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IAU Lynx June 2020
KEEPING AN EYE ON HIGHER EDUCATION DEVELOPMENTS WORLDWIDEJune 2020
IAU Lynx offers a monthly overview of higher education developments around the world. It covers new policies, initiatives and projects on various higher education topics. The information is classified by international, regional, bilateral and national initiatives.
INTERNATIONAL INITIATIVES
UNESCO Chairs dealing with human rights and social inclusion issues havepublished an article that addresses the impact of COVID-19 on disadvantaged students and mitigating measures adopted so far by universities as well as UNESCO’s responses.
The two laureates of the 2019 UNESCO King Hamad Bin Isa Al-Khalifa Prize for the Use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in Education have been announced. This edition’s theme was the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to innovate education, teaching and learning.
The UNESCO Regional Offices in Abuja and Nairobi jointly organized two webinars, in English and French, on “The Response of Higher Education to COVID-19 -Higher Education in Africa: challenges and solutions through ICT, online training, distance education and digital inclusion”, in May. Recommendations were issued regarding international mobilization, digitization of curricula, the construction/strengthening of knowledge infrastructures using renewable energies and the creation or consolidation of centres of excellence.
UNESCO Bangkok
UNESCO Bangkok and UNICEF are leading a review exercise on good practices on SDG4 (Education 2030) implementation across the Asia-Pacific and are calling for case studies that illustrate policies, programmes and projects which have contributed towards achievement of one or more of the 10 targets of SDG4.
Deadline: 30 June.UNESCO Regional Bureau for Education in the Arab States (UNESCO Beirut)
On 21 May, the UNESCO office in Beirut organized a regional webinar on the impact of COVID-19 on the Higher Education sector in the Arab region. It aimed at sharing experiences, success stories, and best practices among Arab universities regionally.
UNESCO International Institute for Higher Education in Latin America and the Caribbean (IESALC)
The IESALC report COVID-19 and higher education: Today and Tomorrow. Impact analysis, policy responses and recommendations discusses preparations for the post-crisis reopening and suggests higher education institutions to follow a 3-Phase Plan relying on distance teaching continuity, respecting health protocols and restructuring teaching models.
IESALC has posted an article on “the Internationalization of Higher Education: until when do we leave measurements?”. It discusses instruments for measuring the internationalization of higher education, indicators for measuring university internationalizations, reasons explaining the difficulty of measurement the results of HE internationalization, and the alternative of self-assessment to world rankings.
IESALC has just launched a survey aimed at higher education institutions on learning continuity during the COVID-19 crisis, in order to collect data on the strategies and mechanisms put into practice to guarantee the continuity of teaching and learning activities during the interruption of classroom classes.
The Webinar “Emancipatory Human Rights and Higher Education” organized by IESALC on 21 May reflected on questions such as: How does the human rights imagination and universities intersect with other transformation approaches such as social justice, decolonization, anti-racism, transitional justice, and inclusion and diversity?”. A video recording is available.
Also available is the recording of a webinar held in April to analyze the challenges that racism poses to higher education in Latin America today and how these challenges can be addressed.IESALC and partner organisations are inviting all Ibero-American universities to present the initiatives conducted during the last three years to promote their visibility and transfer, and encourage south-south exchange and cooperation. Selected best practices will inform a Manual Iberoamericano de Buenas Prácticas en Internacionalización-MIBPI (Ibero-American Manual of Good Practices in Internationalization) to be published this autumn in order to disseminate them and replicate them at other universities regionally.
Deadline: 1 July.UNESCO, in collaboration with the Regional Education Group for Latin America and the Caribbean, is launching a series of information exchanges to respond to the pandemic. The objective of this initiative is to support Ministries of Education and different educational actors in the development, management and dissemination of relevant evidence that will inform the immediate response. Recordings of the latest webinars are available to the public.
Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development
The OECD has published Reviews of Evaluation and Assessment in Education: Albania. This review, developed in co-operation with UNICEF, provides Albania with recommendations to help strengthen its evaluation and assessment system to focus on support for student learning.
World Bank
The World Bank approved in May a €100 million project to support the modernization of Belarus’ higher education sector, a crucial step towards achieving a modern university system and boosting economic growth potential.
Commonwealth of Learning (COL)
COL has just released “Guidelines on Distance Education during COVID-19” with policy advice and practical tips on the use of distance-education methods, tools and appropriate technology as a response to the COVID-19. It includes guidelines for educational institutions, academic and support staff, students and student bodies as well as for quality assurance/accreditation and academic recognition bodies.
Return to top REGIONAL INITIATIVES
Africa - Americas - Asia - Europe
Universities South Africa
Universities South Africa organised a recent Higher Education in Africa webinar that was titled: COVID-19 and Africa’s Higher Education System: What is going on? It concluded that Online learning is integral to the future of Higher Education.
Asociación de Universidades Grupo Montevideo (AUGM)
The Political and Social Sciences Committee of the Association of Universities of the Montevideo Group (AUGM) is preparing the first edition of its “Mirando al Sur” Bulletin. This first issue will be entitled “El tiempo que vivimos. COVID 19 y su impacto en nuestras sociedades” (The time we are living. COVID 19 and its impact on our societies). Universities in the Montevideo group are invited to submit opinion articles.
Asociación Universitaria Iberoamericana de Postgrado
The Selection Committees for the Scholarship Programmes to study Masters at Andalusian Universities, meeting on 20 May, agreed to award the scholarships for the universities of Almeria, Cadiz, Cordoba, Huelva, Jaen, Malaga, Seville, Pablo Olavide of Seville and the International University of Andalusia.
Inter-american Development Bank
The Inter-American Development Bank’s (IDB) Coalition for Transversal Skills in the 21st Century, centered on ensuring inclusion, equity, and quality education in Latin American and Caribbean countries has been joined by The Wikimedia Foundation, the nonprofit that operates Wikipedia.
Organización de Estados Iberoamericanos para la Educación, la Ciencia y la Cultura (OEI)
The call for submissions is open for the volume 84 (September-December 2020) of the Revista Iberoamericana de Educación, which will have as its title: New data, new challenges: Iberoamerica in the latest educational evaluations. Deadline: 30 June.
Unión de Universidades de América Latina y el Caribe UDUAL
UDUAL held the virtual meeting: Towards a New Global Economy: University-Ministry Meeting, as part of Mexico’s pro tempore presidency of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), with the participation of the Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) and representatives of Latin American and Caribbean universities. Participants proposed solutions to the health, economic and humanitarian crises involving the Covid19 virus.
Instituto Latinoamericano y del Caribe de Calidad en Educación Superior a Distancia (CALED)
CALED, along with partner institutions, is currently running a series of online seminars on the quality and evaluation of online and distance higher education in the context of the Coronavirus pandemic. Video recordings of the first one, held 7 May and dedicated to the Impact of the Coronavirus pandemic on the Quality of Higher Education at Distance and Online are now online.
UNESCO Chair in Higher Education and Indigenous and Afro-descendant Peoples in Latin America)
The UNESCO Chair on Higher Education and Indigenous and Afro-descendant Peoples in Latin America is inviting proposals regarding a Call for Actions on the Internet aimed at promoting reflections and debates on the multiple forms of racism that still persist in higher education systems in Latin America, and contribute to their eradication. The selected actions will receive UNESCO Chair’s support, which will carry out campaigns to disseminate them, seeking to optimize their visibility.
Deadline: 15 July.Ibero-American Association for Distance Education
The Ibero-American Association for Distance Education has made available on its YouTube channel a series of webinars related to the university’s response to the remains of COVID-19.Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO)
The SEAMEO Secretariat has launched a Webinar Series to discuss the response of member countries to the COVID-19 pandemic. Themes covered so far include: Emotional and Psychosocial Health; the importance of Distance Learning, OERs and Online Resources; Effects on Student Mobility and Exchange; good practices for enhancing resilience and connectivity. Video recordings can be found on SEAMEO’s Youtube channel.
European Union
The EU’s Open Science Policy Platform (OSPP) published its final report “Progress on Open Science: Towards a Shared Research Knowledge System” on 28 May. This summary of Practical Commitments for Implementation with specific examples of progress by each stakeholder community across Europe). The group of 25 key stakeholder representatives then propose a vision for moving beyond Open Science to create a shared research knowledge system by 2030.
European University Association
THe European University Association (EUA) has published the position paper ‘The future of the European Universities Initiative’ as well as the results of the recent EUA survey on international strategic institutional partnerships and the European Universities Initiative.
Return to top NATIONAL INITIATIVES
Armenia Australia Barbados Chile China Colombia Costa Rica Ethiopia Estonia Germany Ghana Hong Kong India Ireland Jamaica Kenya Malaysia Netherlands New Zealand Nigeria Peru South Africa United Kingdom United States Uruguay President Arayik Harutyunyan announced that higher education in the country’s public educational institutions will be free of charge from September 1.
Response to Covid-19
A Joint Statement of Principles for the Higher Education Sector COVID-19 Response has been issued by tertiary education-related organisations to provide guidance for the higher education sector to mitigate and minimise the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic while ensuring community expectations for public health and safety are met.
https://www.teqsa.gov.au/sites/default/files/joint-statement-principles-higher-education-sector-covid-19-response.pdf?v=1588910909Online resources
eSafety and Universities Australia (UA) have made available a Toolkit for Universities that contains 14 resources offering targeted advice to help universities, academics and other teaching staff, students be safer online by building greater awareness of online safety risks, providing guidance on how to prevent, prepare for and respond to online safety incidents, supporting student and staff wellbeing.International students
Applications are open for the Destination Australia grants for 2021 scholarships launched last year to encourage domestic and international students to study in regional Australia. Next year’s programme will help regional and remote Australian education providers and communities to recover from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.Online learning
The Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA) is putting online video recordings of a webinar series entitled “Going online: R(e)imagining teaching and learning”meant to discuss how to make online learning work best for institutions, workforce and students. Topics covered so far were: best practice for establishing online learning; Enabling staff to work in an online learning environment; Assessment integrity; Designing curriculum for an online environment.The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) of Japan, through the Embassy of Japan in Barbados, is offering scholarships to Barbadians who wish to study at universities in Japan as Research Students.
