South Africa's universities face legitimacy crisis, warns HSRC CEO

“when universities prioritised global rankings over local needs, and reproduced elitism or treated communities as extractive sites for data rather than partners in knowledge, they erode our legitimacy”

"As South Africans, with our own history of apartheid and resistance, silence is not an option. “We need to start thinking about the bigger questions that confront our communities, issues that address unemployment, gender violence and inequality, and defend our universities.” Her address resonated with the theme chosen for Research Week: “transformative knowledge for a just, sustainable and innovative Africa”, where research across all disciplines was aimed in service of society. Prof Mosoetsa urged a reset of research priorities, to choose projects which most directly aligned with national priorities and needs as Africans, in Africa.

📢📢📢 New Research Brief video: Representing the Problem of (Un)Ethical Practices in Canada’s Post-Pandemic International Student Policy Landscape by Emma Harden-Wolfson (prev. Sabzalieva), PhD , Shannon Hutcheson, PhD and Yvonne Zhang. Watch now: https://lnkd.in/eu2phUma This study investigates how the Canadian policy landscape toward international students has changed since the pandemic. It uses a policy mapping of 97 announcements made between January of 2022 and March of 2024 by the federal government, the governments of Ontario and Quebec, and three organisations with expertise in international or higher education. Using the “What’s the Problem Represented to Be?” (WPR) approach, the article analyses the increasing attention being paid to (un)ethical practices as a lens through which policy bodies are constructing the role of international students in Canada. This highlights the differing representations of the “problem” of ethical practices, as well as the call-and-response nature of announcements between policy actors. The focus on ethical practices has created links between international students and national issues such as housing shortages and labour market needs, assigning responsibility to unscrupulous actors but also to students themselves for creating these challenges. This is a recorded summary of their recent paper: ‘Representing the Problem of (Un)Ethical Practices in Canada’s Post-Pandemic International Student Policy Landscape’ published in Canadian Journal of Higher Education. You can read full paper at https://lnkd.in/eukbKK7M 😊 😊 😊

Looking at alternative ways of measuring impact is vital if we are not to fall into the trap of using the flawed publication based metrics system. Katie Foxall's article in the Transforming Society blog identifies alternative questions we should use as we rethink success: https://lnkd.in/eCPgZnpC

"As an academic involved in higher education teaching, I believe that chasing the rankings can harm Africa’s fragile higher education system," says Professor Sioux McKenna. As more high-profile universities like the Sorbonne reject global rankings, these dubious companies are turning their attention to the Global South.

Sri Lanka’s 10 Commonwealth Scholars Embark on Fully Funded Academic Journey to the UK Ten outstanding Sri Lankan students have been awarded Commonwealth Scholarships to pursue their postgraduate studies in the UK this year, joining a distinguished global network of future leaders dedicated to driving positive national and global impact. Following a rigorous selection process that highlighted both academic excellence and a strong commitment to driving real change, a cohort of 10 scholars was selected from institutions across the country. The 2025 Commonwealth Scholars cohort includes nine Master’s scholars and, after a lapse of several years, one PhD scholar. A Pre-Departure Briefing held at the British Council Library in Colombo gathered scholarship awardees, alumni, and key officials from the British High Commission and British Council to honour the chosen scholars and also create a space for connection, mentoring, and collective pride in a shared legacy. “The Commonwealth Scholarship is one of the UK’s most prestigious and long-standing development initiatives,” said British High Commissioner to Sri Lanka HE Andrew Patrick. “For over six decades, it has supported outstanding individuals from Sri Lanka to access world-class education in the UK and return to contribute to their country’s progress.” “We are proud to see such a talented and diverse group of scholars heading to the UK this year,” added Orlando Edwards, Country Director of the British Council in Sri Lanka. “Their fields of study —from climate change and migration to education, analytics, and policy— reflect the priorities and challenges of our time.”

📑 Check it out, the new Centre for International Education (CIE)'s Annual Report showcasing the outputs of its members over the past academic year. 💪 A leader in the field of #internationaleducation and #development, CIE's cutting-edge research is #interdisciplinary, theoretically rich and methodologically nuanced. In keeping with its distinctively critical, decolonial approach, the Centre works in collaboration with global partners to address the part that education plays in society - both in social transformation and in the reproduction of social inequalities. 🌍 Located within the University of Sussex’s Faculty of Social Sciences, CIE is a 'Centre of Excellence' and a constitutive part of the cross-university consortium on Development Studies, which has been ranked best in the world for the last nine years (2017-25) by the QS World University Rankings.  👉 Read the full report: https://lnkd.in/d4hkvUR8 #annualreport #uniresearchcentre #uniresearch #centreofexcellence #researchexcellence

Burundi University Rankings 2026 The AD Scientific Index 2026 presents an in-depth analysis of universities and scientists in Burundi. This year’s rankings include: - Universities & Institutions: 8 - Scientists: 173 The analysis provides insights into the research productivity, global impact, and field-specific strengths and challenges of Burundi’s academic community. It highlights both the collective influence of universities and the individual contributions of top-performing scholars. This evidence-based evaluation helps institutions in Burundi identify growth opportunities, benchmark internationally, and shape strategies for stronger research visibility and academic development. #ADScientificIndex #Burundi #UniversityRankings #ResearchExcellence #HigherEducation #AcademicImpact #GlobalScience

International development undergraduates at UK universities are significantly more likely to come from higher socio-economic groups than those from other social science courses, according to the latest briefing from Diversity in Development. Of course, university study is only one way into the profession. Yet the findings form part of a wider picture - an equitable development sector needs involvement and support from all sections of society. The report can be found at https://lnkd.in/eFzpZ7Ac. More details on Diversity in Development at https://lnkd.in/eR6ZM3-U.

📢 Call for Papers – Frontiers in Education We are pleased to share our upcoming Research Topic: Higher Education and Mental Health in Palestine and Other Conflict Zones, hosted by Frontiers in Education. This collection will examine the urgent and complex challenges facing higher education in conflict-affected regions, with a particular focus on Palestine. Universities are often sites of resilience and positive change, yet in many crisis zones they face destruction, displacement, restricted access to technology, and profound mental health impacts for students and staff. We invite contributions that explore: 1. The psychosocial and mental health dimensions of higher education in crisis contexts 2. The rebuilding and sustainable protection of universities in conflict zones 3. How academics, staff, and institutions outside of these regions can offer meaningful and decolonial forms of support 4. Research led by scholars working within crisis-affected contexts, especially Palestine 5. The role of higher education in promoting peace, justice, and sustainable development We welcome original research articles, theoretical and conceptual papers, and opinion pieces. The call is open for both academics in conflict zone and those that study conflict zones. 🔗 Submissions will open once the Research Topic is live on Frontiers in Education. 📩 If you are interested in contributing, please contact me at: Aneeza.Pervez@nottingham.ac.uk or send me a message. Together, we hope this collection can highlight urgent scholarship, amplify the voices of academics in crisis zones, and critically reimagine the role of higher education in contexts of conflict.