student Aid is unavailable. Read more...