The Council of Rectors of Chilean Universities issued a public statement analyzing the situation of universities in the context of the health emergency by Covid-19. It noted the investment of resources and the difficulties and limitations arising from this scenario, which have had a strong impact on the financial status of the institutions.
Recruiting rural students
The Ministry of Education has adopted a comprehensive action plan aimed at key universities and colleges to recruit students from rural and poverty-stricken areas in 2020. They were asked to develop targeted recruitment campaigns, provide consulting services to student applicants, and ensure that suitable frameworks to receive these students on undergraduate programs were in place.Online learning
Two Global Online Learning Platforms - namely “XuetangX”(www.xuetangx.com) and “iCourse International” (www.icourse163.com)’ – have been launched with support of the Ministry of Education of China and Chinese National Commission for UNESCO in order to support learning worldwide during the COVID-19 Pandemic.Information on regulations
The Colombian Association of Universities, in response to the health emergency declared by the National Government, and the issuance of regulations aimed at mitigating the COVID-19, compiles and concentrates the national regulatory provisions with impact on the higher education sector and facilitate their consultation to partner institutions.Examinations and quality assurance
During the II International Forum on Quality Assurance in Higher Education, organized by the Ministry of National Education, the Director General of the Colombian Institute for the Evaluation of Education - Icfes, stated that the taking place of the State Tests in the current circumstances is fundamental not only because of the benefits they represent for the students but for the society in general.The National Council of Rectors (CONARE) and the public universities will contribute a total of sixteen thousand thirty million colones for the attention of the COVID-19 emergency, distributed to the solidarity fund of the Government of the Republic for the COVID-19 emergency and additionally to scholarship programmes and other assistance to students affected by the economic situation.
In line with the growing demand for online education caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Higher Education Relevance and Quality Agency (HERQA) has prepared a draft directive to govern the tertiary-level online education system in Ethiopia, The directive, which was issued in April, states that the content of an online education should be secular, and free from any influence of political and religious views.
Universities in Estonia have said they face funding shortfalls of several million euros if foreign students from third countries are barred from entering the country this autumn, as suggested by the Ministry of the Interior.
Germany’s Upper House, the Bundesrat, has endorsed a number of measures adopted by the federal parliament to facilitate academic activities in the coronavirus crisis, although it strongly urges the government to do more to back students facing hardship. Meanwhile, the German Rectors’ Conference is warning against any hasty reopening of institutions.
Academic staff recruitment
Dr Mathew Opoku-Prempeh, the Minister of Education said the government has given financial clearance for over 6,178 staff to be recruited into the tertiary institutions in the country.Gender and enrolment
The government’s agenda to achieve a 50:50 ratio of male to female enrolment is still not achieved according to an analysis, as male enrolment constitutes 58 percent of total enrolment in tertiary institutions across the country.In response to the COVID-19 epidemic and its evolving global impact, theUniversity Grants Committee (UGC) and the Research Grants Council (RGC) have allocated an additional $250 million under the Collaborative Research Fund and the Theme-based Research Scheme (TRS) to support the UGC-funded sector in conducting research related to COVID-19 and other novel infectious diseases (NIDs).
UGC-funded universities can apply until 17 July.Online learning
The Ministry of Human resources Development through the National Digital Library of India (NDLI) has created a special collection called "Corona Outbreak: Study from Home" which contains both academic and research material to enable students and faculty to have continued access to content during the Pandemic Lockdown. A Consolidated Covid-19 Research Resources Repository has also been released.Examinations
Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank has announced that exams will be held for final year students of universities across the country, others will be promoted based on their internal marks and previous year’s result.Most universities and third-level colleges are returning rent fees to students, while also facing a €500 million funding gap because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
All educational institutions will remain closed until the end of September 2020. schools will continue to operate using the distance learning to ensure the continuation of the teaching and learning process.
Most public universities have cancelled or postponed their end of semester examinations. In contrast, private institutions are going ahead to give online examinations without disrupting their academic calendars.
The Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) has made available online presentations and a video recording of the webinar “Entering the new realm of international Higher education”, which took place on May 14 by the Higher Education Leadership Academy (AKEPT) and the Ministry of Higher Education. It discussed the impact that the Covid-19 pandemic has had on international higher education and how universities are reacting to the situation.
The Dutch universities association, VSNU, have released ‘Universities in times of corona: How Dutch universities are Working Together and Offering Solutions during the Corona Crisis’.
utm_source=miragenews&utm_medium=miragenews&utm_campaign=newsTechnology access funding
The Government has announced $20 million technology access fund for tertiary learners to help eligible tertiary learners continue their education disrupted by COVID-19 by making digital devices and internet connections available to them.Qualifications and employment
Education Counts has released two reports: Qualification level match and mismatch in New Zealand, Analysis from the Survey of Adult Skills looks into who experienced qualification level mismatch in New Zealand, what kinds of jobs they were in, how mismatch varies by qualification level and how it relates to skills and wages. Impacts of the Global Financial Crisis on earnings of tertiary graduates in New Zealand, looks at the impacts the 2007 Global Financial Crisis had on the earnings of tertiary education graduates in New Zealand, and explores the extent to which these impacts may still be being felt by those impacted.The federal government has approved the dissolution of the governing councils of two universities in the country.The universities are the University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State, and the Nigerian Maritime University, Okerenkoko, in Delta State.
Vice-Ministerial Resolution No. 099-2020-MINEDU authorizes the accredited personnel of each educational institution to enter their university premises to perform tasks that facilitate the provision of educational services, provided that these cannot be performed remotely.
The Ministry of Education (Minedu) approved a regulation (No. 097-2020-MINEDU) establishing provisions for the remote work of teacher to ensure the development of the educational service in public educational institutions and programmes during COVID-19.
The government body, the Office for Students, has said that Students applying for university places in England must be told with "absolute clarity" how courses will be taught - before they make choices for the autumn.
Universities are redesigning campuses for social distancing and are planning to put students into ‘bubbles’ of small groups of students to limit mixing.
Covid-19 Survey
The Institute of International Education (IIE) has released the results of the second survey in the COVID-19 Snapshot Survey Series about the effects of COVID-19 on U.S. higher education institutions in three areas: Campus life, International students, and U.S. students studying abroad.Accreditation
The US Department of Education (USDE) is increasing regulatory flexibility with the extension of accreditation waivers following the impact of COVID-19. In effect, accrediting organizations will be permitted to conduct virtual site visits, and institutions will continue offering distance learning to meet students’ needs.Financial aid
In the wake of COVID-19, the American Council on Education (ACE) and other higher education associations released a statement to policymakers requesting an expansion of federal stimulus-response programs to higher education institutions left out of initial federal economic relief.The Uruguayan government approved a new schedule for the resumption of university teaching activities in public and private education, as well as a set of measures to be implemented gradually and immediately in order to reactivate the academic year. With the exception of universities in Montevideo and the metropolitan area, which will be able to resume classes as of 29 June, the rest of the country’s tertiary education centres will be able to resume classes as of 15 June.
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IAU Lynx April 2020
IAU Lynx March 2020IAU Lynx coordinator: Amanda Sudic
Collaborating team: Nicholas Poulton, Samuel Pousson, Carine Sébast, Samantha Grillo and Lianne Guerra Rondón
Contact: Amanda Sudic
© IAU 2020
IAU Lynx April 2020KEEPING AN EYE ON HIGHER EDUCATION DEVELOPMENTS WORLDWIDEApril 2020
IAU Lynx offers a monthly overview of higher education developments around the world. It covers new policies, initiatives and projects on various higher education topics. The information is classified by international, regional, bilateral and national initiatives.
INTERNATIONAL INITIATIVES
UNESCO has launched a portal on COVID-19 Educational Disruption and Response to provide immediate support to countries as they work to minimize the educational disruption and facilitate the continuity of learning, especially for the most vulnerable.
UNESCO has shared 10 recommendations to plan distance learning solutions and ensure that learning remains uninterrupted during the COVID-19 outbreak.
UNESCO has posted :
a selection ofnational distance education platforms - classified by country - designed to support the continuity of curriculum-based study. a list of educational applications, platforms and resourceshttps://en.unesco.org/themes/educat... to help parents, teachers, schools and school administrators facilitate student learning and provide social care and interaction during periods of school closure. Most of them are free and many cater to multiple languages.The Thailand UNESCO Country Strategy 2020-2021 presents UNESCO’s strategic framework for engagement with the Thai Government, other UN entities, development partners, universities, schools, and civil society organizations to respond most effectively to Thailand’s expressed development needs, priorities and aspirations. Its two pillars are : Promoting the Internationalization of Higher Education in Thailand; and Strengthening Social Sciences in Thailand.
UNESCO has launched a call for nominations for the 2020 UNESCO Prize for Girls’ and Women’s Education, which awards US$ 50,000 annually to two laureates making outstanding efforts in favour of girls’ and women’s education. Deadline for submissions is 26 May 2020.
UNESCO Institute for Information Technologies in Education (IITE)
IITE has released a Handbook on Facilitating Flexible Learning During Educational Disruption: The Chinese Experience in Maintaining Undisrupted Learning in COVID-19 Outbreak. It describes several flexible online learning strategies implemented during the COVID-19 outbreak. Six dimensions are covered : infrastructure; learning tools ; learning resources; teaching and learning methods; services for teachers and students; and cooperation between government, enterprises, and schools.
UNESCO IITE, in cooperation with its global partners, has launched a new online Platform/Initiative on “Combating COVID-19: Together we are on the move!”where international expertise, practice and resources related to education will be presented. The goal is to provide online communication platform for education policy makers, teachers, students and experts in education and ICT to share knowledge and experience in responding to the emergency by providing best practices, recommendations and technical support.
UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL)/UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities (GNLC) :
In order to exchange solutions, discuss contingency plans and share distance-learning approaches, members of the UNESCO GNLC convenes webinars organized by the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL). Non-member cities are also invited to join the online events, share their experiences and learn from other cities.UNESCO International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP)
In the wake of the release of the paper on SDG 4 - Policies for Flexible Learning Pathways in Higher Education: Taking Stock of Good Practices Internationally, UNESCO IIEP has posted a brief interview of its author and expert, Michaela Martin, who discusses the future of higher education, changes in course taking and credential obtention, global benefits to greater flexibility, Institutions’ adaptation, and policy-makers and planners’ role.UNESCO Almaty Office
UNESCO Almaty Office has released the report Ensuring lifelong learning for all in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan Country Evidence and Policy Recommendations. It discusses the context of lifelong learning in Central Asia, current policies and practices, the quality of education from a lifelong learning perspective and policy recommendations to ensure lifelong learning for all in Central Asia.
Agence universitaire de la francophonie (AUF)
The AUF has made available to it’s member universities a platform for distance teaching and learning.
Educause
EDUCAUSE has released the 2020 Horizon Report: Teaching and Learning Edition. This report profiles key trends and emerging technologies and practices shaping the future of teaching and learning and envisions a number of scenarios and implications for that future. It is based on the perspectives and expertise of a global panel of leaders from across the higher education landscape.
Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development
OECD has released the report Strengthening the Governance of Skills Systems: Lessons from Six OECD Countries. It provides advice on how to make the governance of skills systems effective in Estonia, Germany, Korea, Norway, Portugal, and the United States.
Guni
Guni has published an article on The Higher Education Institutions’ Environmental Engagement in Colombia.
The aim of this article is to present an updated overview of the progress achieved by Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in Colombia in the institutionalization of environmental engagement.Return to top REGIONAL INITIATIVES
Africa - Americas - Asia - Europe
Association of African Universities
The AAU has made available a resource page to help higher education institutions plan for possible campus disruption by COVID-19In the wake of closures that took effect on 20 March, a number of universities and higher education institutions in East Africa are revitalising existing e-learning platforms, while others are tentatively migrating into uncharted territory.
UNESCO International Institute for Higher Education in Latin America and the Caribbean (IESALC)
UNESCO IESALC has posted the results of research on the presence of women in higher education in the Latin American region, specifically in teaching and administrative positions and as leaders in public universities. They indicate that in the 9 sampled countries - Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Mexico, Panama, Peru and Venezuela - only 18% of the public universities have female rectors.
In a presentation given at the Ist International Higher Education Forum: Higher Education for the XXI Century ("Foro Internacional de Educación Superior: Educación Superior Siglo XXI") held 11-12 March at the Franz Tamayo University campus (UNIFRANZ), Bolivia, UNESCO-IESALC identified the eight most pressing challenges in reshaping Latin American and Caribbean education by 2030 as: Access; Quality assurance; Demographics; Financing; Internationalization; Research and innovation; ratification of the new convention for the recognition of studies; Achieving the 17 SDGs.
The call for contributions to the thematic dossier Vol. 33, N°2 (July-December 2020) of the Journal of Higher Education and Society (ESS) is open until 31 July. The theme is the “Contribution of Higher Education in Latin America and the Caribbean to the ODS: experiences and practices from their academic functions”.
UNESCO IESALC has published an article on the internationalization of higher education and the need for measurement criteria.
Organization of American States (OAS): The call is open to institutions to incorporate their online courses into the Educational Portal of the Americas.
http://portal.portaleducoas.org/es/noticias/llamado-instituciones-incorporar-sus-cursos-en-l-nea-al-portal-educativo-las-am-ricasAsociación Universitaria Iberoamericana de Posgrado (AUIP)
The call for applicants from the Universidad del Azuay (Ecuador) and the Universidad Católica de Cuenca (Ecuador) and persons from other Latin American institutions associated with the AUIP to carry out a doctoral thesis at the Universidad Pablo de Olavide (Seville, Spain), within the Doctorate Program in Business Administration and Management, is now open. The application deadline is 4 May
ASEAN University Network (AUN)
ASEAN University Network (AUN) is launching an ASEAN Master Program in Sustainability Management together with Universitas Gadjah Mada, Indonesia, and University of Agder, Norway. Set to be taught as of January 2021. Grants covering the full study, living and travel costs are offered for 40 students from ASEAN countries. Deadline for application is 15 May.
The European University Association (EUA)
The EUA has stated their support for European universities in the context of the COVID-19 crisis and has invited universities to share their experiences of online learning and other solutions at #UniversitiesAtHome
European Association for International Education (EAIE)
EAIE has released a research and trends report on higher education institutions’ response to the COVID-19 crisis.
Return to top NATIONAL INITIATIVES
Argentina Bahamas Belgium Bhutan Brazil Canada Cuba Chile Colombia Costa Rica Denmark Ecuador Estonia France Ghana India Ireland Macao Malaysia Mexico Myanmar Netherlands Norway New Zealand Pakistan Philippines Poland Portugal Singapore Spain South Africa Taiwan Turkey United Kingdom United States Zimbabwe The Council of Rectors of Private Universities (Consejo de Rectores de Universidades Privadas, in Spanish) of Argentina issued a statement expressing its support to the Ministries of Education and Health, and the National Government in general. It states that the capacities of the universities are at the disposal of the national executive power to contribute to the search for effective solutions against COVID-19.
The Ministry of Education has made available to students a virtual learning portal due to the closure of schools in the context of the global COVID-19 pandemic.
Flemish university colleges are planning the possibility to begin "limited contact teaching" as of 18 May, but only for "educational activities of primary importance." During these "limited contact" courses, strict conditions such as social distancing will have to be respected.
The Ministry of Education has ordered the closure of all colleges and universites for a two-week period to fight the propagation of the COVID-19 epidemic. Students are invited to go back home, except international students due to transnational travel restrictions.
The National Council of Education Secretaries (CONSED) issued a note to the press, in which it reinforces the need to maintain the suspension of classroom attendance in order to preserve the lives of students, teachers and those around them, especially the elderly and those with chronic diseases.
On March 18, the Ministry of Education published Ordinance No. 343, which authorizes "on an exceptional basis" the replacement of in-person classes with Distance and online classes that use technology and remote communication in courses that were already underway.
New measures in support of student loan borrowers have been announced by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. According to the prime minister’s statement, borrowers will receive a six month interest free moratorium for all student loan repayments. The proposal is in response to the on-going Covid-19 outbreak.
The Government is providing full scholarships to Barbadian students in the academic year 2020-2021 to pursue either undergraduate or postgraduate degrees in Cuba in the following disciplines: Medicine, Dentistry, Nursery, Postgraduate courses. Application forms and relevant documents should be submitted to the Barbados Tertiary Section of The Ministry of Education, Technological and Vocational Training by 17 April.
The Ministry of Education published an action protocol for higher education institutions to act on the COVID-19 crisis.
With the aim of promoting the professional development of educators and teachers remotely, the Ministry of Education, through the Center for Educational Improvement, Experimentation and Research (CPEIP), has opened new calls for courses completely free and distance (online). The training courses offered will include courses for teachers of different levels and disciplines.
The Fund for the Development of Higher Education (FODESEP) and the Colombian Association of Universities (ASCUN), presented, on 12 March, the MOOC “Management of Higher Education Institutions”. The course, which will last 30 hours, aims to identify the changes that generate global impact and create tension in education and institutions, as well as to interpret the missions of Higher Education in the face of the needs and requirements of students in the 21st century.
The Ministry of Public Education (MEP) offers a series of free virtual courses and webinars to teachers, as part of the national “Aprendo en casa” (I learn at home) strategy. These support resources are aimed at teachers in the public education system.
On 11 March, Denmark’s Prime Minister announced that the country will close all kindergartens, schools and universities for two weeks to slow the spread of coronavirus.
The Council of Higher Education of Ecuador issued a statement on March 16, 2020 to suspend the all deadlines and terms established in the regulations and resolutions while the state of health emergency lasts.
The Secretariat of Higher Education, Science, Technology and Innovation (Senescyt) promoted the creation of a COVID-19 University Emergency Commission. The universities are expected to form an integral part of the National Committee for Emergency Operations, providing technical and scientific advice. The Commission will maintain constant communication with the actors of the Higher Education System, channeling the efforts and coordinating together the requirements of the country.
On 25 March, it was reported that if the emergency situation caused by the coronavirus outbreak is extended, Estonian universities are ready to postpone graduations and thesis presentations to August. If secondary school final exams are cancelled, students will still get a chance to apply to universities.
On 12 March, President Macron announced the Closure of schools and universities in the context of the COVID-19 crisis.
The Government is seeking the approval of Parliament to create a new regime for the regulatory bodies in the country. Known as the Education Regulatory Bodies bill, the legislation combines the existing National Council for Tertiary Education and the National Accreditation Board into a body known as the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission. The Bill merges other Bodies in the Education regulation in technical, vocational and supervision aspects of the sector.
The Ministry of Education has started the implementation of virtual learning programmes to enable students have access to learning resources while at home in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
On 24 March, the Minister of Education, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh, said the learning programmes would be rolled out on all mediums — radio, television and onlineIn line with governmental guidelines on COVID-19, the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) has issued a notification to all higher education institutions requesting them to shut down until 4 April.
The Ministry of Human Resources and Development (MHRD) :
has decided to reschedule all ongoing examinations and ll evaluation work 2020 and specified precautions to be taken by all educational institutions and examination boards in light of Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) insisting on communication with students and teachers through electronic means. During the lockdown, the MHRD is promoting digital learning in the context of COVID-19 and listed key Digital / e-Learning Platforms it provides for online education, including higher education.The Association of Indian Universities, an IAU Member, has created a platform for Indian Universities to share the e-content, approaches and strategies adopted by them for delivery of online content.
On 12 March, Ireland acting Prime Minister Leo Varadkar announced the closure of schools, universities and childcare facilities in response to the spread of the coronavirus.
Face-to-face end of year exams have been cancelled at the country’s higher education institutions in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak. Students will be asked to self-certify that they are complying with the rules in online assessments and tests that will in many instances replace the exams.
