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IAU Lynx February 2019
KEEPING AN EYE ON HIGHER EDUCATION DEVELOPMENTS WORLDWIDEFebruary 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
Recognition of migrants and refugees qualifications
A new policy paper What a waste: Ensure Migrants and Refugees’ Qualifications and Prior Learning are Recognized (French version) reviews global progress towards the recognition of qualifications and of prior learning and identifies examples where countries have made special provisions for migrants and refugees.Global Education Meeting - Brussels Declaration
The Global Education Meeting - Brussels, 3 - 5 December 2018 - reviewed progress towards the global education targets and commitments in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The outcome is the Brussels Declaration that calls for strengthened collective action to achieve SDG4, “Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all”.Global Educational inequalities data
UNESCO has released new data on educational inequalities, notably on higher education attendance and higher edication completion rate by region, countries and by income groups.UNESCO Institute for Information Technologies in Education (UNESCO IITE)
Presentations from the international training workshop Digital technologies and transformation of higher education, held in Georgia in November, are now online. Discussions covered: main trends of HEIs’ digital transformation; ICTs’ potential for developing universities and the educational ecosystem; digital skills and information Literacy; digital resources and OERs.UNESCO Bangkok - Asia and Pacific Regional Bureau for Education
The policy brief Developing Holistic Indicators to Promote the Internationalization of Higher Education in the Asia-Pacific, proposes indicators to capture broader dimensions of HE internationalization, other than student mobility, at system and institutional levels. It aims to help users better understand and adapt the indicators for internationalization for use in their local contexts.UNESCO Office in Beirut
UNESCO Beirut has agreed with the Ministry of Education and Higher Education on the priorities of the higher education sector framework for doctoral studies. These are: the establishment of a National Qualification Framework (NQF); the design of a new HED strategy; ensuring quality assurance; and building a comprehensive framework for doctoral studies.
Agence universitaire de la francophonie - G3 Quality Colloquium
The 2018 edition of the G3 Quality Colloquium was held at the Université de Montréal, Canada, in October 2018 on the theme of Quality Approaches in Higher Education: What are the Effects?Presentations and videos are now available. Lumina Foundation
A new report published by the Lumina Foundation ‘All Around the World - Higher Education Equity Policies across the Globe’, based on a global survey of 71 countries, finds that although for most countries, equity is a priority theme in the higher education agenda, a number of countries do not have clear equity promotion strategies or mobilise sufficient resources for access. OECD
OECD has just released The Future of Mexican Higher Education - Promoting Quality and Equity, available online. The publication assesses national higher education governance and co-operation structures, and the relevance of existing national strategies. It also looks at public funding of higher education institutions,quality assurance; and the extent to which the higher education system contributes to equity.The World Bank has just released South Africa Economic Update : Enrollments in Tertiary Education Must Rise. The report asserts that the recent South African policy, which offers free higher education to 90% of academically eligible students in order to increase access and enrolments, will put a strain on the national budget and examines how it can be achieved without compromising education quality and fiscal sustainability.
Return to top REGIONAL INITIATIVES
Africa - Asia & Pacific - Europe
African Union - Association of Association of African Universities (AAU)
The African Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance (ASG-QA) of Higher Education
has just been published. It is a result of an initiative implemented by a consortium including the Association of African Universities (AAU) and the European University Association (EUA), the aim was to promote and facilitate a harmonized HE system in Africa, as well as to promote mobility, The Guidelines will be submitted to the African Union this year for a more formal endorsement.African Minds - Research universities in Africa
‘Research Universities in Africa’ has just been published by African Minds. The final publication from the HERANA research project, the open access publication presents data gathered from eight African universities based on the full 15 years of empirical data collected by the project over the period 2001-2015.Association of African Universities (AAU)
Call for applications Female Participation in Science in African Universities
The Association of African Universities (AAU) in collaboration with the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) is looking for a consultant with research experience to conduct studies into factors affecting female participation in science in Africa. Closing date: 15 February 2019.eLearning Africa 2018 and African Ministerial Round Table
The report of the eLearning Africa 2018 conference, held in September in Kigali, Rwanda, has just been published. It includes an examination of the Africa Ministerial Round Table which focused on the theme ‘Towards a Knowledge Based Economy’.In a Joint Statement issued at the 22nd EU-ASEAN Ministerial Meeting Brussels, Belgium, 21 January 2019, ASEAN and EU Foreign Ministers and representatives committed to: promote cooperation on education, notably involving academia, and encouraging bilateral student and academic mobility at HEIs; enhance cooperation in communication, science, technology, and innovation.
Vienna declaration signed by 10 Rectors Associations
Organisations representing the heads of universities in 10 European countries (Austria, the Czech Republic, Croatia, Germany, Italy, Poland, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia and Switzerland),signed the ‘Vienna Declaration’at a meeting in December in Austria. The Declaration stresses the imperative of academic freedom, academic integrity in teaching and research, and the autonomy of universities. The declaration also calls on governments to prevent any undermining of research, and institutional autonomy and expressed concern at movements in Europe and beyond that threaten the democratic nature of institutions and societies.European Union - Erasmus+ proposed regulation for Brexit
The European Commission has proposed a Regulation to Erasmus+ in case of a no-deal Brexit. Under the regulation, contingency measures would be put in place to avoid the disruption of Erasmus+ student mobility activities involving the United Kingdom at the time of its withdrawal from the European Union.Erasmus + - Community engagement in HE
The Erasmus + project ’Towards a European Framework for Community Engagement in Higher Education(TEFCE)’, led by the Institute for the Development of Education (Croatia) and the Technische Universität Dresden (Germany) and with ACUP (the Catalan Association of Public Universities,) has released its first publication ‘Mapping and Critical Synthesis of Current State-of-the-Art on Community Engagement in Higher Education’.European University Association (EUA)
Doctoral education
The European University Association (EUA) has published Doctoral Education in Europe Today. The report presents the results of research gathered from more than 300 institutions across Europe, and provides an overview of the deep transformation that has taken place in doctoral education over the past ten years.Academic teaching careers
The European University Association (EUA) has published two reports on the situation and challenges of academic teaching career paths across Europe and the Continuous Development of Teaching Competences for academic staff.Return to top BILATERAL INITIATIVES
Germany - UK
In January, Vice chancellors from the UK Russell Group and the German U15 signed a declaration pledging their commitment to promote research, innovation and student education post-Brexit.Philippines - Turkey
The Philippines’ Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and Turkey’s Council of Higher Education (YÖK) signed the Protocol for Cooperation in the Field of Higher Education in November. The agreement aims to strengthen the academic cooperation between the two countries for the next three years. It will enable faculty and student mobility; offer scholarships and training programmes, and research activities.
Mongolia - Taiwan
The Mongolian National Council for Education Accreditation (MNCEA) and the Higher Education Evaluation and Accreditation Council of Taiwan (HEEACT) signed a three-year term memorandum of understanding in November. They agreed to collaborate in exchange of staff, reviewers and evaluators to observe both organisations’ accreditation evaluation activities, jointly develop accreditation workshops and seminars, and cooperatively lead institutions through the accreditation process.
Return to top NATIONAL INITIATIVES
Australia
Belgium
Canada
Chile
France
Germany
Hong Kong
Hungary
India
Indonesia
Ireland
Japan
The Netherlands
Nigeria 
Philippines
Spain 
Thailand 
United Kingdom 
United States 
Venezuela The Minister of Education and Science, Lindita Nikolla, resigned on 8 December. Besa Shahini, former deputy Minister of Education has been appointed in her place. This comes further to nationwide student protests since December 2018, in the context of raised tuition fees, low government funding of universities and increased privatisation.
Financial data
Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency’s (TEQSA) has released Key Financial Metrics on Australia’s Higher Education Sector, a snapshot of selected key financial metrics across the Australian HE sector with a special focus on dual sector providers - higher education providers that deliver both higher education and vocational education and training.Educational quality
The 2018 Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency’s (TEQSA) conference, themed innovation, excellence and diversity was held in Melbourne in November 2018. Presentations are now available online and cover student perspectives on excellence and diversity, online higher education trends and the value of degrees in the future workplace.Women academics and leadership
The Universities Australia Executive Women’s Group has developed a new guide entitled Sponsorship: Creating Career Opportunities for Women in Higher Education. It outlines how senior leaders can actively create opportunities to develop the skills and careers of their staff and provides strategic advice and practical tips to tackle the under-representation of women in senior university leadership.Fourteen new development cooperation projects are starting this year in 12 countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America and the Caribbean. Funded by the Belgian Cooperation, the projects, selected by ARES, the organisation of higher education institutions in the Belgian Wallonia-Brussels Federation, focus on training and scientific research around development issues and are implemented by higher education institutions in the Wallonia-Brussels Federation and their partners in France.
A new report by the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario, Minding the Gap?, examines students’ perceptions of the gap between skills they develop in higher education and those they think they will need in their future careers.
In January, Education Minister, Marcela Cubillos, and leaders of 17 higher education institutions took part in the inaugural session of Advisory Council for Higher Education which will manage the implementation of Chile’s new Higher Education law. The law, which was passed in May 2018, establishes free higher education for a majority of the country’s population, especially those who are economically marginalised.
International students’ fees - Universities respond
15 universities in France have stated that that they will not implement the fee increase for international students, which was announced in November by the government. The French Association of University Presidents (Conférence des Présidents d’Université - CPU) has released a statement asking the government to suspend the fee increase due to start in 2019-2020, and for a consultation to take place.Enrolment
The Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation released a report in January providing data and results of the first year of the new system and platform for undergraduate admissions to universities in France, called ‘Parcoursup’.Medical studies
A bill on changes to medical education will be introduced to Parliament in the spring. This follows the announcement in September by President Macron on the reform of medical education. The proposed law will abolish the rule setting quotas on the number of students admitted to second and third years of medical studies from 2020. Instead, universities will themselves decide on the number of students admitted.Teaching
The Centre for Higher Education (CHE - Centrum für Hochschulentwicklung) has released a new report entitled Reflecting on Rankings : How good is teaching at German higher education institutions (report in German) which finds that while the general framework for the country’s universities needs improving, students are nevertheless largely satisfied with their degree courses.Academic mobility - residency rights
The German Rectors’ Conference has released an updated leaflet (in English) on the rights of residence in Germany for researchers from non-EU countries. It provides an overview of the different residency options available for academics.Digital research and sustainable development
The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and the German Development Institute (DIE) have published a joint expert paper on digitisation in higher education and research with regards to sustainable development. The paper was developed at the international expert meeting on “Digital Transformation: Higher Education and Research for Sustainable Development”, which took place on 8-9 November 2018 in Bonn.In December, the University Grants Committee (UGC) released a Study of Tuition Fee Policies in the Higher Education Sector undertaken by The Higher Education Policy Institute. It reviews a variety of approaches adopted by different jurisdictions - Singapore, England, Australia, USA, Germany, Ireland, Chile, Norway - to finance undergraduate education and share costs between government and students.
Tempus Public Foundation (TPF) in partnership with the Ministry of Human Capacities successfully completed the project: Continuing EHEA reforms in Hungary at the end of 2018. The project aimed to support internationalisation, to foster mobility and the usage of EHEA tools, to enhance capacities of HEIs, to improve quality of teaching and learning, and to promote innovation and university-business cooperation.
Online courses credit transfer
92 universities have accepted credit transfer for online and MOOCs courses through the ’Study Webs of Active Learning for Young Aspiring Minds’ (SWAYAM) Platform.Access quotas to be implemented
The Government has announced that from the academic year 2019-20, a 10 per cent quota for ‘Economically Weaker Section (EWS)’ will be implemented across 900 Universities and 40,000 colleges across the country. Additional places will be created in these institutions to implement the quota.Research publications
The University Grants Commission (UGC) has set up a Consortium for Academic and Research Ethics (CARE) to refine and strengthen research publication in Social Sciences, Humanities, Languages, Arts, Culture, and Knowledge Systems. CARE will maintain the UGC approved list of journals, referred to as ‘CARE Reference List of Quality Journals’. Indonesia
The Ministry of Research, Technology and Higher Education’s national meeting held at Diponegoro University on 4 January resulted in the production of seven recommendations outlining support to: learning and student affairs; Agencies for technology, science, technology and higher education; research and development; and internal monitoring; and the launch of the agency for university entrance tests (LTMPT) to administer the tests based on principles of credibility, justice, transparency, flexibility, efficiency and accountabilityPost-brexit fees for UK students
The Minister of State for Higher Education, Mary Mitchell O’Connor, and the Minister for Education and Skills, Joe McHugh, announced in January that UK nationals wishing to study in Ireland for the 2019-2020 academic year will continue to pay the current fee rate for European students. The government also said that they will continue support for Irish higher education students planning to study in the UK.HE statistics released
The Higher Education Authority (HEA) has released the latest statistics for the Irish higher education system on enrolments, qualifications, finance and graduates. The data shows that the trend of increasing enrolments to the higher education system continues in 2017-18.International Students
The results of a survey of international students in Japan from the Japan Student Services Organization (JASSO) shows that international student numbers in Japan have increased for the sixth year in a row. There were 298,980 foreign students in 2018, compared with 267,050 in 2017, an increase of 12%.International cooperation
The Japan Association of National Universities (JANU) has released presentations from the 2018 Japan-Spain Presidents’ Joint Symposium themed "Promotion of Academic Cooperation between Japan and Spain" - University of Salamanca, November 27 and 28, 2018 and the 2018 Japan - France Symposium in Higher Education” themed "The universities’ roles and internationalization in the regional development" which was hekd jointly with the French Conference of Presidents of Universities (CPU) and the Conference of Deans of French Schools of Engineering (CDEFI).In December, the Dutch Inspectorate of Education published the results of an investigation (in Dutch) that found that many higher education institutions in the Netherlands contravene the 1992 Dutch Higher Education Law regarding the language of instruction, and that the Inspectorate has failed to monitor whether these institutions comply with this law. Although the law states that the default language in Dutch higher education is Dutch, degree courses in the Netherlands are increasingly taught entirely in English, particularly at Masters level (76% of Masters programmes in 2018-2019).
The Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, announced in January that the federal government has released the sum of N163 billion (390 Million Euros) to Nigerian universities from the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) as part of efforts to end the ongoing strike embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
Around a thousand Private Higher Education Institutions (HEI) have signed a Memorandum of Agreement with the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) to implement the Tertiary Education Subsidy (TES) of Republic Act 10931, a grants-in-aid program designed for poor students enrolled in public and private HEIs with a funding of PhP16 billion from the national government.
HE statistics released
CRUE, the Spanish Universities Association, a Member of IAU, has published ‘The Spanish University in Figures 2016/2017’. This report includes the latest statistics on the Spanish university system, access and demand, research and development, finance, and student and academic mobility.Universities and Sustainable Development Goals - Catalonia
ACUP, the Catalan Association of Public Universities, an IAU Member, has published 40 case studies showing Catalan public universities’ commitment to the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals.Teaching indicators - Catalonia
ACUP has also just published Education and Teaching Indicators in Catalan Public Universities 2018 which provides data on teaching in universities, taking into account all contributing factors, from the students themselves and the teaching and research staff to the educational courses, their quality accreditation, as well as the infrastructure, international mobility, and the options for lifelong education.New Education Ministers appointed
On 21 January, the Prime Minister Stefan Löfven announced appointments of the new Minister for Education, Anna Ekström, and the new Minister of Higher Education and Research, Matilda Ernkrans.The Ministry of Education, Thailand, Office of the Higher Education Commission (OHEC), has posted the presentations from the international academic symposium on Internationalization of Higher Education held in November 2018 in Bangkok. Topics addressed were: viewpoints from International Agencies; internationalization national Policy; institutional best practices for Internationalization; and developing internationalization indicators.
Legislation passed - Accelerated degrees
The UK parliament has approved the government plans for plans for ‘accelerated’ two-year undergraduate degrees. Under the plans, universities will be allowed to charge higher annual rates for the degree courses, but the overall price for the degree will fall. The courses would have the same number of teaching hours as traditional three-year degree courses.Brexit - universities responses
In an open letter to MPs, Universities UK, the Russell Group, Guild HE, MillionPlus and University Alliance warn that if Britain leaves the European Union without a deal this could lead to “an academic, cultural and scientific setback from which it would take decades to recover.” They call for a guarantee from the UK government that research funding from which the UK may be excluded with Brexit will be replaced.International student revenues
The UK Department of Education has released a report which shows that the value of total education exports (revenues from international students) and transnationational education activity is estimated to be £19.9 billion in 2016, an increase of 3.1 % since 2015 and by 26% since 2010, in current prices.Facts and figures
Higher education in Facts and Figures 2018, released by Universities UK, provides an overview of universities’ research activity, student employability, and information on international students and staff in 2016-17. It also finds that 14% of undergraduate students, 35% of postgraduate students and 30% of academic staff in UK universities were from outside the UK.Title IX - sexual misconduct proposed rule changes - HE responds
The American Council on Education (ACE) ACE and 60 other higher education associations in the United States submitted their response to the Department of Education’s proposed changes to Title IX regulations, which change HE institutions’ responsibilities concerning sexual misconduct allegations. ACE’s statement underscores the commitment of institutions to fairly, effectively, and compassionately investigate and resolve allegations of sexual harassment.Government shutdown - HE and research impact
The impact of the partial US government shutdown on universities and research is continuing, according to Research Vice Presidents at the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU). Both the APLU and the American Council on Education (ACE) released statements in January warning about the effects of the shutdown particularly on research funding.State HE finance
According to Data released by the State Higher Education Executive Officers (SHEEO) and Center for the Study of Education Policy at Illinois State University (the ‘Grapeline survey’), state financial support for higher education grew by just 1.6 percent in between the 2017 and 2018 fiscal years, a decrease of over 4 % from the previous year. It also found that more than a third of states have decreased their funding in the past year.A report entitled Universities in the Context of the Complex Humanitarian Emergency in Venezuela (Universitarios en el marco de la emergencia humanitaria compleja venezolana) details how a combination of political instability, conflict, social inequalities and poverty has permeated the Venezuelan university community, affecting its performance. Student desertion, according to the report, is between 30% and 40% in the main universities of the country. The main causes are related to the lack of student scholarships and the economic crisis in Venezuela. The report was prepared by the NGO AulaAbierta, together with the Human Rights Commission of the Faculty of Legal and Political Sciences of the University of Zulia, the Observatory of Human Rights of the University of the Andes, and the Center for Peace and Human Rights at the Central University of Venezuela.
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IAU Lynx December Edition
IAU Lynx November Edition
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Collaborating team: Nicholas Poulton, Samuel Pousson and Carine Sebast
Contact: centre@iau-aiu.net
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IAU Lynx December 2018 KEEPING AN EYE ON HIGHER EDUCATION DEVELOPMENTS WORLDWIDE
December 2018
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
2019 Global Educational Monitoring Report
UNESCO has released the 2019 Global Education Monitoring (GEM) Report assessing progress towards Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG4) on education and its ten targets. Themed Migration, Displacement & Education: Building Bridges, not Walls, it analyses implications of migration and displacement for education systems, measures for better integrating migrants into education systems, and the impact of education on addressing the challenges and opportunities posed.
Background papers that informed the 2019 GEM Report are also available.Gender and STEM
UNESCO has published the STEM and Gender Advancement (SAGA) Improving Measurement and Policies for Gender Equality in Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) report. It investigates the current situation of women in science globally, benefits of including gender equality in STI, and the improvement of STI policies and measurement in science to bridge the gender gap.Digital accreditation
The Education Sector of UNESCO has recently released the report entitled Digital Credentialing - Implications for the Recognition of Learning Across Borders, analysing the impact and opportunities of digital technologies on the recognition of skills and learning. Chapters deal with new and emerging trends in digitalisation of credentials, digital credentials eco-systems.UNESCO Bangkok
The 1st Session of the Committee of the Asia-Pacific Regional Convention on the Recognition of Qualifications in Higher Education (Tokyo Convention Committee) was held in Seoul, Republic of Korea, on 18 - 19 October 2018. One outcome is the Seoul Statement that promotes greater mobility of students through quality assurance-supported and learning outcome-based recognition of qualifications in Asia-Pacific. Agence universitaire de la francophonie - G3 Quality Colloquium
The 2018 edition of the G3 Quality Colloquium was held in Montreal on 24 - 28 October on the theme ‘Quality approaches in higher education: what are the effects?’ The G3 is a group of French-speaking universities that aims to facilitate the sharing of expertise and innovative practices in the fields of training, teaching and research. It brings together the University of Montreal, the Université Libre de Bruxelles and the University of Geneva, all of whom are IAU Members. Presentations are available on line. Association of Commonwealth Universities<-]Association of Commonwealth Universities
The 8th biennial ACU Human Resources in Higher Education Community Conference took place at the University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada from from 23- 26 September 2018. This conference brought together delegates from 20 countries to discuss how human resources can help universities meet the challenges of the future. Presentations are available on line.
World Bank
The flagship report on the status of education in the MENA region has been released by the World Bank. Expectations and Aspirations: A New Framework for Education in the Middle East and North Africa examines reasons why the region has not fully reaped the personal, social and economic benefits of education. It looks at credentials and skills; discipline and enquiry; institutional autonomy; tradition and modernity, and offers recommendations.Return to top REGIONAL INITIATIVES
Africa - Americas - Asia & Pacific - Europe
African Center of Excellence in Energy for Sustainable Development (ACE-ESD)
Call for PhD students
The ACE-ESD based at the University of Rwanda is seeking to recruit a number of doctoral students, from Rwanda as well as candidates from the Eastern and Southern Africa Region in the field of energy with a focus on renewable energy, electrical power systems and energy economics.
