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IAU Lynx July 2020
KEEPING AN EYE ON HIGHER EDUCATION DEVELOPMENTS WORLDWIDEJuly 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
The Global Education Monitoring Report, 2020: Inclusion and Education: All Means All assesses progress towards Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4) on education, explores challenges raised, identifies different forms of exclusion, their causes and policies that can be implemented to tackle them.
The background paper on Higher education and Inclusion prepared for the 2020 Global Education Monitoring Report Inclusion and Education has also been released. Topics addressed include: the definition of equity target groups in higher education, the scope of disparities, the range of policies directed toward widening participation, and effective equity promotion practices from around the globe.
The recently released UNESCO Education Sector’s note on Quality Assurance and Recognition of Distance Higher Education and TVET discusses issues and challenges in the promotion of Open and Distance Learning (ODL), lessons from past practices and current crisis, and provides practical tips for designing policy interventions aimed at enhancing ODL.
UNESCO has posted an interview of the deputy Rector for Inclusion and Disabilities at the University of Padua - host institution of the UNESCO Chair in Human Rights, Democracy and Peace - on inclusive measures the institution has taken in order to address the needs and ensure access of students with disabilities to online teaching and other services during the COVID-19 outbreak.
UNESCO Bangkok
A recording of the webinar COVID-19 What Next…? E-Learning: The Magic Solution for Higher Education? - held 17 June - is online. It explored how the current pandemic is forcing a rethink of what higher education means, and its relevance in the world today. Discussions focused on: Equitable access to higher education; Sustaining the three pillars of HEIs; Enabling non-Western pedagogies; the impact on employability.
UNESCO International Institute of Higher Education for Latin America and the Caribbean (IESALC)
The study Quality Assurance and Accreditation Criteria in Higher Education. International Perspectives analyzes the trends and challenges in quality assurance policies for higher education, comparing 10 accreditation agencies located in North America, South America, the Asian Pacific and Europe, considering their governance frameworks, their relationship with the academic sector and the promotion of shared trust between the Institutions that make up the systems.
IESALC posted online a video recording of the first session of the 2020 II Forum on Quality Assurance in Higher Education, jointly organized with the Ministry of Education of Colombia (MEC) on 27 May. The virtual session gathered researchers, teachers, quality leaders, rectors of higher education institutions and executives of government entities in Latin American countries to share experiences on home learning processes supported by information technologies carried out by higher education institutions during the pandemic.
A video recording of the webinar From Contingency to Foresight: New Challenges and Opportunities for Cooperation in Higher Education in the Americas organized by the Universidad Nacional del Nordeste UNNE (National University of the Northeast) (Argentina), Organización Universitaria Interamericana OUI (Inter-American University Organization) and the Consejo Interuniversitario Nacional CIN (National Inter-University Council) on 21 May is available.
UNESCO International Institute for Higher Education in Latin America and the Caribbean (IESALC)
The second webcast in the series devoted to higher education issues presents the latest comparative report on quality assurance agencies in higher education institutions globally: “Quality Assurance and Accreditation Criteria in Higher Education. International perspectives” (La garantía de calidad y los criterios de acreditación en la educación superior. Perspectivas internacionales). This webcast is based on questions that seek to answer issues such as the evolution of higher education governance in the world, the similarities between quality agencies and between accreditation criteria, as well as internationally shared problems.
IESALC/Latin-America and the Caribbean Open Science Forum (CILAC)
IESALC and CILCA have launched a survey for Higher Education Institutions about the impact of COVID-19 on research addressed to governing bodies of higher education institutions in Latin-America and the Caribbean. Its objective is to gather data related to the way that COVID-19 is affecting research and how institutions are contributing to the search of crisis solutions.
UNESCO Institute for Information Technologies in Education (IITE)
IITE has published the report Online and Open Education in Shanghai: Emergency Response and Innovative Practice during COVID-19 Pandemic prepared in partnership with Shanghai Open University and East China Normal University to document the emergency response and innovative experience accumulated by Shanghai during the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure education continuity at all levels – including higher education.
UNESCO-International Institute for Capacity Building in Africa (IICBA)
The report Distance Learning Classes in Tertiary Education Institutions in Kenya During School Closure includes results of a survey conducted in May 2020 by UNESCO-IICBA on the initiation of new distance learning classes in higher education institutions in Africa. It aimed at identifying the best ways to support tertiary educators in Africa to implement distance learning classes following the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic.
UNESCO and ECCAS joint statement on the education sector’s response to the COVID crisis in Central Africa. The statement between UNESCO and the Economic Community of Central African States was signed as both parties reaffirmed their engagement to bring immediate support to Member States in order to facilitate education during the crisis via innovative methods such as both online and offline distance education, radio etc.
CHEA and IAU
The Council for Higher Education Accreditation/International Quality Group and IAU held a webinar on 17 June entitled ‘The future of value-based higher education and quality assurance – the future of academic freedom’. Participants addressed academic freedom as it relates to institutions and quality assurance, from a European, Latin American and international perspective and how academic freedom is being challenged today. Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development
The OECD has released the report ‘Resourcing Higher Education: Challenges, Choices and Consequences’. It analyses the economic and fiscal challenges that public authorities face across the world in making decisions in the allocation and management of financial and human resources in higher education.
A new paper has been released by the World Bank which examines the current state of higher education systems in the East Asia and Pacific region and highlights some of the pressing changes, challenges, and expected consequences of the responses to the COVID-19 pandemic.
REGIONAL INITIATIVES
Unión de Universidades de América Latina y el Caribe (UDUAL)
The Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) and the Union of Latin American and Caribbean Universities (UDUAL) held the second ministerial and academic meeting aimed at addressing the challenges of COVID-19 in the region. Under the title “Challenges of the Post-Pandemic Education Sector” (Retos del Sector Educativo Post-Pandemia), the dialogue between rectors and ministers of education emphasized the alliance between academia and government. Rectors of UDUAL-affiliated universities participated in the meeting, as well as ministerial delegations from 19 countries in the region.
Asociación Universitaria Iberoamericana de Postgrado
The Selection Committee of the Scholarship Programme for studying master’s degrees at the University of Alcalá, after examining the applications received and, in application of the criteria established in the call, agreed to allocate 20 scholarships to study at that university.
The AUIO Awards for postgraduate quality in Latin America are now open. Postgraduate programmes must only be Doctorate, Master’s or Medical Specialty and be taught in person at AUIP’s partner institutions. Application deadline: 30 December
Organización de Estados Iberoamericanos para la Educación, la Ciencia y la Cultura (OEI)
On 24 June, OEI participated in the webinar organized by the Business Council Alliance for Ibero-America (CEAPI) entitled “The challenge of virtual higher education in Ibero-America: expansion with quality” (El reto de la educación superior virtual en Iberoamérica: expansión con calidad). The recording of the seminar is available online.
ASIA-Europe Meeting (ASEM)
TheASEM Network of MOOCs has just published the results of its best practices survey, conducted by the National Institute for Lifelong Education of Korea. Six MOOC platforms from France, Japan, Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand were surveyed to identify best practices for utilizing MOOC platforms and courses with the goal of ensuring that each partner improves its platform, overcomes obstacles for operating it, while gaining in recognition and in utilization.
SHARE Programme
SHARE’s 11th Policy Dialogue series themed “Looking Ahead to an ASEAN Higher Education Space” was held online on June 10 - 25. Sessions included: Innovations in Credential Recognition and Portability for Internationalisation; Internationalisation at Home for Inclusiveness; Virtual Mobility and Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) for ASEAN; A Dialogue on the Study on Enhancing Intra-ASEAN Student Mobility; Quality Standards for Online and Distance Higher Education.
Academic Cooperation Association (ACA)
The ACA has released The World after COVID-19, a series of ‘think pieces’ by leading higher education specialists. The most recent paper is entitled ‘The Resources and also the Soul of the Universities Under Attack’ ‘ by Dirk van Damme of the OECD.
European Universities Association
In the European Commission’s latest proposal for the EU’s next seven-year budget, Erasmus+ is projected to be funded with 24.6 billion euros. EUA has expressed concern in a statement that the amount will not be sufficient to meet the new and ambitious policy objectives for the next generation of the programme.
Return to top NATIONAL INITIATIVES
Argentina
Australia
Belgium
Belize
Brazil
Canada
Chile
China (Taiwan)
Germany
India 
Italy 
Mexico 
New Zealand 
Nigeria 
Peru 
Singapore 
Sri Lanka 
United Kingdom 
United States of America 
Vietnam On 26 June, the first International Forum on Higher Education 2020 of the Council of Rectors of Paraguay was held with the support of the National Council of Higher Education (CONES) and the National Agency for Evaluation and Accreditation of Higher Education (ANEAES).
Graduate employment
The Government has announced the Job-ready Graduates Package, a series of Higher education reforms due to commence from 2021. It aims to provide more opportunities for people to gain the qualifications they will require for the jobs of the future and to create a higher education system that is more efficient and can deliver better outcomes for students, industry and the wider community.
Academic standards
The Australian Government has announced the creation of Higher Education Integrity Unit within Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA) in order to identify and analyse emerging threats and assist the sector to address them. Areas of focus will include: admission standards and information, academic and research governance integrity, student safety, foreign interference, cyber security, fraud and corruption.
Covid-19 guidelines for universities
Universities Australia has released the Principles and Protocols for Reducing the Potential Risk of Covid-19 Transmission at Universities, an overarching framework designed to help universities with the resuming face-to-face learning on campuses around the country.
Over ten universities and university colleges in Belgium reaffirmed they will not impose a headscarf ban, despite the Constitutional Court recently ruling that such a ban is allowed in higher education.
The Ministry of Education, Youth, Sports and Culture of Belize has posted on its website the list of calls for scholarships for students at the bachelor, master, doctoral and postdoctoral research levels.
The Associação Brasileira das Instituições Comunitárias de Educação Superior has reported that researchers from state universities of Paraná, the Federal University of Paraná (UFPR), the Pontifical Catholic University of Paraná (PUC-PR), Research Institutes and some universities in the state of São Paulo will participate in a genomics study, pioneering in Brazil and Latin America, on the clinical manifestations of COVID-19 in different types of patients. The study begins in July and will be coordinated by the Cancer Research Institute (IPEC/Guarapuava), through the Genomics Network.
The Canadian government is moving to make available post-secondary education transcripts and credentials through an official, digitized platform, an initiative titled the Canadian National Network. The digitization of credentials will enable learners to access and digitally share official documents.
The Ministry of Education delivered the results of the second allocation of student benefits 2020, the results of the renewal of benefits for former students and the results for young people who appealed after receiving their first allocation in April. After this process, 761,300 young people will study for free, with scholarships and/or credits in the higher education system.
The Council of Rectors of Chilean Universities (CRUCH) has informed the public of its disconcert and unease with the position of the Ministry of Education, expressed by the Under-Secretary of Higher Education in the Senate’s Education and Culture Commission, regarding the rejection of the various alternative solutions presented by CRUCH to face the difficult academic and financial situation of its universities in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Ministry of Education has proposed three principles and two standard operating procedures for allowing overseas students to return to Taiwan for study. Priority will be given to the entry of overseas students from the low-risk countries/regions. It has also posted an Overseas students Q&A regarding overseas students’ entry in Taiwan and Study Measures for Colleges and Universities in Response to the Outbreak of Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19).
A bridging aid programme has been launched for students facing financial hardship owing to the coronavirus crisis. Students at German universities can apply for a non-repayable allowance of up to €500 a month for the months of June, July and August.
India rankings
The Minister of Human Resource Development has released “India Rankings 2020” of Institutions of Higher Education in various categories on the basis of their performance on five broad categories of parameters, i.e. Teaching, Learning and Resources, Research and Professional Practice, Graduation Outcomes, Outreach and Inclusivity and Perception. This year the domain “Dental” has been introduced for the first time.
https://mhrd.gov.in/sites/upload_files/mhrd/files/pr_nirf_0.pdfLearning and Covid-19
The Minister for HRD has launched the information booklet “Safe online learning in the times of COVID-19” developed by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) and UNESCO New Delhi Office to raise awareness of students and teachers on staying safe online and provide support for teaching.
Online teaching
QASPIR and the Association of Indian Universities have jointly developed the free course “Developing as an Online Practitioner” aimed at building capacity of faculty members of Indian universities on the use of information technology and maximizing online practices.
The HRD Minister has launched the ‘YUKTI 2.0’ platform for Higher Education Institutes to: help systematically assimilate technologies having commercial potential and information related to incubated startups in HEIs; and foster the culture of innovation and entrepreneurship in academic institutions.
Eleven Italian universities together with the UN refugee agency UNHCR, the foreign ministry and other organizations have joined forces to launch ’’university corridors’’ to give refugee students currently in Ethiopia the opportunity of continuing to pursue their studies in Italy.
The Federation of Private Mexican Higher Education Institutions (FIMPES) has published a Protocol for the Reopening of Higher Education Institutions.
