University World News

🟢⚫⚪🔴 Male #Syrian #university #students managed to escape compulsory military service in Bashar al-Assad’s army through a number of strategies, writes wagdy sawahel. These included ‘deliberate failing’ of their courses, and travelling abroad, a new investigation published six days after the end of Assad’s rule has revealed. Using official data, an investigative report, titled “Escape to failure: How did university students flee from serving in Assad’s army?”, authored by Syrian journalist Ghadeer Barhoum and published by independent media platform Al Araby Al Jadeed on 14 December unveils the strategies employed by students to escape conscription, shedding light on why many male students remained without university qualifications for years. Abdullah Mrndi, secretary general for the Union of Free Syrian Students, who was expelled from Aleppo University in 2011 due to peaceful revolutionary activity against the #Assad regime, told UWN the report’s findings depict a “bitter reality for university students in their dealings with the oppressive Assad regime which used the army for its own aims”. “Students cannot be blamed for deliberately failing to postpone conscription. It is more appropriate to place the responsibility on the regime,” the report notes, quoting a professor at the University of Aleppo who used a pseudonym, fearing for his safety. 📌Access the full story on UWN Global Edition: https://lnkd.in/efd2ZXdu #highered #war Mohamed Al-Rubeai Mhd Yaman Zabad Omran Center for Strategic Studies National Union of Syrian Students

🩸🔬Meet Dr. Sweetness Laizer (31), a PhD student who, once a year, exchanges her office at the Kilimanjaro Clinical Research Institute (KCRI) in Tanzania for a desk at Radboud University Nijmegen in the Netherlands. Dr Laizer's working to identify gaps in #diabetes and #TB care, and to develop strategies to improve health outcomes for those affected by both diseases. Desmond Thompson catches up with her for UWN, finding out more about the link between her #PhD #research and the clinical trial she's working on; why it makes sense to do her PhD in the Netherlands; the link between diabetes and TB; and her career aspirations. 📌 Access the full story in UWN Africa Edition: https://lnkd.in/dqcaCngq #MedEd #studyabroad #Africa #intled #highered #universities Quirijn de Mast Reinout van Crevel

🧠👩🎓#Highered making a difference in the world! In the new UWN Africa Edition, find 17 cutting-edge stories from 10 top HE thinkers and commentators: 📌Access our Africa Special Report: Focus on #Nigeria: A year of crisis in Nigerian HE as economy spirals downward. 📌Our lead story, by Hussain Wahab, Bolaji Afeez & Abdulganiyu Abdulrahman, analyses how fuel hikes are crippling Nigerian HE as students and staff can’t afford petrol. 📌Read about how Mount Kenya University - MKU #students have developed technology to repurpose pineapple waste into #carbon-negative fertiliser. 📌We report on the 23rd International Economic Forum on Africa 2024, organised jointly by the OECD - OCDE, ASCI - The African Sports & Creative Institute and the African Union Commission. 📌‘Empowering and Advancing Africa’s #Scientific Enterprise’: Evelyn Ruwoko reports on the African Academy of Sciences (AAS) 15th General Assembly and Scientific Conference in Abuja. 📌Algeria has launched a higher education scholarship programme for students from across Africa and plans to establish an #educationbank for the continent, as wagdy sawahel reports. 📌We introduce you to three absolutely remarkable academics: 💡South Africa: Prof. Sabiha Essack, an expert in #antimicrobial resistance. 💡Tanzania-Netherlands: Dr. Sweetness Laizer, a physician-scientist working to identify gaps in #diabetes and #TB care. 💡Lesotho-Global: Rorisang Mahomo, a final-year business management student at the University of Pretoria who has made an #astronomical discovery. 📌Of course, there's plenty more in this, our last full UWN Africa Edition of the year. As always, please read, engage, share, comment and let us know your thoughts. Thank you. 🙏 #universities #research #SDGs #sustainability Bettinah Maruti I NanaHeal Enterprises I Donatus Njoroge I Kingsley Ndimele I NIGERIA LABOUR CONGRESS I Joe Ajaero I Andreas SCHLEICHER I Will Mbiakop I Hicham El Habti I Rosine Sori Coulibaly I Amel Karboul I Matina Razafimahefa I University of KwaZulu-Natal I Radboud University Nijmegen I Kilimanjaro Clinical Research Institute (KCRI) I Quirijn de Mast I Reinout van Crevel I Pan - African Citizen Science e - lab I International Astronomical Search Collaboration