Closing date for applications: 10 December 2018.African Minds - New Book Published
The Next Generation of Scientists in Africa has just been released. Based on a four-year study of young scientists, the book looks at the current state of science in Africa, including funding, research output and mobility.Lilongwe Declaration on Education, Science and Technology
The Lilongwe Declaration was recently adopted by the African Union Committee of Ten Heads of State and Government (AU-C10) Championing Education, Science and Technology in Africa which took place in November in Lilongwe, Malawi. In the Declaration, the Committee urges member states to invest 1% of GDP in R&D and 4-6% in education, to commit to enhancing infrastructure and development in African universities. The Declaration is set to be signed at the AU summit in Addis Ababa in January 2019.Pre-selection of 44 African Centres of Excellence (ACE) in West and Central Africa
The current ACE Impact Project focuses on scaling up postgraduate education and applied research that are fundamental to economic growth in the region, and funding up to 300 million USD is expected from the World Bank and Agence Francaise de Developpement (AFD). The final selection is subject to certain conditions and funding is expected to be finally approved in April 2019Global University Network for Innovation / Association of African Universities (AAU) / African Quality Assurance Network (AfriQAN) / Conseil Africain et Malgache pour l’enseignement Supérieur (CAMES)
The report and Declaration from the 10th International Conference on Quality Assurance in Higher Education in Africa (ICQAHEA) held in Yaoundé, Cameroon in September, 2018 have just been released. The theme of the conference was Higher education quality assurance and the promotion of synergies among science, technology and humanities: towards the attainment of the SDGs in Africa.UDUAL - Union de Universidades de América Latina (UDUAL)
The Brazil-Southern Cone Meeting of UDUAL, which took place in Buenos Aires, Argentina on 5 and 6 November, gathered together rectors, university associations and other higher education leaders in the region. A Declaration issued at the conference draws attention to the difficulties public higher education institutions in the region are facing due to political pressures and financial cuts. It calls for reinforcing cooperation in mobility, recognition of studies, joint research and strategies to increase online learning; and strengthening evaluation to improve the quality of education.Asociación de Universidades Grupo Montevideo (AUGM)
‘Approaches on Gender in Universities’ (Los enfoques de género en las universidades) has been released by the Gender and Universities Programme of Montevideo Group of Universities, a network of universities in Argentina, Bolivia, Brasil, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay. The online book brings together 11 articles which address incorporating gender equality in university policies and, reflects on actions universities can take against gender violence.Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization - Regional Centre for Higher Education and Development (SEAMEO RIHED)
Country reports and presentations are available from the ASEAN International Mobility for Students (AIMS) Annual Review Meeting which took place in Hanoi, Vietnam in November. To reflect the expansion of cross-border collaboration regionally and beyond, it was announced that the programme’s name would be changed to ‘Asian International Mobility for Students’.Southeast Asian Regional Centre for Archaeology and Fine Arts (SEAMEO SPAFA)
SEAMEO SPAFA is conducting a region-wide survey about archaeology education in Southeast Asia by mapping institutions teaching archaeology, and identifying future needs. The survey, open to all, exists in English, Thai, Khmer, Myanmar, Vietnamese, Bahasa Malaysia and Bahasa Indonesia.European Union Support to Higher Education in the ASEAN Region (SHARE EU ASEAN)
The conference ‘Preparing for the Future: The Role of ASEAN (Higher) Education Frameworks in a Disruptive World’ in Bangkok, Thailand, on 29 - 30 October aimed at identifying trends affecting higher education in ASEAN. Conference material is online as well as a Student Statement for strengthening regional/global cooperation in enhancing quality and inclusiveness of ASEAN higher education institutions.European Commission - Eurydice
The European Commission’s Eurydice network has released National Student Fee and Support Systems in European Higher Education 2018/19. The report shows how fee and support systems, including grants and loans, interact in higher education in Europe. It uses current data contrasting large national differences in policies and fees.Horizon Europe
14 European associations representing universities, including IAU Members the European University Association (EUA), UNICA and AURORA, released a position Statement on 8 November on the Horizon Europe programme which is currently being discussed within the European Parliament. The Statement supports a considerable budget increase for Horizon Europe, due to start in 2021, and advocates for the full participation of ‘third’ associated countries.European University Association (EUA)
EUA has published a checklist for universities to prepare for a no-deal Brexit scenario. It concludes that even a no-deal Brexit should not prevent universities throughout Europe including the UK from cooperating in the future.Magna Charta Observatory
New guidelines to help universities develop globally and operate more effectively have been launched by the Magna Charta Observatory. The Living Values guidelines were piloted with universities in nine countries including IAU Members University of Campinas (Brazil), University of Bologna (Italy), Cardiff Metropolitan University (UK), Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia, Stockholm University (Sweden).Return to top BILATERAL INITIATIVES
Belgium - Morocco
The Minister of Higher Education, Research and Media of the Belgian Wallonia-Brussels Federation, Jean-Claude Marcourt, met with the Moroccan Minister for Education, Training and Higher Education, Saïd Amzazi, in Rabat in November to reinforce collaboration between higher education institutions in both countries. Accompanied by a delegation of 42 higher education leaders, they took part in the first academic Forum between Morocco and the Wallonia-Brussels Federation.
Czech Republic - Slovak Republic
The Czech Rectors Conference and Slovak Rectors Conference signed a joint Statement on 28 October in Prague at Charles University, an IAU Member. The Statement aims to reinforce institutional cooperation at the bilateral institutional level and more widely in Europe and calls on both governments to support education, science and research.
Germany - United Kingdom
Universities UK President Professor Dame Janet Beer, and Germany’s national rectors’ conference (HRK) President, Professor Peter-Andre Alt, issued a joint Statement at their meeting in November, to continue research collaboration and staff and student exchange between the UK and Germany, post-Brexit.
Hong Kong - Myanmar
The Education Bureau of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and the Ministry of Education of Myanmar have signed a Memorandum of Understanding aimed at enhancing bilateral collaboration in the field of higher education. Areas covered include: scholarships; expertise, knowledge, student and staff exchange; teacher training; joint programmes.
Malaysia - Japan
Further to a meeting between Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad and Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Tokyo in November, the Malaysian and Japanese governments have agreed to start a consultation to set up Japanese university branches in Malaysia.
Pakistan - United Kingdom
The University Grants Commission in Pakistan and the British Council have launched the Pakistan-UK Education Gateway Programme. The Programme aims to enhance bilateral cooperation regarding PhD programmes, student and faculty mobility, funding agencies and research entities, quality and governance, and capacity building programmes.
Switzerland - Korea
Switzerland and the Republic of Korea agreed to further reinforce their collaboration in research and innovation at a meeting between representatives of Swiss and Korean universities and government agencies in November.
Return to top NATIONAL INITIATIVES
Afghanistan Australia Belgium
China
Colombia
Denmark France Germany
Ghana India Ireland The Netherlands
New Zealand 
Norway 
Pakistan
Poland
Portugal 
Rwanda Spain 
Tunisia United Kingdom United States The Ministry of Higher Education has posted online a recap of the major achievements in higher education since 2015. These include access and students support, management and governance, academic programmes, infrastructure enhancement and development, and gender.
Regional education boost
The Department of Education has announced several programmes and initiatives to support student access and participation in higher education across Australia: the Regional Education Package, AUS$134.8 million (EUR 86.7 million) to provide students from rural and regional Australia with greater access to higher education.
Contribution to establishing 16 community-owned, regional study hubs across Australia to provide infrastructure and academic support for distance students from partner universities.Graduate outcomes
The Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching (QILT) website has published the 2018 Graduate Outcomes Survey presenting the results of a study which measured employment rates and salaries for graduates immediately after receiving their qualification and three years later.Aboriginal Research
The Australian Council of Graduate Research has released Good Practice Guidelines for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Research Education, to help recruit and support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander graduates as they pursue research degrees and research careers.The Minister of Higher Education, Research and Media of the Belgian Wallonia-Brussels Federation, Jean-Claude Marcourt, has allocated 500,000 Euros to universities to support their engagement in the new ‘European Universities’ programme which was launched by the European Commission in October.
Reforms
The Minister of Education identified measures to transform undergraduate education. They focus on: revitalising the four-year education system; ensuring knowledge and skills relevance; improving teaching skills and learning resources; reforming teaching and evaluation systems.Maritime Silk Road university consortium launched
A global consortium of universities, the University Consortium of the 21st Century Martime Silk Road, has been launched in Xiamen, China. Established as a component of the Belt and Road Initiative, the Consortium issued a declaration calling for deepened cooperation in shared educational resources, higher education, and scientific research.Shanghai Hong Kong University Alliance launched
The Shanghai Hong Kong University Alliance (SHUA) was officially launched in November. It was established by eight universities in Shanghai and eight universities in Hong Kong in order foster greater exchange and cooperation among universities in mainland China and Hong Kong.Responding to the current financial deficit of Colombian public universities, and national student protests, on 24 November the Government agreed to additional finance of 2.3 billion pesos (630,000 Euros) for public universities from 2019-2022.
On 2 November, all parliamentary parties agreed on the allocation of DKK 1.394 billion (EUR 187 million) for research and development in 2019. The funds will prioritise research and development in energy and climate, green growth, food, artificial intelligence and health tech, and will also be used to establish a number of ‘Pioneer’ research centres.
International students - new government measures
On 19 November, Prime Minister Edouard Philippe announced measures which aim to increase the number of international students in French universities. The strategy, entitled "Bienvenue en France", includes simplified student and graduate visa regulations but will also increase fees for international students outside of Europe. The number of courses taught in English will rise and more French classes will also be on offer for international students. Responding to this, the French Rectors’ Conference (Conférence des Présidents d’Université) issued a communiqué voicing its concern that the fee increase may prevent students from French-speaking countries, particularly in the South, from studying in France.International students - New observatory launched
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, together with Campus France, Régions de France and France Urbaine launched the Observatory on International Student and Researcher Mobility on 19 November at a conference organised by the Agence universitaire de la Francophonie, an IAU Member, and Campus France. The Observatory aims to reinforce national and regional partnerships for international mobility and has published its first report.Students with disabilities - survey results
The Conférence des Grandes Ecoles, has published the results of their survey on the situation of students with disabilities in Grandes Ecoles, public selective engineering and business schools. The results show that students with disabilities represent just over 1% of students and that 86% of Grandes Ecoles have disability awareness programmes for their students.Sustainability
Universities in Germany have affirmed their responsibility for sustainable development in recommendations for creating a culture of sustainability at higher education institutions released by the German Rectors’ Conference in November.Research and innovation
Agreements to develop further digitalisation, applied research and practical academic education at Universities of Applied Sciences (Fachhochschulen) were signed by Federal Minister for Education and Research Anja Karliczek and the science ministers of the federal states in November. The agreements call for joint funding by the end of 2023, more professorships, and the establishment of a research data infrastructure.Student grants
Federal Minister of Education and Research Anja Karliczek announced that there would be a “substantial increase” in the level of student grants (Bundesausbildungsförderungsgesetz or BAföG).The Minister of Education, Matthew Opoku-Prempeh, has announced reforms in teacher education to improve the quality of teaching. Students in teacher training colleges will have to graduate with degrees with effect from 2019.
Innovation
The government has launched the Institution’s Innovation Council (IIC) programme to encourage the culture of innovation in higher education institutions across India.ICTs
The University Grants Commission (UGC) has invited all Indian Universities and Colleges to participate in an online survey on their use of ICTs to collect data that will inform future efforts in support of the country’s transformation to digital learning.On 12 November, Minister of State for Higher Education, Mary Mitchell O’Connor, announced the Senior Academic Leadership Initiative for the Higher Education sector. Under the initiative, which responds to the significant underrepresentation of women at professorial level, new and additional female-specific senior academic positions will be created and put in place for the 2019 - 20 academic year. The announcement was made at the launch of the Action Plan for Gender Equality in Higher Education Institutions 2018 - 2020.
The Acceleration Plan for Educational Innovation with ICT has been launched by the Association of Universities in the Netherlands (VSNU), an IAU Member, the Netherlands Association of Universities of Applied Sciences and SURF, an organisation for IT in education. 40 research universities and universities of applied sciences will participate in the four-year programme which aims to optimise opportunities for digitalisation.
University-industry collaboration
Universities New Zealand has released the report Universities New Zealand Collaboration between Universities and Industry that explores the key benefits of university-industry collaboration, and provides insights into how to improve collaboration and measure outcomes.Maori-medium teacher education
National Centre for Tertiary Teaching Excellence, Ako Aotearoa, has released the report on the research project Taikākā - Learning and Teaching Strategies to Optimise Academic Achievement in a Māori-Medium Initial Teacher Education Programmes. It aimed to build upon teaching and learning strategies, including Māori student support initiatives, to improve academic outcomes in undergraduate degree level Māori-medium teacher education programmes.A new national higher education agency, the Norwegian Agency for International Cooperation and Quality Enhancement in Higher Education (Diku), has been created. It is a result of a merger between the Norwegian Centre for International Cooperation in Education (SIU), the Norwegian Agency for Digital Learning in Higher Education and the Norwegian Artistic Research Programme. In addition to continuing the work of the three organisations, Diku is also responsible for establishing a national arena for quality in higher education, and for the Centres for Excellence in Education Initiative (SFU).
The Higher Education Commission (HEC) has proposed measures to increase employment opportunities for PhD graduates. They include strengthening of university placements, capacity building programmes, and examination of current faculty recruitment practices.
The Constitution for Science Act came into force in October. The new law combines funding for teaching and research, and provides an increase in funds by PLN 47.5 billion (EUR 11 billion) over 10 years. It also provides more autonomy to universities in setting research priorities.
The Government has published the results of a survey of students living in student residences in 33 public higher education institutions and students living in non-university accommodation, as a first step in the new Law on the rehabilitation and construction of public higher education student residences (law no.36/2018 of July 2018),
(in Portugese)MOOCs and OER framework
The Ministry of Education has published the Rwanda National Framework on MOOCs and OER designed to provide both Open, Distance and e-Learning (ODeL) capacity building methodology for staff at the ministry and universities as well a set of activities to develop open education courses and materials based on recommendations identified in both the Rwandan policy environment and UNESCO publications.Combating plagiarism
The University of Rwanda has developed an Anti-Plagiarism Policy with support of UNESCO and Korean Funds-in-Trust. It establishes a framework (consisting of a policy and guideline documents) for deterring, detecting and dealing with plagiarism consistently across all faculties of the institution.Refugee education
ACUP, the Catalan Association of Public Universities, has released a report on universities’ actions in Catalonia for welcoming refugee and migrant students. It is the result of the #UniversitatRefug Hackathon organised by ACUP and the Fundació Autònoma Solidària which took place in Barcelona in July.Gender equality
Crue Universidades Españolas, the Spanish University association, released a Declaration in the context of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women on 25 November in which they maintain their commitment to gender equality and to combating gender-based violence.
Measures against terrorism
The Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research has announced new measures to prevent extremism and combat terrorism at higher education institutions (in Arabic). The measures, to be implemented in cooperation with the National Committee for Combating Terrorism, include training and awareness programmes for students.Academic staff reforms
The main measures of the bill on the new status of teaching staff in higher education institutions were agreed on 13 November by the Council of Universities.Research connectivity
The Tunisian Academic and Research Network (RNU) has signed an agreement with the Arab States Research and Education Network (ASREN) who will provide internet connectivity between Tunisia and the European GÉANT network in the context of the EU-funded AfricaConnect2 project. The project aims to support the development of high-capacity internet networks for R&E across Africa and worldwide.Accelerated degrees
On 18 November, Universities minister, Sam Gyimah, announced plans for ‘accelerated’ two-year degree courses. If approved by parliament, universities will be allowed to charge higher annual rates for the degree courses, but the overall price for the degree will fall. The courses would have the same number of teaching hours as traditional three-year degree courses.Grade inflation?
A consultation throughout higher education was launched on 26 November by the UK Standing Committee for Quality Assessment (UKSCQA) further to a report that examines the large increase in the number of graduates receiving first and upper-second class undergraduate degrees in the UK over the past decade. The report, produced for UKSCQUA by Universities UK (UUK), GuildHE and the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education, recommends that universities issue a sector-wide statement of intent, leading to actions to protect the value of qualifications.Tuition fees
Where do Student Fees Really Go?, a new report published by the Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI), calls for greater transparency on the use of students’ tuition fees. The report shows that around 45% of tuition fee income is spent on teaching, while most of the rest goes on maintaining buildings, information technology and student support services, such as counselling. The report also shows 74% of students want more information on where their fees go.Knowledge Exchange Framework
Research England has published a report on the responses submitted to their call for evidence on the future Knowledge Exchange Framework (KEF). The report highlights almost universal support for supplementation of metrics by additional narrative or contextual information in the assessment of universities.Government entrepreneurship funding - Wales
The Welsh Government has announced a new grant fund to support entrepreneurship in Further and Higher Education. The Youth Entrepreneurship grant comprises £2.5 million (EUR 2.8 million) of Welsh Government funding over the next three years, for institutions to accelerate student entrepreneurship.Universities’ civic contribution - Wales
The Wales Centre for Public Policy has released a report entitled Maximising Universities’ Civic Contribution. It outlines the ways that universities act as ‘anchor institutions’ in their towns, cities and regions and provides recommendations for the Welsh Government that this role be assessed as a formal aspect of universities’ performance and tied to institutional funding.Title IX - sexual misconduct proposed rule changes
In November, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos released proposed amendments to Title IX regulations changing higher education institutions’ responsibilities concerning sexual misconduct. These new rules would require institutions to allow for cross-examination of students in misconduct proceedings and would require the incident to have occurred on campus or in a university-sanctioned activity.International students numbers fall
The numbers of international students enrolling in United States institutions in 2017 dropped for the second year in a row, according to the 2018 Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange, an annual survey released by the Institute of International Education.International students - economic contribution
Analysis from NAFSA, the Association of International Educators, has found that the 1,094,792 international students studying at universities and colleges in the United States contributed US$ 39 billion (EUR 34.4 billion) to the U.S. economy during the 2017-2018 academic year.Return to top
IAU Lynx November Edition
IAU Lynx October Edition
IAU Lynx September EditionIAU Lynx coordinator: Amanda Sudic
Collaborating team: Nicholas Poulton, Samuel Pousson and Carine Sebast
Contact: centre@iau-aiu.net
© IAU 2018
IAU Lynx November 2018 KEEPING AN EYE ON HIGHER EDUCATION DEVELOPMENTS WORLDWIDENovember 2018
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 International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP)
UNESCO IIEP has released the findings its recent Corruption-Risk Assessment of the Georgian Higher Education Sector. The report focuses on analysing risks in financing, management of academic staff, and admission and exams. It also provides detailed recommendations to improve ethics, transparency, and accountability and the overall governance of the higher education sector.Unesco Institute for Statistics (UIS)
Call for data
UIS has launched the 2019 Survey of Formal Education, which covers key data for the academic year ending in 2018 required for the monitoring of international and national education goals towards Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG4). Deadline for submitting data: 15 February 2019. Agence universitaire de la francophonie
43 universities in France, Lebanon, Belgium and Burundi - including IAU Members Université Paris-Est Créteil Val de Marne (France), Université Saint Joseph (Lebanon) and Université catholique de Louvain (Belgium) - have welcomed over 2000 students who are refugees or asylum-seekers in the context of the AUF project ‘Welcome and integration of students in exile’ (Accueil et intégration des étudiants en exil). The students from 53 countries in the Middle East and Sudan will follow a programme including training in French for non-French speaking students and involves links with local associations and organisations. Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)
The OECD in partnership with the European Commission has published Supporting Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Higher Education in The Netherlands. The report based on research and case studies within 9 Dutch higher education institutions, presents key findings as well as good practices, teaching and learning approaches, startup support and recommendations. The publication is part of HEInnovate, a joint initiative of the European Commission and the OECD. World Bank
On 23 October, the World Bank and the government of Afghanistan signed grant agreements for primary, secondary and higher education as well as advancing the economic and social standing of rural women. This includes US$5 million additional grant for the Higher Education Development Project (HEDP) to increase access to higher education in Afghanistan
Scholars at Risk
The Scholars at Risk Network, a non-profit organisation, have released Free to Think 2018 which provides data and analysis on attacks on academics, students, and other members of the higher education community throughout the world. The report is the outcome of the Academic Freedom Monitoring Project and details 294 reported attacks on higher education communities in 47 countries, from September 2017, to August 2018.
Return to top REGIONAL INITIATIVES
Africa - Americas - Asia & Pacific - Europe
Ashinaga Africa Initiative - 2019 Leadership Programme
Call for Applications
The Ashinaga Africa Initiative, launched in 2014 aims to contribute to Sub-Saharan Africa’s expanding role in global development through increasing access to higher education abroad. The initiative supports orphaned students who are committed to returning home and initiating change, by providing access to full financial support to study at a university abroad. Closing date for applications: 16th December 2018.Support for self-assessment of African Universities
Call for expressions of interest - deadline extended
The Francophone Institute for University Governance (IFGU) is looking for higher education institutions in Central Africa, the Great Lakes, West Africa and the Indian Ocean that are members of the Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF) and wish to invest in a self-assessment process with the support of the IFGU and partners (in French)
New Deadline for applications: 30 November 2018African Center of Excellence in Energy for Sustainable Development (ACE-ESD)
Call for PhD students
The ACE-ESD based at the University of Rwanda isseeking to recruit a number of highly motivated doctoral students from Rwanda as well as candidates from Eastern and Southern Africa Region in the field of energy with a focus on renewable energy, electrical power systems and energy economics.
Closing date for applications: 10 December 2018.NAFSA Global Dialogue Fellowship Programme 2019
The 2019 edition of the Fellowship Programme will support five university leaders from sub-Saharan Africa to help increase their institutional capacity for international education and expand opportunities for partnerships and exchange of expertise.
Closing date: 16 November 2018UNESCO International Institute for Higher Education in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNESCO-IESALC)
On 9 October, UNESCO - IESALC, represented by its Director, Pedro Henríquez Guajardo, and the Coimbra Group of Brazilian Universities (GCUB) represented by its Executive Director, Professor Rossana Valéria de Souza e Silva, signed a framework agreement for inter-institutional cooperation that seeks to find synergies for the internationalisation of Latin American and Caribbean higher education.Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)
The 7th APEC Conference on Cooperation in Higher Education in the Asia-Pacific Region was held on 11 - 12 September, in Vladivostok, Russia. The presentations of the Conference, themed ‘Education in the Digital Era: Challenges and Opportunities for APEC’ are now available. Topics addressed include university-based science and technology park clusters; the Fourth Industrial Revolution, 21st century skills and STEM education; and the university in a multi-stakeholder architecture.European Commission
Networks of European Universities - call for applications
As part of the European Commission’s European Universities Initiative, the European Union has launched a call for applications for the ‘Networks of European Universities’ scheme. Funding of EUR 30 million will support the creation of six cross-border alliances of at least three universities each.European Research Council (ERC)
A new agreement was signed in Kyoto in October by the European Commission’s Director General for Research and Innovation, Jean-Eric Paquet, and the President of the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), Michinari Hamaguchi. The agreement aims to encourage high-calibre researchers from Japan to temporarily join European Research Council (ERC)-funded research teams.European Association of Universities
The EUA has published Trends 2018 which explores how learning and teaching at European higher education institutions evolve in the context of changing demands, technological and societal development, and European- and national-level policies and reforms. This report gathers data from more than 300 higher education institutions in 48 European countries.Return to top BILATERAL INITIATIVES
Argentina - Qatar
Argentina and Qatar have signed a memorandum of understanding on collaboration in higher education and scientific research. The areas of cooperation will include administration, teacher’s professional development and technology for foreign language learning. Exchange of experts and specialists in these areas will be facilitated.
Egypt - Japan
Minister of Higher Education Khaled Abdel Ghaffar met with his Japanese counterpart Yuriko Koike in October to discuss cooperation between Egyptian and Japanese universities. A Memorandum of Understanding was also signed between the Egyptian Minister and the University of Tokyo, an IAU Member, for training university managers.
United Kingdom - Mexico
The agreement on mutual recognition of university degrees awarded by the universities in Mexico and United Kingdom came into operation on 19 September 2018. Signed in 2015, this agreement will facilitate academic cooperation between both countries.
Return to top NATIONAL INITIATIVES
Argentina
Angola
Canada
Chile
Egypt
Finland France Germany Ghana
Hong Kong
Hungary India Ireland
Israel
Japan
Jordan
Kazakhstan
Kenya
Mexico The Netherlands New Zealand Pakistan Rwanda 
South Africa Spain 
Sweden United Kingdom United States The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology has launched a web portal for students in the framework of the National Academic Recognition System (Sistema Nacional de Reconocimiento Académico).
Angola
The Minister for Higher Education, Science, Technology and Innovation, Maria de Rosário Sambo, recently announced that illegal institutions would not be able to operate from 2019, and defended the current university evaluation aiming to harmonise curricula at national level, and creating standards to be used throughout the country. (in Portuguese)Inclusive best practices
0n 23 October, Universities Canada launched a new online tool to share university best practices and policies in advancing equity, diversity and inclusion.Competency-based Education
The Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario (HEQCO) has published Competency-based Education: Driving the Skills-measurement Agenda. The report explores the development of CBE in North America and examines its application in Ontario.The Ministry of Education and UN Women ratified their commitment to combat gender violence in higher education at the seminar ‘Strategies and international comparative experiences against discrimination and sexual violence against women in higher education’ which took place on 30 - 31 October in Santiago.
In an effort to modernise and standardise medical education in the country, new reforms in medical education are being introduced in all medical schools, both public and private, from November. Basic medical-education will now take five years instead of six, followed by two years of clinical training instead of just one.