The Government is proposing to amend the Education and Training Bill introduced in December 2019 in support objectives for a learner-focused, high quality, culturally responsive and inclusive education system. The amendments will support the education sector to recover from COVID-19, reduce the financial burden on institutions from the loss of international students, and future proof education for any emergencies.
Additional changes to the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) and University Entrance (UE) were introduced for academic year 2020 to give students a fair opportunity to achieve qualifications and awards despite the disruption to teaching, learning and assessment from COVID-19, while preserving the integrity of NCEA and UE.
https://www.nzqa.govt.nz/about-us/news/ncea-and-university-entrance-changes-for-2020/The Tertiary Education Trust Fund has received approval to increase the National Research Fund (NRF) to N7.5 billion for the year 2020 from its initial N3 billion. The approval, granted by President Muhammadu Buhari, provides TETFund the opportunity to provide twelve Covid-19 and related infectious disease molecular laboratories, two in each geopolitical zone.
In order to mitigate the risk of dropping out of studies, the Ministry of Education (MINEDU) will offer short and medium term credits to 3,000 university students affected directly or indirectly by the national emergency caused by COVID-19.
https://www.gob.pe/institucion/minedu/noticias/189149-3-mil-universitarios-afectados-por-emergencia-sanitaria-recibiran-creditos-del-mineduThe Ministry of Education has provided Institutions of Higher Learning (IHL) with instructions for the progressive return of students on campuses - allowed as of 29 June - the resuming of student activities and the safe management measures that IHLs must adopt to keep students and staff safe.
The Universities Grants Commission (UGC) in Sri Lanka is amending its University Act to permit more foreign universities to open in the country.
Student fees
Universities minister Michelle Donelan announced on 23 June that students from the European Union starting university in England in the academic year 2021/22, will have to pay higher fees under funding changes introduced as a result of Brexit.
International students
A British Council update on their survey looks at the impact of Covid-19 on overseas study plans in eight East Asian countries.
Students academic experiences
The Higher Education Policy Institute has released the results of the Student Academic Experience Survey. Based on the responses of 10,000 students across the UK, the survey found that 31% of students thought their courses were poor or very poor value, up from 29% last year.
Graduate employment
The Higher Education Policy Institute has also released Graduate outcomes statistics which show that graduates in employment or unpaid work accounted for 81% of survey respondents, including 10% who were engaged in both employment and further study.
Universities affirm diversity
In the context of the Black Lives Matter movement, higher education institutions have released various letters to their respective communities, denouncing racism and affirming an institutional commitment to diversity and inclusion.
DACA ruling
United States higher education institutions have welcomed the US Supreme Court ruling on 18 June that the government decision to halt the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals or DACA programme was not legal.
CHEA - New President
The Council for Higher Education Accreditation recently named Dr. Cynthia Jackson-Hammond as its new President. She will take up her new role at the beginning of August.
The Ministry of Education and Training is to implement the Vietnam National Qualifications Framework (VQF). This will stipulate the minimum learning outcomes for a tertiary level, meaning all majors at one level must meet the minimum output standards specified in the framework.
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PREVIOUS EDITIONSIAU Lynx June 2020
IAU Lynx May 2020
IAU Lynx April 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 June 2020KEEPING 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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PREVIOUS EDITIONSIAU Lynx May 2020
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 May 2020KEEPING AN EYE ON HIGHER EDUCATION DEVELOPMENTS WORLDWIDEMay 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
The International Commission on the Futures of Education met virtually on 8 April to reflect on the COVID-19 crisis. One outcome of that meeting is a Joint Statement on the COVID-19 Crisis entitled Protecting and Transforming Education for Shared Futures and Common Humanity, which provides broad education policy guidance and flags longer-term issues that the global education community must attend to.
In response to the massive disruption of education due to the Covid-19, UNESCO has issued a Call to support learning and knowledge sharing through Open Educational Resources (OER)worldwide. It encourages implementation of the OER Recommendation adopted by Member States in November 2019.
Call for nominations for the UNESCO Prize for Girls’ and Women’s Education which rewards outstanding innovation and contributions made by individuals, institutions and organisations to advance girls’ and women’s education. Deadline: 26 May.
Call for nominations for the 2021 L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science International Awards. The 2021 International Awards will designate five outstanding researchers in Physical Sciences, Mathematics and Computer Science, each working in one of the following regions: Africa and the Arab States, Asia and the Pacific, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, North America. Deadline: 31 May.
UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL)
UIL hosted a webinar on higher education institutions’ support for local communities on 15 April as part of its ongoing series for members of the UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities (GNLC) on responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. A global overview of priority areas was provided and initiatives conducted by several higher education institutions were presented.Due to the COVID-19 crisis, the deadline for application to the UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities (GNLC) has been extended until 30 June . The international policy-oriented network encompasses seven key clusters: education for sustainable development; equity and inclusion; educational planning, monitoring and evaluation; education for global citizenship; entrepreneurship; health and well-being; and literacy.
International Centre for Higher Education Innovation (UNESCO-ICHEI)
In April, the International Institute of Online Education (IIOE) was launched online under the auspices of (UNESCO-ICHEI) as a response to UNESCO’s global call on supporting countries to mitigate the adverse impacts of university closures. The mission of IIOE is to harness the Belt and Road Initiative to enhance the access of developing countries to quality higher education.UNESCO International Research and Training Centre for Rural Education (UNESCO INRULED) and UNESCO International Centre for Higher Education Innovation (UNESCO ICHEI):
The handbook of “Guidance on Flexible learning during Campus Closures: ensuring Course Quality of Higher Education during COVID-19 out-break”, prepared by the Smart Learning Institute of Beijing Normal University (SLIBNU), provides a resource to help university teachers in facilitating flexible learning and ensure the quality of education in the current context. It also discusses implications for promoting higher education in a sustainable way in the long term.UNESCO International Institute for Capacity Building in Africa (IICBA)
Presentations from the IICBA Webinar on “ICT and Distance Learning in Tertiary Education Institutions during School Closure” held on 22 April are online. The event gathered Education experts from Ethiopia, Kenya and Nigeria to share information about how governments in Africa are supporting tertiary educators to use ICT to continue providing quality education during the COVID-19 pandemic ; experiences on the use of ICT in distance learning in tertiary education institutions were also shared.UNESCO International Institute for Higher Education in Latin America and the Caribbean (IESALC)
IESALC has released the report COVID-19 and higher education: Today and tomorrow that highlights the immediate impacts of the pandemic on the higher education sector, reviews what actions governments and higher education institutions have taken and offers recommendations regarding the reopening of HEIs.
IESALC has also listed measures, plans and recommendations made by the 13 councils of rectors and national associations of higher educationinstitutions (HEI) in Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as f 3 sub-regional networks in face of the COVID-19 pandemic and announcements on national higher education public policies taken in 22 Latin American and Caribbean countries in the context of COVID-19.
UNESCO International Institute for Higher Education in Latin America and the Caribbean (IESALC)/Equatorial Guinea
Founded in December 2019 in Equatorial Guinea, the Afro-American University of Central Africa (AAUCA) is seeking to recruit its first Rector with the support of the UNESCO IESALC. The application process closes on May 30, 2020.
UNESCO Beirut:
UNESCO Beirut assists Arab Member States in mitigating the impact of the COVID-19 crisis in the Higher Education sector. Support is provided to adapt their education sector to remote/distance learning and to address issues relating to evaluation and assessment of students during remote learning, course validation, teachers training on the use of online tools, as well as the organization of graduation ceremonies.
https://en.unesco.org/news/unesco-beirut-assists-arab-member-states-mitigating-impact-covid-19-crisis-higher-education Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development
Canada has introduced a set of programmes to test novel approaches to skills development. Workforce Innovation to Foster Positive Learning Environments in Canada analyses the potential of these programmes to improve the future-readiness of Canada’s adult learning system.
Scholars at risk
Free Universities: Putting the Academic Freedom Index Into Action, a joint report released by the Global Public Policy Institute and Scholars at Risk, introduces the Academic Freedom Index (AFi). It calls on decision-makers in higher education and research to use the AFi data to better protect and promote academic freedom. It also includes recommendations.
World Bank
The World Bank has released Improving the Performance of Higher Education in Vietnam : Strategic Priorities and Policy Options. The main objective of this Bank’s report is to provide a diagnosis of the current performance of the Vietnamese universities and propose a range of options for transforming and developing the higher education system.
The World Bank has released Guidance Note : Remote Learning and COVID-19. It offers principles to maximize countries’ effectiveness in designing and executing remote learning.in the context of Covid-19.
The World bank has also released The COVID-19 Crisis Response: Supporting tertiary education for continuity, adaptation, and innovation.This publication analyses the global context of the impact of COVID-19 on higher education, providing responses and implications for universities and systems, required actions for course delivery, research and operations, and long-term challenges.
Lumina Foundation
The Lumina Foundation has released Readying for the Future: COVID-19, Higher Ed, and Fairness.
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 campus disruption by COVID-19.
African students studying overseas or in other countries on the continent continue to face difficulties during the Covid-19 pandemic. These include lack of food, forced evictions and xenophobic hostilities.
RedCLARA
Through RedCLARA, Cisco provides free 90-day Cisco WebEx Meetings licenses to universities, research centers, and health care facilities in Latin America. This alliance is part of the actions of Latin American academic networks united in RedCLARA in the context of COVID-19, and to promote work and study from home.
Organization of American States (OAS)
The OAS is carrying out the initiative #EducaciónEnTiemposDeCambio (Education in Times of Change), a series of video spots that will bring together views, experiences and recommendations of ministries of education, educational institutions, experts in virtual education and digital education, to guide or inspire solutions in the context of COVID-19.Organization of Ibero-American States
The Organization of Ibero-American States has extended the deadline for submitting good practices in internationalization to 1 July , a call launched together with the International Institute for Higher Education in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNESCO-IESALC), the Autonomous University of Bucaramanga in Colombia (UNAB), the University of Alcalá in Spain (UAH), and the National University of Córdoba as host of CRES. All Ibero-American universities are invited to present initiatives with the aim of promoting their visibility and transfer and fostering South-South exchange and cooperation.The Organization of Ibero-American States published the report entitled “Effects of the Coronavirus on Education”, which analyses the impact that this pandemic could have on education, especially on issues such as academic performance, school dropout rates and the effect on future salaries. The report also points out the measures and conditions needed to reduce its educational impact in the region.
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.Inter-American University Organization
The Inter-American University Organization began its "Webinars 2020" with the participation ofexperts in higher education who discussed topics responding to the expectations of the current situation caused by the Coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19), in the context of the Latin American region.
Union of Universities of Latin America and the Caribbean (UDUAL)
UDUAL issued a letter on 26 April addressed to its members and cooperation and study organizations calling for an in-depth reflection on the urgent changes that will have to be implemented to face this new present and future reality.
A new issue of Revista Universidades coordinated by UDUAL is now available in digital version. In the midst of the health emergency, it offers an alternative for reflection on a panorama of various aspects of Venezuelan higher education.
Association of Pacific Rim Universities (APRU)
In order to assist its members, APRU has posted a web page including links to members’ websites stating their policies and the actions they are taking to face the current health crisis.
Asian Association of Open Universities (AAOU)
AAOU is calling for papers for its Annual Conference titled “Opening minds for a sustainable future: Re-orienting ODL to surmount challenges”organized by the Open University of Sri Lanka (OUSL), 21-23 October 2020. Sub-themes are: Promoting sustainable development through lifelong learning ; Innovations in ODL through smart technologies ; Open knowledge movement - Implications for ODL ; Learner engagement and motivation in ODL- Challenges and possibilities ; Best practices in ODL for Education for Sustainable Development ; Learning analytics in ODL. Deadline: 31 May.
European University Association
EUA has launched a call for participation in a survey on digitally enhanced learning and teaching with the aim of mapping the situation across Europe. The survey is open to all European higher education institutions and includes questions on how higher education institutions are adapting to the Covid-19 situation. Deadline: 4 June.
Return to top NATIONAL INITIATIVES
Argentina Brazil Canada China Ecuador El Salvador Egypt France India Ireland Kenya Mexico New Zealand Nigeria Peru Somalia South Africa Spain Taiwan Thailand United Kingdom United States Zimbabwe Hgher education relief package
The Australian Government announced a Higher Education Relief Package that will provide funding to higher education providers and support workers who have been displaced as a result of the COVID-19 crisis and who are looking to upskill or retrain.International students support package
The states of South Australia and Victoria are providing International Student Support Package and funding to support international students facing hardship as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.Higher education census
The National Institute of Educational Studies and Research Anísio Teixeira (Inep) has extended the deadline for data collection for the Higher Education Census to June 5. The updated schedule of the 2019 Upper Census was published in the Official Gazette (DOU), April 24.Distance education
The National Council of Education (CNE) authorized the offer of distance education in all stages of education, including higher education. The decision was drafted to guide the country’s education in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic which led to the suspension of in-person classes in all states.Covid-19 Research collaboration
Québec Research Funds have created a COVID-19 research network for scientific collaboration.Universities Canada have made available Coronavirus (COVID-19) and Canadian universities: Information and resources.