The Higher Education Bureau has issued Guidelines on Class Resumption for Higher Education Institutions in Macao
To help them coordinate the schedules for class resumption, and deal with arrangements prior and after class resumption as well as internal and external activities.The Ministry of Higher Education (KPT) has recommended all Public Universities (UA) to extend the period to resume the second semester for the 2019/2020 academic calendar beginning April 27, and latest by June 1.
The National Association of Universities and Higher Education Institutions (ANUIES) announces the ANUIES 2020 Award, which recognizes the work of those who contribute to the development of higher education in the country. The call and registration of candidates will be open until June 7, 2020.
University examinations have been suspended at all universities due to Covid-19 cases now officially present in Myanmar.
https://www.bnionline.net/en/news/all-universities-suspend-exams-due-covid-19-confirmed-casesThe Association of Universities in the Netherlands (VSNU) has published information on the impact of COVID-19 on universities. Measures taken includes the government decision on 12 March to close universities and transfer to online education; and the extension to students’ degree programme evaluation.
On 12 March, Prime Minister Erna Solberg announced that all schools and universities would close in the context of the coronavirus pandemic.
With the move to COVID-19 alert level 4,the Ministry of Education and the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) have accordingly released guidelines for all higher education institutions on dealing with students, staff and institutional services.
Higher education insitutions are encouraged to shift to online delivery via email, or online platforms if they have that capability. Alternative arrangements are suggested.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the government has advised all universities and degree awarding institutions (public and private) to suspend academic operations and close down until April 5, 2020. They are advised to follow the HEC Policy for COVID-19.
The Higher Education Commission (HEC) has developed a databank of online courses available at the national and international level and shared it with universities, while the university faculty has also been asked to prepare virtual courses for dissemination to students.
The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) has issued Guidelines for the Prevention, Control and Mitigation of the Spread of the 2019-Novel Coronavirus Acute Respiratory Disease in Higher Education Institutions that provides information and guidance of all HEIs and CHED offices. Awareness is raised on news and information trustworthiness and it recommends prevention and control measures, the setting up of screening protocols, the postponement of group activities, and approaches to traveling.
All Polish schools have closed to curtail the spread of the coronavirus, Poland’s Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said. Morawiecki added that also universities, museums and cinemas will be closed.
Many universities,including the University of the Lisbon, have suspended classes for an indeterminate period.
The Ministry of Education has encouraged Singaporean students studying overseas to consider returning home as soon as they can and to observe a number of safety measures. Flights are facilitated by the government.
The Ministry of Education (MOE) has decided to suspend all official overseas placements and has posted information on arrangements to prevent the possible loss of credits earned during student exchanges or placements.
On 9 March, Madrid and Basque Country closed schools, colleges and universities due to the COVID-19 crisis.
The Minister for Higher Education, Blade Nzimande, announce the establishment of a Covid-19 team comprising Universities South Africa (Usaf), South African College Principals Organisation (Sacpo), and higher health and health experts, to co-ordinate the sector’s response and collate institutional case management reports of COVID-19 cases at higher education institutions.
The Foundation for International Cooperation in Higher Education of Taiwan (FICHET) is calling forparticipation in the 2020 Study in Taiwan Online Survey aimed at collecting opinions and experiences from international students studying in Taiwan to improve the experience of future international students..
Deadline 15 April 2020The Council of Higher Education (Yok) has posted measures to be taken in Higher Education Institutions about COVID-19 covering the following aspects : Travel and International Meetings; Meetings with international participation ; and measures to be taken against discrimination.
Universities UK has released Coronavirus (COVID-19) - information for universities to assist universities in their response to COVID-19.
Universities UK has also responded to the Government’s announcement on nursing students and allied health profession students being asked to start work in the health service ahead of their graduation. They support the initiative and said that universities will do everything they can to support these health students.
The Russell Group of universities has called for emergency research funds to cover the cost of disruption to science and research caused by COVID-19.
On 19 March, more than 10 associations that represent a wide swath of U.S. higher education, including the American Council on Education (ACE), released a list of actions by the federal government they said were necessary to help students and colleges.
The Institute of International Education (IIE) has released a survey which shows the effects that travel restrictions related to the outbreak of COVID-19 (coronavirus) are having on international student mobility, U.S. study abroad programs, and international student recruitment for the fall 2020 semester. More than 230 U.S. higher education institutions responded to this survey, which was conducted from February 13-26, 2020
https://www.iie.org/en/Why-IIE/Announcements/2020/03/IIE-Releases-Survey-on-Effects-of-COVID-19-on-International-Students-and-Study-AbroadThe American Council on Education has recorded a series of webinars related to the impact of COVID-19. They include a variety of topics surrounding finance in the higher education system. These webinars are available in the Engage library on the ACE website.
US President Donald Trump signed the $2 trillion CARES Act this month, allocating $14 billion in coronavirus stimulus funding to higher education. The money will be dispersed to support the shift to remote-learning platforms, grants to students and minorities, and to institutions directly impacted by the pandemic.
Higher education leaders have responded to a survey conducted by Hanover Research and Inside Higher Ed. The survey included questions about the actions being taken at institutions in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. 9 in 10 leaders say they are most concerned about the mental health of their students and employees following the crisis. Other concerns include; shifting to distance learning, accessibility to education, federal stimulus funding.
The government has disbursed at least $42 million under the National Venture Fund (NVF) to innovation hubs in tertiary institutions.
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PREVIOUS EDITIONSIAU Lynx March 2020
IAU Lynx February 2020
IAU Lynx December 2019IAU Lynx coordinator: Amanda Sudic
Collaborating team: Nicholas Poulton, Samuel Pousson, Carine Sébast, Samantha Grillo and Lianne Guerra Rondón
Contact: Amanda Sudic
© IAU 2020
IAU Lynx March 2020KEEPING AN EYE ON HIGHER EDUCATION DEVELOPMENTS WORLDWIDEMarch 2020
IAU Lynx offers a monthly overview of higher education developments around the world. It covers new policies, initiatives and projects on various higher education topics. The information is classified by international, regional, bilateral and national initiatives.
INTERNATIONAL INITIATIVES
UNESCO’s International Commission on the Futures of Education held its first meeting on 28-29 January in Paris to take stock of the global situation in education today and what can be predicted for 2050 and beyond. IAU sits on the Advisory Board of this project.
To accompany the International Commission, UNESCO published the electronic book ‘Humanistic Futures of Learning: Perspectives from UNESCO chairs and UNITWIN networks’ which highlights key dimensions to be considered in re-visioning and re-purposing education for the future. It calls for greater focus on the role of higher education in generating the knowledge and driving the innovation required to transform our world. The 5 laureates of the 22nd L’Oréal-UNESCO for Women in Science Awards have been announced. They were recognised for achievement in the field of life sciences. 15 Rising Talents, young women scientists from all over the world, were also recognised.The Workshop for the Implementation of Component 3 of the UNESCO-Shenzhen Funds-In-Trust Project on Strengthening Quality Assurance in Higher Education in Africa, was held from 18 to 20 February, in Dakar, Senegal. Discussions focused on the strengthening of continental networks in quality assurance, best practices in recognitions of qualifications, and the development of tools for mutual recognition of qualifications in Africa.
UNESCO International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP)
A new IIEP-UNESCO Working Paper entitled SDG 4 - Policies for Flexible Learning Pathways in Higher Education: Taking Stock of Good Practices Internationally tackles the growing issue of fragmented and hard-to-navigate higher education systems. It draws on country examples across different regions.UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS)
UIS has just updated its global database with recent country-level data to monitor progress towards the Sustainable Development Goal on education (SDG 4). Updates include indicators on learning outcomes, learning assessment, formal and non-formal education and also data on higher education for 20 countries.UNESCO Bangkok/UNICEF
As part of the 5-Year Progress Review of SDG4 in the Asia-Pacific, UNESCO Bangkok and UNICEF are gathering case studies from across the Asia-Pacific on good practices on SDG4 (Education 2030) implementation to be compiled in a database in the SDG4 regional portal as a major resource reference for countries and partners. Deadline for contributing is 30 April 2020.UNESCO Beirut
UNESCO Beirut and Damascus University organised a national workshop in Damascus on 5 - 6 February on “The Role of Higher Education Institutions in Achieving the SDGs”. Actions to support SDGs were discussed, including: UNESCO Chairs building process at universities; universities collaboration; knowledge sharing to build SDGs awareness; the incorporation of SDGs in university curricula, and the fostering of SDGs research. IAU was pleased to be represented by IAU Member Université Saint Joseph, Beirut.UNESCO International Institute for Higher Education in Latin America and the Caribbean (IESALC)
The preliminary version - in Spanish only- of the report Contribution of Higher Education to the Sustainable Development Goals: Analytical Framework (2020) has been launched. The guidelines seek to encourage the study and commitment of higher education institutions with the SDGs, both through training and through research.IESALC posted a two-part video recording of the Webinar Non-university and technological higher education: diversification and innovation in Latin America and the Caribbean, held on 30 January 2020. It addressed the contribution of the technological sector to the field of higher education, with a focus on equity, inclusion, bonding and accreditation.
UNESCO International Institute for Capacity Building in Africa (IICBA)
From 10 to 14 February, UNESCO IICBA organized a five-day training of trainers workshop in Dakar, Senegal for Higher Education on Peace and Resilience Building and Prevention of Violent Extremism (PVE) for Francophone Africa. Participants explored their understanding of violent extremism, driving factors, transformative pedagogy and 10 competencies for building resilience, the role of teachers for peace and resilience building and PVE; and key terms in assessment.UNESCO – Islamic Development Bank
A National Consultation Workshop on Strengthening Inclusive Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) System was organized in the framework of UNESCO- Islamic Development Bank project in STI policy in Tashkent on 18 February. It discussed the dynamics of the Science, Technology and Innovation STI System in Uzbekistan, as well as the challenges and opportunities in accelerating STI-driven development in the country. Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development
The OECD has just published a report entitled "A Territorial Approach to the Objectives of Sustainable Development". The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which define the global agenda for the coming decade to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all are addressed, in particular SDG 4, Quality of education.