In order to increase the visibility of Finnish higher education around the world, the first Counselors of Finnish Education and Research, have been appointed to Buenos Aires, Beijing, Singapore and Washington. The Team Finland Knowledge Experts, posted at Finnish Embassies, will promote Finnish educational and research cooperation and implement Finland’s policies to promote the internationalisation of higher education and research.
France
Research assessment declaration
On 4 October 2018, the Conférence des Directeurs des Ecoles Françaises d’Ingénieurs (CDEFI)
signed the Declaration on Research Assessment recognising the need to improve the ways in which the outputs of scholarly research are evaluated. It is a worldwide initiative covering all scholarly disciplines and all key stakeholders including funders, publishers, professional societies, institutions, and researchers.Higher education statistics
The first edition of Higher Education, Research and Innovation in figures (Enseignement supérieur, Recherche et Innovation en chiffres) 2018 has just been released. It includes data on 20 key indicators.The German Rectors’ Conference (HRK) has issued a statement on ‘predatory publishers’ - publications which enable researchers to publish for a fee without the necessary scientific quality control. The HRK calls for the pressure to publish to be reduced, and emphasises that quality should consistently be given precedence over quantity in relation to appointments, assessments and evaluations.
The National Council for Tertiary Education (NCTE) has issued a directive to public universities in Ghana to remove all staff above 65 years from the public payroll. The directive, effective from 31 October is applicable to both academic and administrative staff over 65, although the former have the possibility to being reassigned as "consultants" paid from non-government university funds.
Presentations from the Hong Kong Qualifications Framework (HKQF) International Conference 2018 in September that celebrated HKQF’s 10th anniversary, are now available online. Themed ’QF in the Next Decade: Quality, Progression and Recognition’ the Conference explored global trends and issues of developing qualifications frameworks.
Academic freedom
The Central European University, an IAU Member, has announced that it will move its U.S.-accredited masters and doctoral programs to Vienna, Austria beginning in the academic year 2019-20. CEU’s decision comes as the Hungarian government has not concluded an agreement allowing CEU to operate freely in Hungary as a U.S. institution, and in the context of government measures against academic freedom.International Hungary - Brazil conference
An international conference, organised by the Hungarian Rectors’ Conference (HRC) and the Coimbra Group of Brazilian Universities, took place in September, at the Budapest University of Technology and Economics. Themed Global Universities in the 21st Century, the presentations, now available online, covered topics including global geopolitical changes and challenges for internationalization; social accountability, innovation and entrepreneurship, and validation of credits and diplomas.The University Grants Commission (UGC) has released the list of recognised higher education Institutions (HEIs) in India and their programmes through the open and distance learning mode.
In October, the Minister of State for Higher Education, Mary Mitchell O’Connor, announced an additional €57.4 million in the Budget 2019 to provide 3,500 extra student places and for implementation of HE reforms. She also announced the ‘Human Capital Initiative’ to provide €300 million over the period 2020-2024 to mitigate Brexit risks and boost regional development. The Irish Universities Association, IUA, released a Statement asserting that the budget does not address the current funding shortfall.
The Council for Higher Education has announced a plan to spend 430 million shekels (EUR 102 million) to attract international students, particularly from Asia.
The National Institution for Academic Degrees and Quality Enhancement for Higher Education (NIAD-QE) has released the English version of Japanese College and University Portraits, a portal providing information on higher education institutions and academic courses in Japan.
Ministry changes
As of November, a royal decree has announced that Current Minister of Justice Bassam Samir Talhoni will manage the Ministry of Educationand the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research. The Ministry was previously led by Azmi Mahmoud Mahafaza who has resigned.The President of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbayev, in his State of the Nation Address in October, emphasised the need to increase the quality of education in higher education institutionsin the country. He said that only those institutions providing quality education should remain open, and that universities in Kazakhstan should establish partnerships with leading universities around the world. He also announced the decision to create a new regional higher education institution in the country.
A report on university financing by the Vice-Chancellors Committee shows that public universities are in substantial financilal difficulties. Francis Aduol, chair of the Vice-Chancellors Committee presented the report at a meeting convened by the Ministry of Education and the Commission for University Education (CUE) in November.
In order to bridge the gap between research and its commercial development in higher education institutions, the Secretary of Public Education (Secretaría de Educación Pública) and the Mexican Institute of Industrial Property (Instituto Mexicano de la Propiedad Industrial) have signed a cooperation agreement to train teachers and students in innovation, entrepreneurship, and technological transfer though the establishment of 58 Patents Centers (Centros de Patentamiento)
Nuffic has released the stay rates of international graduates. It shows that almost 25% of the international students who studied in the Netherlands still live in the country 5 years after graduating. https://www.nuffic.nl/en/news/more-international-talents-stay-netherlands/
Impact of university research
Universities New Zealand has released the report Economic Impact of Universities’ Contribution to Innovation. The report provides an assessment of the economic impact of university expenditure on research on local economies, and the wider New Zealand economy.Educational performance indicators
The Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) has published its yearly educational performance indicators for higher education institutions that it funds. The set of measures include first year retention rate and course completion rate.HE participation
Education Counts has published a report that analyse factors associated with participation and achievement in higher education for young people up to the age of 20. The key purpose is to build better evidence on which groups of young people are most at risk of not participating.Countering on-campus extremism
The Higher Education Commission (HEC) and National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA) signed a Letter of Intent to engage faculty members and students from universities across Pakistan in developing a national strategy to counter on-campus extremism.
http://hec.gov.pk/english/news/news/Pages/HEC-NACTA.aspxEast African Institute for Fundamental Research opened
Located at the University of Rwanda, the East African Institute for Fundamental Research was inaugurated on 18 October. The Institute is partnered with the Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics, based in Italy, and UNESCO. Its research programme will include in various branches of physics, and will offer MSc degrees, and later expand into offering PhD programmes.Research investment grows
A national survey produced on behalf of the Government Department of Science and Technology shows that in 2016-17, gross domestic expenditure on Research and Experimental Development (GERD) increasedto R35.7 billion (EUR 2.2 billion), with the higher education sector the largest contributor to the overall increase. While the largest amount of R&D expenditure is spent on research on communicable diseases, over the last decade South Africa has doubled the amount it spends on research into ICT and the environment.New digital initiative
The Spanish National Library and the Spanish Universities association, Crue Universidades Españolas, have signed an agreement to collaborate on the Spanish Web Archive in order to preserve and ensure access to online Spanish documentary heritage.Internationalisation inquiry - findings
The final report of a government inquiry on internationalisation of Swedish HEIs has just been published. Increased Attractivity - Momentum for Sweden as a Knowledge Nation, proposes a comprehensive strategy for expanding the internationalisation of Swedish higher education.Government review - Select Committee findings
The House of Commons’ Education select committee released ‘Value for Money in Higher Education’, on 5 November as part of the Government’s review of post-18 education and funding. The report prioritises support for disadvantaged students and recommends that the government return to the pre-2016 system and reinstate the means-tested system of loans and maintenance grants. It also calls for strict criteria for universities on acceptable levels of pay for senior management and in particular Vice-Chancellors.Flexible learning
Universities UK (UUK) and the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) have released the findings of research which looked at the decline in part-time student enrolments in the UK and the changing needs of students and employers. The results form the basis of a Statement to the Government recommending more flexible learning opportunities, greater support for students moving between work and study, and more collaboration between employers and higher education.Sexual assault on campus - rule changes being considered
Rule changes to Title IX legislation barring gender discrimination in higher education institutions that receive federal funding are currently being considered by the Government Education Department. The changes would narrow the definition of sexual assault on campus and include a cross-examination provision.Tenure-track positions decline
A recent report by the American Association of University Professors found that non-tenure track positions accounted for 73% of instructional positions across all institutions in the United States in 2016. The decline of tenure-track positions was even greater at two-year institutions.Return to top
IAU Lynx October Edition
IAU Lynx September Edition
IAU Lynx July EditionIAU Lynx coordinator: Amanda Sudic
Collaborating team: Melissa Herlaut, Nicholas Poulton, Samuel Pousson, Carine Sebast and Hilligje van’t Land
Contact: centre@iau-aiu.net
© IAU 2018
IAU Lynx - October 2018 KEEPING AN EYE ON HIGHER EDUCATION DEVELOPMENTS WORLDWIDEOctober 2018
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
An update on the UNESCO-Shenzhen Project on Strengthening Quality Assurance in Higher Education in Africa has been released. Implemented since 2017 in ten African countries, the project aims to strengthen higher education systems by developing quality assurance mechanisms.
Unesco Institute for Statistics (UIS)
UNESCO-UIS has released The Quick Guide to Education Indicators for SDG 4. The publication describes how to monitor progress towards Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4) on quality education.UNESCO Bangkok Office
Qualifications frameworks
UNESCO Bangkok, with the support of the Republic of Korea Funds-in-Trust, has released Guidelines on Developing and Strengthening Qualifications Frameworks in Asia and the Pacific. Key strategies for developing National Qualifications Frameworks (NQF) and case studies illustrating policies and practices throughout the Asia-Pacific region are detailed.Quality standards consultation - call for participation
UNESCO Bangkok has launched a call for comments and feedback for a consultation on how quality standards are developed and implemented in the Asia-Pacific region before the first meeting of the Tokyo Convention Committee to be held on 18 - 19 October 2018 in Seoul. G20 Education Ministerial Meeting
The G20 Education Ministerial Meeting took place in Mendoza, Argentina on 5 September. The resulting G20 Education Ministers’ Declaration 2018 affirms the unique role of education as a key driver for sustainable development and calls for adequate investment to improve the quality of learning outcomes, and increase equity, inclusion and support to disadvantaged and underrepresented groups.
Higher Education Policy Institute - Higher Education Strategy Associates
The UK’s Higher Education Policy Institute and Canada’s Higher Education Strategy Associates have jointly published a new research paper comparing the spread of means-tested tuition fees across five continents. The case studies include Canada, Chile, Italy, Japan, South Africa and the United States, and a retrospective look at the UK scheme in place until 2016.
New University in Exile Consortium
The New University in Exile Consortium was launched on 6 September. Initiated by the New School for Social Research, with 11 other universities in the USA , the Consortium is committed to the view that the international academic community has both the responsibility and capacity to assist universities and scholars who face increasing attacks around the world.
Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)
Education at a Glance 2018
OECD has just released Education at a Glance 2018. The report provides comparable national statistics and analyses the education systems of the 36 OECD member countries, as well as Argentina, Brazil, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, India, Indonesia, the Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia and South Africa.International education statistics
The OECD has also published the Handbook for Internationally Comparative Education Statistics 2018 which provides insights into the functioning of international education systems through a set of harmonised indicators. World Bank
Higher Education Support Project - Burkina Faso
The World Bank approved a $70 million grant in July 2018 to strengthen higher education institutions in Burkina Faso. The project aims to create an online university, the Virtual University of Burkina Faso, support selected higher education institutions, and build capacity within these institutions and the supervising ministry.Higher Education Institutions Capacity Improvement Project - Cambodia
The government of Cambodia and the World Bank has signed an agreement for the implementation of the Higher Education Institutions Capacity Improvement Project (HEICP). Providing US$ 90 million, the project aims to improve the quality of higher education and research in the country and to broaden access to higher education for disadvantaged students.Return to top REGIONAL INITIATIVES
Africa - Asia & Pacific - Europe
AfricaFrancophone Institute for University Governance (IFGU)
Support for self-assessment of African Universities: Call for expressions of interest
The Francophone Institute for University Governance (IFGU) is looking for higher education institutions in Central Africa, the Great Lakes, West Africa and the Indian Ocean that are members of the Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF) and wish to invest in a self-assessment process with the support of the IFGU and partners (in French)
Deadline for applications: 31 October 2018Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF) - Institut de Recherche pour le Développement
Call for applications for Masters programme
The AUF, in collaboration with the Institut de Recherche pour le Développement and the Agence nationale des parcs nationaux in Gabon, are awarding 40 places for Masters in Coastal and Marine Environment Research and Management to students with engineering or STEM degrees.
Closing date for applications: 18 October 2018 (in French)Africa Higher Education Centres of Excellence (ACE) for Development Impact Project
The ACE for Development Impact project was launched at the end of August 2018. It seeks to improve the quality, quantity and development impact of postgraduate education (Masters and PhD degrees, and short-term professional level courses and training) in selected universities through regional specialisation and collaboration.Asian Development Bank (ADB)
ADB has approved US$145 million in loans to develop new applied science and technology programmes in four Sri Lankan universities. The project will construct faculty buildings following green building standards; develop degree programme curricula incorporating industry inputs and aligned with international standards; support the recruitment and training of academic staff for the new programmes; and develop joint proposals with industry partners for research and development.Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) - SHARE
The second ASEAN Student Mobility Forum was held in Yangon, Myanmar, on 28 - 29 August. The Forum, jointly organised by ASEAN, the European Union and the Ministry of Education (MOE) Myanmar, aimed at empowering the participating students to positively influence the development of an ASEAN identity in all ASEAN countries, through mobility programmes. The presentations are to be posted online soon.Science Europe
On 4 September 2018, 11 national research funding organisations, with the support of the European Commission and the European Research Council (ERC), announced the launch of cOAlition S, an initiative to make full open access to research publications a reality.European Association of Universities (EUA)
EUA has released a briefing note looking at three developments which bring European and Japanese higher education closer together.Magna Charta Observatory
Background documents, information and videos of the 30th Anniversary of the Observatory of the Magna Charta Universitatum which took place at the University of Salamanca, Spain in September are available online.Return to top BILATERAL INITIATIVES
Argentina - United Kingdom
Argentina’s Minister for Education, Culture, Science and Technology, Alejandro Finocchiaro, and UK Parliamentary Undersecretary of State for Education, Lord Agnew, signed an agreement in Mendoza, Argentina in September during the G20 education ministerial meeting to help facilitate greater student mobility. Specifically, Master’s degrees will be mutually recognised between Argentina and the UK, allowing direct access to doctoral programmes in higher education institutions in both countries.
France - Denmark
The Danish Minister for Higher Education and Science, Tommy Ahlers, and the French Minister for European Affairs, Nathalie Loiseau, signed a joint declaration to promote research, innovation and education through increased mobility for students, teachers and researchers.
Return to top NATIONAL INITIATIVES
Australia Canada Chile
China
Republic of Congo
Cuba
Denmark
Dominican Republic France Hong Kong
India Indonesia
Iran Ireland
Italy Japan
Republic of Korea Mexico Netherlands
Nigeria Pakistan
Sudan 
Tanzania United Kingdom United States New Minister appointed
The new Minister for Education, Science and Research, Dan Tehan, was appointed on 28 August 2018.Mapping higher education
Mapping Australian Higher Education 2018 published by the Grattan Institute, the independent public policy think tank, provides an overview of higher education trends, policies and performance. The report also features chapters on higher education providers, students, research, finance and benefits for graduates and employers.Research Training Plan
The Department of Education and Training (DET) has published an update on implementing the Research Training Implementation Plan (RTIP), which was put in place from December 2017. The Plan focuses on five priority issues: Pathways to HDR training; Industry-university collaboration; Equity, Indigenous participation; Quality; Data and evidence to better monitor system performance.National University Mental Health Framework
The Government announced in September that it will provide AUS$660,000 to support development of a new National University Mental Health Framework. The framework will be developed through national consultations with universities and the mental health sector.Universities Canada has released its 2019 budget submission to the Canadian Government. The recommendations include investment in Indigenous postsecondary education access and success; an increase in research scholarships and fellowships; and supporting student participation in work-integrated learning.
The new Minister of Education, Marcela Cubillos Sigall, has announced the appointment of the first superintendent of Higher Education, Jorge Avilés Barros. The new position of Superintendent has a remit to identify the problems in higher education institutions in order to anticipate crises.
During the 2018 Beijing Summit and the Ministerial Conference of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) held in Beijing in September, the Chinese government pledged to provide government scholarships for African students to study in China. The initiatives, detailed in the FOCAC Action Plan, includes the provision of 50,000 government scholarships and 50,000 training opportunities for students from Africa. China is the second most popular destination for African students studying abroad after France.
The training and qualifications of nurses, midwives and laboratory technicians will transfer to the higher education sector from the academic year 2018-2019. The development, following an agreement signed between the Ministry for Technical and Vocational Education, Training and Employment and the Ministry for Health and Population, takes place within the context of the three-tier higher education reforms in the country.
The Ministry of Higher Education has announced the introduction of short-cycle higher education programmes from the 2018-2019 academic year.
The Minister of Higher Education and Science, Tommy Ahlers, has announced a reduction in the number of places in English medium of instruction Masters and Bachelor of Engineering degree courses at six of the country’s eight universities. According to a study by the Ministry of Education and Science, 42% of graduates from English-language master’s programs have left Denmark within two years of completing their studies.
The National Council for Science, Higher Education and Technology (CONESCyT) has approved the establishment of an agency for accreditation and quality assurance of higher education (Agencia Dominicana para el Aseguramiento de la Calidad de la Educación Superior).
Medical education reform
President Macron has announced changes in medical education, in the context of reforms to France’s health care system. Specifically, the rule setting quotas on the number of students admitted in second year of medicine, dentistry and pharmacy will be abolished in 2020.Educational statistics
The Ministry of Higher Education and Research has released the 2018 statistics for education and Research.Graduate employment - Grandes Ecoles
The Conférence des Grandes Ecoles (CGE) has published an updated infographic on graduate employment and income among its member institutions.The University Grants Commission (UGC) has issued the Review Report on Research Policy and Funding. The report details the research landscape of Hong Kong, funding schemes available and presents recommendations to encourage cross-institutional collaborations and knowledge transfer between research and industry.
Innovation ranking
The Ministry of Human Resources has launched an initiative to rank higher education institutions and universities on innovation-related indicators. The Innovation Cell and Atal Ranking of Institutions on Innovation Achievements (ARIIA) aims to systematically foster the culture of Innovation in all Higher Education Institutions across the country.New accreditation agency
The University Grants Commission (UGC) has issued a notice officialising the UGC (Recognition and Monitoring of Assessment Accreditation Agencies) Regulations 2018 adopted in August. It plans to set up an Accreditation Advisory Council (AAC) for recognition of Assessment and Accrediting Agencies (AAAs) in addition to the two existing agencies - National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) and National Board of Accreditation (NBA).University entrance - new testing agency
The Ministry of Human Resources has announced the creation of the National Testing Agency that will administer entrance examinations for higher education institutions from December 2018, in place of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE).The Ministry of Research, Technology and Higher Education announced the results of the 2018 ranking of Indonesian higher education institutions. The ranking is based on five quality components: human resources; organisational; student activities; research and community service; and innovation.
The government has approved a bill on the right to higher education and tabled it to the Iranian parliament. If ratified, the bill aims to end discrimination against ‘starred’ students, students who are barred from pursuing degrees for allegedly engaging in political activities deemed illegal.
Government funding
In September, the government announced the allocation of a further €6.8 million in funding in support of the ongoing restructuring of the higher education, to build national capacity including in research, and to enhance inter-institutional cooperation. This is in addition to the funding allocation announced in July of €4.4 million for Institutes of Technology.Charter for a Sustainable University System
The Charter for a Sustainable Irish University System, initiated by the Irish Universities Association, was launched on 16 September in Dublin. The charter sets out six core commitments by Irish universities. These include: building on the quality of the student experience in a digital age; increasing investment in research and innovation; expanding student access and engagement with industry; supporting staff development and increased equality and diversity; and securing investment and resources.Gender and Diversity Statement
Minister of State for Higher Education Mary Mitchell O’Connor launched a Gender and Diversity Statement for higher education at the European Conference on Gender Equality in Higher Education in Dublin on 20 August. The policy aims to increase the number of women in higher education, give them better access and to advance career opportunities. Statutory decision-making committees, such as Governing Bodies and Academic Councils, will now be required to have at least 40% membership of either gender.On 17 September, leaders of 10 universities and research institutes in Italy, including Università degli Studi di Udine, an IAU Member, signed an agreement to develop research and study opportunities for scientists forced to flee from war and conflict in their home countries. The agreement was also signed by the World Academy of Sciences (TWAS), The InterAcademy Partnership (IAP) and the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB).
New residency rules for international students
Japan’s Ministry of Justice has announced new rules on residency for international students from Spring 2019. The initiative will mean that graduates can work in any role as long as they earn over an annual salary threshold of 3 million yen (EUR 22 950). Currently, international graduates of Japanese universities who seek to stay in the country face residency requirements that limit them to jobs in their field of study.Science, Technology and Innovation for Sustainable Development - government policy
The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) has developed a policy document on the Promotion of Science, Technology and Innovation for (STI) for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). MEXT has also released the ‘MEXT STI for SDGs Package’ which presents a detailed timeline of major policy measures for implementing the SDGs up to 2030.The Ministry of Education and the Korea Educational Development Institute have announced the results of their evaluation of higher education institutions in the country in the context of a decline in the population of student age. All universities, except for those rated as excellent, will be subject to capacity reductions and face restrictions in accessing low-interest loans from the state.
Online International Collaborative Learning Programme
Call for participation
The University of Veracruzana, an IAU Member, has launched the Online International Collaborative Learning Programme. They have released a call for professors of IAU Member institutions who are interested in participating in this online course.
Contact: anfernandez@uv.mxInternational scholarship funding for Africa
The Ministry for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation is to invest through Nuffic, the Dutch organisation for internationalisation in education, an extra €10.1 million in scholarships for 9 countries in Africa and the Middle East.Research integrity
The new Netherlands Code of Conduct for Research Integrity comes into force on 1 October. The new Code of Conduct defines five principles of research integrity and 61 standards for good research practices. It describes how institutions must address potential research misconduct.On 24 September, the Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed, announced that the Government has approved the release of N20 billion to revitalise public universities.
The Higher Education Commission (HEC) announced in september that it will develop academic collaboration with Sri Lanka through the Pak-Sri Lanka Higher Education Cooperation Programme. The project includes 1000 scholarships for Sri Lankan students, faculty exchange initiatives, training of Sri Lankan civil servants, and establishment of a Department of Language and Culture at University of Colombo.
New strategy for students with disabilities
The Sudanese Council of Ministers has approved a strategy to ensure access for people with disabilities to higher education institutions. The strategy, effective from 2018 to 2022, was outlined on 9 September, by former Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Sumaya Abu Kashwa.Minister of Higher Education appointed
Sadiq Al-Hadi Al-Mahdi was appointed in September as the new Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research.The Tanzania Commission for Universities (TCU) which is mandated to recognise, approve, register and accredit Universities and their programmes announced in September that they have barred seven higher learning institutions from admitting new students.