Online education platform
The government has announced the building of an international HEI online education platform, where selected Chinese HEIs will create a number of high quality online courses taught in English, and make them available to university students all over the world.Differentiated schedules
The Ministry of Education said that the schedule for beginning a new semester and resuming classes in universities should be based on the local epidemic situation and the composition of students. Differentiated schedules should be taken across the country while graduating students and post-graduates with research tasks should be given priority in resuming classes.Reopening of HEIs
South China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region has partially reopened its colleges and universities, with seniors and students with medicine-related majors returning to campuses.The Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Technology and Innovation have resumed the process of enrolment to higher education. From May 4-6, those who participated in the first stage of application are able to verify if they were assigned a quota, and accept or reject it. This process will be carried out through the Ser Bachiller platform (www.serbachiller.ec).
The Ministry of Education (MINED) and the Secretariat of Innovation of the Presidency are working on the acquisition of technological equipment for all students and teachers in the public education sector, as part of the process of digitization of education, reported the Minister of Education.
Minister of Planning, Hal el-Saeed has announced the doubling of government investment in higher education, to LE 24B. The investment would establish 6 new technological universities.
Olivier Véran, Minister of Health and Frédérique Vidal, Minister of Higher Education and Research, have decided to modify the dates of entry exams and the reform of medical studies, which had been due to take place in the autumn, has been postponed by a year.
Due to the increasing requirement for e-learning content for students in situation arising out of Covid- 19 and to the need to boost digital education, institutions, organizations and individuals are invited to contribute with e-learning content for students through the newly launched VidyaDaan 2.0 programme. The new content will be used on the Ministry’s DIKSHA app to ensure continuity of quality learning.
The UNESCO Chair in Community Based Research and Social Responsibility in Higher Education and PRIA co-convened a webinar on "Fostering Social Responsibility by Higher Education: COVID-19 and Beyond" with the Association of Indian Universities (AIU) on 8 April. The key messages are outlined in this report.
The University Grants Commission (UGC) has issued Guidelines on Examinations and Academic Calendar for the Universities in View of COVID-19 Pandemic and Subsequent Lockdown to avoid academic loss and take appropriate measures for the future of students.
More than 2,000 research staff in universities and institutes of technology are at risk of losing their jobs because of funding uncertainties triggered by COVID-19.
A number of public universities have written to their staff asking them to take a pay cut even as unions warned against making this mandatory.
https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/article/2001369519/varsities-ask-staff-to-take-pay-cutTo face the health emergency caused by COVID-19, Rectors and Directors of public and private higher education institutions associated with the National Association of Universities and Higher Education Institutions (ANUIES), establish a National Agreement. The commitments were approved in the Virtual Ordinary Session 1.2020 of the ANUIES National Council.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has announced animmediate student support package to financially assist tertiary students to continue with their studies. The domestic tertiary student package will increase the student loan amount available for course-related costs for full-time students from $1000 to $2000, on a temporary basis.
The Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) has gathered a range of resources and tools from New Zealand, Australia and the rest of the world to help tertiary education providers build, enhance and improve the quality of online teaching resources and practice. All updates on COVID-19 (coronavirus) information for tertiary providers are posted in the page.
As part of an effort to support Federal Government’s drive against the COVID-19 pandemic, the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), has announced plans to fund medical research in the nation’s universities in the fight against coronavirus.
The Ministry of Education convened the representatives of the associations of universities in Peru in order to continue the route of joint work that guarantees the continuity of the non-attendance educational service in the university system during the health emergency.
The Ministry of Education, Culture and Higher Education has released the Somalia COVID-19 Preparedness and Response Strategy which was developed in collaboration with the Somali Education partners.
While South African universities are resorting to emergency remote teaching and learning programmes, they have also acknowledged disparities among their students from different socio-economic backgrounds, who struggle to access the digital world.
Spanish universities have started to plan a return to normal activity at the start of June.
The Foundation for International Cooperation in Higher Education of Taiwan (FICHET) has posted an article on the Ministry of Education’s response to disruptions to course delivery caused by COVID-19. It details government-led actions, such as policies on class suspension, recommended precautions, special funding and online resources for distance learning.
FICHET has also compiled a list of Taiwan Higher Education Institution Websites featuring a dedicated section about COVID-19 on their official websites, explaining prevention measures implemented on campus and also serving as platforms for communicating the latest guidelines announced by the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the Ministry of Education.
The Office of the Higher Education Commission of Thailand (OHEC), has released the report Key Issues Influencing the Future Internationalization of Higher Education. It identifies a list of fourteen potential strategic issues - defined by the three following questions: now to 2024 : How are we doing ?; 2025-2030 : What should we do next ?; 2030+ : Where do we want to go ?.
Support for universities - Wales
The Welsh Government has a published a policy statement outlining support for universities and students dealing with the impact of coronavirus.Impact of covid-19
The Russell Group of universities’ finances will be hit the hardest by coronavirus, a study has found.Student fees
Universities’ hopes of a long-term government bailout in England have not been adopted, though £2.6bn in tuition fees will be paid early and ministers pledged to allow full fees to be charged even if students were unable to return to lectures.Fossil fuel diverstment
Oxford University has agreed to halt all investment in fossil fuels following months of campaigning.Title IX - Gender equity law changes
On 6 May, the US Department of Education announced changes in the enforcement of Title IX, the federal gender-equity law. The new regulations will require higher education institutions to hold live hearings and allow cross-examination when adjudicating sexual-misconduct complaints. They will also narrow the scope of complaints that colleges are required to investigateEducational finance
A decrease in student enrollment and funding has led the American Council on Education (ACE) together with other educational organisations to request $46.6 billion for students and institutions in the next government Covid-19 stimulus package.Survey of university presidents
ACE’s first monthly COVID-19 survey of college and university presidents finds their most pressing concerns are focused on financial impact, remote learning, and student mental health.Immigrant students
The U.S. Department of Education has announced that Illegal immigrants enrolled in higher education are not eligible for the $6 billion emergency funds made available by Congress to help students adversely impacted by the ongoing pandemic.Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development Minister Amon Murwira said the ministry was negotiating with network service providers and pushing for free access to online learning material as well as university websites so students can access online learning material, as the Government moves to enhance digital learning platforms during the Covid-19 emergency.
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PREVIOUS EDITIONSIAU Lynx April 2020
IAU Lynx March 2020
IAU Lynx February 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
IAU Lynx December 2019
IAU Lynx November 2019IAU Lynx coordinator: Amanda Sudic
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
IAU Lynx November 2019
IAU Lynx October 2019IAU Lynx coordinator: Amanda Sudic
Collaborating team: Nicholas Poulton, Samuel Pousson, Carine Sébast and Isabel Toman
Contact: Amanda Sudic
© IAU 2019
IAU Lynx December 2019KEEPING AN EYE ON HIGHER EDUCATION DEVELOPMENTS WORLDWIDEDecember 2019
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
On 25 November 2019, UNESCO’s Member States adopted the Global Convention on the Recognition of Higher Education Qualifications during the plenary of the 40th session of the General Conference. Aimed at facilitating academic mobility, improving quality of higher education institutions and enhancing international cooperation in higher education, it is the first United Nations treaty on higher education with a global scope. IAU has been involved in the drafting process and the WHED will help implement the convention’s principles.
The UNESCO Qualifications Passport for the mobility of refugees and vulnerable migrants with qualifications was also discussed during the General Conference. The first session of interviews for candidates have just been conducted in the Meheba Refugee Settlement in the North-Western Province of Zambia. It is also seen as as a complementary tool for the implementation of the Global Convention.The Recommendation on Open Educational Resources (OER) was also adopted during the 40th UNESCO General Conference to support the development and sharing of openly licensed learning and teaching materials. IAU supports this initiative.
On 15 November, projects from Botswana, Brazil and Germany received the 2019 UNESCO-Japan Prize on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) that showcases and rewards outstanding projects and programmes in the field of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). https://en.unesco.org/news/leading-initiatives-education-sustainable-development-and-climate-action-showcased-unesco
The 2019 edition of the SDG 4 Data Digest entitled How to Produce and Use the Global and Thematic Education Indicators was launched in Paris during the UNESCO General Conference. It provides a panoramic view of the current development of the SDG 4 monitoring framework and reporting at the international, regional and national levels.
UNESCO International Institute for Higher Education in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNESCO/IESALC)
UNESCO/IESALC, with the support of the Government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela is offering three scholarships for postgraduate or doctoral students in the social sciences. Subjects currently addressed are: Internationalization of higher education and academic mobility; Quality and relevance of higher education; Equity and inclusion in higher education; Innovation in higher education. The call is open until 15 January 2020.The deadline for submitting nominations for the 2019-2020 UNESCO-Hamdan bin Rashid Al-Maktoum Prize for Outstanding Practice and Performance in Enhancing the Effectiveness of Teachers Prize has been extended to 15 February 2020. The $300,000 prize is awarded every two years to recognise initiatives that contribute to improving teaching and learning quality with a focus on developing countries and marginalised and disadvantaged communities.
UNESCO Bangkok
The Hangzhou Declaration is the outcome document of the 8th UNESCO-APEID Meeting on Entrepreneurship Education on “Entrepreneurship Education for the 4th Industrial Revolution” held 9-11 October 2019 in Hangzhou, China. It calls on all stakeholders – policy-makers, researchers, practitioners, industries and employers – to develop a comprehensive approach for entrepreneurship education to achieve the sustainable development goals and build a peaceful and prosperous global community. Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development
OECD has just published Supporting Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Higher Education in Austria which is part of a series of national reports implementing the HEinnovate framework. HEinnovate is a holistic framework that the OECD and the European Commission have developed to promote the “entrepreneurial and innovation agenda” in higher education. This review illustrates policy actions promoting the development of entrepreneurial and innovative activities in the Higher Education System and individual HEIs.
GUNI
Implementing the 2030 Agenda at Higher Education Institutions: Challenges and Responses is the second publication of the GUNi Group of Experts on SDGs and Higher Education devoted to SDGs. This publication focuses on the obstacles that Higher Education institutions encounter when implementing the Sustainable Development Goals. It includes regional and institutional approaches to sustainable development and it offers a picture of how some higher education institutions embed sustainable development in their core missions.
Scholars at Risk
Scholars at Risk has just released Free to Think 2019, the fifth installment of an annual report by SAR’s Academic Freedom Monitoring Project, analysing 324 attacks on higher education communities in 56 countries between 1 September 2018 and 31 August 2019.
Return to top REGIONAL INITIATIVES
Africa - Americas - Asia - Europe
African Development Bank
The ADB has just released the policy research document entitled Creating Decent Jobs.
Strategies, Policies, and Instruments, which takes a look at, amongst other things, the role of higher education.African Qualifications Verification Network
The AQVN held its annual meeting in Johannesburg, South Africa on 28 - 29 October 2019 entitled Qualification Recognition beyond Borders- Collaboration to Ease Verification of Qualifications in Africa. A brief summary of the meeting can be found here.
African Regional Conference of Vice Chancellors
7th African Regional Conference of Vice Chancellors and Deans of Science took place in Zimbabwe in November. Discussions focused on investment in the transformation of the continent’s higher education system to drive modernisation.
Australia-Africa Universities Network (AAUN)
The AAUN Annual Report 2018-19, Strategic Plan 2020-2022 and Action Plan 2020 sets “Higher education and research capacity” as one the five focus areas for the next three years. Objectives and strategies defined are to: scale up institutional research partnerships; strengthen the academic and leadership capacity of AAUN partners; bring an evidence-based, influential voice for policy development; provide an intelligence and advisory portal for expertise on Australia Africa issues.
Community of Latin American and Caribbean states and the European Union CELAC-UE
On 22 November, a preparatory meeting for the Second Academic and Knowledge Summit of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean states and the European Union CELAC-UE took place in Santiago de Compostela, Spain. Four key themes for the agenda of the summit on 26-27 March 2020) were formulated: Construction of the Common Higher Education Area CELAC-UE; The role and actions of universities with the 2030 Agenda; Science, Technology and Innovation for Sustainability; Politics, management and transformation of the university in the digital era. Several regional organizations are involved in the organisation of the summit including CELAC-UC, CRUE Universidades Españolas, the Montevideo Group of universities, la Union of Universities of Latin America and the Caribbean (UDUAL) and the national association of Universities in Mexico (ANUIES).
Union of Universities of Latin America and the Caribbean (UDUAL)
The sixth international Colloquium on ‘Higher Education and Indigenous and Afro-descendant peoples in Latin America: Multiple Forms of Racism and Racial Discrimination’ took place from 6-7 November at Universidad Nacional de Tres de Febrero (UNTREF), Argentina. The Conference was organised jointly by UDUAL, UNESCO - IESALC and the Argentinian National Agency for Scientific and Technological Promotion.
