By Christabel Ligami. Despite government interventions and incentives, the weak relationship between academia and industry continues to be an Achilles' heel for universities. However, some recent initiatives are raising hopes about the possibility for more constructive partnerships. More...
New graduates to assist pastoralists with climate change
By Christabel Ligami. Pastoralists in the arid and semi-arid areas of East Africa are at the coalface of climate change impacts. A new cohort of masters graduates from the University of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania are set to enrich the capacity of these farmers to enhance their resilience to climatic variations and address growing food security challenges. More...
Makerere embarks on headcount to establish numbers
By Esther Nakkazi. A three-week head-counting process of Makerere University students and staff aimed at establishing the precise number of students enrolled in the institution and eradicating ghost students and workers, got under way last week. More...
Staff strike paralyses public universities
By Gilbert Nakweya. Learning was paralysed last week in Kenyan public universities after unions representing both the institutions' teaching and non-teaching staff announced a nationwide strike over salaries. More...
Cooperation – The magic word for academic libraries
By Wagdy Sawahel. Academic libraries located in North Africa's universities need to join forces to form consortia or alliances in order to provide access to relevant information resources and services that meet the needs of higher education, according to international library experts interviewed by University World News. More...
Harvard Middle East centre opens first overseas office
By Wagdy Sawahel. The Center for Middle Eastern Studies at Harvard University opened its first overseas office this month, in Tunisia, in what has been hailed by the university’s president as an opportunity to “bring the world to Harvard and Harvard to the world”. Among local higher education experts canvassed by University World News, hopes for the initiative seem equally high. More...
Amnesty urges end to persecution of Darfuri students
By Maina Waruru. International human rights group Amnesty International is calling on the government of Sudan to launch urgent investigations into allegations of arbitrary arrests, detention, torture and persecution of students from the country’s troubled Darfur region by Sudanese security forces. More...
Non-payment of lecturer salaries ‘a growing trend’
By Tunde Fatunde. Chronic delays in the payment of lecturer salaries by the federal government are causing major disruptions in Nigerian universities and have already brought some to a standstill. Despite the recession, however, salaries and allowances of all political office holders continue to be paid on time. More...
Rethinking the traditional idea of the university for an online era
By Sharon Dell – Acting Africa Editor. In Africa Analysis, Deirdre Carabine of the Virtual University of Uganda is convinced that it is only a matter of time before online learning programmes are recognised as being equal to, if not better than, traditionally taught university courses, while in Zimbabwe Zachariah Mushawatu argues that student unions are pursuing party agendas at the expense of student interests. In Africa Features, Munyaradzi Makoni reports on a new partnership between the University of Gondar in Ethiopia and Queen’s University in Canada which aims to boost the access to higher education of people with disabilities; and on the eve of the 2017 academic year we interview Universities South Africa CEO Ahmed Bawa about hopes for greater stability in the higher education sector in the wake of last year’s violent and disruptive #FeesMustFall protests.
In Africa News, Tunde Fatunde reports on what seems to be a growing trend towards the non-payment of lecturer salaries in Nigeria, while Maina Warura reports on a new Amnesty International report on the persecution of Darfuri students in Sudan, and Wagdy Sawahel covers the launch of an office in Tunisia of Harvard University’s Center for Middle Eastern Studies.
In World Blog, Philip G Altbach and Maria Yudkevich affirm that international faculty are an increasingly important part of the global academic environment, and consider some of the trade-offs for universities in attracting foreign academics.
In Global Features, Suvendrini Kakuchi reveals the secrets to success of Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University in Japan in luring high-quality international students, who constitute half of the student body.
On Wednesday 8 February University World News, in partnership with The MasterCard Foundation and DrEducation, will be hosting a free international webinar, entitled “Are universities crucibles of transformative leadership?” You are invited to register. More...
Universities hope for more stable academic year
By Sharon Dell. While it is unlikely that South Africa will escape student unrest at the start of the 2017 academic year, authorities are hoping such action will be moderated by the progress made in addressing some of the key challenges that sparked and sustained last year’s violent and highly disruptive protests over fee-free higher education. Read more...