IAU: Building a worldwide higher education community

E-Bulletin Sharing information on IAU activities and higher education in the world Vol. 11, No 07, September 2014

IAU activities - News/Opportunities from around the World

Exceptionnellement, ce numéro du e-Bulletin est publié uniquement en anglais/

Exceptionnally, this issue of the e-Bulletin is only released in English.

IAU Activities

IAU welcomes two interns from Italy IAU has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Centro di servizi di Ateneo per la Valorizzazione dei risultati della Ricerca et la gestione dell’Incubatore universitario at the University of Florence to host two post-graduate interns at its Secretariat in Paris, France. Financed by the Tuscany Region in Italy, the two interns will each spend six months developing their expertise in internationalization of higher education and contributing to the work of the Association in this domain. IAU will welcome the first intern, a recent doctoral graduate, Miriam Sanfilippo, in September 2014. Activities Internationalization Strategies Advisory Service (ISAS) in Asia and Africa In response to a Call for the Expressions of Interest issued at the beginning of the year and concerning higher education institutions in a number of Asian countries, IAU has selected the Ho Chi Minh City University of Transport in Vietnam as the beneficiary of an ISAS project. As this project forms part of the overall IAU grant from the Swedish International Development Agency (Sida), IAU is able to waive the fee and other costs associated with this service. Dr. Madeleine Green, IAU Senior Fellow will act as the Panel Chair for the project. Out thanks go to all IAU Members that that submitted proposals to benefit from this IAU service. Similarly, identified through an earlier Call focused on Africa, the University of Cape Coast and the University of Ghana will also benefit from a joint ISAS project supported by the same Sida grant. Dr. Goolam Mohamedbhai, IAU Honorary President and former Secretary General of the African Association of Universities, will act as Panel Chair. Both projects will begin in September 2014. For more information on ISAS, please click here or contact Mr. Ross Hudson Calls for Participation 2014-2015 IAU-Palgrave Macmillan Ltd. Prize in higher education policy research IAU is pleased to announce the opening of the competition and invite submissions for the 2014-2015 IAU–Palgrave Macmillan Ltd Research Prize which will be awarded to the author of the best essay on the theme: Internationalization of Higher Education: Moving beyond mobility. The

Prize of £2,000 will be awarded during the IAU 2015 International Conference on the same theme, to be held in October 2015 at the University of Siena, Italy. Authors of the research essay must be from an IAU Member institution or organization. Deadline: 15 June 2015. For more information, please click here or contact Mr. Nick Poulton HEEFA is now on Facebook The IAU project on higher education for education and learning for all has set up an HEEFA Facebook page. Unlike the information posted on the IAU website and the HEEFA Portal, HEEFA Facebook includes photos taken from the HEEFA Workshops, conducted in Cuernavaca (Mexico), Kathmandu (Nepal), New Delhi (India), Nairobi (Kenya), and Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso) and posts the latest developments in the HEEFA project. Please consult it and tell the world you ‘like’ it here. LEADHER Programme In late July, IAU was pleased to launch a new competition for LEADHER grants for projects to be undertaken by IAU Member institutions in 2014-2015. The deadline for this competition is October 12, 2014. Guidelines and Application form are available here. This year again, thanks to the support of the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SAREC/Sida), the 2015 LEADHER Programme will award 6 grants (up to € 10,000 (Euros) per project). Please note that this year, for reporting reasons imposed by the Donor Agency, 2015 LEADHER projects and all related reporting must be completed by 15 June 2015 at the latest. Contact Ms. Élodie Boisfer Share your information on the HESD and Doctoral Programmes (IDEA-PhD) Portals The information published on the IAU HESD portal will be presented and analysed at the upcoming UNESCO World Conference on ESD (Nagoya, Japan, November 2014) – IAU is invited to co-organize the Workshop on Higher Education and Research with UNEP. Contact: Hilligje van’t Land. Information published on the IDEA-PhD Portal is to foster the development of doctoral education in Africa and further networking internationally. Contact: Nick Poulton Take part in the global study on The state of higher education for sustainable developmentThe United Nations (UN) Decade on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) is coming to a close and the UN Global Action Programme on ESD is being drafted. IAU and its partners are pleased to invite you to take part in a project on The state of higher education for sustainable development which analyses critical factors to improve sustainability processes in the nexus of higher education institutions, society and policy. The outcomes of the Survey will be presented on behalf of all the participants at the UNESCO World Conference on ESD, in Aichi Nagoya, Japan, in November. Deadline for participation: 19 September 2014. Thank you for circulating this invitation to all staff and students within your institution. To access the Survey, please click here. Contact: Hilligje van’t Land Conferences IAU is co-sponsoring the International Conference for Academic Institutions (ICAI) 2015 ICAI 2015 will take place from 9 to 10 January 2015 at Mahatma Mandir, Gandhinagar, Gujarat. IAU has agreed to be one of its co-sponsors and IAU President, Prof. Dzulkifli Abdul Razak will be one of the speakers. ICAI 2015 will focus on: Research & Internationalization aligned with