Asian Association of Open Universities (AAOU)
presentations and proceedings from the 33rd Annual Conference of the Asian Association of Open Universities themed Open Distance Learning: 2020 and Beyond – held 14-16 October 2019 in Lahore, Pakistan - are online. Sessions addressed topics including: ODL Practices and Prospects; Educational Technology and Technology in Education; Assessment and Evaluation; Quality Assurance; and Accreditation.The European Universities Association
The European University Association (EUA) has published a report on ‘Diversity equity and inclusion in European higher education institutions’. The report is the result of a survey of 159 higher education institutions from 36 European systems and details how universities promote diversity, equity and inclusion. It is part of the EUA-led ‘Strategies towards Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at Universities’, or INVITED, project.
European Union
The European Union agreed in November to invest €300 million more than originally planned for Horizon 2020’s final year. The total budget for the final year of the Horizon 2020 research programme is now €13.5 billion.
European Commission
The European Commission has appointed Mariya Gabriel as new commissioner for the department ’Innovation and Youth’ (previously two departments: ‘Research, Science and Innovation’ and ‘Education, Culture, Youth and Society’).
Return to top BILATERAL INITIATIVES
Austria - Taiwan
The Taiwan and Austria Higher Education Science and Research Seed Funding scholarships have been awarded for the first time. 23 students were selected and will go to Austria to study, undertake research, or exchanges in the fields of commercial design, industrial engineering and management, human resource management, business management, and science and technology.
Egypt - Belarus
Egyptian Minister of Higher Education Khaled Abdel Ghafar met with Belarus Ambassador, Sergei Terentiev, in Cairo on 17 November to consider ways of promoting cooperation in higher education and scientific research.
Iran - uruguay
On 5 November the Minister of Education and Culture of Uruguay, María Julia Muñoz, and Iran’s Ambassador, Abolfazl Pasandideh, signed a memorandum of understanding in Montevideo which aims to develop and expand cooperation in education, research and technology. Both countries undertake to meet the objective through direct collaboration between universities, higher education institutions and research institutes; exchange of scientists and academics, implementation of joint research projects and educational projects; and student exchange.
Japan - Australia
The Japan Association of National Universities and Universities (JANU) has posted presentations from the Japan-Australia University Dialogue 2019 organized with Universities Australia at Osaka University in October. The theme was ’Reaching higher– lifting Japan - Australia university and industry collaboration to new heights’.
https://www.janu.jp/eng/20191009-australia-presentation.html
New Zealand - Ireland
A new user guide comparing qualifications frameworks, levels, and the qualifications from Ireland and New Zealand has been launched. It will help support recognition of qualifications between the Republic of Ireland and New Zealand.
Return to top NATIONAL INITIATIVES
Argentina Australia
Austria Canada
Chile China France Germany
Hong Kong India Ireland Italy
Kenya
Jordan Macao 
Mexico 
Mongolia Netherlands New Zealand 
Nigeria Pakistan 
Saudi Arabia South Africa Sweden 
Taiwan Thailand United Kingdom United States of America 
Zambia The Council of Universities at their meeting on 19 November at the Ministry of Education, Culture, Science and Technology in Argentina, approved new quality standards for the accreditation of Engineering and Informatics and four medical careers (Phonoaudiology, Nutrition, Obstetrics and Kinesiology) were added to article 43 of the Higher Education Law (LES) that lists careers considered to be of public interest. From now on, these careers must prove their quality before the National University Evaluation and Accreditation Commission (CONEAU).
HE statistics
The Ministry of Education has released Higher Education Statistics on Students for 2018. It encompasses enrolments, equivalent full time student numbers and completionsat all higher education institutions. For the first time, data were collected on the level of engagement by PhD and Research Masters students with businesses and other end-users of research .
The Statistics Report on TEQSA-registered higher education providers 2019 provides a snapshot and time series of national statistics from across the sector. Three key areas are covered: providers, students and academic staff.
International security guidelines
The Ministry of Education has released Guidelines to Counter Foreign Interference in the Australian university sector. A collaboration between government, the university sector, and national security agencies, the guidelines detail practical steps universities can take to ensure they have sufficient protections for students, research data, and academic integrity.
Destination Australia programme - scholarship providers announced
The Minister for Education has announced the 35 higher education and vocational education providers who will offer some 1,200 scholarships under the Destination Australia Program from 2020. The program aims to attract and support international and domestic students to study in regional Australia and to grow and develop regional Australian tertiary education providers.
The Central European University (CEU) officially opened a new campus in Vienna on 15 November, where it will continue to offer U.S.-accredited graduate degree programmes, though the university still maintains a presence in Budapest, Hungary. The university moved the bulk of its courses out of Hungary after the country passed a law in 2017 that banned foreign-registered universities that do not also offer the courses in the home country.
Universities Canada has released Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at Canadian universities: Report on the 2019 survey. The results of the national survey indicate that universities are prioritizing EDI action plans, strategies and policies; the recruitment and retention of diverse talent among senior leaders, faculty, staff and students; and reconciliation and Indigenization. Nevertheless, the data shows that there are common challenges including a lack of resources and difficulty attracting and retaining diverse talent.
Student security - rectors reaction
The rectors of seven universities have taken legal action against the use by police of pellet guns against student protesters. They said in a statement issued on 11 November that they had gone to the courts in order to secure “the physical and psychological safety of students that take part in peaceful demonstrations”. The statement condemned violence and abuses committed by police forces and offered full support to students affected while participating in peaceful protests.
Representatives of the Council of Rectors (CRUCH) have expressed to President Piñera the commitment of universities to social peace. The executive vice president of CRUCH, Aldo Valle, stated that “on the basis of peace we can effectively advance in the purpose of rebuilding the trust of citizens in our institutions and advancing in the political and institutional changes that the country requires urgently ”.
The Minister of Education reportedly issued a regulation that strengthens requirements for implementing major scientific and technological infrastructure projects at universities, covering their conception, selection and personnel management and support.
An education supervision office under the State Council has recently convened a consultation to ask universities and institutions to improve the quality of doctoral dissertations, according to the Ministry of Education. Institutions should strengthen supervision in the process of admission, and thesis writing, as well as highlight the role of tutors.
2020 proposed budget - Rectors’ reaction
The Conférence des présidents des universités (Association of University Presidents) has released a statement outlining their concerns with the proposed 2020 budget allocation for higher education of 160 Million Euros, which they consider insufficient in the light of the increased number of students.
University hospitals funding
On 22 November, Frédérique Vidal, Minister of Higher Education, Research and Innovation and Agnès Buzyn, Health Minister, announced additional funding of 74 million Euros for university hospitals. In addition, A further 18 million Euros has been allocated to biomedical research.
The German Rectors’ Conference (HRK) held their annual meeting on 18 November at the University of Hamburg, in which theydiscussed collaboration between academia and industry, gender equality in research and teaching, a planned initiative by the German government to improve professional training outside university. In a press release related to the ‘Future Contract’ for HE (New Funding programme for higher education decided in July 2019 by the German federal government) they welcome the government’s decision to co-finance teaching at higher education institutions to reduce the issue of short-term contracts for academic staff and increase the overall quality of teaching. The federal government will contribute with 1.88 billion Euros yearly from 2021-2023 to the programme.
International students have begun to evacuate from Hong Kong as more universities announced a premature end to the fall term amid protester-police turmoil on campuses while some universities are conducting courses online.
In November, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said governors as chancellors of universities should ensure that higher education institutions invest in research that fosters start-up culture and leads to job creation. He made these remarks at the concluding ceremony of the 50th annual conference of governors and lieutenant governors of universities.
The University Grants Commission (UGC) has released the draft report Enabling and Enhancing University and Industry Linkages prepared by the working group constituted to study University-industry bonds, develop a strategy and a road map for implementation towards enhancing the linkage. Specific measures are proposed to create an enabling eco-system for stimulating university-industry interactions.
Future jobs funding
The Irish government has launched the €300 million Human Capital Initiative and the Skills and Talent pillar of Future Jobs Ireland. The special fund, €60 million per year over five years, will help to develop new undergraduate places, new conversion courses for graduates to meet identified areas of skills needs in the modern workforce and drive agility and innovation in the sector.
Educational attainment
The Central Statistical Office has released the Educational Attainment Thematic Report which shows over half of the 25-34 and 35-44 year olds (55% and 54% respectively) have a tertiary qualification. The gap between males and females is more evident in younger age groups. Females aged 20-24 and 25-34 years olds were more likely to have a tertiary level qualification.
Italy’s new coalition government has announced plans to set up the country’s first National Agency for Research (Agenzia Nazionale per la Ricerca – ANR), the status of which should be approved at the beginning of 2020. Currently, Italy’s state research grants are administered by several ministries.
Sexual harrassment of students
A survey conducted by ActionAid and UN Women found that 1 in 2 female students and 1 in 4 male students have been sexually harassed to some degree by staff in Kenyan universities.TVET - competency-based curriculum introduced
A competency-based curriculum for Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) centres was launched in November.The Kenya National Qualification Authority has approved 278 courses, which will be monitored by the Curriculum Development Assessment and Certification Council (CDACC) for conformity.The Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Muhyiddine Touq, has announced that under the implementation of the Jordan Response Plan to the Syrian Crisis (JRP), Syrian students attending Jordanian universities can now receive scholarships to cover their tuition from projects designated for Syrians’ education.
The Higher Education Fund has launched the Scholarship for Outstanding Students. The scheme aims to attract outstanding students from Portuguese-speaking countries and the countries in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to strengthen higher education exchange between Macao and the countries along the Belt and Road and Portuguese-speaking countries.
A national meeting organised by ANUIES, the Mexican Association for Universities and Higher Education Institutions took place on 29-30 October. A Statement released refers to recent HE reform, access, mandatory and free higher education, transformation of HEIs to strengthen their contribution to local, regional and national development and discussion of a financing policy for higher education.
The Mongolian National Council for Education Accreditation (MNCEA) has received the Asia Pacific Quality Network (APQN) Asia Pacific Quality Register (APQR) Quality Assurance Certificate, which means it can from now on accredit international HEIs/programs in cooperation along with APQN.
Two new publications on recognition of e-learning have been released by Nuffic: The Practitioner’s guide for recognition of e-learning, a step-by-step approach towards academic recognition of e-learning; and a position paper ‘Academic recognition of e-learning’. The documents were published following the outcomes of the e-VALUATE project which aims to contribute to more effective policies for the recognition of new forms of online learning within the European Higher Education Area.
Access - students with disabilities
Education Counts has released the following report Disabled People and Tertiary education: An Analysis of the 2013 Disability Survey, that investigates the participation and success of disabled people in tertiary education, using data from the 2013 Disability Survey.
Research specialisations
Education Counts has also releases The Research Specialisations of New Zealand Tertiary Education Organisations, that identifies the research specialisations of New Zealand higher education organisations.Protecting academic integrity
Universities New Zealand - Te Pōkai Tara has posted an article discussing measures taken at the level of individual universities and system-wide safeguards in place against cheating and protect academic integrity.
In November, the House of Representatives called on the Federal Government to abolish the payment of acceptance fees into all higher education Institutions. This follows concerns of the low access rate into higher education: data from the National Bureau of Statistics and the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board showed that between 2010 and 2015 out of the 10 million applicants that sought admissions into tertiary institutions, only 26 % gained admissions
Interim Placement of Fresh PhDs (IPFP) Program
The Higher Education Commission has announced Phase-II of the Interim Placement of Fresh PhDs (IPFP) Program, initiated to provide Pakistani PhD graduates an opportunity to be placed as Assistant Professors on a tenure track system for a period of one year. A recent review of the program has shown that the program was successful in placing about three-quarters (74.64 per cent) of the participants in long-term faculty positions
HEC announces new library and women’s museum/archives
The Higher Education Commission (HEC) and the National Commission on the Status of Women (NCSW) have agreed to collaborate to set up a Public Library and Women’s Museum/Archives in Islamabad to support education, research and training on women’s role and contribution to the country’s progress. Universities seeking to undertake complementary activities will be supported.
The Saudi Council of Ministers has approved the new universities law which introduces a new mechanism that helps in the development of universities and management of their resources, autonomy and quality mechanisms.
The 2017/18 National Research and Experimental Development Survey released by the Human Sciences Research Council and Statistics SA shows that spending on research and development (R&D) in South Africa continues to increase, albeit at a slower rate than before, amounting to Rand 38,725 billion.
A temporary exemption from application and tuition fees at higher education institutions for British students to mitigate the consequences of the United Kingdom leaving the European Union without a withdrawal agreement has been extended.
In November, the deputy head of Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council invited Hong Kong residents whose studies have been disrupted by university closures or fear of arrest to continue their studies in Taiwan, and has put in place an additional quota for these students.
Internal quality assurance
The Higher Education Evaluation and Accreditation Council of Taiwan has made available the presentations from its 2019 International Conference that took place in Taipei on 2 October on ’Development of Internal Quality Assurance Mechanisms and Challenges for Higher Education Institutions’. Sessions addressed: the importance of the Higher Education Stakeholders Engagement; development and challenges of Internal Quality Assurance and the responses from External Quality Assurance; IQA experiences and good practices; Issue, Challenges and prospects for Taiwan higher education and national QA policy making.
