Summits and events news

The global picture is changing, as five countries enter the ranking for the first time – all of them in Africa. Rosa Ellis reports 

Number of African countries in rankings doubles since 2018, with 25 universities making debut appearances this year

Universities face growing public pressure but this only means their mission is more vital than ever, NYU president Andrew Hamilton tells Rosa Ellis

Biggest ever World University Ranking reveals how Africa rises as US’ crown slips

Global balance of research power shows signs of shifting as US stagnates and China improves

Some presidents advocate cutting ties with universities in rival states, while others urge maintaining academic links even when diplomatic ones are straitened

Academics must work closely with students to foster innovation, says KAUST president

Head of New York Public Library warns that ‘two-tier’ higher education system is broken and ‘letting kids down’

‘If you are worried about the quality of online teaching, worry about the teaching part,’ says Clay Shirky

Universities should equip students to deal with changing nature of work through broad education, says National Humanities Medal recipient

Celebrated Harvard economist opens THE’s World Academic Summit by showing academia’s top leaders the ways their sector continues to stratify society

‘Short horizons’ of grant-givers holding back early career researchers from disadvantaged backgrounds, says Glasgow principal

Rectors set up emergency measures to allow Russian students to participate in courses even if they cannot leave their country

‘Awful lot of pressure’ on higher education sector ‘to do the heavy lifting’ without wider societal commitment, says Manchester professor

New York University’s multiple sites around the world were instrumental in minimising Covid-related disruption, says Andrew Hamilton

Prepare for the rankings launch of the year 

Demands to accommodate price spikes and satisfy business needs are putting students’ progress at risk, summit hears

Australian pioneers of institutional-scale block teaching say expansion forced refinements of the model

‘Absolute support’ for Australian government’s decision to quarantine extra places for disadvantaged students

But preoccupation with the mundane sidelines universities from the main game, according to vice-chancellors

Analysis of the average score by country over the past five years 

Emerging from the pandemic, in a region beset by authoritarian leaders and poverty, universities remain resilient. Rosa Ellis writes

Chilean university leads list for fourth consecutive year, but Brazil is top-performing country overall

An internalised, colonial-era emphasis on exam grades is preventing students from deeper learning, forum hears

Instead of creating ‘strong leaders’, institutions should aim to educate students to be ‘someone everyone wants to work with’, academics told

Free online courses have much to offer professors, including feedback on their own performance

Grand challenges ‘do not fit neatly within disciplinary boundaries’ and neither should science

Nanyang Technological University gets leadership prize for its ‘outstanding rate and quality of development’

In partnership with Fujita Health University, this year’s Asia Universities Summit will examine the role of the university in a rapidly changing world, coinciding with the Asia University Rankings 2022 launch

EU-sponsored groupings need to win friends and influence national deregulation to realise their ambitions, experts say

Chief of renowned university sees positive leadership role during Covid but admits miscues on edX and blind spots on cost discipline

Virtual tools have unprecedented power to bend teaching towards research-proven ideals, yet opportunity of lockdown getting squandered, MIT experts tell colleagues

THE survey finds that applicants are using sustainability over other factors to decide where to ultimately enrol

Western Sydney University deputy v-c discusses ‘pragmatism’ in climate change research institute title and shopping centre campus, after rankings success

Institutions from over 100 countries offer dedicated courses on the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, THE data show

Australian university tops fourth edition of global ranking measuring institutions’ social and economic impact

University data expertise essential to ‘capacity building’ for city government on issues ranging from air quality to localising UN sustainability goals, THE summit hears

Ukrainian MP, scholar and ex-deputy education minister tells universities not to offer scholarships to Russian students in summit speech

Swedish welfare system, political model of consensus and universities committed to industry collaboration key to innovation success, THE summit hears

Universities’ intellectual property is seen as key to successful knowledge economies. But what is the best way to turn ideas into marketable products? Is it realistic to expect major commercial success? And how much of a stake should universities take in the process – and the proceeds? Jack Grove reports

India and Malaysia take lead as best represented countries, followed by China

Access to many courses will remain free, says head of Mooc pioneer, with participants charged for exams, interaction and certificates

Philosopher A. C. Grayling says scholars should not fight digitisation but should seek to protect academic freedom and avoid the creation of a gig economy

Institutions cannot ‘in good conscience’ partner with Russian counterparts while Ukraine war continues, says Chris Philp

In partnership with the KTH Royal Institute of Technology, THE’s hybrid summit will explore the components of a positive innovation climate that delivers on impact ahead of the release of the Impact Rankings 2022

Undergraduate institutions should instil innovative thinking and research skills to prepare future PhD students, scholars say

Institutions across a record 110 territories take part, with Pakistan and Thailand among those significantly increasing the number of submissions

Even institutions that are engaging with the SDGs as a whole are ignoring their responsibilities to promote sustainable agriculture, argue Wayne Nelles and Supawan Visetnoi

Digital exchanges prove ‘more inclusive’, offering a ‘taste’ of the real thing

Short-term contracts are leading researchers to chase more secure roles in less heralded universities, says Cardiff Met vice-chancellor

Estates directors complain about academics wanting offices to be ‘toasty warm’ around the clock despite visiting for only a couple of hours a week

Academics and estates teams must work together to drive through the linked changes in infrastructure and teaching

Scholars attacked for research into colonialism and atrocities of empire need professional support and counselling, says broadcaster

Cash and frameworks can help but improving diversity within research really requires diversity as a core institutional value, says Colin Bailey

York leader tells THE Campus Live that ‘tattoo parlours had much more notice’ of Covid restrictions than students

New government focus on universities raising pre-18 attainment could be a ‘challenge’, but also indicates positive shift

Universities support gentle touch on nudging researchers to make climate-friendly decisions

Russell Group must ‘stop making excuses’ on difficulties of diversifying international student flows, says ex-universities minister

Welsh student support and tertiary systems have ‘far more in common with international approaches’ than English ones, says Jeremy Miles

Minister also tells THE event that access changes are ‘not focusing on high-paid jobs’ but rather on ‘graduate jobs’