New proposals that seek to make #Sweden a more attractive destination for third-country #PhD students and #researchers and address the hardships caused by stricter #migration rules introduced by the government in 2021 have been welcomed by academics and students. SULF, The Swedish Association of University Teachers and Researchers said it believes the proposals “will lead to an improved situation” and called on the government to implement the changes as soon as possible. Under the new proposals, foreign researchers and doctoral students would be eligible for permanent residence permits more quickly. They would also have greater opportunities to change the grounds for their #residencepermits once in the country and to travel in and out of the country while the Swedish Migration Agency considers their cases. To reduce the risk of abuse of residence permits for studies, it is proposed that the possibilities for foreign students to work while studying be restricted. There would also be greater requirements for foreign students to progress in their studies or risk their residence permits being withdrawn or not extended. 📌Access the full story in University World News: https://lnkd.in/dyh9SGNj #migrants #studyabroad #intled #universities #highered #EU #EEA Erik Renström Jan Myklebust Agneta Bladh Vetenskapsrådet / Swedish Research Council Topias Tolonen-Weckström

👩🎓🌱🏗️ #Sustainability is gaining traction in African #highered, with a surge in the number of universities featured in the QS World University Rankings: Sustainability, as Desmond Thompson reports. The 2025 edition, released on 10 December 2024, showcases a significant increase in African representation: a total of 70 universities across the continent are now included - up from 43 in the previous edition. Africa’s expanded participation now spans 14 countries (with varying numbers of HEIs participating): 🌍Algeria (2 institutions) 🌍Botswana (1) 🌍Egypt (26) 🌍Ethiopia (1) 🌍Ghana (4) 🌍Kenya (1) 🌍Morocco (6) 🌍Nigeria (5) 🌍Senegal (1) 🌍South Africa (13) 🌍Tanzania (1) 🌍Tunisia (7) 🌍Uganda (1) 🌍Zimbabwe (1) South Africa, with 13 ranked universities, continues to lead the continent. While this surge in participation is encouraging, challenges remain in ensuring consistent progress towards sustainability goals. 📌Access Thompson's full story, including: more on the assessment criteria; who's leading the pack; continental trends; challenges; the rankings debate; consideration for balancing sustainability with other imperatives; and a generally "positive trajectory for African HE": https://lnkd.in/d43Tk972 #SDGs #rankings #Africa #universities #partnership Ben Sowter Jessica Turner University of Cape Town Stellenbosch University University of the Witwatersrand University of the Free State University of Venda Cairo University

🎓 Announcing Our Upcoming Webinar: "Trends in AI for Student Assessment" We’re excited to launch the first in a series of webinars exploring key developments in higher education, hosted by University World News in collaboration with ABET, the global non-profit accreditation and quality assurance agency. 📅 Date: 21 January 2025 ⏰ Time: 4 PM UTC 💻 Where: Online (free to attend!) In this webinar, global experts will share insights into how AI is transforming student assessment in higher education. Topics include: ✅ Innovations in automated grading ✅ Personalised learning pathways ✅ Challenges and opportunities in AI-driven feedback Whether you're a university academic, professor, or higher education professional, this session will provide actionable insights to improve teaching workloads and learning outcomes. 🎟️ Don’t miss out – register now: https://lnkd.in/dxKETb3w 👉 Join the conversation and be part of shaping the future of higher education! #AIandHE #HigherEducation #EdTech #AIinEducation #StudentAssessment

At a time of renewed focus on #slavery, #universities around the world have been invited to submit applications for the establishment of new chairs in slavery by 30 April 2025, as part of the 2025 cycle of the UNESCO Chairs Programme and UNITWIN. Access ⬆️ this #highered story in the last full UWN Global Edition of 2024. Also find the following and more: 🍁CANADA: Surge in student asylum claims and fraudulent applications - Nathan Greenfield 👩🎓MYANMAR: Physical university in ‘liberated’ area continues to expand - Padone 🕸️GLOBAL: New global network on widening access in HE is launched - Dorothy Lepkowska 🔴JAPAN-EUROPE: Japan-EU Horizon talks kick off amid dual-use concerns - suvendrini kakuchi 🐌SWEDEN: Lengthy visa delays may be deterring student talent – Audit - Jan Myklebust 🧑🎓GLOBAL: GenAI impedes student learning, hitting exam performance - wagdy sawahel 🗣️GLOBAL: Mapping (but not solving) the science communication crisis - Philip Altbach & Hans (J.W.M.) de Wit 💡EUROPE: Survey suggests students do not see use of AI as cheating - Villano Qiriazi, Luca Lantero & Chiara Finocchietti 🧠UK-GLOBAL: Council helps at-risk academics find new intellectual homes - Nathan Greenfield 👥LATIN AMERICA-CARIBBEAN: Network of HE leaders takes aim at transformative change - Yuma Inzolia ⛓️💥GLOBAL: Addressing real-world challenges with interdisciplinary learning - Patrick Blessinger, Abhilasha Singh & Professor Beena Giridharan 📌There's so much more in the latest UWN Global than can be encapsulated here. So, as always, please read, engage, share, comment and let us know your thoughts. Thank you. 🙏 #UNITWIN #SWAYAM #intled #studyabroad #HEaccess #TNE #collaboration #SDGs #sustainability #interdisciplinary #qualifications #slavery #DEI #AI #science World Access to Higher Education Network I National Education Opportunities Network (NEON) I Fabrizio Mejia I Mo Malele I EPHEA - Equity Practitioners in Higher Education I William Moses I Carla Cristina Fioreze I Courtney Brown I Jamil Salmi I Roberta Malee Bassett I Ninoslav Scukanec Schmidt I Romyen Kosaikanont  I Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada / Immigration, Réfugiés et Citoyenneté Canada I Annie B. I Khin Maung Lwin I Goethe-Universität Frankfurt a. Main I Maksym Balaklytskyi I UNESCO IESALC I Emma Harden-Wolfson (prev. Sabzalieva), PhD I Equal Justice Initiative I Kwadwo Appiagyei-Atua I Africa Coalition for Academic Freedom(ACAF) I Dr. Jose Lingna Nafafe I UNESCO Inclusive Policy Lab I Jelmer Vos I University of California, Santa Cruz