According to the Ministry of Education, Chulalongkorn University, an IAU Member, has issued a new regulation allowing transgender students to wear uniforms that align with their chosen sex or gender.
Additional monitoring for HEIs
The higher education regulator for England, the Office for Students (OfS), has released new figures which show that almost two thirds of registered higher educational institutions have been subject to additional monitoring requirements and conditions, in many cases because of concerns over teaching quality or levels of access and participation for disadvantaged and other underrepresented groups.
Universities’ manifestos for the general election
Universities UK has released a manifesto for higher education ahead of the general election on 12 December 2019. It focuses on access to higher education, investment in research and attracting global talent.Universities Scotland has also released a manifesto for Scottish universities.
International students
The Institute of International Education has released The 2019 Open Doors Report on International Education Exchange. It provides information and data on the numbers of international students studying in the United States in the 2018/19 academic year, and the numbers of U.S. students studying abroad. International students make up 5.5 percent of the total U.S. higher education population. The total number of international students, 1,095,299 and China remains the largest source of international students.
Universities’ public impact
The Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities (APLU) has released its Public Impact Research: Engaged Universities Making the Difference report in November. Compiled by by over 60 university leaders, the report issues five action steps for the public university community and stakeholders to advance public impact research - how university research improves lives and serves society - locally, regionally, nationally, and globally.
Access to education - DACA
In October, the American Council of Education, and 43 other higher education associations, filed an amicus brief filed in the Supreme Court’s combined DACA cases. The brief advises the Court that the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy, has made it newly possible for countless Dreamers to get a postsecondary education and unlock the potential such an education affords.”
High-impact practices
The Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) has released a new publication. A Comprehensive Approach to Assessment of High-Impact Practices, outlines a process of effectively assessing high-impact practices in higher education institutions, such as learning communities, undergraduate research, and community-based experiences.
The Higher Education Authority (HEA) will begin classification of universities into a four-tier system as part of a reorganisation of the higher education system. The tiers are based on a national classification system developed by the Authority based on their capabilities in teaching, research and public service.
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PREVIOUS EDITIONSIAU Lynx November 2019
IAU Lynx October 2019
IAU Lynx September 2019IAU Lynx coordinator: Amanda Sudic
Collaborating team: Nicholas Poulton, Samuel Pousson, Carine Sébast and Isabel Toman
Contact: Amanda Sudic
© IAU 2019
IAU Lynx November 2019KEEPING AN EYE ON HIGHER EDUCATION DEVELOPMENTS WORLDWIDENovember 2019
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
On 16 October, the UNESCO Director-General and Vice-Minister of Education of China signed an agreement to establish a US$ 8 million China funds-in-trust (CFIT) to support the development of higher technical education in Africa over four years. It will enhance the capacity of higher education institutions to develop labour market oriented teaching and competency-based learning, and strengthen linkages between universities and industries.
UNESCO, the L’Oréal Foundation, the Mexican Academy of Science-ACM and the National Council of Science and Technology-CONACYT celebrated in October the 13th awards ceremony dedicated to Scholarships for Women in Science. The programme has been established to further encourage women’s role in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
UNESCO Beirut
UNESCO Beirut organised a regional workshop on ‘The Role of Higher Education Institutions in the Arab Region in Achieving SDGs’ in September. Representatives of HEIs and research institutions and of Ministries of Education and Higher Education from 12 Arab countries gathered to address this issue. They shared best practices and agreed to organise national capacity-building training workshops on SDGs that involve HEIs and to establish UNESCO chairs in their institutions. IAU was represented at this event.UNESCO Bangkok
UNESCO Bangkok and the International Centre for Higher Education Innovation (ICHEI) held a regional Consultation on ICT-Driven Innovation in Higher Education in Asia-Pacific on 24-25 September 2019 in Shenzhen, China. One goal was to prepare a joint policy brief which will be based on five levels: Policy measures at national and institutional levels; Enablers/platforms; Institutional/training providers; Youth and adult learners; partnerships.UNESCO - Regional Office Latin America and the Caribbean
On 30 September, a meeting of Education experts was held in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, by UNESCO Regional Office of Culture and Regional Education for Latin America and the Caribbean, with the support of the Ministry of Education of Cuba (MINED). The aim of the meeting was to review the educational resources which will contribute to raise awareness towards sustainable development and violence within the educational systems of both countries.Scholars at Risk has released Obstacles to Excellence, a new report mapping threats to academic freedom in China and where China has extraterritorial academic connections.
Return to top REGIONAL INITIATIVES
Africa - Americas - Asia - Europe
E-Learning Africa
The E-Learning Africa 2019 report has been published. Chapters include Why Africa Must Embrace the 4th Industrial Revolution; Lifelong learning and a New African Mindset; Unleashing eLearning; and 2063 Towards an African Future.
African Academy of Sciences - Postdoctoral Training Opportunity in Medical and Health Sciences
The Africa Postdoctoral Training Initiative (APTI) provides fellowships to African researchers to spend two years at US National Institutes of Health (NIH) for professional training and to conduct research in priority areas. Open to citizens of, and currently employed in an academic, research, or government position in an African country and who have a relevant doctoral degree. Closing date: 1 December 2019
The 4th International Meeting on Distance and Virtual Education took place at the Pedagogical and Technological University (UPCT) of Colombia in October. The purpose of the event was to reflect on the challenges of distance and virtual education in Colombia and Latin America, as well as the set up of inter-institutional cooperation.
Asian Development Bank (ADB)
The ADB Report Bangladesh: Computer and Software Engineering Tertiary Education in 2018 assesses the employability of 1,216 computer/software engineering and IT graduates from 9 universities in Bangladesh. It also examines access to and quality and relevance of these university programmes; and identifies possible areas for improvement.
Asia Pacific Quality Network (APQN)
The Mongolian National Council for Education Accreditation (MNCEA) received Asia Pacific Quality Network (APQN)’s Asia Pacific Quality Register (APQR) Quality Assurance Certificate. The APQR register acknowledges external quality assurance agencies that demonstrate certain thresholds of maturity in the Asia-Pacific region, based on an independent external review by peers.
ASEAN-US Science Prize for Women 2019
The Winner of the ASEAN-US Science Prize for Women 2019 has been announced. Dr. Zhou Yan of Singapore from the Nanyang Technological University in Singapore was distinguished for her research and work on energy efficient water treatment and reclamation (or recycling). This award aims to strengthen ASEAN science and technology capacity and gender equality and improvement.
The European Universities Association
The European Universities Association together with 14 other higher education associations have launched a call to the European Commission to strengthen R&I investment and to raise the budget of the next EU Programme for R&I (2021-2027), Horizon Europe, to at least €120 billion.Students in Nordic countries
Students in Nordic Countries – Study Support and Economics, provides statistical data comparing funding received by 925,636 students in the Nordic countries who benefit from government support. The report shows that there is a well-developed funding system in the Nordic region compared to other regions but with significant differences between countries, with the highest level of support provided in Denmark and the least in Finland.Return to top BILATERAL INITIATIVES
Algeria - Korea
France - India
Following the India-France Knowledge Summit, held in May 2018, the two countries have signed and ratified the Mutual Recognition of Academic Qualifications agreement in which the two countries agree to recognize four qualifications, from secondary school leaving certificates to doctoral degrees.
Greece - USA
Education Minister Niki Kerameus met with officials from the US Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs in Athens on 7 October. They discussed cooperation on joint study programmes between Greek and American universities, the participation of foreign students in Greek academic programmes, and student and research exchanges.
Indonesia - Tunisia
On 23 September, Riadh Dridi, the Tunisian Ambassador to Indonesia, met with Mohamad Nasir, the Indonesian Minister for Research, Technology, and Higher Education (MoRTHE). Discussions focused on cooperation in science, technology and higher education programmes.
Mongolia - Japan
The first university hospital in Mongolia has opened. Built with the assistance of a grant aid from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and affiliated with the Mongolian National University of Medical Sciences, it is expected to provide high-quality training for medical personnel and research.
Taiwan - UK
The first Taiwan-UK Higher Education Forum was organised by the Foundation for International Cooperation in Higher Education of Taiwan and Universities UK in September in London to open new opportunities for higher education exchange. Discussions centered on governance, autonomy and internationalisation; UK-Taiwan research partnerships; increasing UK-Taiwan student and research mobility.
Return to top NATIONAL INITIATIVES
Australia Canada China
Costa Rica
Estonia France
Greece Hong Kong India Ireland Italy Kenya Mexico Netherlands Nigeria Pakistan 
Peru 
Philippines 
Russian Federation South Africa 
Tunisia 
Uganda United Kingdom United States of America 
Uzbekistan 
Benin Education provider standards
The final report of the Review of the Higher Education Provider Category Standards was released in October. It recommends the simplification and rebalancing of the current categories of higher education providers: university-related categories are to be reduced, merged and rationalised, while non-university categories are to be increased.
International education agents
The Minister for Education has released International Education Agents Overview Report. It provides a high-level data summary of the sector, giving education stakeholders an insight into the activity of education agents, to assist them in meeting their responsibilities, and to foster increased transparency in the international education sector.
International students - post-study employment
The International Education Association of Australia (IEAA)’s Report Post-study Work Rights Key to Enhancing Australia’s Productivity discusses the importance of post-study work rights in international education, who post-study work rights visa holders are and where they are employed, labour market outcomes, economic opportunities and outcomes.
New Minister
At the beginning of September, Eléonore Yayi Ladekan was named as the new Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, replacing Marie Odile Attanasso. The new incumbent had previously served as Minister for Primary Education, as well as a professor at Université d’Abomey-Calavi and one of the Vice-Rectors for International Cooperation within the university (in French)
The Association of Atlantic Universities has released data on 2019-20 Preliminary Enrolments which reports a 4% increase in full-time undergraduate and postgraduate students with a 20% increase in international students.
Government guidelines for reform
China’s Ministry of Education has issued guidelines to deepen the reform of the country’s undergraduate education and teaching and improve the quality of universities. Four areas are proposed: the management of education and teaching; systems of education and teaching; teaching personnel; and organizational guarantees.
HE progress report
The Ministry of Education has posted an Overview of Educational Achievements in China in 2018. Section V reports on progress made last year in higher education with a particular focus on enrolment, graduation data, teaching workforce and the provision of equipment and facilities for research and teaching, informatisation and online courses at universities.
Annual International Forum on Higher Education
The Annual International Forum on Higher Education 2019 was held at Lanzhou University, Gansu Province, on October 12 and 13. The event was hosted by the China Association of Higher Education and focused on the topic of Higher Education’s modernization; special emphasis was given to China’s experience and international perspectives.
The Ministry of Public Education has developed a new policy for curricular transformation at universities in Costa Rica and in October it organised a training session at the University of Costa Rica, an IAU Member, for leaders who will be in charge of curricular transformation in the framework of new educational policy.
The National Audit Office has released the outcomes of the transition to free higher education carried out in 2013. According to the report, the outcomes are patchy when compared with the reform’s ambitions. Although students graduate faster from institutions of higher education and the dropout rate has decreased, the opportunities for earning extra revenue have become scarce and the higher education funding model has become outdated, the auditors said.
International student fees - legal decision
The Constitutional Court (Conseil Constitutionnel) released a decision on 11 October reaffirming the principal of free education which applies to higher education. This decision puts into question the law increasing student fees for international students from outside the European Union. The highest administrative court, the Conseil d’Etat, will decide on the law in the light of the ruling of the Constitutional Court.
Open science
The Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation has published its first Open Science Monitor, which measures progress towards open access of scientific research publications and data. It finds that 41 % of 133 000 scientific publications in 2017 are in open access. The Open Science Monitor is part of France’s National Open Science Plan.
The Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs has introduced specific provisions concerning Higher Education in the Parliament for discussion and voting in the bills of the Ministry of Development and Investment and the Ministry of Health. Among these are the simplification of procedure of postgraduate programmes and the reintegration of secondary school graduates into Higher Education.
Student protests - Universities’ statement
The Heads of eight university councils have released a joint statement stressing that universities have zero tolerance for any form of violence on campuses, and do not accept vandalism against university properties. The statement also clarified that assistance provided by universities to students did not necessarily reflect political views. The statement follows student pro-democracy protests.
http://www.ecns.cn/news/2019-10-22/detail-ifzpzfnq8046061.shtmlPostgraduate fellowships
The University Grants Commission (UGC) has announced a new higher education initiative. Fellowships will be provided on a pilot basis for five cohorts to local students to pursue designated postgraduate programmes in priority areas conducive to the development of Hong Kong offered by the eight UGC-funded universities. The Scheme will provide 500 fellowships for the first cohort (admitted in the 2020/21 academic year)
On 24-25 September, the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) released the New York-Bengaluru Vision Statement 2019 towards a Global Ecosystem in Yoga Higher Education through Collaboration, Mainstreaming and Accreditation.