national priorities; Inculcating global academic leadership; International experiences of higher education policy implementation. ICAI aims to act as a catalyst for universities in Gujarat and to build international relationships with foreign institutions in order to establish long term sustainable strategic partnerships. For more information about the Conference, please consult: http://www.vibrantgujarat.com/icai2015.htm Publications HEP 27/3 – September 2014 The latest issue of Higher Education Policy (HEP) proposes articles that analyse transformation policy in Malaysia, student assessment in Portugal, role expectations of presidents’ partners in the US, policy change in Croatia, Serbia and Slovenia, job satisfaction and gender, and public investment in world-class universities. For abstracts and to order your copy, please visit: http://www.palgrave-journals.com/hep/journal/v27/n3/index.html IAU Representation UNESCO Expert Group for the development of a Global Convention on the recognition of higher education qualifications From 10 to 11 July 2014, UNESCO convened the first meeting of the Expert Group to analyse the possible content and effectiveness of a Global Convention on the recognition of higher education qualifications and periods of study. Eva Egron-Polak, IAU Secretary-General, was invited to join the Expert Group which was composed of representatives of governments, including the Council of Europe, quality assurance agencies, student organizations and other stakeholders from all regions of the world. UNESCO has a long history of developing normative instruments to facilitate academic mobility and has developed six regional conventions to regulate mutual recognition of such qualifications. Since 2011, UNESCO has been exploring the feasibility of a Global Convention that would encourage inter-regional mobility. The work of the Expert Group will build on a previous feasibility study and the recommendations of UNESCO’s General Conference, which stipulate that further work on such a Global Convention must aim to build upon and complement the Regional Conventions which should continue to be revised and adopted by Member States. http://www.unesco.org/new/en/education/themes/strengthening-education-systems/higher-education/recognition/ European Network of Information Centres (ENIC)/ National Academic Recognition Information Centres in the European Region (NARIC) Isabelle Turmaine, IAU Director, Information Projects and Services, was invited to present the WHED Portal, sit on a panel discussion on ENIC-NARIC and the world, and attend the 21st Annual Joint Meeting of the ENIC and NARIC Networks which took place in Rome, Italy, from 6 to 8 July 2014. The new WHED Portal was well-received by the networks as a useful tool to help them in their everyday job of recognition of degrees and diplomas. Better links between universities and recognition officers were also discussed. The new ENIC-NARIC Portal – a gateway to recognition of academic and professional qualifications - was launched at the meeting. http://www.enic-naric.net

For detailed information on these activities, contact us at: iau@iau-aiu.net

More on the Association at: http://www.iau-aiu.net

Reminder of Important IAU Dates

2014

Conferences: o 8-10 October: CONAHEC 16th North American Higher Education

Conference on The Next 20: Pathways, Partners, Paradigms, co-covened by CONAHEC and IAU, Tucson, USA.

o 9 November: International Conference on Higher Education for Sustainable Development: Higher Education Beyond 2014 organised by UNU in collaboration with UNESCO, UN DESA, UNEP, UN Global Compact - PRME initiative and IAU, Aïchi Nagoya, Japan. Contact: Hilligje van’t Land

Workshops and Forums: o 17 September: IAU –EAIE invitational 2nd Executive Seminar for Heads of