Agence universitaire de la francophonie (AUF)
The official launching ceremony of the PURSEA project (Renovated University Management in Southeast Asia) took place on 26 February at the University of Hanoi, Vietnam. This project is one of the Erasmus + K2 projects aimed at strengthening the capacities of higher education institutions. It is funded by the European Commission for three years (2020-2023), and is co-coordinated by the University of Hanoi, Vietnam, and AUF. This project brings together 15 academic and research institutions from Asia-Pacific and Europe.
Organization for Women in Science for the Developing World
The call for applications for the 2020 Organization for Women in Science for the Developing World PhD Fellowship is now open. The fellowship is offered to women scientists from Science and Technology Lagging Countries to undertake PhD research in the natural, engineering and information technology sciences at a host institute in another country in the Global South. The programme is administered with funds provided by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) in partnership with host institutes throughout the developing world. The deadline for applications for this fellowship is 31 March 2020.
Return to top REGIONAL INITIATIVES
Africa - Americas - Arab States - Asia - Europe
Intra-Africa Mobility Scheme
The fourth call for proposals of the Intra-Africa Academic Mobility Scheme, funded by the European Union, has now been published. The deadline to submit proposals is 19 May 2020.
There will also be a web-streaming information session on 17 March 2020 to explain the opportunities offered by the Scheme.African Union
The official launch of the Pan African Virtual and E-University (PAVEU) took place recently in Yaounde, Cameroon. PAVEU is an African Union’s flagship project for addressing the Agenda 2063 need for accelerating development of human capital, science and technology and innovation through increasing access to higher education in Africa.
XXVII Ibero-American Summit of Heads of State and Government
On the occasion of the XXVII Ibero-American Summit of Heads of State and Government, Ministers also endorsed UNESCO higher education agreements.UNESCO International Institute for Higher Education in Latin America and the Caribbean (IESALC)/ Organization of Ibero-American States for Education, Science and Culture (OEI)
UNESCO-IESALC and OEI signed a collaboration agreement on 11 February in Havana, Cuba, to promote higher education in Latin America and collaborate in the construction of the Ibero-American Knowledge Space. Low academic and research mobility and the need to improve the quality of higher education are among the regional challenges to be addressed.Union of Universities of Latin America and the Caribbean (UDUAL)
The Executive Council of the Union of Universities of Latin America and the Caribbean (UDUAL) held its XCVI Regular Meeting at the University of the West Indies in Jamaica on 7 February. In this space, issues of relevance to higher education in the region were discussed and agreements were reached regarding actions to be implemented until 2022. Among the components of the work plan of this regional organization are academic mobility, the digital transformation 2030, teacher training, membership increase, ODS and governance of higher education institutions.
https://www.udual.org/principal/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Minuta-y-acuerdos-XCVI-Reuni%C3%B3n-Ordinaria-del-Consejo-Ejecutivo-UDUAL.pdfInter-American Organization for Higher Education (IOHE)
The University of Guadalajara in collaboration with the Inter-American Organization for Higher Education (IOHE) published a book entitled: "Women in Ibero-American Universities: the search for the necessary work-family reconciliation". The book describes, from a gender perspective, the public policies of different governments in Latin America, as well as the institutional programmes that effect women professionally such as maternity rights, policies for the allocation of schedules, types of performance evaluation, among others.MENA Higher Education Leadership Forum
Organized by the Center for Learning Innovations and Customized Knowledge Solutions (CLICKS) and in partnership with the Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie, the fourth edition of the “MENA Higher Education Leadership Forum” was held on February 25-27 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. This event brought together more than 150 Presidents, deans, representatives of ministries and accreditation agencies, members of boards of directors and other actors from the higher education sector of the MENA region, around the theme “Higher Education in the Era of the Fourth & Future Industrial Revolutions: Challenges and Opportunities Educating for the Fourth and Future Industrial Revolutions”.Association of Pacific Rim Universities (APRU)
In order to assist its members confronted to the Coronavirus emergency, APRU have put up a web page which includes links to members’ websites stating their policies and the actions they are taking in response.Asian Development Bank (ADB)
ADB has posted the paper entitled Attraction or Repulsion? Testing Coagglomeration of Innovation between Firms and University. It identifies the extent of how universities are attracted by firms in patents production. The findings are based on a large patent dataset from Shenzhen, the first innovation-led city in the People’s Republic of China.ASEAN University Network Secretary (AUN SEC)
The AUN Half year report (9 July 2019- 31 January 2020) reports on activities conducted in 5 Strategic areas: Advancement in curriculum and learning approaches; Quality enhancement with AUN-QA; Students’ skill enhancement cross-border exposure and experience; research and academic collaboration; University networking platforms.Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)
Applications are open for the APEC Science Prize for Innovation, Research and Education (“ASPIRE”) 2020, the annual award which recognizes young scientists who have demonstrated a commitment to both excellence in scientific research and cooperation with scientists from other APEC member economies. Malaysia, the host economy this year, has selected “Biodiversity for a Prosperous Economy” as the theme. Deadline for applications is 24 April 2020.Brexit
Higher education and research organisations from across Europe and the UK have released a statement calling on national governments and the European Commission to ensure a swift agreement on the UK’s full association to Erasmus+ and Horizon Europe before the end of 2020. The Statement is jointly published by The European University Association (EUA), 24 National University representative bodies including Universities UK, the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) and many other bodies.European Commission
The European Commission Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency has released ‘Mobility Scoreboard: Higher Education Background Report’. It provides updated information for the year 2018/19 for six indicators- on information and guidance, foreign language preparation, portability of grants and loans, participation of disadvantaged learners, recognition of learning outcomes and the automatic recognition of qualifications.The European Commission has published a report comparing inequality of opportunity in tertiary education in Europe. The results show that there are large across-country differences, with Nordic countries performing much better than Mediterranean and Eastern countries. A common feature to almost all countries analyzed is that parental education and parental occupation represent the most important circumstances in determining access to higher education. There is also evidence of a negative correlation between public expenditure for higher education and inequality of opportunity.
European University Association
The EUA has just released The Public Funding Observatory report 2019/20. It presents data showing public funding developments in Europe over the last decade. While university funding in Germany, Norway and Switzerland grew by more than 30 per cent and funding in Austria, Belgium, Denmark and Sweden increased their funding for universities by over 20 per cent, Public investment in universities has declined since 2008 in Estonia, Spain, Italy, Serbia, Lithuania and Northern Ireland. The EUA has published a study on the implementation of International Credit Mobility towards disadvantaged students for the European Commission. Launched in 2015 under the Erasmus+ Programme, the International Credit Mobility (ICM) supports student and staff exchanges between Erasmus+ Programme and Partner Countries. The study focuses on outgoing ICM student mobility from 20 Partner Countries in the Western Balkans, the Eastern Partnership and South-Mediterranean. One of the main findings of the study is that, in ICM the focus on students from disadvantaged backgrounds is much weaker than that intended by the European Commission.The European University Continuing Education Network and the European E-Learning Institute
The European University Continuing Education Network and the European E-Learning Institute have released the Generation Data Toolkit. Its objective is to raise awareness about the increasing importance of smart data skills for current and future higher education students and provide knowledge about how to improve the teaching of smart data management.The Toolkit is primarily addressed to HE teachers and lecturers who teach management-related subjects but can be used also for technical disciplines having a management-related component. The document includes the results of the data skills survey carried out by the partners in the initial project phase to find out which are the current needed skills and deficits of teachers and students when it comes to data skillsBaltic University Programme
Call for applications
Baltic University Programme has launched a call for applications for its Mobility Grant for Young Researchers. Intended for researchers working with sustainable development from BUP member universities.
Deadline: 20 March 2020Return to top BILATERAL INITIATIVES
Colombia - Spain
The Colombian Institute for Educational Credit and Technical Studies Abroad (ICETEX) and the Carolina Foundation (Spain) are joining forces to award up to 50 scholarships to Colombian citizens to take in-depth professional training courses at the Complutense Summer School of the Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain. The program has a duration of 75 teaching hours. The deadline for submitting applications is 10 March, Spanish time (UTC+1).
Mexico - Spain
ITESO-Jesuit University of Guadalajara (Mexico), in collaboration with the Ibero-American University Association for Postgraduate Studies (AUIP) (Spain), has opened a scholarship program to promote postgraduate studies and cooperation with Ibero-American universities. The program is aimed at people of non-Mexican nationality who are linked to non-Mexican higher education institutions associated with AUIP. The application deadline is 31 March, 2020.
Azerbaijan - USA
A Dual master’s degree programme is to be jointly offered by the Azerbaijan State Pedagogical University and George Washington University within the framework of “The State Program for enhancing international competitiveness of the higher education system in the Republic of Azerbaijan for 2019-2023”. To be taught in English for two years, it will aim at training of specialists in management of education.
Return to top NATIONAL INITIATIVES
Armenia
Australia
Azerbaijan
Belgium
Canada
China
Cuba
Dominican Republic
France
Germany
Ireland 
Italy
Macao 
Netherlands 
New Zealand 
Pakistan 
Papua New Guinea 
Philippines 
Singapore 
South Africa 
Spain 
Sweden 
Thailand 
United Kingdom 
United States of America 
Vietnam The Armenian Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports, Arayik Harutyunyan, has announced that the Armenian government has initiated legislative reforms of which the main goal of the reforms is the integration of higher education, science and research. The reforms include scholarships funded by the state budget will not be distributed among universities, but by academic field. Also, the number of university board councils will be limited to 12 members, six of whom will be representatives of universities, including one student. In addition, the mechanisms and requirements for transparency of the activities of universities have been identified.