Access to education
A report published in October by the Higher Education Authority analyses the geographical and socio-economic make-up of Ireland’s higher education institutions and courses. ‘A Spatial & Socio-Economic Profile of Higher Education Institutions in Ireland’ finds that while progress has been made in increasing access to higher education, ‘high profile’ courses such as Medicine, Business, Finance and Engineering programmes have higher proportions of ‘affluent’ students than other courses.
European Universities Initiative - government funding
Call for applicationsThe Minister for Higher Education, Mary Mitchell O’Connor, launched a call for applications from eligible Irish higher education institutions (HEIs), for financial support in advance of the second call of the European Universities Initiative by the European Commission. She announced that €500,000 has been made available from the Government to support higher education institutions’ applications.
CRUI, the Italian Rectors Association, and the Italian Network of Universities for Peace have released a Statement regarding their concern about the escalation of armed violence in Northeast Syria. They call for humanitarian organisations to be allowed to provide relief and assistance, for an immediate halt of armed operations in the territory of Northeast Syria and a peaceful resolution of international disputes and conflicts of whatever kind.
Reform - funding
The National Assembly approved Sessional Paper No. 1 of 2019 policy framework for reforming education and training for sustainable development in Kenya in October. Under this reform, universities will be allocated funds depending on their programmes instead of student enrolment, as has been the case. In addition, the government will empower public university councils to determine the terms and conditions of service for their staff.
Infrastructure expansion - report
A Ministry of Education report has proposed expansion of existing infrastructure in universities to increase enrolment. Under the new plan aimed at increasing student enrolment in universities from 15 to 25 per cent, the capacity of new and old universities will be expanded.
During the inauguration of the legislative forum on ethno-socio-cultural policies in higher education, held on 16 October, ANUIES, the Mexican national association of universities, reiterated the importance of providing stronger financial support to higher education by 2020.
Student enrolment
Preliminary figures released by the association of Dutch universities VSNU show that the number of students enrolled at higher education institutions in the Netherlands increased by around 4 % for the 2019/2020 academic year to reach 300,000 Bachelors and Masters students, the highest recorded. International students comprise 20% of students.
SDG impact
VSNU have made available a SDG Dashboard to show the impact of Dutch universities on the Sustainable Development Goals.
Government funding
An investigation has found that many state governments have reduced subventions to their universities. Paucity of funds, investigations showed, had affected payment of salaries and research activities in State universities.
Universities’ use renewable energy
With frequent power cuts in the National Grid since the sector was privatised, universities in the country are now turning to alternatives. Several institutions are now running entirely on renewable energy, and have become completely self-sufficient; many more universities plan to follow.
Guidelines on sexual harassment
The Higher Education Commission has issued a circular to all universities, directing them to improve the implementation of HEC’s guidelines regarding effective management and control systems for sexual harassment cases.
New universities - Punjab
Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar announced in October that six general and four technical universities will be established in the province.
Medical education
The Higher Education Commission (HEC) has established a Committee to address emerging challenges and opportunities in medical education in the country, including undergraduate and graduate education, clinical certification, health research and research oriented education, adoption of international standards, and addressing equivalence and certification issues in other countries.
In a statement approved on 4 October, universities convened by the National Association of Public Universities of Peru, ANUPP, called on the President of the Republic to call for more democratic institutions, as well as actions against exclusion and privileges.
The government passed the Transnational Higher Education Act in August and made it public late September. It formulates a national strategy to encourage and facilitate the establishment of overseas HEIs and programmes in the country to increase globally competitiveness, while attracting a flow of talented students, faculty, and staff and improving the country’s human resource base.
A draft bill by the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs is to open up Russian citizenship to international students after graduation and ease restrictions on employment for international students studying in Russia.
Universities South Africa - National Higher Education Conference
USAf, an IAU Member organisation, recently held the first national conference, entitled Reinventing South Africa’s Universities for the Future. Presentations from the conference are now available.
Vice-Chancellor pay - inquiry
The Government Committee on Higher Education, Science and Technology has stated that it will request the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology to commission an inquiry into the remuneration of Vice-Chancellors. The Committee is concerned by what it considers as high remuneration levels paid at some universities.
Campus safety
Vice-chancellors from the country’s 26 universities and the Minister of Police in Johannesburg General Bheki Cele has engaged on improving campus safety in the wake of the recent spate of violence at universities. A working committee including Universities South Africa as well as the police will look at security solutions on and off campuses.
The first Franco-Tunisian university has been inaugurated in Tunis by French Minister of Higher Education, Research and Innovation Frédérique Vidal and the Tunisian Minister of Higher Education Slim Khalbous. The Université franco-tunisienne de l’Afrique et de la Méditerranée (Uftam) will deliver French and Tunisian qualifications.
The government has announced reforms in recognition of nursing and midwifery degrees so that these qualifications will be recognised in public health services.
Universities’ Brexit preparedness - survey
Universities UK has released the results of a survey which researched universities’ preparedness, in respect of no-deal, Brexit. 75 universities from across the UK responded, and the results showed that significant arrangements have been made to mitigate the potential impact of a no-deal outcome. However, concern remains high of the potential consequences no agreement would have on areas including student and staff recruitment and retention and access to research programmes and funding.
Ethnic minority staff - employment conditions
A report by the University and College Union has found that black and minority ethnic (BAME) academic staff at UK universities are paid less than their white counterparts. They are also considerably less likely to hold the most senior jobs. The data demonstrated a pay gap of 9% for BAME staff, compared with white academic staff.
Graduate salaries
The Higher Education Statistics Authority has released a report which analyses how the financial return to a degree has changed across two decades. The research shows that the “graduate premium” in salaries compared to those without degrees has decreased from 19% for those born in 1970 to 11% for those born after 1987.
Ethic minority students - report
A report published by the Equality and Human Rights Commission on racial harassment at universities, has found that 24 % of ethnic minority students said that they had experienced racial harassment. The report also analysed responses from university staff and found that more than half reported being ignored or excluded because of their race.
Regional skills partnerships - Wales
In October, the Economy, Infrastructure and Skills Committee at the National Assembly for Wales published their report on regional skills partnerships in Wales. The report makes a number of recommendations including the need to stimulate higher level skills demand in Wales. Universities Wales responded that the committee’s report recognises the ways in which higher education already contributes to the skills landscape in Wales.
HE Leaders - report
The American Council on Education (ACE) has released a new report, ’The Transformation-Ready Higher Education Institution: How Leaders Can Prepare for and Promote Change’. The report based on research with 495 higher education leaders, found that few leaders are highly confident that their institutions are adequately prepared for changing market forces. Additionally, leaders are challenged by public perceptions of the value of higher education and increased competition for students both domestically and internationally. The research illustrates how leaders can position their institutions through meaningful change by building upon four key dimensions of transformation readiness.
HBCUs - increase in enrolment
New research has found anincrease in applications and enrollment at one-third of historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) over the past three years. The research was funded by the Rutgers Graduate School of Education (GSE) Center for Minority Serving Institutions (CMSI) and NODA: Association for Orientation, Transition and Retention in Higher Education.
The President of the Republic has signed the Decree on approval of the concept of development of the higher educational system of the Republic of Uzbekistan by 2030 to support higher educational system reform, improve the quality and modernize higher education. The main strategic objectives include: public-private partnerships development; increased level of higher education coverage (by 50 percent); and identifying two national flagship universities.
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PREVIOUS EDITIONSIAU Lynx October 2019
IAU Lynx September 2019
IAU Lynx July 2019IAU Lynx coordinator: Amanda Sudic
Collaborating team: Clarisse Gemelli, Nicholas Poulton, Samuel Pousson and Carine Sébast
Contact: Amanda Sudic
© IAU 2019
IAU Lynx October 2019KEEPING AN EYE ON HIGHER EDUCATION DEVELOPMENTS WORLDWIDEOctober 2019
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
Experts from Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) met in September at the University of Guadalajara, Mexico, to develop the Regional Strategy of UNESCO on education regarding Sustainable Development and World Citizenship within the 2030 Agenda.
UNESCO launched the Futures of Education initiative to reimagine how knowledge and learning can shape the futures of humanity in a context of increasing complexity, uncertainty and precarity during a high level event at the United Nations General Assembly in New York on 25 September. IAU has been invited to join the High-level International Commission of thought-leaders from diverse fields and regions that will lead this important work.
UNESCO International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP)
The UNESCO IIEP has published the French version of its book Internal Quality Assurance: Enhancing Higher Education Quality and Graduate Employability. It presents international trends in IQA today, including innovative practices and principles. It aims is to serve as a guide for higher education institutions planning to design and develop their own IQA systems. The book also includes eight in depth case studies from Austria, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Chile, China, Germany, Kenya, and South Africa.Education At A Glance, the OECD’s flagship report on education, has just been published. The 2019 edition includes a focus on higher education with new indicators on completion rates, doctoral graduates and their labour market outcomes, and on admission systems, as well as a dedicated chapter on the Sustainable Development Goal 4.
Return to top REGIONAL INITIATIVES
Arab States - Asia - Europe
The Association of Arab Universities, an IAU Member, have stated that they will undertake a process of classification of all universities in the region with the aim to achieve consistency in the criteria used to assess institutions. The project will be launched in cooperation with a number of Arab and international institutions and organisations as soon as preparations for the qualitative assessment of universities in the region are completed.
Association of Pacific Rim Universities (APRU)
The Report from the APRU 23rd Annual Presidents’ Meeting, held in June, has been released. Entitled Universities in an Age of Global Migrations, it introduces the APRU Strategic Plan 2019-2021 built around four priorities: Building global impact; Increasing APRU’s value to members; Creating high-value partnerships; Generating resources. It also sets out the ways these priorities will be implemented through a range of initiatives and activities.
Asian Development Bank (ADB)
The ADB has published Education and Skills Development under the CAREC Program: A Scoping Study assesses the potential of the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) as a regional platform to promote regional education and skills initiatives. It identifies cooperation opportunities among member countries to harmonise higher and professional education and skill standards, enhance student and worker mobility, strengthen labor market information and movement and facilitate knowledge exchange.
Asia-Pacific Quality Network (APQN)
The Call for Nominations for 2019 the APQN Quality Award has been launched. The award is intended to identify extraordinary or prominent QA contributions - by individuals or institutions, at national or international levels - and good practices that have potential of being replicated in the Asia-Pacific area.
Deadline:30 December 2019.European Commission
The EU has invested an additional €17.6 million to support over 8,500 newly selected African students and staff to participate in Erasmus+ in 2019. The results of the 2019 Erasmus+ call bring the total number of exchanges between Africa and Europe to 26,247 since the beginning of the programme in 2014. The additional funding of €17.6 million – coming from the Commission and the EU Trust Fund for Africa – has boosted participation by African nationals by 40% overall.European University Association (EUA)
The EUA has released two reports. Student-Centred Learning: Approaches to Quality Assurance examines what student-centred learning is, or can be, and how it can be addressed in internal quality assurance processes.
Achieving High-Quality Audit in European Research outlines how to make the EU reporting and control environment more efficient and effective.Science Europe
Science Europe has released a briefing paper on open access to academic books. The report identifies the key issues at stake in implementing a policy of Open Access to academic books, and outlines recommendations for different stakeholder groups.Return to top BILATERAL INITIATIVES
Australia - Indonesia
The Department of Education has released the report Stronger Education Partnerships, aimed at helping Australian providers evaluate opportunities to establish or expand operations in Indonesia. It provides an overview of the higher education sector, outlines education partnership models used and identifies barriers in the regulatory environment.Canada - Tunisia
The Tunisian Minister of Higher Education and Research, Slim Khalbous, signed 8 conventions with Canadian higher education institutions and research institutes. The conventions aim to develop cooperation between universities, applied research and student and researcher mobility, notably between Quebec and Tunisia.China - Macao
On 26 September, Mainland China and Macao signed a Memorandum on Mutual Recognition of Higher Education Qualifications and Academic Degrees.Cuba - Mexico
The National Association of Universities and other Mexican higher education centers and the Cuban Ministry of Higher Education (MES), signed an agreement on 24 September to reinforce “collaboration in search of scientific development and innovation,”. The agreement was signed by Jaime Valls, executive general secretary of the Mexican Association, and José Ramón Saborido, head of the MES, during the 15th Meeting of Rectors of Cuba and Mexico.
Return to top NATIONAL INITIATIVES
Algeria
Argentina Australia
Brazil Canada
Denmark Estonia
Ethiopia
Finland France India Ireland 
Morocco 
New Zealand Pakistan 
Sweden 
Taiwan United Kingdom United States of America 
Zimbabwe The Algerian Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research has set up two commissions to enhance the use of English language within universities and to undertake a study into the use of English within universities.
On 12 September, the National University Council (Consejo Interuniversitario Nacional) organised the International Forum on the Free University, the 70th anniversary of free university education in Argentina. The presentation by UNESCO-IESALC is now available.