Mapping (but not solving) the science communication crisis: scientific communication has never been more important – or more troubled, argue Philip Altbach & Hans (J.W.M.) de Wit. In an era of global #science – the multinational scientific development of COVID-19 vaccines is but one impressive example – the ability to quickly evaluate and communicate science and scholarship is critical. We are entering a new era, argue the authors, made possible by new technologies, multinational publishers and new ‘open access’ arrangements. But the resulting exponential expansion in the number of articles and books has essentially destroyed the traditional #publishing system and created an insurmountable crisis in scientific communication. Authors Altbach and De Wit are co-editors of probably the oldest open access publication International Higher Education, free for authors and subscribers and available in different languages. (E-mails: altbach@bc.edu; dewitj@bc.edu) This story also discusses the recent report by the International Association of Universities on #openscience. 📌 Read the full story in the new UWN Global Edition: https://lnkd.in/d43Tk972 #highered #academicpublishing #academics #universities Center for International Higher Education

It's 🌱#SDGs Saturday - and we share some of the fresh stories uploaded to the UWN SDGs Hub: ⬇️ Below, Nic Mitchell reflects on a new UNESCO report released during the launch of the World Access to Higher Education Network (WAHEN). 📌 Find Mitchell's report and the following SDGs stories at: https://lnkd.in/eGxgm_D2 🌱New global network on widening access in HE is launched - Dorothy Lepkowska reports on the launch of #WAHEN. 📌https://lnkd.in/d4_q5DTF 🌱HE equity champions struggle against ideological backlash - Dorothy Lepkowska reports on how #highered #access is under threat around the world. 📌https://lnkd.in/d_pPMTvV 🌱Japan-EU Horizon talks kick off amid dual-use concerns - suvendrini kakuchi reports Japan has started formal negotiations to enter the EU's Horizon Europe #research programme. 📌https://lnkd.in/dM6JSbpv 🌱Nursing, midwifery training ban causes alarm and disruption - Manija Mirzaie reports a ban on women pursuing medical education marks the closure of nursing and midwifery programmes across Afghanistan – the last lifeline for girls seeking HE in the country. 📌https://lnkd.in/dgtMekc3 🌱Addressing real-world challenges with interdisciplinary learning - Patrick Blessinger, Abhilasha Singh & Beena Giridharan argue, given that the challenges of our world are as integrated as they are complex, putting problems, or even theories, into single categories fails to appreciate the full complexity of those problems. 📌https://lnkd.in/dPajaW27 🌱GenAI impedes student learning, hitting exam performance - wagdy sawahel reports that analysis of student essays using generative AI detection systems to identify GenAI users showed students who use GenAI score significantly lower in exams. 📌https://lnkd.in/dtUVdczA 🌱The McDonaldisation of higher education in the age of AI - James Yoonil Auh examines how #AI aligns with McDonaldisation principles, the opportunities and challenges it introduces, and how institutions are both embracing and resisting its influence. 📌https://lnkd.in/dDMA-wkv 🌱LATIN AMERICA-CARIBBEAN: Network of HE leaders takes aim at transformative change - Yuma Inzolia reports on the Network of University Presidents for Sustainability, an initiative uniting university leaders across Latin America and the Caribbean. 📌https://lnkd.in/dfdWiuCJ UNESCO IESALC National Education Opportunities Network (NEON) Fabrizio Mejia Mo Malele EPHEA - Equity Practitioners in Higher Education William Moses Emma Harden-Wolfson (prev. Sabzalieva), PhD

UWN Asia Director Yojana Sharma reflects below on two new updates on Asian countries joining Horizon Europe: 🌏SOUTH KOREA-EUROPE: South Korea on track to join Horizon despite turmoil - Yumi Jeung & Yojana Sharma 🌏JAPAN-EUROPE: Japan-EU Horizon talks kick off amid dual-use concerns - suvendrini kakuchi