Equity performance
Curtin University, the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) and the National Centre for Student Equity in Higher Education have conducted research on the feasibility of measuring and ranking higher education equity performance among Australian universities. Results are presented in a peer-reviewed article entitled Constructing a ranking of higher education institutions based on equity: is it possible or desirable? The study team explored a range of scenarios based on four domains: Access and Participation; First Year Experience, Progress during Higher Education, and Graduate Outcomes.Higher education workforce
The Australian Higher Education Industrial Association (AHEIA) has published the Transforming the Higher Education Workforce Report, analysing progress in Australian university workplace reform since early 2016. It focuses on three primary workforce dimensions: workforce capability, workforce structure and workforce engagement.Higher education quality - consultation
The Higher Education Standards Panel invites stakeholder comments on a consultation paper seeking feedback on the Panel’s draft amendments to the Higher Education Standards Framework (Threshold Standards) 2015 legislative instrument, which are meant to improve the functioning of the Tertiary Education Quality and Standard Agency and clarify the categories of providers in Australia’s higher education sector. Deadline is 31 March.Indigenous strategy report
Universities Australia (UA) has released the second Indigenous Strategy Annual Report, that features updated data and examples of progress on commitments made by universities under the UA strategy to advance Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander participation and success in higher education. It focuses on five key priority areas: Indigenous leadership; non-Indigenous leadership; engagement with Indigenous curriculum; Indigenous research strategies; and international mobility.Employer satisfaction survey
Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching (QILT) has published the 2019 Employer Satisfaction Survey (ESS). The national survey provides information about the quality of education provided at Australian institutions, by asking supervisors to provide feedback about the generic skills, technical skills and work readiness of the graduates employed in their workplace.The Ministry of Education Azerbaijan has signed a Protocol of Intention with Elsevier to expand access of HEIs to international scientific databases, increase the number of international scientific publications; and ensure their compliance with international requirements.
On 24 and 25 February, representatives of higher education institutions of ARES, the Belgian higher education association and the Wallonie-Bruxelles Federation met with their counterparts in Cotonou, Benin to celebrate 25 years of partnership and to define future areas of cooperation.
The Canadian Bureau for International Education is implementing a two-part scholarship program. The Faculty Mobility Program will be offering grants to Canadian professors and researchers who wish to teach or conduct research in Latin America and the Caribbean. The Study in Canada Scholarship aims to support Canadian internationalization objectives by welcoming a cohort of students from diverse regions. These programs come after an increase in federal funding geared towards meeting the objectives of Canada’s International Education Strategy.
Universities response to coronavirus
With the outbreak of the coronavirus epidemic, many universities across China have still not reopened and no date has been set for teaching to resume. Many institutions are putting in place ‘holding courses’ taught online. This is further to the government announcement postponing the start of the spring semester in Higher Education Institutions and HEIs have been asked to take various measures, including deploying online courses.The Open University of China (OUC) has mobilized its digital educational resources to support students at all education levels to continue studying at home, to publicize measures aimed at preventing the spread of the virus, and to meet the needs of diverse learners.
The Vice-Minister of Education announced special policies to help university graduates in Hubei province (provincial capital Wuhan) in enrolment into postgraduate studies as well as government-funded recruitment programs.
Academic research
Chinese authorities have released a guideline regulating the use of papers listed on the Science Citation Index (SCI) in institutions of higher education aimed at lessening reliance on published papers in the academic evaluation system.The 12th International Congress on Higher Education was held in Havana with the participation of regional and international organizations including the IAU - represented by IAU President Pam Fredman, academics and representatives of Latin American universities. Among the main topics discussed were the internationalization of education, future perspectives, the impact of science and technology, university and sustainable development, quality assessment and accreditation, and lifelong learning.
The Senate of the Dominican Republic has approved the draft of the Environmental Education and Communication Law. This law aims to include environmental education at the different levels, cycles, grades, modalities and stages of the Dominican school and higher education system, both public and private; as well as, inon-formal and informal learning, in order to seek environmental awareness throughout Dominican society.
Researchers
Frédérique Vidal, Minister of Higher Education, Research and Innovation announced in February that from 2021-2022, researchers who also teach will benefit from more time to conduct their research.Coronavirus research funding
In February, Frédérique Vidal, Minister of Higher Education, Research and Innovation and Agnès Buzyn, Minister for Health, announced that the government was allocating an additional 2.5 million Euros for research on the coronavirus.Student access - review
The French government body the Cours de comptes has just published its review of the implementation of the 2018 law on student orientation and success which aims to increase student access and success. The review concludes that to date, the law has provided a first step in the transformation of access to higher education. 15 recommendations are provided in the review.
The French rectors association (Conférence des Présidents des Universités) has welcomed the report and the progress reported.An Open Access (OA) agreement dated 1 January 2020, provides OA publishing services and full access to Springer Nature journals to researchers and students from across the German research landscape. Through the agreement, authors affiliated with the 700+ German academic and research institutions which are part of Projekt DEAL, will be able to publish their accepted manuscripts immediate (gold) OA in both Springer Nature ‘hybrid’ and fully OA journals, with the relative costs managed centrally by their institutions.
Open access research
A consortium of public Irish higher education institutions and Elsevier, have agreed to the country’s first open access programme. The three-year agreement means Irish researchers from 19 institutions will have access to 2,500 journals published by Elsevier. The agreement also facilitates a transition to open access and enables Irish researchers to publish more than 70% of their research without having to pay an article publishing charge.Graduate employment
The Higher Education Authority has published a report analysing recent Graduates’ labour market earnings in their early careers with a particular focus on differences in earnings across four areas. These are degree subject, institution type, gender and socio-economic background.International scholarships
Call for applications
The Government of Ireland has issued the 2020 Call for the International Education Scholarships Programme. Under the initiative 60 scholarships will be provided for one year study at Bachelor, Master or PhD levels. The offer is open to students from non-EU/EEA countries for all fields of study.The Italian government announced on 4 March that all schools and universities are to close in Italy until mid-March due to the coronavirus outbreak.
The government has announced the suspension of teaching at higher education institutions due to the coronavirus Distance and online teaching activities is encouraged at HEIs, but campuses remain open for information purposes.
A Specialized Subsidy Scheme for Prevention and Response to Major Infectious Diseases has been launched, with the aim of encouraging the teaching and research personnel of Macao HEIs to use scientific research and improve Macao’s ability to deal with epidemic prevention education, regional governance and crisis response to major infectious diseases. The scheme is open for applications until 4 September 2020.
VSNU, the Dutch university association, has responded to the government commissioned report by the Royal Dutch Academy of Science entitled ‘Balance in the Science System’ and the recommendations it makes. The VSNU calls on the government to make the proposed investment of 1 billion Euros in the first flow of funds.
The Ministry of Education has posted information about coronavirus for higher education institutions and students, including international students.
Universities New Zealand (UNZ) has provided information on the travel restrictions for international as well as domestic students. Appropriate pages on university websites have been linked to their website and official updates are posted.
The Higher Education Commission (HEC) has released a Safety Message for the Academic Community in Pakistan as part of the public awareness campaign to combat the corona virus.
The Higher Education Commission (HEC) is granting 5000 Indigenous Scholarship for PhD students. Applications are invited from outstanding Pakistani/AJK nationals who intend to complete a PhD from Pakistani HEC Recognised Universities/Degree Awarding Institutions (DAIs). The Scholarships are being offered for the academic year 2020 in all disciplines. Deadline is 28 March.
The Department of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology has announced the introduction of the Higher Education Loan Program (HELP) will fund those students who, for different reasons, may have not met the qualifying criteria for Tertiary Education Students Assistance Scheme (TESAS). They also announced a program of digitalisation that will ultimately see the introduction of i-Libraries to all HEIs
Commission on Higher Education - New Director
Atty. Cinderella Filipina S. Benitez-Jaro has been appointed as Executive Director of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED).Indigenous students - funding
The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) has increased financial assistance to students belonging to indigenous peoples (IPs) in the province of Nueva Vizcaya. Additional benefits have been awarded to 150 members of IPs identified by village elders and communities in the region. The stipend is granted to qualified students who are currently enrolled in universities and colleges and whose family income is below P300,000 per year.Suspension of national/regional activities
In line with the latest advisory of the Department of Health on public events and gatherings to prevent the spread of Coronavirus Disease the Department of Education (DepEd) has ceased all major national and regional activities.The Ministry of Education is taking measures to enhance the pathways in the higher education landscape to better support individuals’ interests, aptitudes and learning needs.
The Ministry of Education has posted a parliament reply presenting the latest measures taken to prevent on sexual harassment at higher education institutions.
Statistics South Africa has recently published Education and Labour Market Outcomes in South Africa. The report looks at the levels of educational attainment from 2002 to 2018 across three generations. It shows that more millennials than Generation Xers in the Indian/Asian population group attended university, while fewer millennials in the other population groups attended university institutions compared to Generation Xers. Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges were the most popular higher education institutions among black and coloured millennials, while universities were the top choice for whites and Indian/Asians.
University data
Crue Universidades Españolas presented the report “La Universidad Española en Cifras” (the Spanish University in Figures) based on data provided by 48 public and 19 private universities. The report is divided into seven topics: size of the Spanish university system, equal opportunities for access to university education, academic performance, crisis in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) studies, employability of university students, quality of research and position in international rankings and the contribution of the University to improving competitiveness and innovation.Ibero-American Congress on University Teaching - call for papers
The call for papers for the XI Ibero-American Congress on University Teaching to be held at the University of La Laguna is open. The theme is “The digital transformation of the university: teaching, management and research”. The congress will be held from 24-26 June 2020. The deadline for submission is 30 March.A report presenting guidelines on responsible internationalisation has been produced by the Swedish Foundation for International Cooperation in Research and Higher Education (STINT), together with KTH Royal Institute of Technology, the Karolinska Institute and Lund University. The paper identifies critical areas, such as the legal context; institutional autonomy; cultural, social and political context; and relationship building. These are areas in which countries can differ quite significantly and which frequently raise questions impacting on international collaboration.
The Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation (MHESI), Thailand has released an Announcement on Vigilant Measures Against the Spread of Coronavirus in English, Thai and Chinese languages.