Knowledge generation
In a Joint Statement issued in September, the National Research and Innovation Alliance outlines and commits to the fundamental principles that underpin knowledge generation – peer review in particular - that are essential to inform decision making by policy makers as well as by members of the broader community.Medical student places
The Australian Government Department of Education has released a discussion paper inviting stakeholder comments on the establishment and implementation of a pool of up to 60 medical Commonwealth supported places drawn from existing university allocations to be redistributed between universities every three years to support key health workforce priorities. The first round for 2021 will focus on helping to build the rural and regional medical workforce.The National Institute for Educational Studies and Research, Anísio Teixeira-INEP, has released the results of the annual Higher Education Census. One of the findings is that in 2018 the number of distance learning students exceeded those on-site.
The Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario has released the report Early Supports for Accessing Postsecondary Education: Good, Bad or Indifferent? The report notes that while secondary school graduation rates in Ontario have increased significantly over the past decade, many young people are still not pursuing postsecondary studies and calls for improved postsecondary access for underrepresented groups with interventions to support at-risk and disengaged students at the K–12 level.
The Danish government has released abudget proposal which will end the current annual spending cuts imposed on universities by the previous administration. The so-called reprioritization policy required educational institutions to cut costs by two percent annually.
The Ministry of Education and Research has announced an increase of €5 million in the budget allocated to higher education institutions.
Institutional capacity development support
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Save the Children and Ministry of Science and Higher Education announced $2 million in new institutional capacity development support to Ethiopian higher education institutions through USAID’s Building the Potential of Youth Activity (POTENTIAL); a five-year project implemented by Save the Children. The support will address some of the existing gaps between the skillsets of university students and the demands of the job market they will face after graduation.New university admission rule
The Ministry of Science and Higher Education announced a new university admission rule has been introduced in Ethiopia in response to security concerns. Under the rule, students will have to sign an agreement with district-level education offices in the areas where they live.Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC) are being trialled in two universities as a new route for university admission in Finland. It is part of the Alternative path to university, a higher education development project funded by the Ministry of Education and Culture.
France
Research plans
The Government has released the reports from three working groups set up to formulate plans for a new law on the Research programme.
The reports are Finance of research; scientific career attractiveness; and Research partnerships and innovation.Environment teaching at universities - bill
On 19 september, 80 members of parliament put forward a bill to make teaching on the environment crisis, and in particular climate change, compulsory at universities. This follows a Call signed by over 150 heads of higher education institutions to teach all students about the climate crisis.
Enrolment and reforms - data
The Minister of Higher Education, Research and Innovation has released a report which presents current data on enrolment and information on reforms being put in place this year, notably an increase in budget, continued changes in medical training, and the progressive introduction of a compulsory English language certification test.The University Grants Commission (UGC) has released Guidelines for Institutional Fitness Plan that encourage all universities and colleges to adopt policies and practices towards fitness and well being of students and staff as part of the Fit India movement.
On 25 September, the Minister of State for Higher Education, Mary Mitchell O’Connor T.D., established the Rapid Response Group on Drug and Substance Abuse in Higher Education. The group of experts are tasked with devising an action plan to deal with drug and substance abuse within the country’s higher education institutions.
New legislative plan
The Department of Higher Education has introduced a wide ranging legislative plan including six new laws on higher education. The plan comprises the revision of the law which organises the sector, and aims to provide more autonomy for universities, to decentralise and to reinforce regional institutions. It also creates the National Council for Research.
The Moroccan Conseil Supérieur de l’Éducation, de la Formation et de la Recherche Scientifique recently released the report “Réforme de l’enseignement supérieur - Perspectives stratégiques” (Higher Education Reform - Strategic Perspectives). The reforms will revolve around 7 major axis, including quality training, and national strategy for research and innovation (in French)
Education Counts has posted the summary report How Does New Zealand’s Education System Compare? OECD’s Education at a Glance, an annual Ministry of Education publication that examines how New Zealand’s education system – including higher education - performs compared to OECD averages.
Budget cuts impact
The Federation of All Pakistan Universities Academic Staff Associations has expressed their concern over cuts in budgetary allocations for universities, which has led to several universities being unable to pay salaries to their academic and administrative staffers on time. In addition, funding of travel grants and employment under the Interim Placement of Fresh PhDs (IPFP) programme has been stopped.Medical education
The Higher Education Commission (HEC) has been established a Committee to address emerging challenges and opportunities relating to undergraduate and graduate medical education in the country. This covers certification, research, adoption of international standards and addressing equivalence and certification issues in other countries.New law changes being proposed by the government will allow non-EU students in higher education and researchers to be able to apply to stay in Sweden for up to a year after their studies in order to seek employment or to set up their own business.
In September, the government announced that it was extending the length of post-study work visas for international students to two years.
Racial inequality - policy recommendations
The Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI) has published a collection of essays by senior higher education figures entitled The white elephant in the room: ideas for reducing racial inequality in higher education. The publication makes a number of policy recommendations such as funding new PhD places for black and ethnic minority (BME) candidates and making research grants to universities conditional on their participation in the Race Equality Charter.
Initiations briefing
Universities UK (UUK), in collaboration with Newcastle University, launched a briefing in September, Initiations at UK universities, to raise awareness of the dangers of initiations and excessive alcohol consumption among students. The briefing includes a consensus statement on the best way forward from stakeholders across the university and health sectors, and recommendations for universities.University finance - Scotland
A new report on university finances was published in September by Audit Scotland. The report shows that the financial picture for the country’s higher education sector has worsened since 2016, with universities facing increased costs, further funding cuts and more reliance on borrowing.FUTURE Act - Higher education support
The American Council on Education (ACE), Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U), NAFSA and 41 other associations have sent a letter to the Senate to vote in favour of the vote the Fostering Undergraduate Talent by Unlocking Resources for Education (FUTURE) Act. The bill extends funding for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education, student completion and infrastructure programs benefiting minority-serving higher education institutions.Combatting academic corruption
The Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) has released Combatting Academic Corruption and Enhancing Integrity: an Inventory of Key Questions for Quality Assurance and Accreditation Organizations. It is based on a worldwide Survey of Policies and Actions of Accreditation and Quality Assurance Bodies to Counter Corruption in Higher Education which showed that quality assurance/accreditation bodies, with a few exceptions, play a limited role in combatting academic corruption, the Inventory aims to provide ideas and suggestions to quality assurance bodies to further engage and assume greater responsibility in this area.The Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development Minister, Amon Murwira, has announced additional funding of $20 million for research and related infrastructure at higher education institutions and research institutes.
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PREVIOUS EDITIONSIAU Lynx September 2019
IAU Lynx July 2019
IAU Lynx June 2019IAU Lynx coordinator: Amanda Sudic
Collaborating team: Clarisse Gemelli, Nicholas Poulton, Samuel Pousson and Carine Sébast
Contact: [email protected]
© IAU 2019
IAU Lynx September 2019KEEPING AN EYE ON HIGHER EDUCATION DEVELOPMENTS WORLDWIDESeptember 2019
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
Progress for SDG 4 - Paris Outcome Statement
The Paris Outcome Statement is the result of the meeting of the Global Multilateral Education Partners at UNESCO in Paris, on 4 July. Entitled ’Jointly Accelerating Progress for SDG 4’, endorsing organisations committed to maintaining strategic dialogue through a joint action platform, supporting the establishment of the SDG global education forum, and aligning their work on defined priorities to accelerate progress towards SDG 4.Global Action Programme on Education for Sustainable Action - report published
The Global Action Programme (GAP) on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) met in Ha Noi, Vietnam, from 4 to 5 July, for a final annual meeting of the GAP Partner Networks under the theme: ’Lessons learned from five years of the GAP’. The findings of the 2015-2018 GAP review are presented in the report Education for Sustainable Development: Partners in Action.Refugees’ qualifications
In June, the inception meeting of UNESCO Qualifications Passport for Refugees and Vulnerable Migrants project was organised by the Norwegian Agency for Quality Assurance in Education (NOKUT), in Oslo, Norway. It aims to build up a global Qualification Recognition in reaction to the increasing global population mobility and to protect the rights of refugees.MOOCs in India
A new UNESCO report Massive Open Online Courses: the Emerging Landscape of Digital learning in India reviews major initiatives undertaken by Indian authorities to facilitate lifelong learning for teachers, students, and those in employment. The report covers e-Learning programmes, draws lessons from India’s first generation of online learners and provides recommendations for educational planners.UNESCO Bangkok - Self-assessment for blended learning
UNESCO Bangkok has developed a new online self-assessment tool for higher education institutions to enhance their understanding of blended learning and promote the quality of higher education in the Asia-Pacific.Social responsibility book - call for contributions
The UNESCO Chair in Community Based Research and Social Responsibility in Higher Education is editing a book entitled Social Responsibility and Higher Education: International Perspectives on Knowledge Democracy. The book is being prepared as a contribution to the 2021 UNESCO World Conference on Higher Education.
Deadline for expressions of interest: 31 October. United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR)
The United Nations Refugee Agency, UNHCR, has released a report on refugee education worldwide. Entitled ‘Stepping Up: Refugee Education in Crisis’, the report covers all levels of education. One chapter is devoted to access for refugees to higher education, which has increased from 1% in previous years to 3% in 2018, a total of 87,833 higher education refugee students worldwide. The report examines the barriers refugees face in attaining higher education, including qualifications, language and cost and access to a quality secondary education and looks at ways to overcome these to meet UNHCR’s target of 15% of the eligible refugee population in higher education by 2030. Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie
AUF and the Francophone Network of Quality Agencies for Higher Education (FrAQ-Sup) have released the results of a survey of external quality assurance practices and needs at 909 higher education and research institutions worldwide. The results will help develop the actions of the AUF and its partners to improve university governance in the French-speaking world.The Commonwealth Education Report 2019 has been published by the Commonwealth of Learning. The report brings together perspectives from over 50 world experts on education and lifelong learning to address some of the Commonwealth’s education challenges and opportunities. The report has a special focus on Africa.
Council of Europe
The Declaration adopted by participants at the Global Forum on Academic Freedom, Institutional Autonomy, and the Future of Democracy held at the Council of Europe in Strasbourg in June is now available. The Declaration emphasises the role of higher education in supporting academic freedom, warns against threats to academic freedom and calls on higher education institutions to commit to social responsibility and to protecting academic freedom within their institution. The event was co-organised by the Council of Europe; the International Consortium for Higher Education, Civic Responsibility and Democracy; the Organization of American States; the Magna Charta Observatory; and the International Association of Universities. OECD
The OECD has released Benchmarking Higher Education System Performance. The report is based on a benchmarking review of higher education systems for all OECD countries. It also reviews indicators, policies and practices for four jurisdictions that elected to participate in a deeper benchmarking exercise: Estonia, the Flemish Community of Belgium, the Netherlands and Norway. World Bank
The World Bank has released a new report on higher education in Kenya. Entitled ‘Improving Higher Education Performance in Kenya’ the report examines financing and funding, access, evaluation, qualifications and technology. Royal Netherlands Academy for Arts and Sciences
The Royal Netherlands Academy for Arts and Sciences has launched a call for submissions for the International Heineken Prizes 2020 in research. Five prizes, each of USD 200,000, are to be awarded in Biochemistry and Biophysics, Cognitive Science, Environmental Sciences, History and Medicine. The prizes are offered by the Alfred Heineken Fondsen Foundation and are intended for scientists and scholars currently active in their field and whose research still holds considerable promise for future innovative discoveries.
Nominations should be submitted before 15 October 2019.Return to top REGIONAL INITIATIVES
Africa - Americas - Arab States - Asia - Europe
African Union Development Agency
New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) has become the African Union Development Agency. NEPAD was created in 2001 to provide a vision and policy framework for accelerating economic cooperation and integration among African countries. Its transformation into AUDA-NEPAD was one of the main initiatives submitted in 2018 to the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union. These decisions were endorsed at the 35th Ordinary Session of the Executive Council of the AU, in Niamey, Niger in July 2019.
Association of African Universities
The North America Office of the Association of African Universities (AAU), an IAU Member, is to be inaugurated on 1 October 2019 in Washington DC. The AAU hopes the Office will help promote relations and academic collaborations between universities in North America and their African counterparts.
International Conference of States
On 13 July, the Latin America and Caribbean region at the International Conference of States (CIE), convened by UNESCO in Buenos Aires, adopted a new Regional Convention on the Recognition of Studies, Diplomas and Degrees in Higher Education in Latin America and the Caribbean – the Buenos Aires Recognition Convention. 13 Member States from the region signed the Convention which will support academic and student mobility, strengthen the recognition of qualifications across the region, and inter-university cooperation.
UNESCO Regional Office for Sciences - CONICYT
From 17 to 19 July in Santiago del Chile, the Science, Technology and Innovation Policy Program (STI) of the UNESCO Regional Office for Sciences in Latin America and the Caribbean, together with CONICYT and the Equality Policy Division of the Ministry of Women and Gender Equality of Chile organised a workshop on the SAGA Project, that aims to reduce the gender gap in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization Regional Centre for Higher Education and Development (SEAMEO RIHED)
The 4th Strategic Dialogue of Education Ministers was held during the 50th SEAMEO Council Conference on 24 July. It focused on issues related to inclusive education, discussed new opportunities and challenges, the critical role of technology in education and provided directions for SEAMEO towards its post-2020 Strategic Plan.