Institutions, Are Graduates Fit for Purpose? EAIE Annual Conference, Prague, Czech Republic. Contact: Eva Egron-Polak

o 18 September: IAU Seminar on E-supervision: e-tools for enhancing PhD education in Africa. EAIE Annual Conference, Prague, Czech Republic. Contact: Hilligje van’t Land

o 19 September: IAU-MCO Workshop on Integrity and Ethics in Education, Research and Administration/ Management, Uppsala University, Sweden

o 18-20 November: IAU Higher Education for Education and Learning for All (HEEFA) Follow-up Seminar, Haceteppe University, Ankara, Turkey. Contact: Nadja Kymlicka

o 24-27 November: IAU invitational expert Seminar on Making Doctoral Education Work in Africa and for Africa, University of Ghana. Contact: Nick Poulton and/or Hilligje van’t Land

2015

Conferences o January (tbc): 4th ASEM Rectors Conference and Students’ Forum on

Innovative Partners for Change: Universities, Business and Society – Asia and Europe moving from practice to policy and action organized by the Asia-Europe Foundation in partnership with IAU, ASEAN Universities Network, Chulalongkorn University, and the Office of Higher Education Thailand (OHEC)

o 7-8 May: IAU Global Meeting of Association (GMA6) on Private Participation in Higher Education: Today and Tomorrow?

o 28-30 October: IAU International Conference on Internationalization of Higher Education – Moving beyond mobility co-organized with the University of Siena, Italy

News from our Members at: http://www.iau-aiu.net/news-from-members Calendar of events at: http://www.iau-aiu.net/content/global-calendar

News/Opportunities from around the World

UNESCO

UNESCO Bangkok: Academic Teaching Personnel UNESCO Bangkok organized an Experts Review on Academic Promotion of Higher Education Teaching Personnel in Asia-Pacific in Penang, Malaysia from 20 to 21 May 2014 to discuss the role of academic promotion in enhancing the status of higher education teaching personnel in Asia and the Pacific. http://www.unescobkk.org/education/apeid/upcoming-past-events/past-events/eri-net-expert-meeting-on-academic- promotion-of-higher-education-teaching-personnel/?utm_medium=twitter%2Fculture%25 UNESCO Bangkok: Post-2015 Agenda UNESCO Bangkok has released the documents from the Asia-Pacific Regional Education Conference, held on 6 August 2014 on Inclusive, Quality, Lifelong Learning for All. The Bangkok Statement endorsed by the Education Ministers who took part in the Conference is one of the inputs of the Asian region to the World Education Forum. It outlines six regional priority action areas and includes “equitable and inclusive access to quality learning for people of all ages and at all levels of learning, from early childhood care and education to tertiary education”. http://www.unescobkk.org/education/conference/asia-pacific-regional-education-conference-aprec/presentation-files/ UNESCO Bangkok: Quality Assurance; Degree Recognition UNESCO Bangkok has posted online the progress reports, country presentations and workshop presentations from the 13th Session of the Regional Committee on the Recognition of Qualifications in Higher Education in Asia and the Pacific that took place in Colombo, Sri Lanka, from 4 to 5 August 2014, in conjunction with the Regional Workshop on Quality Assurance in Higher Education. They discussed international academic recognition and quality assurance, regional and national qualification frameworks, and the European Credit Transfer System. http://www.unescobkk.org/education/higher-education/promotion-of-academic-mobility/conferences-meetings-and- seminars/13th-session/presentations/ UNESCO Institute for Information Technologies in Education (IITE): MOOCs IITE in collaboration with the University of London has launched its first Massive Online Open course (MOOC) on "ICT in primary education” which is meant for teachers, head teachers, leaders and policymakers in primary education, but is open to all. It discusses various experiences and examples of ICT implementation in primary education in different countries