Essay mills - VCs response
A letter signed by 46 Vice-Chancellors and Heads of higher education institutions to the Education Secretary, Damian Hinds, calls on the UK Government for commercial essay-writing services - ’essay mills’ - to be made illegal.HE statistics 2018
Universities UK has published its 2018 Patterns and Trends report. The report focuses on applications, student demographics and graduate outcomes, staff and finance. Findings show that demand for university places has increased, with those from less advantaged backgrounds 49% more likely to apply than a decade ago and shows that for 2016-17, 19% of all students in the UK were international students.Students in HE in London forecast
The proportion of student participation in higher education in London over the next decade is set to increase by over 50%, according to a new report by AccessHE. Preparing for Hyper-Diversity: London’s Student Population in 2030 also projects an increase in the participation of students from ethnic minorities and students who will be the first in their family to enter higher education.Finance bill passed
A bill which increases education finance for the 2019 financial year, beginning October 2018, has been passed by the Senate. The Department of Defense and Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Act, 2019 (H.R. 6157) includes an increase in the the maximum amount of student ‘Pell Grants’ that can be awarded to undergraduate students in financial need; increased funding for eligibility for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness programme, and a $2 billion increase for the National Institutes of Health.Innovative leadership
A new American Council on Education (ACE) report highlights how university and higher education leaders respond strategically to growing challenges. Examining data from the American College President Study (ACPS) and information gathered at a roundtable convened by ACE earlier this year, the report distills innovative practices and shared characteristics of leaders in higher education.Impacts of HE access in developing countries
The Institute of International Education (IIE) has published Transformational Leaders and Social Change: IFP Impacts in Africa and the Middle East. The report details the impacts on local communities of the Ford Foundation International Fellowships programme, which support access to higher education for groups from historically disadvantaged groups in developing countries. The report focuses on Kenya, Nigeria, South African and Palestine and examines cross-cutting themes, specifically the experiences of women and the link between higher education and social justice.Return to top IAU Lynx September Edition
IAU Lynx July Edition
IAU Lynx June EditionIAU Lynx coordinator: Amanda Sudic
Collaborating team: Melissa Herlaut, Nicholas Poulton, Samuel Pousson, Carine Sebast and Hilligje van’t Land
Contact: centre@iau-aiu.net
© IAU 2018
IAU Lynx September 2018 KEEPING AN EYE ON HIGHER EDUCATION DEVELOPMENTS WORLDWIDESeptember 2018
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
Nominations are open for the 2018 UNESCO King Hamad Bin Isa Al-Khalifa Prize for the Use of ICT in Education. This year’s theme is ‘The use of innovative Information and Communication Technologies to Ensure Education for the Most Vulnerable Groups’. Two awards will be granted of US$ 25,000.
Deadline for submission: 31 October 2018.On 25 July, Togo became the first country to ratify UNESCO’s Revised Convention on the Recognition of Studies, Certificates, Diplomas, Degrees and Other Academic Qualifications in Higher Education in African States, known as the Addis Convention. in August, The ratification process was engaged for Djibouti and Gambia, and Mauritius started accession. The Addis Convention, which will become enter into force when ten UNESCO Member States ratify the Convention, will facilitate academic mobility at national, regional and international levels through the recognition of educational qualifications.
A provisional evaluation framework for higher education institutions in Mali was developed and validated by quality assurance experts at a workshop held in Mali in late June within the context of the UNESCO-Shenzhen Project ‘Strengthening Quality Assurance in Higher Education in Africa’. The evaluation framework will be piloted in the University of Ségou before establishing a complete institutional evaluation system for HEIs in Mali.
UNESCO - International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP)
UNESCO IIEP has published four new policy briefs on Internal Quality Assurance (IQA) in higher education. These are intended to support policy-makers and academic quality officers in developing and implementing more effective and innovative IQA systems. Four themes are addressed: Internal Quality Assurance and Employability - How to Strengthen the Education - Employment Linkage
The Effects of Internal Quality Assurance - How to Make IQA more Effective for Quality Enhancement
Internal Quality Assurance and Management - How to Close the Loop between evidence and Decision-making
Linking External and Internal Quality Assurance.International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP) - Pôle Dakar/ Mauritania
IIEP - Pôle Dakar has published a report on higher education and research in Mauritania (Mauritanie - L’Enseignement supérieur et la recherche : éléments d’efficacité - available in French only) in collaboration with the Ministry Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research. It presents the sub-sector of higher education, and analyses internal efficiency, costs and financing, and external efficiency in order to highlight barriers to performance enhancement and to the development of research. United Nations
The 2018 SDGs Index and Dashboards Reporthas been launched. It compares the performance of all 193 UN countries on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Agenda 2030, provides detailed SDG Dashboards to help identify implementation priorities for the SDGs and also indicate areas requiring progress. Chevening
Scholarships - Call for applications
Chevening, the UK Government’s international awards programme aimed at developing global leaders, is offering fully-funded scholarships for one-year Masters courses in the UK for the Applications for the academic year 2019/2020.
Deadline for applications: 8 November 2018 Commonwealth of Learning
COL has updated its course on ‘Understanding Open Educational Resources (OER)’ as a stand-alone platform to improve the adoption of OER by teachers, educational institutions and policy makers.Innovations in Higher Education: Re-Imagining Learning, a paper given by Asha Kanwar, COL CEO at the Association of Caribbean Higher Education Administrators (ACHEA) Annual Conference, is now available.
Educause
Educause has published the 2018 NMC Horizon Report. The report identifies key trends and challenges in accelerating technology adoption and charts the impact of innovative technologies for higher education across the globe. Key trends include advancing cultures of innovation and an increase in cross-institution collaboration, the proliferation and maturing of of open education resources and a rise in interdisciplinary studies. International Disability Alliance
International organisations, UN agencies including UNESCO, disability organisations and 46 national governments, signed the Global Disability Summit Charter for Change at the first Global Disability Summit held in London, UK on 24 July. The Charter contains a set of ten commitments aiming to accelerate global action for disability-inclusive development in education, assistive digital technologies; gender equality; and post-disaster reconstruction. The Summit was co-hosted by International Disability Alliance, UK Department for International Development (DfID) in partnership with the Government of Kenya.
International Council for Open and Distance Education (ICDE)
Call for papers
A call for papers has been launched for the International Symposium on Open and Distance Learning (ISODEL) 2018 themed ‘Making Education 4.0 for Indonesia’, to be held on 3 - 5 December, 2018 in Bali, Indonesia. The event is organised in cooperation with ICDE, Indonesian Open University (UT), Indonesian Distance Learning Network (IDLN) and SEAMEO Secretariat.
Deadline for sending abstracts: 10 September 2018. International Network of Quality Assurance Agencies in Higher Education (INQAAHE)
Call for papers
The International Network of Quality Assurance Agencies in Higher Education (INQAAHE) has launched a call for proposals for papers and posters for presentation during the 2019 INQAAHE Conference in March 2019. World Academy of Sciences
Call for applications - TWAS Fellowships for Research and Advanced Training
The World Academy of Sciences is offering 3 to 12 months fellowships for young researchers in developing countries in the southto carry out research in another developing country in the south. Applicants must have at least a MSc degree. Applications to be submitted by 1 October 2018. World Bank
The World Bank has announced new Commitments on Disability Inclusion subsequent to Global Disability Summit held in July.
Boston College Center for International Higher Education
Boston College Center for International Higher Education, an IAU Member, has released a report on Higher Education Management Training Schemes in the field of Development Cooperation. Commissioned by the German Rectors’ Conference (HRK) and the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), the report is based on a worldwide survey and shows that while participant numbers for HE management training are low, all regions of the world are either providers or target countries and that the training offered is diverse and evolving.Return to top REGIONAL INITIATIVES
Africa - Asia & Pacific - Europe
AfricaAssociation of African Universities
African Universities WeekThe Association of African Universities (AAU) is inviting all higher education institutions in Africa to celebrate the 2018 African Universities’ Week on 12 - 16 November 2018. The event will look at achievements of the African higher education sector and reflect on progress, challenges and opportunities. The theme for this year is The Africa We Want: The Role of Young People, is inspired by Agenda 2063, highlighting the role to be played by African youth in influencing future policy, legislative and social change.
British Council - DAAD
New Report on Building PhD Capacity in Sub-Saharan Africa
A joint report has been published by the British Council and DAAD, the German Academic Exchange Service. Entitled Building PhD Capacity in Sub-Saharan Africa, the report builds upon an earlier report in 2012 by IAU and ACUP (Catalan Association of Public Universities) which looked at PhD programmes in several member universities in Africa. The new report looks at PhD education and training at the national level in six African countries.African Minds
The Influence of Higher Education on the Lives of Young South Africans
Going To University - the Influence of Higher Education on the Lives of Young South Africans, the latest book in the series Higher Education Dynamics has been published by African Minds. Available as an open-access e-book, it is authored by Jennifer M. Case, Delia Marshall, Sioux McKenna and Disaapele Mogashana. It reports on a study in which in-depth interviews were conducted with 73 students from different socio-economic backgrounds who entered university in South Africa some six years beforehand.International Institute for Higher Education in Latin America and the Caribbean (IESALC)
Following the Regional Conference for Higher education for Latin America and the Caribbean (CRES 2018), which concluded on 15 June in Cordoba, ArgentinaIESALC has issued a collection of books available as e-publications on issues addressed during the conference, covering internationalization, autonomy, sustainable developmentand the role of higher education in social challenges.Regional Meeting of Ministers of Education of Latin America and the Caribbean - Regional roadmap for SDG4
The Cochabamba Agreements: Regional Solidarity for Achieving SDG4-E2030 in Latin America and the Caribbean were approved at the second Regional Meeting of Ministers of Education of Latin America and the Caribbean in Cochabamba, Bolivia on 24 July. The agreements establish the adoption of the Regional Roadmap for the Implementation of SDG4-E2030 in Latin America and the Caribbean, an instrument that will support Latin American countries’ efforts to achieve the targets of Sustainable Development Goal 4, which refers to lifelong quality, inclusive and equitable education.La Triada - university alliance formed
On 15 August 2018 in Cartagena, Colombia, an alliance called La Triada (“the triad”), was formed between 3 Latin American universities: University of the Andes, Colombia, the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, and the Monterrey Institute of Technology, Mexico. University rectors committed to expand academic cooperation, collaborate in research, exchange good practice and increase mobility.ASEAN University Network (AUN)
AUN received the first Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF) Diversity Creates Award in Bucharest in June which recognises individuals and institutions making an outstanding contribution to ASEF’s mission of promoting greater mutual understanding, between Asia Europe and to promoting ASEF’s core values of Knowledge-sharing, innovation, inclusion, sustainability.Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization - Regional Training Center (SEAMEO-RETRAC)
SEAMEO RETRAC has released keynote speeches, proceedings and presentations from the 2018 International Conference on Leadership and Management in Higher Education in a Globalized World: Innovations and Best Practices’ that took place in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam on July 5 - 6, 2018. Sessions addressed leadership in policy innovation in higher education; technology for innovative teaching and learning; university-industry partnership development; curriculum Innovation, teaching development, and quality Assurance.European University Information Systems (EUNIS)
The Book of Proceedings and presentations from the EUNIS 2018 Annual Congress held on 6 - 8 June 2018 in Paris, France are available online. EUNIS brings together those who are responsible for the management, development and the policy for Information Technology in Higher Education in Europe.European Research Council (ERC)
ERC President - Call for applications
Applications are invited to fill the post of the next President of the European Research Council. Deadline to apply: 1 October 2018Eurostudent VI
Eurostudent has released its latest report ‘Social and Economic Conditions of Student Life in Europe 2016-2018’. It details findings of the 6th round of the EUROSTUDENT project, to which 28 countries of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) have contributed between 2016 and 2018. It is a compendium of key indicators and provides comparable data on the social and economic conditions of students, as well as student mobility, in Europe.Return to top BILATERAL INITIATIVES
France - Singapore
Singaporean Trade and Industry Minister Chan Chun Sing and French Minister for Higher Education, Research and Innovation Frédérique Vidal signed 5 agreements in higher education and science cooperation during their meeting in Paris on 13 July.
France - Tunisia
The Tunisian Minister of Higher Education and Research, Slim Khalbous, met with the French Ambassador to Tunisia, Olivier Poivre d’Arvor, to continue theplanning of the Franco-Tunisian University of Africa and the Mediterranean (l’Université franco-tunisienne pour l’Afrique et la Méditerranée). The Franco-Tunisian university is set to receive its first students in 2019-2020, and will award French degrees and diplomas.
Mauritius - Kenya
The Ministry of Education and Human Resources, Tertiary Education and Scientific Research of Mauritius has announced that it will sign an MoU with the Ministry of Education of Kenya for collaboration in Higher Education and Scientific Research. The areas of cooperation will include mutual recognition and equivalence of qualifications, staff and student exchanges, accreditation and quality assurance as well as scholarship programmes. Return to top NATIONAL INITIATIVES
Australia
Bangladesh Canada Chile China 
Egypt France
Germany 
Hungary India
Ireland Netherlands
New Zealand Pakistan
Portugal
South Africa
Spain 
Thailand 
Tunisia United Kingdom United States 
Uruguay 
Uzbekistan 
Zimbabwe National higher education statistics
The Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA) has published the Statistics Report on TEQSA Registered Higher Education Providers 2018 which provides a snapshot and time series of national statistics from across the sector in four key areas: providers, students, academic staff and finance, with additional analysis on overseas students.Respect. Now. Always. Initiative
Universities Australia has released two sets of guidelines under the UA 10-point Action Plan and the Respect. Now. Always. Initiative, both aimed at preventing and addressing sexual assault and harassment across the sector:Student finance
Universities Australia‘s 2017 Student Finances Survey provides an evidence-based picture of the financial situation of students at Australian universities. Some 18,500 students from 38 Universities Australia member universities participated in the survey that covers both domestic and international students at all levels of study.40 public universities in Bangladesh signed the Annual Performance Agreement with the University Grants Commission (UGC) for the fiscal year 2018-2019 under the government’s Performance Management Framework Policy on 8 July. The major goal of the agreement is to establish good governance and excellence in higher educational institutions.
International students
The Canadian Bureau for International Education has released the results of the 2018 CBIE International Student Survey. Over 14,000 international students at higher education institutions throughout Canada replied to the survey. The results show that a growing number of students surveyed (60%) indicated an intention to seek permanent residence in Canada. Other highlights include a growing concern over housing costs, insights on students with dependents, and experiences with Indigenous identity.Nationwide student survey results released
The results from a nationwide student survey from the Canadian University Survey Consortium, have been released. The report brings together data from 14,760 final year undergraduate students from 32 universities (French version). The majority of students report being satisfied with their university experience. In terms of finance, earnings from work accounted for the largest amount of financing for their education, ahead of government loans and bursaries. 37% of students have delayed completing their programme and 37% of graduating students expect to apply to graduate school. ChileGrowth in university enrolment - official data
The Ministry of Education has released official data on higher education. It shows a growth in university enrollment whereas vocational and technical education enrollment is stagnating. This situation could be linked to tuition-free higher education for the most vulnerable initiated in 2016.Graduate employment
Mifuturo, the Ministry of Education official information portal, has updated figures of graduate employment and income. Searches can be carried out by name and type of institution and field of studies.Universities research programme
The Ministry of Education has released a circular calling on local educational authorities to promote basic research in universities through a programme that encourages the building of scientific centres and technological infrastructure, and cooperation with international institutions.International students and employment
The Chinese government has been introducing a number of exploratorychanges allowing international students in Beijing and Shanghai to take part-time jobs or internships off campus as long as they obtain approval from their academic institutions and the administrative authorities, according to a statement of Chinese Ministry of Education.Teacher education - government funding
In August, the Ministry of Education introduced a regulation for government-paid teaching students at six major universities in central and western regions of China. Tuition fees and accommodation and daily expenses will be paid by the central government, as well as subsidies for daily expenses, according to the regulation. The regulation also shortens the service periods for students from ten to six years to teach at primary and middle schools after graduation, and also provides incentives for students to work in rural areas. EgyptNew law for international branch campuses
A new law was voted in parliament in July for the establishment of international branch universities in the country, with the aim of strengthening the country’s existing system. Branch campuses will be required to submit a five-year plan to the government and allocate a certain percentage of places for students and teaching staff to Egyptian nationals.Gender equality - Grandes Ecoles
The Conférence des Grandes Ecoles has released an infographic on gender based equality among its member institutions. It shows that gender balance in engineering schools remains a major concern whereas it is balanced in management schools and other institutions.Education and Research careers for Sustainable Development
A guide on how higher education and research careers can contribute to reach sustainable development goals have been released by organisations including the Conférence des Présidents d’Université, the Conférence des Grandes Ecoles, REFEDD (The French Network of Students for Sustainable Development) and with input from the Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation.Centre International d’Etudes Pédagogiques (CIEP)
The 2017 activity report for the CIEP, an IAU Member, is now available online.Shorter degree completion times
A new study, published by the CHE Centre for Higher Education, based in Gütersloh, Germany, shows that more students in Germany are obtaining degrees within a shorter ‘reasonable’ time period than prior to the Bologna reforms. Improvements were most marked at traditional universities. The study compares length of studying from 2003 to 2005 with new figures covering 2015 to 2017. HungaryThe Hungarian Hungarian Ministry for Human Resources has announced plans to remove gender studies from the country’s list of accredited university study programmes. The European University Association, European Federation of Academies of Sciences and Humanities (ALLEA), and the All European Academies (ALLEA), have raised concerns of university autonomy and called on the Hungarian Government to cancel these plans. The ban will primarily impact Central European University, an IAU Member institution, and Eötvös Loránd University in Budapest (ELTE) who currently offer gender studies programmes.
University autonomy
The University Grants Commission (UGC) has announced that it has granted autonomy to 76 Educational Institutions including 62 Universities (5 Central Universities, 21 State Universities, 34 Deemed to be Universities and 2 Private Universities) and 14 Colleges across the country.Higher Education Commission of India - Bill
The Ministry has released a draft Higher Education Commission of India Bill, 2018 to establish the Higher Education Commission of India (HECI)which will promote and maintain academic standards and monitor and evaluate the academic performance of higher education institutions.International academic staff recruitment
A new regulation by the University Grants Commission (UGC) will enable Ph.D degree-holders from a foreign university with a ranking among top 500 in the QS, THE, or Shanghai World University Rankings to be eligible for direct recruitment as Assistant Professor in universities and colleges.Research and innovation
Vice-Chancellors gathered at a 3-day Conference on Research and Innovation in Higher Education held July 26 - 28 committed to improve quality of teaching and learning and adopted a 10-point resolution for transforming Universities into institutions engaged in cutting edge research.Higher Education and Innovation Fund
The Minister for Education and Skills Richard Bruton, and the Minister of State for Higher Education, Mary Mitchell O’Connor, launched the new Higher Education and Innovation Fund in July. Applications are being sought from Irish higher education institutions for the funding, totalling over €5 million. The innovation fund is part of the additional €100m which the government are investing in higher education since 2016.Ireland’s first Technical University to open
The creation of the technological university is part of the Government’s plan to drive regional economic growth and development under Ireland Project 2040. The new university, to be known as Technological University Dublin (TU Dublin) and will be set up after the dissolution of Dublin Institute of Technology, Institute of Technology Blanchardstown and Institute of Technology Tallaght, at the beginning of 2019.Internationalisation strategies
A new report on the Internationalisation of Irish Higher Education commissioned by the Higher Education Authority and funded by the Irish Research Council has been released. The report, based on an in-depth study of HEIs in Ireland, explores the extent to which Irish higher education institutions have become internationalised and the range of strategies and approaches they have developed.NUFFIC Orange Knowledge Programme - Call for proposals
NUFFIC, the Dutch organisation for Internationalisation in Education (NUFFIC), has launched a call for joint proposals for tailor-made trainings (TMTs) in the Orange Knowledge Programme which involves over 50 developing countries. Deadline to apply: 15 October 2018Work visa rules change for international students
The Government has announced changes to post-study employment rights for international students in New Zealand. Under the new rules, students of bachelor degree level or higher will be eligible for a three year work visa and a requirement linking one type of work visa to particular employers will be abolished. The changes come into effect on 26 November 2018.Micro-credential system introduced
The New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA), an IAU Affiliate Member, is introducing a micro-credential system as part of New Zealand’s regulated education and training system to help ensure it remains relevant in a period of fast paced social, economic and technological changes.Student transition
The Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) - Te Amorangi Mātauranga Matua has released the report ’Transition to Tertiary Life’ - which examines students’ enrolment and transition to higher education->http://www.tec.govt.nz/assets/Publications-and-others/Transition-to-Tertiary-Life-Event-Final.pdf] and identifies opportunities to improve the student experience.Greener Pakistan
The Higher Education Commission (HEC) has addressed a letter to Vice-Chancellors and rectors of all public and private sector universities, inviting them to be an active part of Greener Pakistan movement by initiating Tree Plantation Campaigns in their respective campuses.Access to Higher Education - + Higher Programme
The Portuguese Government Higher Education Directorate has announced that in 2018-2019, the + Higher Programme (Programa +Superior) will provide 1605 new student grants, to encourage and support the attendance of higher education for low-income students, and for regions of the country with less demand.Student Financial aid
Higher Education Minister Naledi Pandor has has announced the appointment of Dr Randall Carolissen as the administrator for the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) in an effort to resolve delays of payments to students who qualify for bursaries dating back to last year. The Higher Education Department indicated that it aims to open applications in early September, despite the non-payment backlog.UniversiTIC - ICT in universities
Conference of Spanish University Rectors (Crue Universidades Españolas) has released a report which analyses the impact of ICT in Spanish universities. Called UniversiTIC , it shows a significant growth on issues of data transparency in universities as well as an increase in distance education offers.
http://www.crue.org/Comunicacion/NoticiasThe Ministry of Education Office of the Higher Education Commission (OHEC), issued a Directory of Coordinators for International Affairs in Thai Higher Education Institutions 2018 meant as a tool for higher education institutions and other organisations both in Thailand and overseas to foster partnerships and networking.
The Minister of Higher Education and Research, Slim Khalbous, announced the creation of a national agency to receive and guide foreign students and facilitate the admission of Sub-Saharan students to public universities (Agence d’accueil des étudiants africains) at the Tunisian African Empowerment Forum (TAEF 2018) in July in Tunis.
House of Lords report on student finance released
The UK House of Lords Select Committee released the findings of their enquiry into higher education in June. The report, entitled ‘Treating Students Fairly: The Economics of Post-School Education’ examines the impact of 2012 reforms which changed most higher education funding in the UK to tuition fees. The report argues the reforms have partly led to a decline in non-degree qualifications and in flexible and part-time learning. It calls for a widening of student maintenance support for changes to student loans.Employers’ demand for HE skills
Universities UK (UUK) released Solving Future Skills Challenges in August. The report highlights the need for continual skill upgrading, lifelong learning and higher education qualifications in the context of rising employer demand for the broad skills developed at university. The report also examines how technological trends such as automation, robotics, artificial intelligence and digital technology, are creating greater demand for post-secondary qualifications.International students
UUK has also published International Facts and Figures 2018 presents a snapshot of the international dimensions of UK higher education. The figures show that the UK is the second most popular destination for international students, however the number of international enrolments in UK universities has leveled off. The report also shows that transnational education is an increasingly significant part of UK universities’ international activity.United Kingdom - Scotland
Student welfare
From August 2018, the Scottish Government is the first national government to make feminine sanitary products available to students at schools, colleges and universities. The government has allocated £5.2m funding for the scheme.Gender parity and leadership
A new report by the American Council on Education (ACE) ‘Leading the Way to Parity: Preparation, Persistence, and the Role of Women Presidents’ provides information and recommendations aimed at increasing the representation of women Presidents of higher education institutions in the United States, currently around 30% of presidencies. The report stresses the importance of bringing women into higher levels of institutional leadership as well as the presidency.University Alliance for Refugees and At-Risk Migrants (UARRM) launched
The University Alliance for Refugees and At-Risk Migrants (UARRM) was launched on 23 July at a symposium hosted by Rutgers University. UARRM is centered on providing higher education opportunities and vocational training for refugees and at-risk migrants, and engaging with the forthcoming UN Global Compacts for Migration and Refugees.The Association of American Colleges & Universities (AAC&U), has published A Vision of Equity which details case studies from thirteen institutions that participated in AACU’s Committing to Equity and Inclusive Excellence project. It details evidence-based interventions focused on improving student success and includes practical examples, models, and resources for identifying and addressing disparities in student outcomes.