SEAMEO has posted presentations from the International Conference on Leadership and Management in Higher Education: Driving Change with Global Trends’ it coorganised in July in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Sessions addressed included institutional autonomy; quality assurance and accreditation in higher education; Enhancing graduate employability; Industry 4.0 and higher education.
University associations’ academic freedom statement
University organisations in Germany, Austria and Poland, - the Hoschulrektorenkonferenz (HRK), Universities Austria and the Conference of Rectors of Academic Schools in Poland - addressed a joint Statement in July to the Hungarian government expressing their concerns about the Hungarian parliament’s recent legislation to reorganise the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, which is expected to take effect in September. The Statement urges the Hungarian Government to withdraw the bill and to uphold and guarantee the academic autonomy of Hungarian academic organisations and institutions.
Return to top BILATERAL INITIATIVES
Australia - Uzbekistan
The Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) and the Republic of Uzbekistan State Inspectorate for Supervision of Quality in Education have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to cooperate in joint research activities and publications, supporting staff exchange, and exchanging educational research, information and expertise.
Belaurus - Egypt
On 24 August, the Belarus Ambassador to Egypt met with the Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research in Egypt Khaled, Attef Abd El-Ghafar to discuss Belarusian-Egyptian cooperation in higher education in the context of the official visit of the President of Egypt to the Republic of Belarus in June 2019. Special attention was paid to deepening inter-university cooperation and enhancing student mobility.
Japan - United Kingdom
The UK-Japan University Dialogue 2019 was held in the UK on June 12 -14. Presentations are now available. The programme aimed to promote further cooperation in higher education in the UK and Japan. Sessions addressed institutional governance for universities, the research landscape in universities, and student mobility.
Philippines - China
On 29 August, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) of the Philippines and the Ministry of Education (MOE) of China signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to fast track bilateral cooperation in higher education. The MOU includes mutual recognition of degrees and institutions, faculty and student exchanges through scholarships and the establishment of a credit transfer arrangement;
South Africa - Cuba
In August, the South African Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology, Blade Nzimande, met with Cuban Ambassador Rodolfo Benitez and discussed the importance of boosting bilateral cooperation in higher education.
South Africa - India
South Africa’s Deputy Minister for Higher Education Mr. Buti Kgwaridi Manamela, met with India’s Minister of State (MoS) for Human Resource Development, Shri Sanjay Dhotre, on 26 August in New Delhi. They discussed the agreement on cooperation in Higher Education including mutual recognition of academic qualifications.Return to top NATIONAL INITIATIVES
Argentina Australia Brazil Canada
Chile
Colombia
Cyprus Estonia Ethiopia France
Germany
Hungary India Ireland 
Japan 
Kenya 
Madagascar Pakistan 
Philippines 
Singapore 
Spain 
Turkey 
Uganda 
United Arab Emirates United Kingdom United States of America 
Venezuela Zimbabwe More than 30 rectors and university authorities presented the National Connectivity Project to the National Communications Authority (Ente Nacional de Comunicaciones-ENACOM) on 27 June. The initiative seeks to eliminate the existing digital gap among Argentine universities and with other countries in the region.
Creation of University Foreign Interference Taskforce
On 28 August, Minister for Education Dan Tehan, announced that the government will establish a University Foreign Interference Taskforce to provide better protection for universities. It will include representatives from universities, national security organisations and the Department of Education. Its work will focus on cyber security; research and intellectual property; foreign collaboration; culture and communication.
A framework for the development of principles-based guidelines to counter foreign interference in the Australian university sector has also been released.Regional universities - Destination Australia Programme
The Minister for Education has launched the Destination Australia Programme which aims to attract and support international and domestic students to study in regional Australia. Higher education providers can apply for funding to administer and promote scholarships for Australian and international students who live and study in regional Australia.Risks assessment
The Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA) has released the report Key Risk Findings on Australia’s Higher Education Sector which examines the performance of the sector and identifies areas for development among universities and other higher education institutions. It focuses on risks to students and risks to financial position.Admissions processes guidance
TEQSA has also released the report Good Practice Note: Making Higher Education Admissions Transparent for Prospective Students that presents practical advice to assist providers in making the processes for admission to higher education institutions transparent for prospective students.Higher education update
Universities Australia has released Higher Education Facts and Figures, its bi-annual updated snapshot of the Australia’s higher education system. Chapters address: funding and university finance, students; science, research and innovation; international rankings; university workforce; indigenous students and staff.In July, the Brazilian National Research and Educational Network (Rede Nacional de Ensino e Pesquisa – RNP) announced that new high-performance connectivity between Brazil and the United States has been activated for teaching and research purposes.
New internationalization strategy
In August, the government announced a new internationalisation strategy entitled ‘Building on Success: Canada’s International Education Strategy (2019-2024)’. The plan commits CAN$148 million (100.5 million Euros) over five years to international education initiatives, followed by a further CAN $8 million (5.4 million Euros) per year of ongoing funding. The priority areas for the new strategy are diversifying source markets for Canadian institutions and encouraging more Canadians to go abroad to study.Funding for preventing gender-based violence
On 29 August, the Minister of International Development and Minister for Women and Gender Equality, announced that CAN $1.5 million (1 million Euros) would be allocated to support post-secondary institutions in preventing and addressing gender based violence on their campuses. The funding announcement was made at the launch of the ‘Courage to Act’ report about addressing and preventing gender-based violence at post-secondary institutions across Canada.Bill passed to respond to sexual harassment at universities
On 20 August, Chile’s Senate approved a bill requiring state-supported institutions of higher education to create detailed protocols to respond to sexual harassment. The bill will now move to the Chamber of Deputies before becoming law.Violence within universities - Council of Rectors response
On 20 August, theChili Universities Council of Rectors (Consejo de Rectores de las Universidades Chilenas-CRUCH) officially condemned violent behavior within universities, following the acts of violence that took place in the last few months.On 8 August, the Ministry of Education met the Management Commission of the National Decennial Education Plan 2016-2026 to define the guidelines that will be implemented in Colombia. The Plan includes the incorporation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly for SDG4 on education.
The government has approved several measures for universities in Cyprus. By amending Article 8 of the Private Universities Law, the state now allows private universities to determine their own tuition fees, however a Ministry of Education decree of 7 June, has set a 2.1% control rate on tuition fee increases by private universities. Tax incentives for private universities, and in some cases exemption from VAT, have also been introduced. Private universities will also be obliged to classify themselves as Research Organizations. Another new incentive is the permission granted to third-country students to work part-time for up to 20 hours.
A new Higher Education Act enters into force in Estonia in September under which students starting professional higher education will for the first time receive a bachelor’s degree at the end of their studies. Under the new Higher Education Act, the same requirements apply to professional and academic higher education.
Ethiopia’s Ministry of Education announced in August the reintroduction of the 6-2-4 education system: six years of primary schooling, followed by two years of junior high and four years of high school. The national examination that has been given at grade 10 will be canceled in the coming academic year and the higher education entry exam will be given at grade 12.
The Ministry for Higher Education, Research and Innovation has announced several measures for the academic year 2019-2020 including the freezing of enrolment fees for students and an increase in the amount of student grants by 1%.
On 19 July, the German Council of Science and Humanities and the German Research Foundation announced the results of the first call of the funding for ‘Universities of Excellence’ of the German Excellence Strategy. Ten universities and one university consortium of Excellence were selected to receive permanent institutional funding as well as the title of universities of excellence.
The Prime Minister’s Office has announced that from September, the Innovation and Technology Ministry headed by László Palkovics will take over the management of higher education.
Educational quality - "Paramarsh" programme
The Ministry has launched the “Paramarsh” programme expected to improve the quality of Indian Higher Education by selecting top universities to mentor higher education institutions to upgrade their academic performance and enable them to become accredited by 2022. Areas of focus will include: curriculum, teaching-learning and evaluation, research, innovation, institutional values and practices. The University Grants Commission (UGC) has released guidelines for implementing the
Paramarsh - UGC Scheme for Mentoring NAAC Accreditation Aspirant Institutions to Promote Quality Assurance in Higher Education.Research and innvoation - Vice Chancellors’ resolution
Vice-Chancellors gathered at a conference on Research & Innovation in Higher Education in July where they committed to improving the quality of teaching learning process and adopted a 10-point resolution for transforming Universities into institutions engaged in cutting edge research.Promoting regional languages
The Ministry has posted a recap on various steps taken to promote regional languages in Higher Education such as university text books, translation and publications.The National Report on Student Mental Health in Third Level Education by the Union of Students in Ireland was launched by Minister of State for Higher Education Mary Mitchell O’Connor in August. Funded by the Health Service Executive, the report surveyed 3,340 students on their experiences with mental health and mental health services and found that 32% of respondents reported that they had received a formal diagnosis of a mental health difficulty.
The National Information Center for Academic Recognition is to be established in September. In accordance with the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Regional Convention on the Recognition of Qualifications in Higher Education (known as the Tokyo Convention). It will provide information on education systems and institutions to facilitate recognition of higher education qualifications and mobility between Japan, the Asia-Pacific, and worldwide.
The Vice-Chancellors Committee of Public Universities in Kenya has released a report recommending several higher education reforms, including increasing tuition fees, a new categorisation of universities into academic specialisations, outsourcing of ‘non-core’ functions and linking government funding to student numbers.
In July, the Prime Minister announced the appointment of Blanche Nirina Richard as new Minister of Higher Education and Research, replacing Rejo Fienena.
The Higher Education Commission has announced that two-year BA/ BSc degree programmes will be phased out and replaced with Associate Degrees. Admissions after 2018 will be awarded the Associate Degree.
New higher education law
A new law has been passed authorising higher education curriculum development and graduate training in advanced energy and green building technologies. Under the ‘Advanced Energy and Green Building Technologies Curriculum Act’, the Commission on Higher Education, with the help of the Department of Energy, must develop a curriculum on advanced energy and green-building technologies at the undergraduate and graduate levels. State universities and colleges will also be required to submit development and infrastructure plans for the management of land resources.Expansion of free higher education policy
The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) has announced that to increase access to higher education an additional 27 local universities and colleges (LUCs) will be covered by the free higher education policy, starting from this academic year.The Ministry of Education has announced three new initiatives aimed at ensuring that higher education remains affordable, including increased government bursaries and lower tuition fees.
Crue Universidades Españolas, the Spanish universities association, an IAU Member, together with the Universitat Jaume I of Castellón and the CYD Foundation, organised the Seminar ‘The Ibero-American Space of Knowledge: University contributions to an advanced and sustainable economy in the region’ on 15 and 16 July. Videos of presentations are now available.
The Turkish Higher Education Council has released the Turkish Foundation Universities Annual Report. The report includes academic, administrative and financial data of foundation higher education institutions in Turkey.
(in Turkish)The Parliament of Uganda has approved the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Support Project. Under the project, the government will borrow up to US$45 million (40.6 million Euros) from the Islamic Development Bank for the renovation of technical institutes in the country.
According to data released from the Statistics Centre-Abu Dhabi, the number of female students enrolled in higher education in Abu Dhabi has increased annually by 8.2 percent in the past ten years. In the 2016-2017 academic year 49.8 percent were female students.
International students - Student visas
Universities UK, Guild HE, MillionPlus, the Russell Group, University Alliance and UKCISA have jointly produced a briefing document for the government calling for reform to the student visa system for international students.New Prime Minister - Universities UK requests
Universities UK has called upon the new Prime Minister to maintain the success of universities in the UK by supporting improved post-study work visas and by guaranteeing replacement funding if tuition fees are cut.Brexit and student demand
The Higher Education Policy Institute has published a new report looking at the impact of Brexit on student demand.
https://www.hepi.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Two-sides-of-the-same-coin-Brexit-and-future-student-demand.pdfAccess - care experienced students (Scotland)
As part of a commitment to increase university admission to underrepresented groups, Scotland’s higher education institutions have announced that from 2020 care experienced applicants who meet minimum entry requirements will be guaranteed an offer of an undergraduate place at university.Academic mobility
Research from the Russell Group of universities shows more EU academics leaving UK universities between 2015/16 and 2016/17 and a slowing in growth of those arriving from overseas since 2014/15.
https://russellgroup.ac.uk/news/brexit-and-eu-academics/The Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) recently released ‘Innovation in Accreditation and Higher Education: Accrediting Organizations Describe Their Engagement’. This research report provides a comprehensive look at U.S. recognised accrediting organizations and how they address the challenge of innovation with quality in higher education.
The Supreme Court of Justice of Venezuela issued a ruling on 27 August that obliges all national universities to hold elections of their leadership within six months.
The Government has announced that it has allocated Zimbabwe $40 million towards a revolving education loan fund for access by students from State universities. This follows an announcement of the reintroduction of student loans for students in State universities.
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IAU Lynx July 2019
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IAU Lynx May 2019IAU Lynx coordinator: Amanda Sudic
Collaborating team: Clarisse Gemelli, Nicholas Poulton, Samuel Pousson and Carine Sébast
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