worldwide. A certificate of completion, and/or a statement of accomplishment can be delivered.http://www.unesco.org/new/en/media-services/single-view/news/unesco_launches_a_mooc_on_ict_education/ back/9597/#.U_bsUqPs1-t UNESCO Instituto Internacional para la Educación Superior en América Latina y el Caribe (IESALC): Quality Assurance; Call for Participation IESALC invites evaluation and accreditation experts from the academic world to register in their database in order to contribute to the process of evaluating higher education in Latin America and the Caribbean for UNESCO and other international agencies. http://www.iesalc.unesco.org.ve/index.php?option=com_fabrik&view=form&formid=13 (in Spanish) UNESCO’ Offices and Projects: Educational Development; Asia - UNESCO works for higher education in Cambodia, Nepal and Myanmar. In July 2014, UNESCO’s office in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, held a discussion on making learners active stakeholders in higher education and conducted two workshops for public and private higher education leaders. http://www.unesco.org/new/en/phnompenh/about-this-office/single-view/news/unesco_strengthens_ capacity_of_public_and_private_higher_education_in_cambodia/#.U_ri8qPs1-t - In June 2014, UNESCO’s office in Kathmandu, Nepal, held a discussion on the governance andmanagement of higher education that addressed higher education quality and financing issues. Recommendations included the separation of party politics and higher education, increasing institutional autonomy and improving access to higher education, reducing the discrepancy between urban and rural education, increasing sectoral standards of professionalism, and promoting practice-oriented education that provides useful skills. http://www.unesco.org/new/en/kathmandu/about-this-office/single-view/news/experts_meet_to_deliberate_the_effective_governance_and_management_of_higher_education_in_nepal/#.U_ri-6Ps1-t - Under the UNESCO-Open Society Foundation’s Building capacity for Myanmar’s higher education policy reform” project, a delegation from Myanmar participated in events organized in Hong-Kong in June 2014 to learn from other higher education systems and present Myanmar’s higher education system and challenges. http://www.unescobkk.org/education/news/article/myanmar-contributes-to-the-future-of-asian-higher-education/

Other international initiatives

Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU): Academic Teaching Personnel; Research; Human Resources Development ACU has launched the Structured Training for African Researchers (STARs) project to strengthen the professional development of early career academics. 12 African universities have been selected to participate in the project. This project should lead to the provision of online training courses on the professional development of academics to universities under a creative commons license.

https://www.acu.ac.uk/news/view?id=88&x[0]=news/list Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU): Educational Personnel; Educational Management; Human Resources ACU hosted its third joint-Human Resources (HR) Management and Public Relations (PR) Network conference on Steering Institutional Strategy: the critical roles of HR and PR in Glasgow, UK from 13 to 16 July 2014. This conference examined the role that HR and PR professionals can and should play to articulate and steer institutional strategies and the competencies needed to address the questions of internationalisation, financial constraints, administrative careers in higher education, and use and impact of social media. https://www.acu.ac.uk/news-events/events/glasgow-2014/presentations/ Agence universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF): Awards ; Young Researchers; Call for Participation The AUF has announced the 7th edition of the Prix de la Francophonie pour jeunes chercheurs (Prize of French-speaking countries for Young Researchers). It is open to candidates under 40 years of age who hold a doctorate in Science and Medicine and in Human and Social Sciences and who have carried out research for four-to-ten-years. Deadline: 17 October 2014. http://www.auf.org/appels-offre/prix-de-la-francophonie-pour-jeunes-chercheurs-7e-/ (in French)Agence universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF): Educational Trends For its 10th anniversary, the RIFEFF released a publication on the university in French-speaking countries entitled La francophonie universitaire en question. This collective work includes articles on four themes: French language and multilingualism; New technologies and distance education; Education to sustainable development; and Governance and assessment. http://www.rifeff.org/pdf/Ouvrage_fef_5.pdf (in French) Commonwealth of Learning (COL): Quality Assurance COL has released the 2014 revision of the Handbook for the Commonwealth of Learning Review and Improvement Model : Making Quality Work in Higher Education (First edition: 2010) which provides a quality assurance model for post-secondary education and training institutions. http://www.col.org/PublicationDocuments/COL-RIM_Handbook_2014.pdf Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO): Agricultural Research; Agricultural EducationThe FAO and the Universidade Aberta (UAb) of Portugal signed of a Memorandum of Understanding in July 2014 to strengthen cooperation for developing joint initiatives aimed at eradicating hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition. Regional initiatives will be supported by strengthening capacity development through joint research projects and technical, educational and university extension events. http://www.fao.org/partnerships/news-article/en/c/240110 International Consortium for Educational Development (ICED): Educational DevelopmentICED held its annual conference in Stockholm, Sweden in June 2014. Its theme was Educational Development in a Changing World. Topics included Discipline specific educational development; Scholarship of teaching and learning; Scholarship of educational development; and Strategic educational development. http://www.iced2014.se/proceedings.shtml