Congreso Nacional de Educación
The National Congress of Education (CNE) has released its latest report. CNE has an advisory and consultative role in matters of education.National ranking established
The Ministry of Higher and Secondary-Specialised Education has established a ranking of the country’s 57 higher educational institutions based on 23 indicators.Launch of National Qualifications Framework
The Zimbabwe National Qualifications Framework (ZNQF) was launched in July by the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development. The framework will facilitate the harmonisation of national qualifications, enable student mobility of learners as well as the portability and comparability of qualifications in the country and the SADC region. The National Skills Audit, also released by the Ministry, indicated significant skills deficit in technology, science and technology.Internationalisation of Higher Education
During a recent workshop held by the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development and the Zimbabwe Council for Higher Education, stakeholders engaged in discussions for the development of a framework for the Internationalisation of Higher and Tertiary Education (IHTE).Return to top IAU Lynx July Edition
IAU Lynx June Edition
IAU Lynx May EditionIAU Lynx coordinator: Amanda Sudic
Collaborating team: Melissa Herlaut, Nicholas Poulton, Samuel Pousson, Carine Sebast and Hilligje van’t Land
Contact: centre@iau-aiu.net
© IAU 2018
IAU Lynx - July 2018 KEEPING AN EYE ON HIGHER EDUCATION DEVELOPMENTS WORLDWIDEJuly 2018
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
Zambia, as one of the 10 beneficiary countries of the UNESCO project Strengthening Quality Assurance in Higher Education in Africa, convened a national project inception meeting in Lusaka on 5 June where working modalities were established. UNESCO launched the project in 2017 which aims at enhancing higher education systems in Africa.
UNESCO Director-General, Audrey Azoulay, signed a Framework Cooperation Agreement on education between UNESCO and Equatorial Guinea in a meeting on 20 June with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Equatorial Guinea, Simeon Oyono Esono. UNESCO will provide technical assistance and expertise on the development of programmes and teacher training.
UNESCO Bangkok
Presentations from the Pacific Regional Seminar entitled MOOCs for Higher Education: Seizing Digital Opportunities to Achieve SDG4, organised by UNESCO Bangkok, are now available. Stakeholders from nearly 30 countries attended the Seminar in Shenzhen, China on 11 - 12 June. As a result, UNESCO Bangkok identified two areas of work to accelerate progress in Asia-Pacific:
Launching an Asia-Pacific Network on MOOCs to achieve SDG4; and Developing collaborative research on innovative policies and practices on MOOCs in Asia-Pacific.UNESCO Beirut
The UNESCO Office in Beirut has issued four videos which clarify the process, goals and outcomes of its Regional Strategy launched in 2014 to support States affected by the crisis in Syria. Its three areas of action are: access to education; strengthening education systems so as to make them resilient to crises; and providing quality education and learning to all.
The second video, entitled “Challenges of Higher Education in Crisis: Voices from Syrian Refugee Youth in Lebanon”, focuses on higher education and access to universities for displaced youth.UNESCO Beirut
Participants at the workshop entitled Digital Transformation and Open Education Resources (OER): Toward Quality and Recognition at the Syrian Universities on 9 - 10 May 2018 organised by UNESCO Beirut and the Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF), an IAU Member, agreed on the following recommendations: providing support for Syria’s Ministry of Education and Higher Education to develop a national policy for Digital Education and Development of OER; Capacity building for university faculty; developing joint OER/MOOCs between the Syrian Virtual University and the Tunisian University and inviting other countries to join.
Global University Network for Innovation (GUNi)
GUNi has just published Sustainable Development Goals: Actors and Implementation, the report of GUNis international conference which took place in Barcelona, Spain in September 2017. It provides insights into a wide variety of topics within the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), from higher education and Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI), to gender equality, governance and the circular knowledge economy.
International Council for Open and Distance Education (ICDE)
ICDE released a report in June detailingthe results of a global survey of higher education institutions in 30 countries on delivery models for online, open, flexible and technology enhanced education. The report finds that most higher education providers are just at the beginning of developing comprehensive strategies for harnessing digitalisation.
Mediterranean Universities Union (UNIMED)
The report of the seminar Educational Pathways: How to Strengthen Bridges and Links between Higher Education and Vocational Training to Meet the Needs of the Socio-Economic World? is now available. The seminar, held in Barcelona, Spain on 8 May was organised by UNIMED-Mediterranean Universities Union, in partnership with the Union for the Mediterranean and the European Training Foundation, within the Erasmus+ projet RESUME (RESeaU Méditerranéen pour l’Employabilité).
Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)
The OECD has just published Higher Education in Norway: Labour Market Relevance and Outcomes, part of the OECD Enhancing Higher Education System Performance project. The report includes recommendations to improve the labour market relevance and outcomes of higher education in Norway where forty three percent of the population have a tertiary degree.
United Nations
The United Nations launched its new Technology Bank at the beginning of June, in Gebze, Turkey. The Technology Bank will address development challenges facing least developed countries (LDC). It aims to strengthen the knowledge capacity and foster development of national and regional innovation ecosystems to attract outside technology and generate research and innovation. The setting-up of the Technology Bank, planned to run over 10 years, is one of the targets of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.Return to top REGIONAL INITIATIVES
Africa - Americas - ArabStates - Asia & Pacific - Europe
AfricaCarnegie African Diaspora Fellowship
Applications are still being accepted for the Spring 2018 competition of the Carnegie African Diaspora Fellowship Program (CADFP). Accredited universities in Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania and Uganda wishing to host a scholar, or scholars born in Africa living in the United States or Canada and working in an accredited college or university in either of those two countries, can apply online. Closing date: 6 JulyRegional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM)
6th African Higher Education Week and Ruforum Biennial Conference - call for abstracts
RUFORM has launched a call for abstracts for the RUFORUM Conference and African Higher Education Week. Entitled Aligning African Universities to Accelerate Attainment of Africa’s Agenda 2063, the Conference will be held in Nairobi, Kenya 22 - 26 October 2018 and is a comprehensive meeting for the diversity of stakeholders in both agriculture and higher education sectors. Closing date for submission of extended abstracts: 31 July.Initiatives to produce new PhDs
In an article published recently by a Research Chair at the University of the Western Cape, South Africa, various initiatives have been set up that aim to help produce new PhDs in Africa. These include the Alliance for Accelerating Excellence in Science in Africa, the Human Heredity and Health in Africa (H3Africa) Initiative and the US National Institute of Health and Wellcome Trust, which is investing in African-led research.Regional Higher Education Conference 2018 (CRES)
CRES, the Regional Conference for Higher education for Latin America and the Caribbean, concluded on 15 June in Cordoba, Argentina with the release of a Final Declaration and a Plan of Action for the next 10 years. The Plan of Action includes promoting the expansion and quality of higher education with local and regional relevance, social inclusion and diversity; putting in place regional quality assurance systems; enhancing the participation of women in all areas of university life; and building a regional Science, Technology and Innovation agenda. The Plan also states its opposition to the commercialisation of education and affirms the responsibilities of governments in regulating higher education. Cres was organised by the UNESCO Institute for Higher Education in Latin America and the Caribbean (IESALC), the Argentinian Ministry of Education, the National Interuniversity Council (CIN) and the National University of Cordoba (UNC). Arab States
First Arabic Citation Index
The first Arabic Citation Index (ARCI) was launched in May by the Egyptian Minister of Education and Technical Education Tarek Shawki. The project aims to facilitate access to Arabic scientific research and is led by the Egyption Knowledge Bank, an online library archive, with the Web of Science. The ARCI will be reference and provide access to bibliographic information and journal articles from across the 22 member states of the Arab League.Asia Development Bank (ADB)
The ADB has released the report ICT for Better Education in the Pacific that reveals the findings of literature and field research on how ICT has been incorporated into the education sector, including at university level, in the Pacific region. It provides eight recommendations on focal areas to drive further progress.Asia-Pacific Quality Network (APQN)
APQN has posted a Call for Papers for the 2019 APQN Academic Conference (AAC) and Annual General Meeting (AGM) themed Quality Assurance in the Asia-Pacific Region: Insight into the Future. The Conference will take place on 28 - 31 March in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Deadline: 29 November 2018European Commission
Horizon Europe
The European Commission has outlined their plans for Horizon Europe, the Ninth Framework Programme for Research and Innovation. The Commission is proposing €100 billion for Horizon Europe, the successor to Horizon 2020, which will cover the period 2021 - 2027.Horizon Europe - Universities’ response
14 European associations, including the European University Association and UNICA, both IAU Members, have released a communiqué in response to the Commission’s proposal for Horizon Europe. They call for an increased budget of €160 billion to achieve the ambitions of Horizon Europe and to put the implementation of the European Research Area at the centre of Horizon Europe and for more focus to be placed on society’s long-term benefits from the programme.Ministerial Conference
Documents from the Ministerial Conference held in Paris on May 24 - 25 2018 are available online including the Paris Communiqué adopted by education ministers. The conference was opened to European Higher Education Area (EHEA) delegations and included a Bologna Policy Forum that was an opportunity to pursue a dialogue between EHEA and non-EHEA countries.
http://www.ehea.info/cid101765/ministerial-conference-paris-2018.htmlBaltic Recognition Agreement
The Baltic Recognition Agreement came into force on 18 May. Signed by Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania earlier this year, the agreement grants automatic mutual recognition of each other’s higher education qualifications. It covers all academic degrees and professional diplomas, as well as diplomas conferred at the end of secondary school.Ligue des Bibliothèques Européennes de Recherche (LIBER) / Association of European Research Libraries
LIBER has released a webinar which addresses how Europe’s new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) legislation impacts on research data management.Return to top BILATERAL INITIATIVES
Cameroon-Congo
The Cameroonian Prime Minister, Philemon Yang, signed a decree in June to create the Cameroon-Congo Inter-State University (Université Inter-Etats Cameroun-Congo). The university will be in Sangmélima, Cameroon, and will help strengthen cooperation and integration between both countries. Canada-Mexico
Seven new Memorandums of Understanding between Mexican and Canadian universities and research partnerswere signed in Mexico City in May. The MoUs focus on research collaborations in priority areas for each country, including health, digital technology, indigenous education and environmental sustainability. France-Canada
The Association des collèges et universités de la francophonie canadienne (ACUFC) and the Conference of University Presidents (CPU) signed an agreement on 6 June in Ottawa, Canada to increase cooperation between post-secondary institutions to boost student mobility and overcome the shortage of French speaking teachers in Canada. France-Chad
The Conference of University Presidents (CPU) and Chad Consortium of Universities and Grandes Ecoles (CUGET) signed a 5-year framework agreement on 24 May 2018 in Paris. It aims to establish institutional cooperation and to promote cultural, pedagogical and cultural collaboration and to develop joint projects. France-Cuba
On 25 May 2018 in Paris, the French Minister of Higher Education, Research and Innovation and Cuba’s Minister of Higher Education signed a cooperation agreement on short cycle higher education. Topics agreed on include strengthening cooperation on professional integration of graduates, mutual recognition of degrees and student mobility. Turkey-Palestine
Turkey and Palestine have signed a Memorandum of Understanding in higher education that will establish the institutional framework for cooperation between the higher education institutions of both countries and offer YOK Scholarships for Palestinian students.Return to top NATIONAL INITIATIVES
Australia
Brazil Canada China Egypt France Germany 
Ghana India
Indonesia
Japan
Mexico 
Morocco Netherlands
Norway Pakistan
Philippines
Rwanda South Africa
South Korea Spain 
Switzerland 
Taiwan 
Turkey United Kingdom United States Australia
Institutional assessments
The Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA) will include student wellbeing and safety standards as an additional criteria for assessments of higher education providersduring applications for renewal of registration.Improving retention and completion - report
The Minister for Education and Training has released the Higher Education Standards Panel’s final report Improving Retention, Completion and Success in Higher Education. The report examines the factors impacting success and makes 18 recommendations for Australia’s higher education community to help ensure students have the best chance of successfully completing their studies and transitioning into the workforce.Responsible research code
The National Health and Medical Research Council has released thenew Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research 2018, jointly developed with the Australian Research Council and Universities Australia. This updated version presents the broad principles that characterise an honest, ethical and conscientious research culture and the responsibilities and expectations for research across all disciplines. Brazil
National innovation award - call for submissions
The Institute for Research and Studies in University Administration - INPEAU is inviting the academic community (students, researchers, teachers and technical-administrative workers) to submit their applications to the third edition of the National Innovation Award in University Management Professor João David Ferreira Lima 2018. The prize seeks to recognise people who have created or developed models, instruments or innovative university management practices.
Deadline: August 19. Canada
International students
The Canadian Bureau for International Education (CBIE) has published the results of two surveys indicating that a large proportion of current international students plan to work in Canada after graduation and intend to apply for permanent residency. Retaining International Students in Canada Post-Graduation: Understanding the Motivations and Drivers of the Decision to Stay in Canada finds that despite variation depending on international students’ country of origin, some of the reasons why international students intend to stay in Canada include better job opportunities and a higher standard of living.University funding (Quebec)
The Quebec provincial government has announced an increase in funding allocated to universities from 2018 - 2019. The funding, agreed with the heads of 19 universities in Quebec, provides CAN$1.5 billion (EUR 981 million) over five years. It aims to increase access, quality and international performance of Quebec’s universities.Sexual violence prevention policies (Manitoba)
The Government of Manitoba has released guidelines to assist higher education institutions in developing their sexual violence policies, as required under the 2017 Sexual Violence Awareness and Prevention Act. The guide outlines institutions’ responsibilities under the Act and details best practices.- China
Plan on Promoting Artificial Intelligence in Universities
On 8 June, the Ministry of Education held a press conference at Zhejiang University, an IAU Member, to present the Action Plan on Promoting Artificial Intelligence in Universities. This roadmap document sets out three milestones for Chinese universities in the next two decades and lists 18 objectives organised around three goals: optimising the existing innovation framework for AI development, cultivating more high-caliber talent in the field of AI and promoting the commercialisation of research outcomes.Industry and education
The 5th International Forum on Industry and Education (IFIE) held in Zhumadian City, China, in May was themed New Accomplishments of Integration of Industry and Education in the New Era. It was designed to help Chinese colleges and universities explore new strategic development paths to meet people’s needs and serve national strategies, while focusing on areas such as the modernisation of industry,, rural revitalisation strategies, new types of urbanisation, and supply of human resources. China-Hong Kong
Research policy and funding
The national task force on Research Policy and Funding has launched a consultation on its interim report which presents findings and preliminary recommendations from its review of research support strategy and the allocation of research funding for the higher education sector in Hong Kong. The consultation closes on 10 July. South Korea
The Democratic Republic of Korea’s Ministry of Unification in Seoul has given the go ahead for students at Seoul National University (SNU) to discuss academic exchanges with North Korea’s Kim Il Sung University, with the hope that regular exchanges and joint projects can be set up between the two universities.- Egypt
Egypt’s government has approved a draft law on the establishment of eight technological universities across Egypt. The legislation is aimed at improving technical and vocational education and training (TVET) and boosting the employability of youth. France
Europe of Universities
The Conférence des Présidents des Universités (CPU) has published Europe des Universités (Europe of Universities), a report of the outcomes of the CPU conference which took place in Dijon in March. The recommendations include support for widening open access in Europe; a call for mobilisation of universities throughout Europe to promote ‘European values’ such as tolerance, open-mindedness, academic freedom and solidarity. It also calls for investment for the development of innovative pedagogies and infrastructures to enable virtual mobility; and asserts its continued collaboration with British universities post-Brexit, particularly in research, innovation and mobility.Graduate employment - Grandes Ecoles
Graduate employment has reached its highest level since 2010 for graduates of Grandes Ecoles, according to a survey just published by the Conférence des Grandes Ecoles. The results show that 90 % of graduates of 176 Grandes Ecoles were in employment less than six months after graduating. Grandes Ecoles are French higher education institutions mainly in the fields of engineering, business, research and public administration with highly selective admissions. http://www.cge.asso.fr/themencode-pdf-viewer/?file=http://www.cge.asso.fr/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/2018-06-19-Rapport-2018.pdf Germany
The German Rectors Conference (HRK) have stated their concerns following a decision by the German Supreme Court concerning admission procedures for medical degrees. According to the HRK, this decision not only impacts on university autonomy, but also education at universities in general.- Ghana
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has announced that as part of efforts to improve the quality of teacher training in Ghana, Colleges of Education are to be upgraded to University College status and will offer a new four-year Bachelor of Education degree with effect from the 2018-19 academic year. The degree has been made the minimum requirement for teaching at any level of the country’s education system.- India
PhD mandatory for University teachers
A new regulation introduced by the University Grants Commission (UGC) will make aPh.D Degree mandatory for direct recruitment to the position of teachers and Assistant Professors in Universities as of July 2021.Quality mandate
The University Grants Commission (UGC) has issued a Quality Mandate presenting approved objectives and initiatives for improving quality in Higher Education Institutions by 2022. These include: institutional accreditation; improving graduate outcomes; Promoting links between students and industry during their studies; including in the curriculum professional ethics and soft skills such as teamwork, communication and leadership skills; ensuring that teacher vacancies at HEIs do not exceed 10%.Online courses - new regulations
In May, the University Grants Commission (UGC) approved theUGC (Online Courses) Regulations, 2018. From the new academic year, institutions will be allowed to offer certificate, diploma and degree programmes to students as fully-fledged online courses provided they have already been offering the same programmes in regular or distance learning mode. Indonesia
Plan for Preventing radicalism at universities
Higher Education Minister Mohamad Nasir announced a plan in June to meet with the heads of public universities to coordinate efforts aimed at preventing radicalism on Indonesian campuses.Online Learning System (SPADA) launched
While participating at the 2018 World Post Graduate Expo held in Jakarta in May, the Minister of Research, Technology and Higher Education launched an e-learning or hybrid learning system named Online Learning System (SPADA) Indonesia, meant to improve to education for Indonesians all over the country with modules and materials contributed by participating universities. Japan
The government has announced that from 2020 students from low income families attending higher educational institutions will will be eligible for tuition fee relief and expanded grant-type scholarships. Mexico
In order to collect and analyse information on gender equality in higher education institutions in Mexico, ANNUIES, the National association of universities and higher education institutions, together with other organisations (CIEG-UNAM, INMUJERES, CONAVIM and CNDH) have signed an agreement to establish a Gender Equality Observatory.Morocco
Partnership for Research and Innovation in the Mediterranean Area
Morocco has become an official participating State in the Partnership for Research and Innovation in the Mediterranean Area (PRIMA), an EU programme bringing together 19 countries which focuses on the development and application of solutions for food systems and water resources in the Mediterranean basin. The agreement was signed in April by the Minister of National Education, Vocational Training, Higher Education and Scientific Research, Saaïd Amzazi, and the European Commissioner for Research, Science and Innovation.National Centre for Scientific and Technical Research - Strategic Plan
TheNational Centre for Scientific and Technical Research (Centre national pour la recherche scientifique et technique CNRST) validated/theirstrategic plan for 2018-2022.The Netherlands
International students from outside Europe are now allowed to work 16 hours per week in addition to their studies. The previous standard was 10 hours per week. Opportunities for taking part in an internship after graduation have also been expanded.Norway
New recognition service for Nordic degrees
The Norwegian Agency for Quality Assurance in Education (NOKUT) has launched a new recognition service for people with higher education qualifications from the Nordic countries who wish to work or study in Norway. The recognition statement shows how NOKUT recognizes Nordic higher education degrees and their equivalent degrees in the Norwegian system. The document also provides information on how employers and education institutions can verify the qualifications directly with the issuing university.Clothing bill
Norway’s parliament has passed a bill banning clothing that partially or fully covers the face from being worn at educational institutions, including universities. The bill applies to both students and teachers.Pakistan
On World Environment Day on 5 June, the Higher Education Commission organised a consultative meeting of 15 universities to draw the attention of the country’s higher education institutions to their policies in relation to combating global climate change.Philippines
Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act
On 13 June, a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) was signed between the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and almost 200 Public Higher Education Institutions, to launch the implementation of or the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act (UAQTEA). Around 1.3 million students are expected to benefit from the initial implementation of the Act meant to provide free Higher Education for those admitted in State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) and CHED-recognized Local Universities and Colleges (LUCs).Rwanda
National Research and Innovation Fund Launched
The NIRF is to be funded by the government as it continues to shore up research, technology and innovation in the country as well as to seek to raise numbers of researchers the country has and train different Rwandans on how to develop efficient innovations that can contribute to the country’s transformation.South Africa
Universities South Africa Research and Innovation Dialogue
USAF held it 6th Research and Innovation Dialogue from 31 May to 1 June, bringing together leaders from the country’s public universities, national research foundations, representatives from the Departments of Higher Education and Training and Science and Technology. Central themes discussed were funding, research, postgraduate / doctoral education, and cooperation.Spain
The Open University of Catalunya (UOC) - an IAU Member - is to coordinate ACT (Communities of Practice for Accelerating Gender Equality and Institutional Change in Research and Innovation across Europe)- a H2020 funded project that will advance gender equality at research organizations by facilitating collaboration between experienced institutions in the implementation of gender equality plans with less experienced ones, addressing common needs and improving assessment.Switzerland
Digital skills in teaching
The Council of Haute Ecoles, representing the Swiss Conference of Hautes Ecole approved the project Reinforcing Digital Skills in Teaching. The project, developed by swissuniversities, will run from 2019 to 2024 and aims to support digital skills for students, teachers and institutions in Hautes Ecoles.Taiwan
The President has promulgated the Community College Development Act that clarifies the legal status of community colleges to promote their development, facilitate their operation, and in turn reinforce Taiwan’s lifelong learning system. The Act also delegates operational support mandate to the central and local competent authorities.Turkey
Two Turkish universities near the Syrian Border are taking part in rebuilding efforts in Syrian cities which have been liberated. They are planning to establish a faculty and a department in Jarablus and in al-Bab.United Kingdom
University Mental Health Charter launched
The Universities Minister Sam Gyimah announced new measures on student mental health on 28 June, calling on universities to dramatically improve their mental health offering for students. The measures include the University Mental Health Charter which will award universities with recognition for meeting new mental health standards which will be developed in partnership with Universities UK, the Office for Students (OfS) and the National Union of Students (NUS).University admissions and prior attainment
A new Universities UK report, Growth and Choice in University Admissions, shows that the growth in student numbers over the past ten years has not led to university entrants having lower qualifications. The research also shows that vocational qualifications are now widely recognised in university admissions in England.Graduate earnings
A new report from the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) commissioned by the Department for Education finds that family background has an important impact on graduates’ future earnings, as well as subject and institution choice.Research and Open access
Research England, (the former Higher Education Funding Council for England - HEFCE) together with the Wellcome Trust, the former Research Councils UK (RCUK) and Jisc have published a report examining progress in English higher education institutions towards open access in the context of the RFI Research Excellence Framework (REF) open access policy. The report finds that out of the 113 universities surveyed, 61% of research outputs are meeting open access requirements.University funding (Scotland)
The Scottish Funding Council has published its annual report on Widening Access. The report, which presents data from 2016-2017 towards the Scottish Government access targets, finds positive trends on entry rates for students with disabilities, ethnic minority students, students with care experience and for gender balance. However there was a slight annual decrease in entry to university for students from the poorest areas of Scotland.United States
Data use to improve equity
A new report by the American Council on Education (ACE),Bringing Accountability to Life: How Savvy Data Users Find the “Actionable N” to Improve Equity and Sustainability in Higher Education, provides a humanistic perspective on data-informed decision making in higher education. It presents the findings of a a data use initiative among university teachers, administrators, and staff in Pennsylvania to promote racial equity in higher education.Minority serving institutions and upward mobility
Minority serving institutions (MSIs) propel students up the economic ladder at two to three times the rates of non-MSIs, according to a new report from ACE. The report is a first-of-its-kind analysis of MSIs using newly released federal data that examines upward income mobility rates.Graduate STEM education
The National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine recently released a report titled Graduate STEM Education for the 21st Century.Return to top IAU Lynx June Edition
IAU Lynx May Edition
IAU Lynx April EditionIAU Lynx coordinator: Amanda Sudic
Collaborating team: Melissa Herlaut, Nicholas Poulton, Samuel Pousson, Carine Sebast and Hilligje van’t Land
Contact: centre@iau-aiu.net
© IAU 2018
IAU Lynx - June 2018 KEEPING AN EYE ON HIGHER EDUCATION DEVELOPMENTS WORLDWIDEJune 2018
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.