Brexit and UK universities
Universities UK response to UK-EU trade negotiations proposals in February underline that they regard it as essential that the UK continues to be part of the Horizon Europe Programme and Erasmus+ student mobility programme.Universities admissions
The Office for Students, the independent regulator for higher education in England, has launched a consultation on the universities admissions system. Three future options for reform of the system are set out, including that students receive university offers only after their A-level results.Staff and student data
The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) has released data for 2018-2019. This shows UK universities continue to increase academic and non-academic staff numbers but progress on employing more staff from ethnic minorities remains slow: fewer than 1% of the professors employed at UK universities are black. Male professors continue to outnumber females by three to one, although the number of female professors has increased by twice the increase in male professors since 2014-2015. The data also shows that the dropout rate for first-year students continues to rise: England had the highest non-continuation rate of 6.9% and the proportion of mature students (those over the age of 21) taking their first degree who dropped out also rose to 13.6 %.HE Leadership
‘Universities at the Crossroads’, a new report issued by Policy Exchange, an independent think tank, is based on over 50 interviews with vice-chancellors, chairs of council and other senior leaders. It examines key challenges for university leaders: performance, including delivering financial sustainability , engaging with key stakeholders and ensuring better governance and looks at issues such as grade inflation, academic standards and and vice-chancellors’ pay. It set out the steps that university leaders can take to regain the trust of their staff and their communities.University funding - Scotland
Universities Scotland have published a response to the Scottish government’s budget which saw a 0% change in real terms to universities budgets. Universities Scotland welcome the fact that the settlement interrupts a five year pattern of real terms cuts to universities. However, they state that it does not relieve the set of funding pressures facing universities.Governance - Wales
A review of university governance has been published by the Welsh Government on the eight universities in Wales. In response to the review, the university sector in Wales has published a Governance Charter for Universities in Wales and a Commitment to Action. These documents endorse the major findings of the review, recognise the challenges that have been seen to governance both in Wales and across the UK and the need for collective commitment to action.The charter maps out an approach to transforming governance which will be adopted by every university in WalesThe Trump administration released its annual budget proposal for the 2021 fiscal year. The proposal highlights four main initiatives regarding higher education. These include an end to federal regulatory higher education earmarks, creating and administering Educational Freedom Scholarships, increasing technical education opportunities, and restructuring Federal Student Aid.
The US Department of Education announced a new initiative for the expansion of its Federal Work Study programs. During the experimental phase, the department will grant funding to provide more students with part-time employment and work experiences required by their academic programmes, such as clinical rotations and student teaching. This initial phase will assess the benefits of paid work experiences during students’ academic learning.
The Ministry of Education and Training issued a draft circular on joint training to clarify requirements for HEIs desiring to provide online or combined classroom and online joint training courses with foreign partners.
In a meeting with universities, the Minister of Education and Training Phung Xuan Nha stated that Autonomy in entrance examination is encouraged (via competency assessment or skill test), but that weaknesses existing in the previous year must be addressed thoroughly for the 2020 academic year, especially those related to low admission grades and unsuitable subject combinations. In addition, universities should introduce majors that can answer practical needs of the market and avoid focusing on low-demand ones.
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PREVIOUS EDITIONSIAU Lynx February 2020
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Collaborating team: Nicholas Poulton, Samuel Pousson, Carine Sébast and Lianne Guerra Rondón
Contact: Amanda Sudic
© IAU 2020
IAU Lynx February 2020KEEPING AN EYE ON HIGHER EDUCATION DEVELOPMENTS WORLDWIDEFebruary 2020
IAU Lynx offers a monthly overview of higher education developments around the world. It covers new policies, initiatives and projects on various higher education topics. The information is classified by international, regional, bilateral and national initiatives.
INTERNATIONAL INITIATIVES
A recent UNESCO workshop Promoting the participation of persons with disabilities and their leadership: taking action on the 2030 Development Agenda aimed at taking stock of the 2016 Guidelines on the Inclusion of Learners with Disabilities in Open and Distance Learning and looked at proposals for enhancing the guidelines.
The Revised Convention on the Recognition of Studies, Certificates, Diplomas, Degrees and Other Academic Qualifications on Higher Education in African States (“Addis Convention”) entered into force on 15 December 2019. It establishes a legal framework for the evaluation of higher education qualifications in Africa to facilitate inter-university cooperation and exchange.
Palestinian universities have agreed to work collaboratively to achieve the SDGs, particularly SDG4, and have also requested UNESCO support in establishing a higher education strategy and a national qualification framework to guarantee the quality of higher education and to validate the certification of degrees.
UNESCO Beirut and Khartoum offices are to assist the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research of Sudan in developing a Higher Education Management Information System (HEMIS), and revising their higher education policies.
UNESCO Beirut and UK NARIC are undertaking a joint research project on the current state of Syrian higher education in light of the ongoing conflict. The goal is to produce an up-to-date report on the state of play in higher education provision in Syria, and the recognition of Syrian higher education qualifications as related to the Lisbon Recognition Convention.
UNESCO Beirut helped organize the conference titled “Higher Education in the Arab World: Government and Governance” in Beirut, 1-2 November 2019. Issues explored included: governance and decision-making processes in Arab universities, higher education and leadership in the Arab world during the 4th industrial revolution, innovation as a principle in university governance, and the political model of governance in public universities in the Arab world.
UNESCO IESALC posted a webinar on the “The Right to Higher Education” that assesses the place of higher education as a human right, as well as its pending agenda. The presentation discusses the binding and non-binding legal instruments from a historical perspective, and the interconnection of higher education as a right and Agenda 2030.
Agence universitaire de la francophonie (AUF)
Representatives of higher education institutions from Algeria, Egypt, Lebanon, Morocco and Tunisia met on 16 December 2019 in Beirut (Lebanon) to participate in a co-construction workshop on a large interregional project on the internationalization of higher education institutions. The event was organized by AUF, its Institut de la Francophonie pour la Gouvernance universitaire (IFGU) and its two regional directorates Maghreb (DRM) and Middle East (DRMO). The program should be launched in 2020 as part of the Initiative for Governance in the New Francophone University Space (IGNEUF).
The Conference of Rectors of the Middle East Region (CONFREMO) held its 12th General Assembly on 1 December 2019 at the University of Alexandria in Egypt, with the support of the AUF. This meeting, which brought together around sixty participants, stimulated exchange between leaders of member institutions and led to reflection on the projects undertaken by CONFREMO
GUNi published its 7th Higher Education in the World Report, entitled Humanities and Higher Education: Generating Synergies between Science, Technology and Humanities. It provides a comprehensive analysis of the interrelations between humanities, science and technology in higher education, and offers some recommendations, guidelines and examples of good practices from different higher education communities, countries, regions and cultures.
International Council for Open and Distance Education (ICDE)
A coalition of organizations has been formed to support the implementation of the UNESCO recommendations in Future International Collaboration in the field of Open Educational Resources (OER). Its areas of action are: Building capacity of stakeholders to create access, use, adapt and redistribute OER; Developing supportive policy; Encouraging inclusive and equitable quality OER; Nurturing the creation of sustainability models for OER; and Facilitating international cooperation.
Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development
OECD has just released “Supporting Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Higher Education in Italy” which is a a part of a series of national reports implementing the HEinnovate framework. HEinnovate is a guiding framework that the OECD and the European Commission have developed to promote the “entrepreneurial and innovation agenda” in higher education. This reviews illustrates policy actions promoting the entrepreneurial and innovative activities in the Italian Higher Education System, and focuses on 11 case study universities. The first chapter offers an overview of the higher education system in Italy.
Return to top REGIONAL INITIATIVES
Africa - Americas - Asia - Europe
Displaced Youth, Higher Education and Employment in Africa
In a study recently commissioned by the Mastercard Foundation, A Bridge to the Future: From Higher Education to Employment for Displaced Youth in Africa, field researchers from World University Service of Canada carried out research in four countries with displaced persons into bridging initiatives and programmes that support displaced youth, including refugees and internally displaced persons, and access higher education and employment upon graduation.Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO)/UNESCO Asia-Pacific Regional Bureau for Education, Bangkok
The outcome of the “Experts Meeting on the Harmonization of Higher Education and Recognition of Higher Education Qualifications in Southeast Asia” - 2-3 December 2019 Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam – is a 3 year regional higher education action plan dealing with: harmonization of higher education curricula; the roadmap to increase recognition of higher education qualifications and; strategies for ratification of the Tokyo Convention by Member countries.The seminar on “The Roles of Higher Education Internationalization in Achieving Sustainable Development Goals: Gender Equality in the Thai Context” - Bangkok, Thailand , 16-17 December 2019 - explored gender issues in different social environments and ways to raise awareness and ‘normalize’ gender diversity to provide equal opportunities and protection.
Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization - Regional Centre for Higher Education and Development (SEAMEO RIHED)
The 3rd Forum for ASEAN-China Private Higher Education Development and Cooperationthemed “New Practice and New Blueprint, Innovation Focus and Effectiveness of ASEAN-China Private Higher Education Cooperation in the Context of the Belt and Road Initiative” was held 11-13 December 2019 at University of Sanya, P.R. China. It explored new paths to promote innovative collaboration and development bewteen ASEAN-Chinese private universities.Asia Association of Open Universities (AAOU)
A call for nominations has been launched for the AAOU 2020 Meritorious Service Award, the prize that each year distinguishes an individual for his/her outstanding services and contributions to open and distance education. Individual academics or administrators may be nominated by AAOU member institutions. Deadline for nomination: 30 June 2020.Association of the Universities of Asia and the Pacific (AUAP)
Proceedings of the 34th AUAP Annual Conference 2019, 10-14 November 2019, Phitsanulok, Thailand, are available online. Themed “Climate Change Adaptation – The Challenging Role of Higher Education Institutions”, it invited academia, researchers, and industry to brainstorm and come up with practical solutions to deal with climate change through three main theme clusters: Health Sciences, Science and Technology, and Social Sciences.Asia Pacific Rim Universities (APRU)
APRU Global Health Program released the final report of the Workplace Wellness (WW) Survey. Completed online by 29 universities in 13 Asia-Pacific economies in 2018, the survey aimed to assess the range and scope of employee health and wellness programs at universities in Asia-Pacific; evaluate gaps and challenges; and facilitate the crafting of recommendations.Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)
APEC has two publications available for download: a Quality Assurance of Online Learning Toolkit, that establishes a range of criteria that can help quality assurance agencies assess online and blended programmes. Asia-Pacific Cross-Border Higher Education Provider Mobility: Report on a Survey of Policy and Practice, on the findings of a survey taken by 12 APEC economies that aimed at understanding how educational policy settings can enable or restrict movement of Higher Education Institutions between economies.National Institution for Academic Degrees and Quality Enhancement of Higher Education (NIAD-QE)
The CAMPUS Asia Monitoring+ Joint Monitoring Report (2019) summarizes the good practices identified in the “Collective Action for Mobility Program of University Students in Asia (CAMPUS) Asia)” joint initiative aimed at promoting exchange and cooperation with quality assurance among universities in China, Japan and Korea - as well as future initiatives posed for consideration.‘Brexit – what now for universities?’ is a new briefing paper released in January by the European University Association (EUA). The briefing provides an overview of what has already been agreed and the further processes towards the future relationship between the EU and the UK, with a focus on areas relevant to universities.