Open and Collaboration Science in Development Network (OCSDnet): Open Access; Research and Development; Call for Participation OCSCnet has been launched. It is an interactive network on the role of openness and collaboration in science as a transformative tool for development thinking and practices. It has launched an open call for concept papers for OCS development projects which is open to researchers and research organizations based in developing countries. Deadline: 8 September 2014. http://ocsdnet.org/article/application Pascal International Observatory: Regional Development; Education and Development Pascal International Observatory has published a Policy briefing entitled Learning Cities: the role of the ‘region–intensive’ university which focuses on the development of a regional role in regional development by higher education institutions. http://pie.pascalobservatory.org/pascalnow/pascal-activities/news/learning-cities-role-%E2%80%98 region%E2%80%93intensive%E2%80%99-university-policy-briefing- Publishers for Development: Research and Development The 6th annual Publishers for Development conference on Why Research matters for development was held in Oxford, UK in August 2014. Participants were asked to consider questions such as: What role do you feel research, with the use of academic journals at its heart, has in international development?; What barriers remain to research access (and publication) in developing countries?; What are the opportunities you see for research access and publication in developing countries over the next 5 years?; And What kind of partnerships do you think universities and publishers could make to improve access for researchers? http://www.pubs-for-dev.info/conference/2014-conference/presentations/ United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)/ Environmental Association for Universities and Colleges (EAUC): Sustainable Development EAUC has committed to a 3-year agreement with UNEP to link and support higher education institutions around the world in the field of sustainable development. The partnership will expand the Green Gown Awards which recognize exceptional sustainability initiatives being undertaken by universities and colleges across the globe with an emphasis on profiling and learning from the Southern Hemisphere. http://www.eauc.org.uk/universities_and_colleges_in_the_uk_have_signed World Bank: Entrepreneurship Education The World Bank has released the report Entrepreneurship Education and Training: Insights from Ghana, Kenya, and Mozambique that summarizes the findings of three case studies of entrepreneurship education and training programmes in Ghana, Kenya, and Mozambique and highlights possible ways forward. http://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/WDSContentServer/WDSP/IB/2014/06/12 /000470435_20140612105917/Rendered/PDF/886570PUB0978100Box385230B00PUBLIC0.pdf World Bank: Science and Technology The participants of a Forum organised by the World Bank and the Government of Senegal have

established the Partnership in Applied Sciences, Engineering and Technology (PASET) for Skills Development in Priority Sectors whose aim is to strengthen the science and technology capability for the socio-economic transformation and development of sub-Saharan Africa. http://www.recherche.gouv.sn/IMG/pdf/Dakar_Call_to_Action_English_FINAL_6-18-2014.pdf

Regional initiatives

Africa African Union (AU): Science Policy The 23rd Ordinary Session of the African Union took place in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea from 20 to 27 June 2014. With a focus on Agriculture and Food Security, the Heads of State looked at how to enhance the socio-economic and political development of the continent. It ended with the adoption of The Science, Technology and Innovation Strategy for Africa 2024, http://summits.au.int/en/23rdsummit/events/23rd-ordinary-session-african-union-ends-malabo African Virtual University (AVU): Distance Education AVU is launching 29 Open Distance and eLearning Centers (ODel) in 21 African countries over the next 7 months to provide greater access to higher education opportunities for African learners. The first center was opened on 11 August 2014 at the Open University of Sudan. http://www.avu.org/Press-Releases/african-higher-education-embraces-digital-education-with-the-launch-of-a-21- country-distance-learning-facility.html Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA)/ African Development Bank (AfDB): Awards; Educational Research; Call for Participation With financial support from the Korea-Africa Economic Cooperation, ADEA and AfDB have jointly launched the 2014 edition of the Education Research in Africa Award (ERAA). ERAA is awarded in four categories: the best emerging researcher, the best accomplished researcher, the outstanding mentor of educational researchers, and the best enabling institutional environment. Deadline: 15 October 2014. http://www.adeanet.org/eraa/index.php/en/call-for-proposals Association of African Universities (AAU): Centres of Excellence; Evaluation; Call for Participation AAU is looking for consultants’ expressions of interest to conduct the evaluation and monitoring activity of the AAU/ World Bank’s African Centers of Excellence (ACE) project. The consultancy is expected to be undertaken between January and December 2015. Deadline: 31 October 2014 http://www.aau.org/ace/content/ace-me-consultancy-0 Centre for Higher Education Transformation, South Africa (CHET): Government HE BodiesCHET compared and analysed the findings of the case studies on the role and functions of the higher education councils of eight African countries (Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Mauritius, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania, and Uganda) in a study, Higher Education Councils and Commissions in Africa: A comparative study of the legal basis of their establishment, functions, autonomy and accountability.