Return to Newsletter INTERNATIONAL INITIATIVES
UNESCO’s Heritage Emergency Fund and the UNESCO Cairo Office organised a mission to the University of Benghazi in Libya from 5 - 14 April 2018 to evaluate the state of conservation and carry out a needs assessment for the restoration and preservation of the University’s Collection of Manuscripts and Books which has been heavily affected by the armed conflict and is in need of restoration.
On 15 May, UNESCO Director-General, Audrey Azoulay, and the Minister of Education for the Republic of Ghana, Matthew Opoku Prempeh, signed an Agreement establishing the African Institute of Mathematical Sciences in Ghana as a Category 2 Centre under the auspices of UNESCO.
UNESCO has published Mapping Research and Innovation in Lao People’s Democratic Republic. The study is the culmination of two years’ work, in close collaboration with the Ministry of Science and Technology of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR).
International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP)
IIEP-UNESCO and the Mongolian National Education Accreditation Council (NEAC) jointly organised a capacity development workshop for Quality Assurance officials on Internal Quality Assurance for national higher education institutions. The workshop was also supported by the Asian Development Bank. 150 QA personnel from the 95 Mongolian higher education institutions participated in the Workshop which concluded which the agreement of a roadmap for the development of IQA in higher education institutions and the head of the National Education Accreditation Council, Ms Yanjmaa Ochirbat, announced the creation of a National Quality Forum.UNESCO Beirut
UNESCO Beirut in collaboration with the Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF), an IAU Member, organised a workshop entitledDigital Transformation and Open Education Resources (OER): Toward Quality and Recognition at the Syrian Universities’. The recommendations produced by the participants include providing support for Syria’s Ministry of Education and Higher Education to develop a National Policy for Digital Education; capacity building in Professional Development for university faculty;and developing joint Syrian/Tunisian OER/MOOCs.UNESCO Bangkok - Mongolia
UNESCO Bangkok’s Section for Educational Innovation and Skills Development (EISD) has agreed to provide technical support to the Ministry of Education of Mongolia to strengthen the country’s quality assurance and accreditation systems in order to improve the quality of higher education and solve the skills mismatch in the job market.
British Council
Videos and podcasts of presentations from the Going Global Conference 2018 held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on 2 - 4 May are now available online. Themed ‘Global Connections, Local Impact’, the conference addressed challenges for the future of international higher education.
Commonwealth of Learning (COL)
COL has launched the Commonwealth Digital Education Leadership Training in Action (C-DELTA) online platform for both teachers and students to assess their digital education skills, learn digital education skills based on areas that needs improvements and receive a certificate.COL sponsored the 2018 Biennial High Level Roundtable for Vice Chancellors and Heads of ODL Institutions on May 10 - 11 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Hosted by Asia eUniversity, 30 Vice Chancellors from 20 countries participated in the event which focused on leadership and entrepreneurship in online education. A video of the event and discussions is available online.
Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack (GCPEA)
The Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack (GCPEA) has released Education under Attack 2018. The fourth edition of this report, which covers at all levels of education, finds that that violence directed at students, educators, and their institutions increased worldwide between 2013 to 2017.2017Attacks on higher education occurred in 52 countries globally. Institute of International Education (IIE)
The Institute of International Education (IIE), an IAU Affiliate Member, has expanded IIE PEER, its Platform for Education in Emergencies Response (PEER), a low-bandwidth database providing information on higher education degree and non-degree programmes initially aimed to support Syrian students to represent other displaced populations throughout the world. Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)
The OECD has published How is the Tertiary-Education Population Evolving? The publication, the latest of OECD’s Education Indicators in Focus forecasts that over the next decade the share of young adults in OECD and G20 countries with a tertiary education is expected to continue to grow, with a widening gender gap and that the increase will mostly be driven by China and India. Universia
Documents and videos from the International Rectors’ Meeting Universia 2018 have now been released. The Meeting took place on 12 - 22 May at the University of Salamanca, Spain, an IAU Member which this year celebrates its 8th centenary. Themed “University, Society, and Future", the Meeting focused on three strategic topics: training and learning in the digital world, research at the university and universities’ contribution to social and territorial development. IAU President Pam Fredman was a speaker at the Inaugural Panel. The Meeting concluded with the release of the Declaration of Salamanca.Return to top REGIONAL INITIATIVES
Africa - Americas - ArabStates - Asia & Pacific - Europe
AfricaPan-African High-Level Conference on Education (PACE 2018)
The Pan-African High-Level Conference on Education (PACE 2018) took place in Nairobi, Kenya from 25 to 27 April. The event, aimed to chart a common way forward to ensure inclusive and quality education for all in Africa. Education ministers and high-level government officials, and representatives of international, regional and national United Nations organisations, pan-African youth and teacher organizations joined the discussions, which concluded with the Nairobi Declaration and Call for Action on Education. It expresses recommendations for developing Africa’s human and social capital through education within the context of the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 4 and the Continental Strategy for Education in Africa 2016–2025.World Bank - Korea Regional Scholarship and Innovation Fund
The World Bank and the Government of Korea signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on 23 May on the margins of the African Development Bank Annual Meetings in Busan, Korea. Under the MoU, the Government of Korea will set up a $10 million trust fund at the World Bank for the Regional Scholarship and Innovation Fund (RSIF) to support Sub-Saharan Africa’s universities and research institutions in growing highly qualified local talent in areas important for Africa’s transformation, such as renewable energy, big data, artificial intelligence, and engineering.First Cohort of Future African Leaders in Science and Technology
Fifteen young African scholars, four of whom are women - funded by the Partnership for skills in Applied Sciences, Engineering and Technology Regional Scholarship and Innovation Fund (RSIF) - have officially started PhD research programmes at universities across the region (Sokoine University of Agriculture in Tanzania, University Felix Houphouet-Boigny in Cote d’Ivoire, African University of Science and Technology in Nigeria, and University of Gaston Berger in Senegal). They will research some of the biggest challenges facing the African continent, including food security, information and communications technologies, and materials, minerals and mining engineering.African Centre of Excellence for Inequalities Research (ACEIR) launched
The University of Cape Town launched ACEIR, one of thirteen Centres of Excellence planned under the aegis of The African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA). Each Centre will address a research theme aligned to the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).Unión de Universidades de América Latina (UDUAL)
UDUAL has released a detailed analysis of medical education in Latin America and the Caribbean. The report is based on the results of a survey of 105 Medical Schools, both public and private, in 17 countries in the region.The UNESCO Chair on the Communication of Science and Technology was inaugurated at Allameh Tabataba’i University, Iran, an IAU Member, on 16 May. The ceremony was attended by Esther Kuisch-Laroche, Director of the UNESCO Tehran Cluster Office and Mansour Gholami, Minister of Science, Research and Technology. The Chair is responsible for affairs of regional countries of Afghanistan, Pakistan and Turkmenistan, and for enhancing the existing scientific cooperation between these countries.
Asia-Pacific Quality Network (APQN)
APQN has published two reports: Capacity Building for Next-Generation Quality Assurance in Higher Education, a report from the 2018 APQN Academic Conference (AAC) held in March in Nagpur, India. It covers internal quality assurance of quality assurance agencies (QAAs) and quality assurance of Higher Education Institutions. The APQN Annual General Meeting (AGM) 2018 that also took place at the APQN conference. It provides an overview of events and initiatives carried out in 2017 as well as focus areas set for 2018.National Institution for Academic Degrees and Quality Enhancement of Higher Education (NIAD-QE)
NIAD-QE Japan, along with the Higher Education Evaluation Centre of the Ministry of Education (HEEC) of China and the Korean Council for University Education (KCUE) were jointly awarded the 2018 APQN Quality Award in the ‘International Cooperation in QA’ category, in recognition of the joint initiative to monitor the 5 year Campus Asia pilot programmes.European Commission
New education package launched
The European Commission launched a new education package on 22 May. This includes a Recommendation for simplifying recognition procedures and establishing transparent criteria for recognition that are applied consistently throughout higher education institutions throughout Europe.Bologna process implementation
The European Higher Education Area in 2018: Bologna Process Implementation Report was released in May. It provides detailed data on national and regional progress towards the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) since the Yerevan Conference in 2015. It finds that although Bologna commitments have mostly been met, and that the dominant European model is now a clearly structured three-cycle degree system, there remain significant differences in degree structures across the EHEA as a whole.European University Association (EUA)
Call for papers
A call for papers has been launched for the European Learning and Teaching Forum 2019. Themed Towards Successful Learning: Common Ground and Controversies, the forum will be hosted by University of Warsaw, Poland, on 14 - 15 February 2019. Deadline to submit online proposals: 12 October 2018.Database of External Quality Assurance results
DEQAR, the Database of External Quality Assurance Results, aims to support transparency of quality of European higher education launched has been launched. The database which currently holds results for over 400 higher education institutions across Europe is an initiative of the E4 Group: the European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA), European Students Union (ESU), European University Association (EUA) and the European Association of Institutions in Higher Education (EURASHE).Return to top BILATERAL INITIATIVES
Algeria - Mauritania
The Algerian and Mauritanian Ministers of Higher Education and Research, Tahar Hadjar and Sidi Ould Salem, signed a cooperation agreement in research, specifically in the areas of water, pollution, environment and global warming at a meeting on 6 May in Algiers. China - Spain
The Conference of Spanish University Rectors (Crue Universidades Españolas) and China Education Association for International Exchange (CEAIE) signed a Memorandum of Understanding on institutional cooperation and student mobility on 17 April in Crue’s headquarters in Madrid. Finland - Estonia
The Government of Finland and the Government of Estonia convened or the first time on 7 May in Tallinn, Estonia. Topics agreed on included deepening cooperation on higher education and culture. Both countries also seek to introduce and develop their languages in Europe and enlarge opportunities for language studies. Ireland - Oman
The Irish Minister for Higher Education, Mary Mitchell O’Connor, and the Minister of Higher Education from the Sultanate of Oman, Dr. Rawya Al Busaidi, signed a memorandum of understanding on 14 May in higher education cooperation. Japan - Germany
University representatives from Japan and Germany met in Tokyo on 26 - 27 April to discuss how universities in both countries can cooperate with society, business and industry in an effective and mutually beneficial way. Three guiding principles were adopted. Japan - Singapore
The first Japan-Singapore Joint Committee Meeting on Cooperation in Science and Technology was convened on 16 April in Tokyo. Joint research and academic exchange were among the topics addressed. Norway - China
The People’s Republic of China and Norway signed an agreement on mutual recognition of qualifications in higher education on 18 April 2018 in Beijing, China. The aim of the agreement on mutual recognition of qualifications in higher education is to increase academic mobility between the two countries. United States (California) - Mexico
In the framework of California-Mexico Advocacy Day, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the state of California and Mexico to foster binational cooperation on education. The MoU addresses challenges faced by students who study on both sides of the US-Mexico border.Return to top NATIONAL INITIATIVES
Argentina Australia Canada
Chile China
Costa Rica
Côte d’Ivoire 
Ecuador Egypt 
Ethiopia France Germany India
Ireland
Japan
Kazakhstan 
Kenya 
Malta
New Zealand
Pakistan Spain 
Sri lanka
Sweden Turkey
United Arab Emirates United Kingdom United States Argentina
Higher education institution mapping
The Ministry of Education has launched a map referencing all the higher education courses in 2500 public and private institutions. Search can be carried out by region, university funding, type of institution, degree level and field of studies.Mobile devices
The presentation and video on the challenges of mobile devices in teaching by Dr Mariona Grané at Academia Nacional de Educación are now available (in Spanish). Australia
Student experience survey - report
The 2017 Student Experience Survey (SES) National Report has been released by the Department of Education and Training-commissioned Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching (QILT) project. It presents the results from 148,000 undergraduate students and 58,000 postgraduate students from Australian universities and non-university higher education institutions (NUHEIs) and analyses five aspects of the student experience: skills development, learner engagement, teaching quality, student support and learning resources.TEQSA - call for papers
The Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA) has launched a call for papers for its annual conference themed Innovation, Excellence and Diversity to be held 28 - 30 November 2018 in Melbourne. Deadline to submit abstracts of presentations: 13 July 2018Students, Quality, Success
TEQSA has published the papers presented at its 2017 conference addressing the themes Students, Quality and Success.HE participation trends
The Mitchell Institute, an independent think tank at Victoria University, has released Participation in Tertiary Education in Australia. The report presents a picture of past and present enrolment trends and predictions of future participation levels in tertiary education – including higher education - in Australia.
http://www.mitchellinstitute.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Participation-in-tertiary-education-in-Australia.pdf Canada
Tech-expansion plan (British Colombia)
The province of British Colombia has announced it is investing an initial CAN$900,000 (€595,854) in a new tech-expansion plan. Under the plan, 2,900 technology-related spaces will be added within nine higher education institutions to produce 1,000 additional technology graduates a year by 2023.Student aid changes (Manitoba)
The Manitoba provincial government has announced the streamlining of the application process for student aid and bursaries to help more low-income and Indigenous students. The province plans to distribute up to CAN $8.6 million (€5.7 million in additional loans for the 2018-19 academic year.Research funding for Hong Kong and Macau
A new directive announced in May by the Chinese Ministries of Science and Technology and of Finance, states that universities and research institutions in Hong Kong and Macau can apply for research funding from China, previously only available to academics on the Chinese mainland.Commercialisation of research
The Program for Promoting Commercialization of Research Results by Universities Located in Beijing was presented by the Ministry of Education Science and Technology Department and the Zhongguancun science and technology park at the National Independent Innovation Zone in Beijing on 24 April 2018. It addresses ways to promote the commercialisation of university research and boost the development of innovation clusters.Sexism and gender violence
Students and staff in over 30 higher education institutions in Chile have occupied university buildings to protest against sexism, harassment and gender violence in Chilean universities.The Ministry of Education has released its suggestions for the development of a protocol against sexual harassment in higher education.
Consejo Nacional de Rectores (CONARE) has launched a new website providing infographics on degrees and their employment opportunities. Information is presented in a reader friendly manner making it easy to use for students, career counselors and researchers.
Côte d’Ivoire
The Ministry of Higher Education and Research is looking to reform the law concerning higher education. Professor Bakayoko Ly Ramata, the Minister, stated that the country’s universities should move towards being more entrepreneurial and should produce knowledge in order to respond to pressing issues in the country (in French).On 9 May in Buenos Aires, the UNESCO International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP) and Ecuadorian Ministry of Education signed a letter of intent on transparency, social responsibility and fight against corruption in the education system.
Higher Education Minister Khaled Abdul Ghaffar has announced that the Cabinet has approved a draft law on the establishment of technological universities. The bill stipulates that eight technological universities will be built across the country.
Performance report and action plan
A recent report presented by Dr Tilaye Gete, the Minister of Education, announced that a 15-year action plan is being prepared by evaluating and reviewing education and training policies of the last 25 years, and by involving more than 36 higher education institution professionals and researchers.International mobility for students with disabilities
In the context of the Bologna Ministerial Conference to be held in Paris on 24 - 25 May, the Conférence des Grandes Ecoles (CGE) has launched a campaign to raise awareness of issues encountered by students with disabilities during their international mobility programmes and calls for the creation of an international status for students with disabilities.Bologna Process explained
The Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation in partnership with Radio Campus France has released a podcast series called ‘Sauce Bolo’ to explain the Bologna Process in a pedagogical and humoristic way.Make our Planet Great Again - Laureats
The Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation has released the names of the second round of laureates from the research program ‘Make our Planet Great Again’ launched by the French President following the United States’ decision to withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement. Thelaureates, from seven countries, will conduct research projects on climate change in French universities and research centres.research publications
As institutional attribution of research publications has a significant influence on institutions’ position in international rankings, HRK, the German Rectors’ Conference, has released recommendations on guidelines for stating affiliations in publications.Fake universities listed
In May, the University Grants Commission published a Notice on fake universities which lists 24 unrecognised universities which are not entitled to confer degrees.New higher education regulation authority - legislation
The government has drawn up draft legislation for setting up a ‘Higher Education Evaluation and Regulation Authority, 2018’ (HEERA) or Higher Education Regulatory Council (HERC) which would replace existing regulatory authorities.Student progression statistics
A new report by the Higher Education Authority (HEA) has found that 86% of the 41,441 first year undergraduates in public higher education institutions in 2014/15 progressed to second year. The research found that prior academic attainment is the strongest predictor of non-progression and that rates of non-progression are higher in institutes of technology than in universities. Japan
Universities’ plan
The Japan Association of National Universities (JANU) has released ‘A Future Vision of National Universities in Higher Education’. The statement defines a vision and the future missions for national universities. Kazakhstan
National universities’ ratings
The National Rating of the Independent Agency for Accreditation and Rating has released their list of the ‘20 best universities’ in Kazakhstan 2018.Recommendations by the Commission for University Education (CUE) on the Kenyan higher education system are contained in a report entitled Policy Advisory on Rationalisation of Universities and Programmes in Kenya, which was presented to the Education Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed on 2 May. The proposals include university mergers in a given region, creation of national centres of excellence, and recommends that PhD holders admitted through executive masters degrees will not be eligible to teach in Kenyan universities.
Malta
Student visa policy changes
The Government has announced changes to its student visa policy that will simplify and streamline the process for non-European students and include employment rights. New Zealand
Budget freeze
The Government announced its Budget on 17 May which includes a funding freeze for universities. Universities New Zealand-Te Pōkai Tara said that this budget would significantly harm universities financially, in particular due to reduced finance arising from the recent fees-free policy. Pakistan
Vice Chancellor position - Call for applications
The Higher Education Commission has announced the opening for the position of Vice Chancellor of the Islamic University of Technology (IUT), Dhaka (a subsidiary of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). Deadline for applications: 30 June. Spain
New national merit scholarship
The government announced an investment of an additional 50 million Euros for a new merit scholarship on 23 May which will be awarded to students with the best academic records.Mobility agreement for students with visual disabilities
The Conference of Spanish University Rectors (Crue Universidades Españolas) and the National Organization of Spanish blind people (ONCE) and have concluded a cooperation agreement to boost blind students international mobility. Both organisations committed to facilitate the participation of international students with a visual disability in CRUE’s university members international mobility programmes.New Minister of Higher Education
The new Minister of Higher Education and Cultural Affairs, Dr. Wijayadasa Rajapaksa, took office on 2 May.HE and research insitutions cancel Elsevier contract
The Bibsam Consortium, which represents 85 higher education and research institutions in Sweden, has announced that they will cancel their contract with journal publisher Elsevierover concerns over slow progress towards open access. Sweden’s government has said that all publicly funded research should be made freely available by 2026. Turkey
HE statistics
Higher education statistics for academic year 2017-2018 have just been published (in Turkish). United Arab Emirates
Student visa changes
The UAE government has announced new five-year residency visas for students studying in the UAE and 10-year visas for exceptional students and specialists in medical, scientific, research and technical fields.Post-Brexit research
The Prime Minister, Theresa May, has announced that post-Brexit she is seeking full participation of the UK in the European Union’s next research and innovation programmes including the successor to Horizon 2020, which the UK would pay for. In her speech on Science and Modern Industrial Strategy at the University of Manchester, she also said that she will ensure that there is no change to the situation for researchers in the UK who are foreign nationals.Students’ mental health
Minding Our Future was launched by Universities UK during Mental Health Awareness Week in May. The publication, by UUK Student Mental Health Services Task Group, shows that the number of students with mental health problems in the UK has trebled in recent years. It provides guidance to improve the coordination of student mental health care services between universities and the National Health Service.Government review of post-18 education - submission
Universities UK has released its submission to the government’s review of post-18 education funding in England. The UUK submission calls for the review to address students’ concerns about living costs and fears of debt and recommends the restoration of maintenance grants.Student mobility and employment
UUK has also published a new report ‘Gone International’. This report compares the academic attainment and employment outcomes of mobile and non-mobile first degree undergraduate students who completed their studies at the end of the 2015–16 academic year. It finds an increase in the number of students going abroad and also finds that have students who spend time studying abroad have lower unemployment rates.Manifesto for widening access
The Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI) has released A Manifesto for the New Director of Fair Access and Participation. Addressed to the Office for Students (OfS), the new regulator for higher education in England, the publication provides concrete proposals for widening access to higher education from over 30 university leaders and administratorsBudget proposals - HE response
The American Council on Education (ACE), an IAU Member, and 34 other higher education associations have sent letters to the USA Government House and Senate and the White House calling on Congress to reject budget proposals that includes cuts in student aid funding.National student survey results
The National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS), a nationally representative survey of postsecondary students has been released. The data from the survey, which cover 2015-2016, indicates reversals in the growth of ethnic minority, low-income and first for the undergraduates receiving a Pell Grant.Return to top IAU Lynx May Edition
IAU Lynx April Edition
IAU Lynx March EditionIAU Lynx coordinator: Amanda Sudic
Collaborating team: Melissa Herlaut, Nicholas Poulton, Samuel Pousson, Carine Sebast and Hilligje van’t Land
Contact: centre@iau-aiu.net
© IAU 2018
IAU Lynx - May 2018 KEEPING AN EYE ON HIGHER EDUCATION DEVELOPMENTS WORLDWIDEMay 2018
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.
Return to Newsletter INTERNATIONAL INITIATIVES
International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP)
IIEP and the Council of Europe organised a study visit on Integrity in higher education to Geneva, Switzerland, from 13 to 15 March 2018, allowing officials and academics from Montenegro to learn from the Swiss experience in addressing the challenge of ensuring integrity in higher education.Institute for Lifelong Learning (ULL)
The International Review of Education Journal of Lifelong Learning (IRE), edited by ULL, has released a special issue on massive open online courses (MOOCs). The publication addresses both the potential of MOOCs and the challenges which have emerged from their development.Unesco Institute for Statistics (UIS)
UIS has published the Handbook on Measuring Equity in Education. Inspired by the SDGs and Education 2030, but not limited to it, the handbook is designed to be suitable for national analysis of policy and monitoring of equity in education and progress towards national goals. It covers all level levels of education including higher education.UNESCO Institute for Information Technologies in Education (IITE)
UNESCO IITE, as an enabler and facilitator to promoting the innovative use of ICT for achieving Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4), has released its Medium-Term Strategy for 2018-2021.UNESCO Regional Bureau for Education in Latin America and the Caribbean
Claudia Uribe has been appointed as the new director of the UNESCO Regional Bureau for Education in Latin America and the Caribbean.
http://www.unesco.org/new/es/santiago/press-room/single-new/news/claudia_uribe_nueva_directora_de_la_oficina_regional_de_edu/UNESCO Bangkok - Mongolia
UNESCO Bangkok’s Section for Educational Innovation and Skills Development (EISD) has agreed to provide technicalsupport to the Ministry of Education of Mongolia to strengthen the country’s quality assurance and accreditation systems in order to improve the quality of higher education and solve the skills mismatch in the job market. Agence universitaire de la francophonie (AUF)
On 13 April, the new Francophone university campus (Campus du Nouvel Espace Universitaire Francophone - CNEUF) in Brazzaville, Congo, was jointly launched by the AUF with the Fondation MTN. The new campus is modeled on an academic, voluntary and business partnership. Commonwealth of Learning (COL)
Dr Sanjaya Mishra, COL Education Specialist, gave a keynote address emphasising the role of library professionals in Indian Higher education at the Indian National Seminar on Recent Trends and Practices in Librarianship on 24 March 2018 held at Sambalpur University, Burla. International Labour Organization (ILO)
Launched by the ILO and a group of academic partners, the GOALI (Global Online Access to Legal Information) programme will allow users from 115 developing countries to access legal information for their work and studies and promote research and training in low- and middle income countries. Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)
The OECD has published Education for a Bright Future in Greece. The report examines the Greek education system since the economic crisis and provides recommendations which include raising standards in higher education to help address mismatches between graduate skills and the skills employers need.Return to top REGIONAL INITIATIVES
Africa - Americas - ArabStates - Asia & Pacific - Europe
AfricaThe African Postdoctoral Training Initiative - Call for Applications
The African Academy of Sciences (AAS), the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation are partnering under the auspices of the Coalition of African Research & Innovation (CARI) to establish the African Postdoctoral Training Initiative (APTI), a postdoctoral training fellowship program. Training will be at the NIH.