An advice paper, ‘Towards a Research Integrity Culture at Universities’, has just been published by the League of European Research Universities (LERU). The paper outlines five actions universities can undertake to facilitate research integrity: empowering sound research, educating researchers in research integrity at all academic career levels, ensuring that institutional guidelines and support structures are put in place, transparency and accountability, and fostering a research integrity culture.
Return to top BILATERAL INITIATIVES
Vietnam - Bulgaria
The governments of Vietnam and Bulgaria have signed an educational cooperation agreement relating to mutual experiences and information exchange about the two countries’ education systems related to education development, management and planning; academic exchange and cooperation; institutional cooperation; languages learning.
India - Germany
The Second stage of the “lndo-German Partnerships in Higher Education (lGP) 2020-2024” - a joint University Grants Commission (UGC) and the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) programme – has been launched to intensify cooperation between lndian and German institutions of higher education. Indian and German public institutions are invited to apply for funding to develop joint research projects and upgrade study programmes in order to enhance their strategies of internationalization. Proposals must be submitted before 10 March 2020.
South Africa - China
In December, Universities South Africa hosted a delegation from the China Association of Higher Education (CAHE) at USAf’s offices in Pretoria. The team was headed by CAHE’s Secretary-General and head of the delegation, Mr Enlai Jiang. The visit marked the second round of interest extended to South Africa’s universities by China for collaboration in research and academic and student mobility.
Return to top NATIONAL INITIATIVES
Afghanistan Australia
Bangladesh Canada China
Egypt
India Ireland 
Japan Netherlands New Zealand Pakistan 
Papua New Guinea 
Singapore 
Spain 
Tanzania United Kingdom United States of America A notification from the Ministry of Higher Education’s Commission for Student Credit Transfer lays out the conditions for credit transfer.
The Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency’s (TEQSA) has posted online presentations from its 4th annual Conference themed “Partnerships Driving Quality”, held 27-29 November 2019, Melbourne. It focused on the ways in which providers can collaborate with industry, professional accreditation bodies and regulatory authorities to benefit students, the higher education sector and Australian education.
The Minister for Education is inviting stakeholder comments on proposed amendments to the Higher Education Support Act 2003 that were recommended by the French report on the Independent review of Freedom of Speech in Australian Higher Education Providers. Deadline: 24 February 2020.
The ComparED website provides relevant and transparent information about Australian higher education institutionsfor potential students to assist them with decisions about their future study options. It allows to simultaneously compare institutions or study areas though student experience, skills development, the teaching practices, employment outcomes, facilities and support offered.
The Government has accepted the 10 recommendations made in the Review of Australia’s Higher Education Provider Category Standards to simplify Australia’s higher education system. They include the reduction of the number of category, the creation of a new one (for teaching intensive, high performing higher education providers), and the improvement of regulatory transparency.
The Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency Amendment (Prohibiting Academic Cheating Services) Bill 2019 was introduced to the House of Representatives in December 2019. Providing or advertising an academic cheating service on a commercial basis is to be made a criminal offence.
International Education Association of Australia (IEAA) has released the first report in a series based on the Career Outcomes of Learning Abroad research project. It focuses on short-term learning abroad programmes and examined: perceived impact of learning abroad on skills development, job attainment and career prospects of participants; and employment outcomes of graduates.
Bangladesh
The University Grants Commission (UGC) has agreed to introduce a uniform entrance test for admission to all public universities in the country from the next academic session. The decision was taken in a meeting between UGC Chairman Prof Kazi Shahidullah and vice-chancellors of public universities.Universities Canada released a statement of condolences for the many students and academics who perished when the Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 was shot down in Iran.
The Quebec Ministry of Education and Higher Education has announceda five-year plan for university investment in 2019-2024 which includes CAN$ 7 million for the Health Campus of the University of Sherbrooke, an IAU Member.
Quebec’s Minister of Education and Higher Education, Jean-François Roberge, launched a new online websiteaimed at providing information about teacher training to foreigners and Canadians in the hope of attracting workers in the field of education. The ministry emphasises the fact that it is possible for foreigners to become teachers in Quebec even if it is not their current occupation.
Several universities in Shanghai are delaying the start of the spring semester in response to the on-going coronavirus outbreak.
In January, Egypt’s High Administrative Court approved Cairo University’s decision to ban its professors from wearing the niqab.The court stated that individual choice of dress is among the “personal freedoms” guaranteed by the Egyptian constitution.
Union Human Resource Development Minister has launched the 5 documents covering the 5 verticals of Quality Mandate adopted by University Grants Commission (UGC) to improve the quality of higher educational institutions. These five documents cover: evaluation reforms; eco-friendly and sustainable university campuses; human values and professional ethics; faculty induction; and academic research integrity.
Evaluation reforms in Higher Educational Institutions Guidelines for Guru-Dakshta – A guide to Faculty Induction Programme (FIP) Consortium for Academic and Research Ethics (UGC-CARE)The Irish Universities Association, together with the Technological Higher Education Association and the Union of Students in Ireland have called for a commitment from the next government to increase core funding to higher education by at least €100 million per year over the next three years and using an additional €200m per year from the National Training Fund (NTF) which is funded through a levy on employer revenues.
Hiroshima University has released Policies and Guidelines for Respecting Gender and Sexual Diversity to support LGBT+ Students applicable as of 1 April 2020. Aspects covered are: counseling; treatment of students’ names and gender information; classes; campus life.
The Japan Association of Private Universities and Colleges (JAPUC) International Cooperation Committee has made available the English language summary of the Hazard Preparedness Manual, which It guides university staff in providing support to international student in case of a major disaster, from preparations to responses.
A report entitled ‘Survey of the extent and effects of structural overtime at the Dutch universities’ by WOinactie,the Dutch academic campaigning group, details that academic employees at Dutch universities work an extra 12 to 15 hours a week. The report was sent to the Inspectorate SZW, which investigates working conditions.
The Minister of Education issued an Interim Code of Practice Pastoral Care of Domestic Tertiary Students that applies from 1 January 2020. It sets out a general duty of pastoral care that tertiary education providers should provide for domestic tertiary students, and specific requirements for those who provide student accommodation. All tertiary education providers are expected to comply with the code.
The Pakistan Higher Education Commission (HEC) is shoring up control on MS/MPhil and PhD degrees and programmes and has warned students and parents that it will not attest degrees and programmes launched after 1 June 2020 that have not been approved – i.e, offered by institutions that have not been granted a mandatory No Objection Certificate (NOC).
Papua New Guinea
The Papua New Guinea Higher Education Loan Program (PNG-HELP) has been establishedto increase the numbers of students entering and graduating from higher and technical education institutions. Several of the Government’s stated objectives are addressed, including the need to increase the number and quality of higher education graduates; providing equitable access to quality higher education; meeting social and economic demands to boost the skills and knowledge for a competitive workforce.The Government has taken measures to enhance the affordability of higher education. Financial support has been increased for part-time undergraduates and diploma students and for students from lower-income families. About 2,100 Singaporean part-time undergraduate students are expected to benefit from the bursary enhancements in 2020.
The European Investment Bank has announced that public sector universities in the Spanish region of Galicia will receive €100 million in funding to conduct research, development and innovation projects. The loan has been issued through the InnovFin Science programme and The projects will be supported by the EU’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme.
The Tanzania Commission for Universities has released its latest Handbook for Standards and Guidelines for University Education, requiring universities to differentiate themselves from mid-level academic institutions such as polytechnics. The Guidelines state that universities will no longer be allowed to offer diploma or certificate courses that can be offered by mid-level institutions.
A report from the London School of Economics entitled ‘Inequalities in Student to Course Match’, which examines the students’ secondary school qualifications and the courses they attend, has just been released. The research findings show that students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds with good A-level grades are significantly more likely to opt for less prestigious universities than those with similar results from more advantaged backgrounds. The research was carried out using data on a cohort that enrolled in university in 2008.
The American Council on Education (ACE), an IAU Member, has released a report entitled Student Finance Policies Worldwide. The report analyses national-level higher education financing approaches for a diverse set of countries world-wide, and how each approach relates to equity and attainment.
ACE, along with five other higher education associations submitted comments in January to the National Labor Relations Board expressing support for a proposed federal rule that would define undergraduate and graduate student workers as non-employees under the National Labor Relations Act.
A new white paper based on a recent national Center for Digital Education (CDE) survey of higher education leaders, security personnel and first responders, explores key security priorities and challenges, and outlines technology-driven approaches that can help ensure higher education institutions, students and staff remain safe.
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PREVIOUS EDITIONSIAU LynxDecember 2019
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IAU Lynx October 2019IAU Lynx coordinator: Amanda Sudic
Collaborating team: Nicholas Poulton, Samuel Pousson, Carine Sébast and Isabel Toman
Contact: Amanda Sudic
© IAU 2019
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