http://www.chet.org.za/papers/higher-education-councils-and-commissions-africa-comparative-study-legal-basis-their Conseil africain et malgache de l’Enseignement supérieur (CAMES): Quality Assurance ; Call for Participation The African and Malagasy Council for Higher Education (CAMES) is seeking international experts in institutional, research and academic programme evaluation. They will participate in the operational phase of CAMES’ programme for the enhancement of higher education quality in Africa. Deadline: 30 September 2014. http://ifgu.auf.org/actualites/appel-candidatures-pour-le-recrutement-dexperts-in/ (in French) Conseil africain et malgache de l’Enseignement supérieur (CAMES)/ Conseil national du Patronat burkinabe (CNPB): HE and Employment The African and Malagasy Council for Higher Education (CAMES) and the Burkinabe Employers’ Council (CNPB) held a meeting in Ouagadougou on 18 July 2014 to discuss a partnership between the CAMES and the private sector to find ways to improve graduate employability. http://www.patronat.bf/index.php/component/content/article/148-le-cames-et-le-secteur-prive-dans- un-partenariat-gagnant-gagnant.html (in French) Conseil africain et malgache de l’Enseignement supérieur (CAMES)/ Union économique et monétaire ouest africaine (UEMOA) : Quality Assurance The results of the first year of operations of the support project to higher education quality assurance in West Africa as well as the new quality benchmarks were presented at a press conference co-organized by the African and Malagasy Council for Higher Education (CAMES) and the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA) in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, in July 2014. http://news.aouaga.com/h/31173.html (in French) Educational Research Network for West and Central Africa (ERNWACA): HE and Society ERNWACA leaders met in July 2014 Accra, Ghana to discuss the impact of higher education on social and economic development and decided to further reflect on and assess the higher education reforms in relation to the social demand and graduate employability. http://www.ernwaca.org/web/spip.php?article1407&id_rubrique=14 International Network for Higher Education in Africa (INHEA): Periodicals The first issue of the e-journal International Journal of African Higher Education has been released. It includes a paper from IAU’s past president on Massification in Higher Education Institutions in Africa: Causes, consequences and responses. http://ejournals.bc.edu/ojs/index.php/ijahe/issue/current Ministerial Conference on Training and Jobs for African Youth: Education Policy The Conference, organized by the Inter-Country Quality Node on Technical and Vocational Skills Development of the Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA), ended with the signing of a Declaration and Action Plan that focuses on three areas, one of which is the implementation of the education/training continuum. http://www.adeanet.org/min_conf_youth_skills_employment/en