Closing date for applications: 11 May 2018Southern African Quality Assurance Network (SAQAN) - Call for papers
The 4th Southern African Regional Conference On Quality Assurance In Higher Education entitled Quality Assurance in Higher Education: Theories, Perspectives and Practices Geared towards Attainment of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in the Southern African Region and beyond extended the deadline for paper proposals to 15 May 2018. The conference will take place in Maseru, Lesotho on 8 - 10 October 2018. Asia & Pacific
Asia Pacific Rim Universities (APRU)
APRU has initiated a project to explore how artificial intelligence and the 4th industrial revolution will affect the future of work in the Asia Pacific region. A joint report is planned for October-November 2018.Asia-Pacific Quality Network (APQN)
APQN has just released the proceedings of 2017 Annual International Conference themed New Horizons: Dissolving Boundaries for a Quality Region held in Moscow. The papers include new research in quality assurance and quality recognition in higher education, strategies and methods of cross-cultural education development, development of internal quality assurance systems, quality assurance of transnational qualifications, accreditation of joint educational programmes. Europe
European University Association (EUA)
The EUA 2018 Annual Conference entitled ‘Engaged and Responsible Universities Shaping Europe’ was held 5 - 6 April at the University of Zurich, Switzerland, an IAU Member. The presentations from the conference are now availableEUA has released theoutcomes of its first Big Deals Survey which provides a mapping of major scientific publishing contracts from the perspective of universities (‘Big Deals’).
European University Continuing Education Network (eucen)
Eucen has released updates on the VINCE project. The project is coordinated by eucen and dedicated to validation of prior learning of newcomers and refugees in Europe. The objective is to provide university staff with tools to be better equipped when working with migrants and refugees who want to access Higher Education.Return to top BILATERAL INITIATIVES
Morocco - European Union
Morocco and the EU recently signed an agreement within the framework of the PRIMA initiative (Partnership on Research and Innovation in the Mediterranean Area). The agreement aims to shore up cooperation in research and innovation in order to find new solutions for more sustainable water and food management in the region. Costa Rica – United States
The Costa Rican Ministry of Public Education and the U.S Embassy in Costa Rica concluded a Memorandum of Understanding on 16 April 2018 on cooperation for teaching English. The MoU includes the promotion of exchange between academics, students and administrative staff of higher education institutions. China - Mongolia
The Ministers of Education of China and Mongolia have signed the 2018-2021 Implementation Plan for Educational Exchange and Cooperation.Return to top NATIONAL INITIATIVES
Australia Canada
Estonia
Finland France
Ghana Kazakhstan India
The Netherlands New Zealand
Switzerland 
Tunisia United Kingdom United States 
Vietnam Independent Review into Regional, Rural and Remote Education
The Department of Education and Training (DET) has released the final report of the Independent Review into Regional, Rural and Remote Education commissioned in March 2017. It addresses key issues, challenges and barriers that impact on the learning outcomes of regional, rural and remote (RRR) students.Student Accommodation Analysis
The Department of Education and Training (DET) has released a Regional Student Accommodation Analysis, a report commissioned to assess university investment in on-campus student accommodation to support an adequate supply of affordable accommodation for RRR students. Canada
Research and development
The Council of Canadian Academies (CCA) has released Competing in a Global Innovation Economy: the Current State of R&D in Canada. The expert panel report contains the latest data on research, development and innovation and finds while Canada’s research performance remains strong globally, R&D investment as a share of GDP has declined steadily since 2001.Inuit research
The National Inuit Strategy on Research has been published by Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami (ITK), representing the the 65,000 Inuit in Canada. The report proposes a new approach that prioritises local governance in the setting of research goals and managing scientific projects, in particular for Research Centres in Inuit regions of the Arctic.Sustainability of HE - Ontario
The Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario (HEQCO) has released The Sustainability of the Ontario Public Postsecondary System: Putting Together the Pieces of the Puzzle. The report examines the tension in the relationship between financial and academic sustainability and argues that academic quality is at the core of sustainability. Estonia
The Estonian government is to allocate annual support of three million euros to finance research and development activities in information and communications technology in Tallinn University of Technology and the University of Tartu.The Ministry of Education and Research has warned about a website featuring inaccurate information on the provision of higher education, national accreditation and collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Research.
Finland
The Ministry of Education and Culture is establishing Team Finland Knowledge Network to enhance the visibility of Finnish knowledge and expertise. It aims to further improve the quality and impact of higher education and research and to promote cooperation worldwide. The first stage of the Network, experts will be posted to Beijing, Singapore, Washington and Buenos Aires. France
Campaign against sexism
The French Minister of Higher Education and Research, Frédérique Vidal, has launched an awareness-raising campaign against sexism and sexual violence in higher education. Support and listening services will also be opened in every university by September 2018.National AI Strategy
The French President unveiled France’s artificial intelligence strategy on 29 March. €1.5 billion will be invested into artificial intelligence research and development up to 2022. The objective is to drive innovation and help France catch up with the United States and China.Education reform - campus protests
Several universities across France have been occupied to protest against President Emmanuel Macron’splan for education reform, specifically selection at university admission. Ghana
The University of Cape Coast, an IAU Member, has partnered with the University of Hildesheim in Germany and the University of Maiduguri in Nigeria on graduate studies to help accelerate the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals in Africa. India
New government programmes
The Ministry of Human Resource Development has: approved the ‘Study in India’ programme which aims to attract foreign students boost the number of International students in India. presented a 10 step action plan aimed at improving the quality of technical higher education and enhancing the employability of engineering students. The plan has been approved by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE). Kazakhstan
The government is considering introducing online education at all levels of education, including at higher educational institutions. A multi-level information system for higher education management will also be introduced. The Netherlands
The Dutch government has announced fees reduction for several residence permit types (including those covering study, internships and the orientation year). It will also be cheaper for companies to employ knowledge migrants. New Zealand
Education Counts has released New Zealand’s Tertiary Education System, the sixth and final report of the 2016 Profile & Trends series. It describes the New Zealand higher education system, provides an overview of trends and an update on changes to the system during 2017. Switzerland
The State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation has released its monthly information paper. It includes an article on constructive exchange of knowledge and good practices on the recognition of architectural qualifications in Europe. Tunisia
The Ministry of Higher Education and Research signed an agreement with the Tunisian General Trade Union (Union Générale Tunisienne du Travail - UGTT) on 12 March implementing several measures of university reform, which includes bonuses to be paid to researchers, thesis supervisors and examiners, and promoting career development for early career researchers. United Kingdom
Universities’ responses to sexual misconduct
Universities UK has published a report on universities’ responses to sexual misconduct within their institutions. Changing the culture: One Year On, based on research carried out by the Leadership Foundation for Higher Education (LFHE), finds an increase in students’ disclosures of sexual misconduct since 2016. It details the progress made by universities in addressing the issue. UUK have also issued a briefing for HEIs with practical guidance on how to deal with cases of alleged student misconduct.Benchmarking equity
HEPI has released a policy briefing on benchmarking equity of participation in higher education. The briefing reveals large differences in participation rates in the UK, both across and within regional communities.Innovation - Wales
The National Centre for Universities and Business (NCUB) has released the final report of the Growing Value Wales Task Force. It proposes a new high-profile national innovation compact for Wales and calls for an alliance of universities, industry and government to counter the challenges in post-Brexit Wales. The report also highlights eight successful university-business partnerships in Wales. United States
International students - travel restrictions
33 higher education associations, including IAU Members the American Council on Education (ACE), the Association of American Colleges & Universities (AAC&U) and NAFSA, submitted an amicus brief to the U.S. Supreme Court in response to a new presidential proclamation on entry restrictions for citizens from Iran, Libya, Syria, Yemen, Somalia, Chad, North Korea and Venezuela. The brief emphasises that the proclamation puts at risk the considerable benefits the country gains from international students, scholars, lecturers and researchers.Confucius Institutes
New legislation introduced to Congress and Senate in March, the Foreign Influence Transparency Act 2018, would require organisations, such as Confucius Institutes - centres of Chinese language and culture - present at over 100 higher education institutions in the United States - to register with the government as foreign agents. It also amends the Higher Education Act to require universities to disclose foreign donations and contracts of US$50,000 or more.Freedom of expression - university Presidents’ survey
The American Council on Education (ACE) has released the main findings from its second national Pulse Point Survey of College and University Presidents on campus inclusion and freedom of expression. 471 college and university presidents responded to the survey. Vietnam
The Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) and the World Bank met on 29 March in Hanoi for the Higher Education Strategy Stakeholder Consultation to collect opinions from experts and researchers in order to develop an overall strategy for higher education in Vietnam.Return to top Former Editions
IAU Lynx May Edition
IAU Lynx April Edition
IAU Lynx March Edition
IAU Lynx - April 2018 KEEPING AN EYE ON HIGHER EDUCATION DEVELOPMENTS WORLDWIDEApril 2018
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.
Return to Newsletter INTERNATIONAL INITIATIVES
UNESCO / APQN-INQAAHE / GWI / Commonwealth / Commonwealth Academies
UNESCOGender Review
UNESCO has released the Global Education Monitoring Report Gender Review 2018: Meeting our Commitments to Gender Equality in Education. The report examines disparities in participation and skills, infrastructure and curricula. It also analyses institutions, laws and policies to advance gender equality in education.UNESCO Prizes
UNESCO Prize for Girls’ and Women’s Education - Call for nominations
The Call for nominations is now open for the annual UNESCO Prize for Girls’ and Women’s Education that honours outstanding and innovative contributions made by individuals, institutions and organizations to advance girls’ and women’s education. Deadline: 11 May 2018.ICTs in Education - 2017 UNESCO King Hamad Bin Isa Al-Khalifa Prize
The 2017 UNESCO King Hamad Bin Isa Al-Khalifa Prize for outstanding projects that make innovative use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in education was awarded to two projects in India and Morocco. The awards ceremony took place on 7 March 2018 at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris.UNESCO Bangkok
A new report Positioning ICT in Education to Achieve the Education 2030 Agenda in Asia and the Pacific features comprehensive data on the current situation of ICT in education in countries in the Asia-Pacific and provides recommendations for a regional strategy on integrating ICTs into education systems to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG4).UNESCO Beirut
On 7 - 9 March, UNESCO Beirut, in collaboration with the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO), held a second meeting in Rabat, Morocco, to follow-up on the revision process of the Regional Convention on the Recognition of Higher Education Diplomas and Certificates in the Arab Region.UNESCO Dakar
The UNESCO project Strengthening Quality Assurance in Higher Education in Africa was officially launched at country level in Gambia on 16 February. The project aims to strengthen higher education systems at the institutional, national and regional levels in African countries by developing quality assurance mechanisms.UNESCO Regional Office for Eastern Africa
On February 25 - 26, UNESCO and the Ministry of Education in Rwanda held a consultative workshop on the development of a National Framework for Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) and Open Educational Resources (OER). The workshop identified a strategy for the use of MOOCs and OER locally, technical requirements, and staff required.UNESCO International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP)
The Strategic Debate: Higher Education as a Common Good held in Paris on 12 March presented international trends and discussed whether higher education is a common good in the era of the Sustainable Development Goals. The Video and Presentations of the event have been released. Asia-Pacific Quality Network (APQN) - International Network for Quality Assurance Agencies in Higher Education (INQAAHE)
APQN and INQAAHE have launched two surveys as part of a partnership project on Quality Assurance: Internal and External Quality Assurance Landscape. The project aims to improve the establishment of quality culture in the Asia-Pacific Region and other regions. One survey is for higher education institutions (HEIs) and the second should be completed by quality assurance agencies (QAAs). The Commonwealth
Delegations from 34 Member States gathered at the 20th Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers themed Sustainability and Resilience: Can Education Deliver in Nadi, Fiji, on 19 - 23 February. Member States adopted the Nadi Declaration which recognises the importance of investing in higher education and strengthening educational partnerships. The Commonwealth Academies of Science
A Statement on Climate Change was launched in March by 22 national academies and societies of science from around the Commonwealth, ahead of next month’s Commonwealth summit in the United Kingdom. It calls on the Commonwealth Heads of Government to use the best available science to guide action on climate change. Graduate Women International (GWI)
On International Women’s Day, 8 March, GWI released a Statement about the persistence of gender stereotypes and gender disparities in the media.Return to top REGIONAL INITIATIVES
Africa - Americas - Arab States - Asia & Pacific - Europe
AfricaAfrican Academy of Sciences
Africa Beyond 2030
Africa Beyond 2030 : Leveraging Knowledge and Innovation to Secure Sustainable Development Goals has been released by the African Academy of Sciences. The report finds that progress regarding investment in research and development in the past decade has been mixed across the continent. It recommends that African countries improve the quality and relevance of their national STI policy frameworks to sharpen focus on social and environmental dimensions of sustainable development.Mobility funding
The African Academy of Sciences has announced two mobility funds, the Science and Language Mobility Scheme Africa and the Africa India Mobility Fund (AIMF), aimed at increasing scientific collaboration among African and Indian researchers. The funding, of almost US$500,000, will provide travel grants for short term visits to about 100 researchers from African and Indian universities and research institutes.Conseil Africain et Malgache pour l’Enseignement Supérieur (CAMES)
CAMES has opened the recruitment process for the post of Director for Administrative and Financial Affairs which is to be filled from 19 February 2019. Closing date for applications: 15 May 2018Unión de Universidades de América Latina (UDUAL)
Academic integration and cooperation
UDUAL organised its first meeting on Integration and Cooperation (Primer Encuentro de Integración y Cooperación) on 15 - 16 March at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). This event gathered 75 representatives from higher education institutions across Latin America to establish new strategies to strengthen academic partnerships between universities.Revistas Universidades
The latest issue of UDUAL’s quarterly journal, Revistas Universidades, has been released. It deals with multifaceted inequalities in higher education.Regional Conference on Higher Education in Latin America and the Caribbean 2018 (CRES 2018)
Specialists of the CRES 2018 axe on the Strategic Role of Higher Education in Sustainable Development met in Bogota, Colombia on 21 - 22 February. Participants presented outcomes of their research and discussed public policies, autonomy and governance; virtual higher education; and opportunities for employment.Partnership Framework Agreement ISESCO and UNDP
A Partnership Framework Agreement was signed between the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO), an IAU Member, and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) at the 7th General Conference of the Federation of the Universities of the Islamic World (FUIW) held in Rabat, Morocco in February. The Agreement provides for cooperation in promoting cultural heritage, achievement of sustainable development, extended regionalism, democratic governance and South-South cooperation.Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization, Regional Training Center in Vietnam (SEAMEO RETRAC)
SEAMEO RETRAC has released a call for submissions for the 2018 International Conference entitled Leadership and Management in Higher Education in a Globalized World: Innovations and Best Practices, to be held July 5 - 6 2018 in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Deadline for abstract submissions is April 20 2018.Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization - Regional Centre for Higher Education and Development (SEAMEO RIHED)
The 1st SEAMEO Centre’s Policy Research Network Task Force (SEA-CPRN) Meeting was held on 20 - 21 February in Bangkok, Thailand. The Policy Research Network was established to enhance the relevance and the responsiveness of SEAMEO to the needs of education leaders for policy research to address human resource development issues in Southeast Asia.Accreditation Organisation of the Netherlands and Flanders (NVAO)
The five ministers in charge of higher education in the Benelux have signed an agreement on the automatic mutual recognition of associate degree and PhD qualifications.. Since 2015 this agreement has existed for Bachelor and Master degrees. The Benelux is the only region in Europe where automatic recognition has entered into force.European University Association (EUA)
Women in academia
In the context of International Women’s Day, EUA has released infographics on the situation of women in academia. It shows that just 12% of rectors among the 47 EUA member countries are female.Open access survey report
The Open Access Survey Report 2016-2017 is now available online. The results show the increasing commitment from European universities in implementing Open Access policies for research publications. EUA has also launched its 2017-2018 Open Access Survey.Funding forum - Call for Papers
A call for papers has been launched for the 4th EUA Funding Forum. The conference will be hosted by Ramon Llull University in Barcelona, Spain, on 18 - 19 October 2018. Contributions should be related to university funding and management. Deadline to submit online proposals: 30 April 2018.Enhancing Quality Through Innovative Policy and Practice (EQUIP)
An outcome report and a webinar are now available for the Enhancing Quality Through Innovative Policy and Practice (EQUIP) project. The final event for the project, attended by 100 education stakeholders across Europe, took place on 27 February in Brussels. It focused on the presentation of effective and innovative ways to use the revised Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area.Nordic Council of Ministers
The Swedish Presidency of the Nordic Council of Ministers has released its main priorities in the area of education and research.European Research Council
The Spring edition of Idea, the newsletter of the European Research Council, themed Climate Change, is now available online.Return to top BILATERAL INITIATIVES
Hungary-Kazakhstan
The first Kazakh-Hungarian Rectors’ Forum took place on the 28 February at Corvinus University of Budapest, an IAU Member. More than 20 treaties and agreements on cooperation and exchange programmes for students and faculty between universities were signed. Morocco-Spain
The Conference of Moroccan University Presidents and Crue Universidades Españolas met in Spain on 9 January to discuss ways to strengthen cooperation between both countries. Moroccan representatives also requested the assistance of Crue in establishing relationships with Latin America. Japan-Switzerland
Representatives from higher education institutions and funding agencies in Switzerland met with the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) and research institutions in Japan on 28 February in Tokyo to further strengthen scientific and technological cooperation and gauge additional possibilities for cooperation. France-Argentina
The French Embassy in Argentina and the Argentine Ministry of Education through Secretaría de Políticas Universitarias (SPU) held a training seminar on France’s official Massive Open Online Courses platform ‘FUN MOOC’. This platform offers innovative teaching and learning methods using digital and online tools that could be applied in Argentina. Germany-Mexico
The Asociación Nacional de Universidades e Instituciones de Educación Superior (ANUIES) and the Rectors Conference of Baden-Württemberg region (HAW BW) concluded a cooperation agreement on education and research in the field of applied sciences. India-France
The first high-level India-France Knowledge Summit 2018 concluded with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Mutual Recognition of Educational Qualifications between the two countries. In addition, 15 MoUs were signed between various Indian and French institutions in research, innovation, faculty exchange and scientific cooperation. Indonesia-Australia
During the 3rd Australia-Indonesia Joint Working Group on Research and Education, held in Jakarta on 7 March, both countries agreed to further collaborate in higher education to support institutional mobility, quality assurance, research linkages, mobility and institutional partnerships. Sweden-Rwanda
Sida, the Swedish development agency, has announced a call for proposals for five-year partnerships between the University of Rwanda and Swedish universities to strengthen institutional research capacity at the University of Rwanda. Tajikistan- Uzbekistan
In a joint statement, the Presidents of the Republic of Tajikistan and the Republic of Uzbekistan both committed to enhance cooperation in the area of education and science, including through strengthening cooperation between higher education institutions and academies of sciences of both countries.Return to top NATIONAL INITIATIVES
Algeria Australia
Brunei Darussalam Canada China
Denmark Egypt Estonia France
Iran
Israel 
Jordan
Lebanon
Mexico The Netherlands New Zealand
Nigeria 
Phlilippines 
Poland 
Russian Federation 
South Africa South Korea United Arab Emirates United Kingdon United States 
Zimbabwe National conference on universities
At the national conference on universities on 17 March in Algiers, the Minister for Higher Education and Research, Tahar Hadjar, affirmed the support of the government to public universities to increase their visibility and place in international rankings.Recruitment guidelines
Universities Australia has released the Best Practice Recruitment Guidelines that have been developed by the Universities Australia Executive Women’s Group to fast forward the advancement of women in Australian university executive appointments.Business collaboration
Universities Australia has also released Clever Collaborations: The Strong Business Case for Partnering with Universities, a publication aimed at enticing more firms to collaborate with universities.Professional accreditation
The Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA) has welcomed proposed changes to professional accreditation practices made by the Higher Education Standards Panel, which aim to reduce duplication and burden for higher education providers.Admissions transparency
TEQSA has also released a new resource entitled Advice on Admissions Transparency. The practical guide aims to help higher education providers increase the transparency of admissions practices by making information accessible, consistent and comparable and increasing the accuracy of data.Strategic Plan 2018 - 2022
The Ministry of Education released the MOE Strategic Plan 2018 - 2022 presenting the Ministry’s strategic objectives, the plan’s structure and its three focus areas - leadership and governance, system-wide support, teaching and learning.Budget 2018
Universities Canada have welcomed the 2018 Budget recently announced by the Government which increases research funding. The budget provides CAN$925 million (EUR 575 million) over five years to the three Canadian Research Councils. An additional CAN$231 million (EUR 143.5 million) is targeted for the Research Support Fund that assists universities with the institutional costs of research and CAN$210 million (EUR 130.5 million) is allocated to the Canada Research Chairs Program.Supporting and improving higher education in central and western provinces
In early March, the Ministry of Education (MOE) organised an informal round-table session on supporting and improving higher education in central and western provinces. A joint support mechanism was announced between the MOE and the 13 provinces that have no universities under the direct supervision of the MOE. The Minister of Education promised to contribute substantially to addressing imbalances in China’s higher education system by further empowering universities in central and western provinces.Recovering student debt
The government has presented a new proposal called Stronger Measures to Recover SU Debt Abroad, which contains concrete initiatives on a national and international level that will improve efforts to collect student loan debt from foreign citizens who have left Demark.Labour market and study places
In a report drawn up by rectors, government officials, academics and business representatives, one of the key recommendations is that the number of study places available in each discipline should be linked to labour market need.Draft law to reduce the costs of research and promote innovation
The Egyptian parliament has approved a draft law to reduce the costs of research and promote innovation. The bill, passed on 5 March, exempts higher education and scientific research bodies from taxes and customs fees.Survey on Students
According to a survey commissioned by the Estonian Ministry of Education and Research, the student population is becoming increasingly diverse in terms of age as well as other background characteristics. A fifth of students are aged over 30, one in five students is a parent, and two out of three work and study at the same time.Gender equity in higher education and research
On 8 March, International Women’s Day, the Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation published an infographic brochure which provides an update on gender equity in higher education, research and innovation in France and the European Union.Orientation and Student Success bill
The French Minister of Higher Education and Research, Frédérique Vidal, delivered a speech on 15 February on the occasion of the joint committee conclusion reading of the Orientation and Student Success bill.Comprehensive teaching at Iranian universities
The Ministry for Science, Research and Technology announced in March that that Iranians residing abroad who are interested in teaching in Iran, can carry out comprehensive teaching at Iranian universities and return to their country of stay.Ethics code
In March, the Council for Higher Education adopted an ethics code promulgated by Education Minister Naftali Bennett. The code prohibits universities from discriminating against students based on their ethnicity, gender, race, or political opinions. It also bans lecturers from supporting boycotts against Israel, a provision which the Association of University Heads has stated infringes on academic freedom. The code is to take effect in 2019.Recognition of degrees earned at universities overseas
The Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research has announced that Jordan will now recognise degrees earned at universities overseas if they are recognised by accreditation agencies in the country concerned.Quality Standards and Guidelines
The Ministry of Education and Higher Education and the Universities Association of Lebanon launched the Quality Standards and Guidelines at a ceremony in Beirut on 1 March.New evaluation and accreditation standards for higher education programmes
The Mexican Secretariat of Public Education (Secretaría de Educación Pública) and accreditation bodies agreed on setting up new evaluation and accreditation standards for higher education programmes.Automatic recognition of qualifications
In 2015, the ministers of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) committed themselves in the Yerevan Communiqué to make automatic recognition a reality by 2020. To achieve this goal Nuffic, the Dutch organisation for internationalisation in education, has released its recommendations to support ENIC-NARIC centres and national governments to develop policies on the implementation of automatic recognition.International students
Nuffic has released its findings on the international student population in the Netherlands which show that there are 122,000 international students in the Netherlands this academic year. Approximately one in four international students come from outside the European Economic Area (EEA)Recognition of micro-credentials
The New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) has developed proposals to recognise micro-credentials, alongside qualifications, within New Zealand’s education and training system from July 2018. A consultation paper has been released to collect feedback on the proposals. Contributions can be sent until 13 April 2018.Technology hubs
The federal government has revealed plans to create technology hubs in Nigerian universities across the country as a means of promoting science and technology development.Free higher education under the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act
In February, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) authorised - after conducting institutional and programme evaluation - 78 Local Universities and Colleges to offer free higher education under the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act of 2017 as of academic year 2018 - 2019.The Polish government has adopted plans to reform the country’s higher education system. Jarosław Gowin, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Science and Higher Education, said that the reforms would increase university autonomy. Under the planned changes accepted in March, funding for higher education next year will be increased by PLN 700 million (EUR 165m).
