Global Edition

AFRICA

Desmond Thompson

Africa’s scientific community is pooling its expertise and consolidating its capacity to tackle global challenges in physics, mathematics and data-driven research. A vehicle to support this, the National Institute for Theoretical and Computational Sciences, was formally launched in South Africa on 10 September 2025.

GLOBAL

Satisfaction with student diversity has steepest decline

Nathan M Greenfield

Students around the world are more confident about their career prospects but are increasingly concerned about a range of other issues, including student diversity, online learning opportunities and their quality of life, according to the latest Global Student Satisfaction Report 2025.

UNITED STATES

Nathan M Greenfield

The termination of US$350 billion in discretionary spending for Hispanic-serving and other minority-serving institutions in the United States on the grounds that such programmes meet race-based quotas is set to cause “immediate and significant harm”, according to the president of the American Association of Colleges and Universities.

JAPAN

Suvendrini Kakuchi

More Japanese universities are pursuing and accepting research subsidies from the Ministry of Defense for security-related technology research amid ongoing global security tensions. The subsidies, perceived by some academics, researchers and peace activists as an assault on academic freedom, are dividing academia.

NEPAL

Binod Ghimire

What started as a social media campaign by various groups in Nepal under the banner of ‘Gen Z’ but largely made up of students frustrated by corruption and poor governance, turned into violent protests this week that have forced the resignation of the prime minister.

UNITED KINGDOM

Nic Mitchell

Experts are divided over the surprise announcement that the University of Greenwich and the University of Kent plan to create a new ‘trailblazing’ multi-university, with both institutions coming together under one structure and one vice-chancellor – but keeping their names and local presence.

GLOBAL

Afrooz Purarjomandlangrudi and Amir Ghapanchi

Universities should treat AI literacy as fundamental academic infrastructure, embedding core AI literacy skills across curricula supported by training for lecturers and institutional policies, to ensure that students become critical, ethical and effective AI collaborators and are equipped for an evolving professional landscape.

GLOBAL

Brendan O’Malley

University World News talks to Colin Riordan, secretary general of the Association of Commonwealth Universities, ahead of ACU Congress 2025, about the common challenges and opportunities universities are facing in diverse contexts, including funding, the SDGs and transnational education – and the future of the Commonwealth.

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

Academic Affairs Division

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

Academic Affairs Division

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

Academic Affairs Division

UKRAINE-UNITED STATES

Andrew Misura

Ukrainians and others in conflict situations are resolved to continue studying amid the destruction of their universities and the displacement of students and faculty. They aspire to the very values which in the United States seem to have been forgotten and are under attack.

CARIBBEAN

Shazim Husayn

With a deliberate and inclusive strategy, Trinidad and Tobago can move from a passive recipient of external provision to a co-creator of high-quality, context-sensitive transnational education – benefiting not just its own citizens but learners across the Caribbean region, Latin America and beyond.

SOUTH AFRICA

Desmond Thompson

A grant of CA$1.6 million (US$1.15 million) has been awarded to the Centre for Information Integrity in Africa, or CINIA, based at Stellenbosch University, South Africa, to spearhead cross-regional collaborations tackling mis- and disinformation on digital platforms. Professor Herman Wasserman, director of CINIA, is leading the initiative.

UNITED STATES

Nathan M Greenfield

As the United States withdraws from the United Nations Human Rights Council’s Universal Periodic Review, PEN America has published a report on academic censorship in the country which details how the Trump administration is restricting access to education and infringing free expression.