Pan African University Institute for Science Technology and Innovation (PAUSTI): Mathematics Education PAUSTI held a Workshop in August 2014 to strengthen higher education institutions as responsive institutions by enhancing curriculum development, pedagogical approach and capacity of staff in Mathematics education and teacher preparation. http://www.jkuat.ac.ke/pauisti/2014/08/workshop-mathematics-education-working-life-relevance-opens-pausti/ Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM): Agricultural Education RUFORUM held its 4th Biennial Conference in July 2014. Its theme was African Higher Education Week: Transforming Agricultural Education – A Platform for the Way Forward. The Communiqué released at the end of the Conference welcomes the offer of the African Union Commission to host a special session for African Heads of States on higher education, science, technology and innovation and asked for greater investment in higher education to address the challenges of youth unemployment, food and nutrition security and wealth creation. http://repository.ruforum.org/sites/default/files/RUFORUM%20Communique%20Maputo_2014_Final_0.pdf Southern African Regional Universities Association (SARUA): Climate; Sustainable Development SARUA released all the documents (full report in 3 languages and 12 country reports) of its May 2014 Leadership Dialogue meeting where participants were given the results of SARUA’s climate change mapping study. Through direct contact with governments, universities and other stakeholders, SARUA’s study reports on national climate change challenges and universities’ responses to these. http://www.sarua.org/ Americas Canada/ Mexico: Research Grants; Call for Participation The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mexico has published the call for applications for research grants of the government of Quebec for Mexican doctorate and post-doctorate students. These grants are awarded in all fields of study for 3 or 4 years (doctorate), one year (post-doctorate), or 1 to 4 months (short-term research). Studies will begin between 1 May 2015 and 14 January 2016. Deadline: 18 September 2014 http://www.amexcid.gob.mx/images/stories/becas/becasparamexicanos/Posgrado/frqnt_2015-16.pdf (in Spanish) Centro Interuniversitario de Desarrollo (CINDA): Evaluation; Curriculum Development Evaluación de los Aprendizajes en Innovaciones Curriculares de la Educación Superior (Learning assessment of curriculum innovation at higher education level) is the title of the new CINDA publication that was presented in August 2014 at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso in Santiago, Chile. http://www.cinda.cl/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/2014-Evaluaci%C3%B3n-de-los-aprendizajes.pdf (in Spanish)

Centro Interuniversitario de Desarrollo (CINDA): Research CINDA has published the proceedings of the 4th meeting of the Vice-Rectors for Research and Innovation of the Member Universities of CINDA that took place at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Perú, Lima in May 2014. Five working groups discussed biotechnologies, scientific and technological parks, the training of researchers, information dissemination, and the conduct of a survey to support academic outputs. http://www.cinda.cl/download/documentos-de-trabajo/2014%20-%20Acta%20reuni%C3%B3n%20VRII.pdf (in Spanish) Organization of American States (OAS): Scholarships In addition to its regular Scholarships for Academic Studies programmes (Undergraduate, Masters, Doctorates), the OAS is offering scholarships in institutions in the Americas (in English and/or Spanish) through its Partnership Program for Education and Training (PAEC). Deadlines: from 5 September 2014 to 15 January 2015. http://www.oas.org/en/scholarships/ Unión de Universidades de América Latina y el Caribe (UDUAL): Andean Countries The 4th meeting of the Andean Region of UDUAL took place in August 2014. The Secretary-General presented the Strategic Plan for the years 2014-2016. The University Network on Research for the Andean Region was also presented. A round table on Local Development and the Social Responsibility of the Universities was held, as well as a round table on University Autonomy. A Declaration was signed at the end of the meeting. http://www.udual.org/pdf/DeclaracionAutonomiaUniversitaria.pdf (in Spanish) Unión de Universidades de América Latina y el Caribe (UDUAL): Regional Cooperation The UDUAL Executive Council took place at the Universidad Central del Ecuador in June 2014. The Quito Declaration, which includes initiatives to foster a regional online higher education area, the promotion of technological universities, or the development of regional academic programmes, was signed at the end of the meeting. http://www.udual.org/pdf/DeclaracionQuito.pdf (in Spanish) Asia Asia Pacific Rim Universities (APRU): Australia; Big Data APRU held its 18th Annual Presidents Meeting (APM 2014) in Canberra, Australia from June 23 to 25, 2014. Presidents discussed higher education in Australia and big data. http://apru.org/governance-meetings/annual-presidents-meeting/item/582-apru-18th-annual-presidents-meeting Asia Pacific Rim Universities (APRU): Women; Leadership Kyoto University hosted APRU’s Asia-Pacific Women in Leadership (APWiL) Workshop 2014 in early July. Discussions focused on institutional strategies and current efforts to encourage the participation of women in universities and the education sector, and leadership strategies for women in academia. The participants drafted the Shinagawa Proposal 2014 to improve the status of women in higher education in Japan. http://apru.org/creating-global-leaders/asia-pacific-women-in-leadership/item/614-apwil-workshop2014 Asian Development Bank (ADB): Trade Policy; Economics of Education; Internationalization