Simplified visa application and immigration policy for international students
Russia has introduced a simplified visa application and immigration policy for international students. Since January 2018, students of Russian language and university preparation courses do not have to leave the country to apply for a visa. This policy change is a part of the federal priority project entitled Development of the Export Potential of Russian Higher Education. Launched in 2017, the project aims to develop international study programmes and improve the existing legislative regulations for international students.Higher Education and Young South Africans
Going to University: The Influence of Higher Education on the Lives of Young South Africans has been published by African Minds. The online book reports on a study based on in-depth interviews with 73 young people who started university studies in South Africa six years before.4th University Policy Forum
The 4th University Policy Forum took place at the Seoul Office of Education on 23 February in order to structure a fair and simple university admission policy. All presentations and discussions will be uploaded on the Ministry of Education’s website and ‘On Education’, the new e-platform for communicating about education-related matters.List of accredited higher education institutions and programmes
The Ministry of Education has published a list of higher education institutions and programmes in the country which are accredited by the Ministry.New universities regulator and framework
The new Regulatory Framework for Higher Education in England was launched by Sam Gyimah, Minister for Higher Education on 28 February at the inaugural conference of the universities regulator, the Office for Students (OfS).Freedom of speech in Universities
On 27 March, the House of Commons and House of Lords Joint Select Committee on Human Rights released a report on Freedom of speech in Universities. It is based on an official enquiry into students’ experience of freedom of speech in universities in the UK, particularly in England. It focuses on the ability of students, student societies and student unions to invite external speakers and organise events at universities.Higher education demand and fees
The Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI) has published two reports: Demand for Higher Education to 2030 which estimates that an additional 300,000 higher education places in England will be needed over the next decade, representing a 25% increase in demand.
Differential Tuition Fees: Horses for Courses? addresses the debate about differential tuition fees in UK higher education. It includes the results of a survey among students.Widening access Scotland - Ministerial Statement
In a Ministerial Statement on Widening Access to Higher Education in the Scottish Parliament on 6 March, Higher Education Minister, Shirley-Anne Somerville, said that although progress had been made, universities need to act to ensure that, by 2021, 10 per cent of university entrants are from deprived areas. In response, Universities Scotland reiterated that universities in Scotland are committed to widening access targets for 2030 without reducing opportunities for other well-qualified learners.Student mental health
Student Mental Health: The Role and Experiences of Academics, a research report by Student Minds, a UK charity, discusses academics’ frontline role in student wellbeing and finds an increase in the prevalence of students with mental health difficulties.Government rule on Student loans
On 12 March, Betsy Devos, Secretary of Education, released a new rule on Student Loan Programs and Federal Student Loan Servicers which asserts that federal laws regarding student loan repayments pre-empt state laws. Currently, legislation in many US states require student loan servicers to be licensed and regulated.Student activism - university response
Subsequent to the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida, a number of universities across the United States have released statements assuring prospective students that peaceful protesting for gun control will not affect their admission status to the universities.English as a second language in higher education
The American Institutes for Research have released a White Paper on Serving English Language Learners in Higher Education. The paper offers considerations at both the institutional level and classroom level, with an emphasis on how technology can be used to leverage research based practices.Zimbabwe’s policy on ICT in higher education
The Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development hosted the second consultative meeting on the formulation of Zimbabwe’s policy on ICT in higher education in Harare from 7-9 March. Stakeholders, including representatives from higher education institutions and the UNESCO Regional Office for Southern Africa in Harare, agreed the key elements to be included and a roadmap for the policy making process.Return to top Former Editions
IAU Lynx March Edition
IAU Lynx February Edition
IAU Lynx - March 2018 KEEPING AN EYE ON HIGHER EDUCATION DEVELOPMENTS WORLDWIDEMarch 2018
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.
Return to Newsletter INTERNATIONAL INITIATIVES
UNESCO / ACU-COL / AIEA / CREAD-CALED / GWI / INQAAHE / ISCN - GULF
UNESCOEducation for Sustainable Development
UNESCO has released the report Issues and Trends in Education for Sustainable Development, the fifth in UNESCO’s Education on the Move series. It presents an overview of ESD and highlights key issues related to ESD policy and practice.International Day for Women and Girls in Science
In a joint Statement issued for International Day for Women and Girls in Science on 11 February, the Director-General of UNESCO, Audrey Azoulay, and the Executive Director of UN Women, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, reaffirmed their commitment to continue working with public, private and civil society partners to ensure that girls and women are represented more equitably, and granted full opportunities to succeed in science-related disciplines.Call for nominations for UNESCO - Japan Prize on Education for Sustainable Development
UNESCO has launched the 2018 UNESCO-Japan Prize on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). Funded by the Government of Japan, the Prize awards three outstanding ESD projects and programmes with US$50,000 each. Governments of all Member States as well as NGOs in official partnership with UNESCO are invited to nominate up to three individuals, institutions or organizations engaged in ESD. Deadline for submissions: 3 May 2018.UNESCO Bangkok
Policy Briefs on Internal Migration in Southeast Asia, produced jointly by UNESCO Bangkok, UNDP, International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and UN-Habitat, summarise currently available research on internal migration across 9 Southeast Asian states: Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand, Timor-Leste, and Viet Nam.UNESCO Dakar
The UNESCO project Strengthening Quality Assurance in Higher Education in Africa was officially launched at country level in Senegal on 14 February 2018. The project aims is to strengthen higher education systems at the institutional, national and regional levels in African countries by developing quality assurance mechanisms.UNESCO International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP)
UNESCO IIEP has released Internal Quality Assurance: Enhancing Higher Education Quality and Graduate Employability that presents international trends in IQA, including innovative practices and principles. Its aim is to serve as a guide for higher education institutions planning to design and develop their own quality assurance systems. Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU) and Commonwealth of Learning (COL)Commonwealth Education Partnership for Sustainable Development
The Commonwealth Education Partnership for Sustainable Development was signed by the Association of Commonwealth Universities, the Commonwealth of Learning and the Commonwealth Secretariat at the 20th Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers (CCEM) on 23 February in Nadi, Fiji. The partnership will see all three organisations work together to support member states to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.Commonwealth Education Policy Framework
The Commonwealth Education Policy Framework (CEPF) was also agreed by Education Ministers at the Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers. Drawing on both the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Incheon Declaration, the Framework plans to substantially increase scholarships for students from developing countries, and to work towards achieving equal gender access to high-quality higher education. Association of International Education Administrators (AIEA)Lessons from Leaders in Internationalization
A series of interviews entitled They were at the Beginning: Lessons from Leaders in Internationalization are available online. These interviews focus on leaders who laid the foundation for internationalization in higher education in the United States and other countries. Distance Education Network Consortium (CREAD)/Virtual Educa (VE), the Latin American and Caribbean Institute of Distance Higher Education Quality (CALED)Call for presentations for the The VI Cread Andes Convention
A call for presentations has been announced for The VI Cread Andes Convention and VI Virtual Educa Ecuador Encounter themed Evaluation, Certification and Accreditation of Higher Distance and Online Education in the Americas, Africa, Asia, Europe and Oceania. The conference will take place at the Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja (UTPL), Ecuador, an IAU Member, on 29 May - 1 June 2018. Deadline for sending papers: 2 April. Graduate Women International (GWI)International Day of Women and Girls Scientists
The third International Day of Women and Girls Scientists was held in Geneva, Switzerland, on 11 February. GWI reiterated its support for global cooperation and stressed that removing the barriers girls and women face in science studies and careers is vital for the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. International Network for Quality Assurance Agencies in Higher Education (INQAAHE)Guidelines of Good Practice
The Guidelines of Good Practice: the INQAAHE Approach to Evaluating the Evaluator is now available online. This presentation was given at the International Conference on Diversity, Quality and Improvement held in Santiago, Chile organised by INQAAHE in cooperation with CINDA (Centro Interuniversitario de Desarrollo), RIACES (La Red Iberoamericana para el Aseguramiento de la Calidad en la Educación Superior), Ministry of Education in Chile and UNESCO-IESALC. International Sustainable Campus Network (ISCN) and the Global University Leaders Forum (GULF) Sustainable Campus Best Practices
A new report by the ISCN in collaboration with GULF was launched at the 2018 World Economic Forum. Sustainable Development: Educating with Purpose : 2018 Sustainable Campus Best Practices from ISCN and Gulf Universities details sustainability case studies at 42 universities.Return to top REGIONAL INITIATIVES
Africa - Americas - Arab States - Asia & Pacific - Europe
AfricaAfrican Union
The African Union has released a ten-year plan, The Revised Migration Policy Framework for Africa and Plan of Action (2018-2027), proposing that African countries, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa, counter the flow of skilled nationals, including doctors, nurses and engineers, by providing educational and employment opportunities and professional development to qualified nationals in their home countries.Centre for Higher Education Trust (CHET)
CHET’s Higher Education Research and Advocacy Network in Africa (Herana) project has published An Empirical Overview of Emerging Research Universities in Africa which reports on data and indicators for a group of eight emerging research universities in Africa. It concludes with an assessment of performance which focuses on high-level knowledge inputs and outputs that are taken to be characteristic of a research-oriented university in Africa.International Council for Open and Distance Education (ICDE)
ICDE has launched a call inviting interested institutions, project/networks, experts and relevant stakeholders to submit an expression of interest for participating in a network for Massive Scale Higher Education in Sub-Saharan Africa. The initiative aims to contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in particular SDG4, Education 2030 and will address high-quality, large-scale, programmes with a focus on PhD education. Deadline: 23 March 2018.University Climate Change Coalition (UC3)
13 Universities in the United States, Canada and Mexico have launched the University Climate Change Coalition (UC3) to leverage their research and resources for university-led climate action. The coalition was announced at the 2018 Higher Education Climate Leadership Summit in February by Janet Napolitano, President of the University of California.Organización de Estados Iberoamericanos para la Educación, la Ciencia y la Cultura (OEI)
OEI has published the latest issue of the Iberoamerican Journal of Education. This special issue of the journal deals with pedagogy and university social responsibility.Instituto Internacional para la Educación Superior en América Latina y el Caribe (IESALC)
A video conference from the XII Mercosur Anthropology Meeting, held in Posadas, Argentina, on 6 December 2017 is now available online. It deals with higher education and indigenous peoples worldwide, one of the thematic axes of the Regional Conference on Higher Education (CRES) to be held in Córdoba, Argentina, in June 2018.Regional conference and policy dialogue
A regional conference and policy dialogue organised by Chulalongkorn University, an IAU Member, in collaboration with Thailand’s Higher Education Commission, took place on 23 - 25 January. Participants from over 18 countries took part in the conference which was organised in partnership with UNESCO Bangkok.Asian Association of Open Universities (AAOU)
A call for papers has been launched for the Asian Association of Open Universities annual conference, to be held 24 - 26 October 2018 in Hanoi, Vietnam. The conference theme is Open Education in Human Resource Development in Asia’s Period of Integration. Deadline for abstract submission: 30 April 2018.Erasmus +
The European Commission published the Erasmus+ programme external midterm evaluation report on 31 January. The report is accompanied by the Commission’s own report and a working paper which includes the development of the post-2020 programme. The report confirms that the programme is highly valued, not only by beneficiaries and stakeholders, but also by European citizens as “one of the pillars of European identity”.Public consultation
The European Commission has launched a series of public consultations to ask stakeholders and citizens in which areas Europe should invest in the future. The EUA calls on universities and national rectors conferences in Europe to respond to the consultations to underline the importance of investing in education and research. Deadline: 8 March 2018.European University Association (EUA)
The EUA has released a position paper advocating for the enhancement of teaching and learning in universities.Baltic University Programme (BUP)
Conference presentations from the BUP Rectors’ Conference held in Turku, Finland on 24 - 26 January 2018 are now available.European University Continuing Education Network (EUCEN)
Eucen has released a call for presentations for its 50th conference themed Times of Transition - the Role of University Lifelong Learning. The conference will take place in Bergen, Norway on 6 - 8 June 2018. Deadline for submission of abstracts: 16 March 2018.Network of Universities from the Capitals of Europe (UNICA)
The presentations from the 27th UNICA General Assembly and seminar entitled The Social Dimension of Higher Education and Social Responsibility of Universities hosted by Eötvös Loránd University Budapest, Hungary, in November 2017 are now available.Return to top BILATERAL INITIATIVES
Afghanistan - Thailand / Egypt - United Kingdom / Mexico - Poland Afghanistan - Thailand
The Deputy Minister of Academic Affairs of Afghanistan, Mr. Abdul Tawab Balakarzai, discussed the Afghan higher education system on an official visit to the UNESCO Office in Bangkok on 13 February. Their visit was part of a week-long mission in Thailand that also included meetings with Thailand’s Ministry of Education, including the Higher Education Commission and several universities to discuss student mobility and collaboration. Egypt - United Kingdom
A workshop by the UK Higher Education Authority (HEA) for university leaders in Egypt at the British Embassy in Cairo discussed best practices for improving higher education in Egypt. Prof Dr Mohamed Salheen, Adviser to the Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research in Egypt, and the British Ambassador to Egypt, John Casson also attended the workshop. Mexico - Poland
The Conference of Rectors of Academic Schools in Poland (CRASP) and the Asociación Nacional de Universidades Instituciones de Educación Superior (ANUIES) signed in February a Memorandum of Understanding which promotes cooperation between its member institutions.Return to top NATIONAL INITIATIVES
Australia
Austria 
Belgium
Brazil Canada Chile China France Germany Ireland Israel 
Hong Kong
Japan
Morocco New Zealand South Africa Sweden United Kingdon United States Zimbabwe Australia 2030 - Innovation plan
Innovation and Science Australia has released Australia 2030: Prosperity through Innovation: A plan for Australia to Thrive in the Global Innovation Race, a strategic plan for the Australian innovation, science and research system up to 2030.Doctoral mobility
The Group of Eight (Go8) - India PhD Advisory Taskforce has published Two-way Mobility of PhD Students Between India and Australia. The report provides data on international doctoral mobility, identifies existing barriers and provides recommendations to address the current imbalance in mobility between the two countries .Austrian Conference of Universities
The Austrian Conference of Universities (uniko) together with the Conference of Universities of Applied Sciences and the Austrian Conference of Private Universities has produced a Facts sheet on the Austrian national qualifications framework. In total, there are eight levels of qualifications, which are based on the European Qualifications Framework for Lifelong Learning.Collaboration between ARES and AUF
The Academy of Research and Higher Education (ARES) and Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF) concluded a memorandum of understanding on 15 January 2018 in Brussels, Belgium. It aims to further structure and facilitate joint work in higher education between the two organisations.International Academic Mobility
Expanding Vistas: International Academic Mobility in Brazil reports on a survey of 158 public and private institutions of higher education in Brazil. The report, by the Institute of International Education (IIE), assisted by the Brazilian Federal Agency for Support and Evaluation of Graduate Education (CAPES) and the Brazilian Association for International Education (FAUBAI), finds that Brazilian outward international mobility is relatively low: 0.6 per cent (15,492) of Brazilian students studied abroad during the 2016 academic year and 20,523 international students studied in Brazil in 2016.Indigenous students
Universities Canada has released a statement reaffirming their commitment to supporting Indigenous students, faculty, staff and local communities. This comes further to an open letter from Indigenous academic staff in Canada calling on university presidents to address the impact of the Colten Boushie case on indigenous students and higher education communities.Green campuses
Going Greener 2017: The Road to Low-Carbon University Campuses, released by the Council of Ontario Universities, reports on the growing number of universities in the Province who have low carbon targets and sustainability strategies. It also presents case studies of partnerships between higher education institutions, municipalities, businesses and industry.Higher education employment conditions - Ontario
A new report by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives finds that 53% of post-secondary education workers in Ontario are precariously employed, holding multiple jobs, more temporary work and unpaid overtime. Specifically, the report identifies a rise in work categories that are more precarious (e.g., research assistants and teaching assistants) alongside a decline in others that have traditionally been less precarious (e.g., librarians).Free higher education extended
Chile’s Congress has approved the higher education reform project which further extends free higher education beneficiaries. Accreditation will also be compulsory for higher education and technical institutions starting 2020.Student retention
The Ministry of Education has released the figures of first year student retention rates. It shows that 92% of the first generation of students who benefit from free higher education continue their studies in a higher education institution.The Ministry of Education has published the National Standard for Assessing the Quality of Teaching in Undergraduate Programs Offered by Regular Higher Education Institutions (“the Standard”), the first standard in China aimed at improving the quality of teaching and training in China’s higher education institutions.
Masters completion rates
The Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation figures of students enrolled in a Masters degree in French universities in 2016-2017 show that 50% of students graduate in two years.Work-based learning in higher education
The Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation has published a guidebook on work-based learning within higher education.Erasmus +
The French Erasmus + Agency has published a report summarising the activities carried out by the agency from 2014 to 2016. It also provides an overview of opportunities provided by the Erasmus+ programme for higher education institutions.Coalition agreement of the German Government
The German Rector’s Conference (HRK) president, Horst Hippler, issued a statement on the coalition agreement of the German Government in February, stressing the importance of progressive higher education policies and for the new Federal Government to be more involved in higher education, in particular funding.Consultation on Draft Revisions to Accreditation Standards
The Hong Kong Council for Accreditation of Academic and Vocational Qualifications (HKCAAVQ) has released the findings from the consultation on the Draft Revisions to Accreditation Standards under the Four-stage Quality Assurance Process. It includes the implementation plan for the revised accreditation standards.Intellectual property
The Higher Education Authority (HEA) and Knowledge Transfer Ireland (KTI) have published the Review of Intellectual Property Management and Conflicts of Interest, which provides a framework for strengthening IP policies and procedures in higher education institutions.Graduate employment
The Higher Education Authority (HEA) and the Central Statistics Office have published Higher Education Outcomes which analyses the employment outcomes and earnings of 2010 - 2014 graduates. It shows that 76% of 2014 graduates were in substantial employment in the first year after graduation, up from 66% for 2010 graduates.’Ariel bill’
The Israeli parliament, the Knesset, has passed the ‘Ariel bill’ which extends the authority of the Israeli Council for Higher Education over higher education institutions in the West Bank.Increase of investment in science and technology
Investment in science and technology will increase by 7% to 3.84 trillion yen (EUR 29 billion) in 2018 compared with 2017, the government’s science advisory body, the Council for Science, Technology and Innovation (CSTI) announced on 30 January.Improvement of material resources and educational conditions for university students
The Prime Minister, Saad Eddine El Othmani, announced on 5 February that more than MAD 70 billion (6.1 billion EUR) has been allocated to improve material resources and educational conditions for university students. He presented several measures that have been adopted for upgrading public university infrastructure and renovating facilities and also stated that 700 vacant positions in institutions will be filled in 2018. There is a planned increase of 20% of students accepted into institutions that have historically limited access or enrollment. New Zealand
The Ministry of Education of New Zealand has published three reports profiling students and graduates:- Profile & Trends 2016: Tertiary Education Sector and Student Support
- What Are They Doing? The Field of Study of Domestic Students/Learners 2008-2016
- What Did they Do? The field of Study of Domestic Graduates 2008-2016
South Africa
Fee-free higher education
The Finance Minister, Malusi Gigaba, announced in his budget speech on 21 February additional funding of 4 billion eurosover the next three years for the implementation of fee-free higher education in South Africa. Sweden
National strategy for internationalisation
The Swedish Government has released its proposals for a national strategy for internationalisation of higher education and research.Funding review
The Prime Minister, Theresa May, announced an independent review of post-18 education tuition fees and university funding in England, on 19 February. The review will consider cutting interest rates on student loans, reintroducing maintenance grants, as well as examining the level of fees.Research and Innovation roadmap
Sam Gyimah, Minister for Universities, Science, Research and Innovation, has announced the launch of the UKRI Research and Innovation Infrastructure Roadmap programme. The Roadmap will survey the state of the UK’s research and innovation infrastructure.Students’ financial support - Wales
The Welsh Government announced a new student financial support package on 5 February. First time undergraduates from Wales will, from this September, benefit from the equivalent to the National Living Wage through a mix of non-repayable grants and loans.Education budget
The US Government’s 2019 budget proposal contains a major reduction in higher education funding. It proposes cutting over $200 billion in student aid funding over the next decade by eliminating some types of federal student loans; changing the loan repayment safety net; and ending forgiveness for borrowers who work in the public sector.Student health - California
The California senate passed bill SB320 which would require, from January 2022, public university student health centers to offer abortion by medication.Digital credentials
The Center for Studies in Higher Education at the University of Berkeley has released a research paper on Alternative Digital Credentials (ADCs). The paper details how digital records of students’ skills and competencies are replacing traditional university transcripts. It provides a proposed criteria, standards and implementation guidelines for ADCs within universities.Public mission of higher education
A call for papers has been launched for the 15th International Workshop on Higher Education Reform organised by the Johns Hopkins University School of Education on 24 - 26 September 2018 that will address the theme Reinventing the Public Mission of Higher Education: Policies and Practice. Deadline for submission of abstracts: 30 March 2018.Skills audit
Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development Minister Professor Amon Murwira has announced that the government is conducting a national skills audit of public higher education institutions and private firms to be used as the basis of national curriculum development.Graduate database
The Zimbabwe Information and Communication Technologies (ZICT) is developing a national database of degree holders. This initiative came after a surge of fraudulent or questionable degrees appeared on the market.Return to top Former Editions
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