ADB has released the report Trade Policy in Asia: Higher Education and Media Services that reviews regulation and policy affecting trade and investment in higher education and audiovisual services. It includes an overview of global trends, followed by a series of country studies (China, Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia, and Singapore for higher education). Key themes are the emergence of a new wave of globalization, the presence of significant impediments to trade and investment, the ambition of many countries to become an international education hub, and the scope for greater international cooperation around research. http://www.adb.org/sites/default/files/pub/2014/trade-policy-asia-higher-education-and-media-services.pdf Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN): Student Mobility Australia’s New Colombo Plan that encourages Australian students to study at universities in Southeast Asia will be expanded to all 10 ASEAN Member States as of 2015. This five-year initiative aims at promoting mutual understanding and strengthening institutional and people-to-people links between Australia and Southeast Asian countries. http://www.asean.org/images/documents/47thAMMandRelatedMeetings/Joint%20Communique%20of%2047th%20 AMM%20as%20of%209-8-14%2010%20pm.pdf (Joint Communiqué) http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2014/08/09/asean-member-states-commit-australias-new-colombo-plan (article) OER Asia: OER OER (Open Educational Resources) Asia has posted online the slides from its 2nd Regional Symposium 2014 on Beyond Advocacy, Research and Policy. The five sub-themes addressed were collaboration, impact, content, innovation, and quality. http://www.oerasia.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=160&Itemid=89 Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization - Regional Training Centre (SEAMEO-RETRAC): Leadership; Educational Management; Sustainable Development SEAMEO RETRAC has released the presentations of its International Conference on Leadership and Management in Higher Education for Sustainable Development that took place from 24 to 25 July 2014. It discussed the following topics: The changing face of 21st century leaders; Innovations in teaching and learning; Expectations in learning and teaching; Building a culture of excellence and achievement; Building linkage between institutions and communities/enterprises; and Innovations in higher education. http://www.vnseameo.org/InternationalConference2014/program.php Europe Academic Cooperation Association (ACA): Educational Trends ACA held its Annual Conference 2014 in June 2014 in Bordeaux, France. Its theme was Europe in the world. Higher education developments across the globe. Topics included the global attractiveness of European higher education; regional perspectives; and the future of higher education. http://www.aca-secretariat.be/index.php?id=751 Association of European Research Libraries (LIBER): Research Libraries

LIBER held its annual conference in Riga, Latvia in July 2014. Its theme was Research Libraries in the 2020 Landscape. It discussed topics such as Improved access to information; Digital sustainability; The e-Book phenomenon and its impact; and Reshaping the research library. http://libereurope.eu/liber2014 Center for Higher Education Policy Studies (CHEPS): Diversification of Education CHEPS celebrated its 30th anniversary on 25 June 2014 with a Conference on Fit for the Future: towards differentiated higher education. It focused on the themes of diversity and profiling in higher education and analysed the impacts of higher education institutions taking on an increasing spread of functions and missions. http://www.utwente.nl/mb/cheps/cheps30thanniversaryconference/videosnewsflashes/ European Access Network (EAN): Access to Education; ICTs The 23rd Annual Conference of the EAN took place in June 2014 at the University of Edinburgh, UK. Its theme was Hidden Potential or Hollow Promise? Can Technologies Deliver Wider Access and Success in Higher Education? It broached topics such as Open learning, How are technologies changing the landscape?; and E-pathways towards equal opportunities. http://www.ean-edu.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=227:ean-annual-conference-2014& catid=41:future&Itemid=84 European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA): Educational Quality; Quality Assurance ENQA has published The Concept of Excellence in Higher Education. This report provides the various approaches that describe, evaluate and define the concept of excellence in higher education and includes recommendations on how this concept could be applied in the context of the work of quality agencies. http://www.enqa.eu/indirme/papers-and-reports/occasional-papers/ENQA%20Excellence%20WG%20Report_ The%20Concept%20of%20Excellence%20in%20Higher%20Education.pdf European Commission: Education and Society; Call for Participation In July 2014, the European Commission launched an open call for tenders to establish a network of experts on the social dimension of education and training. The network will provide support and advice to the European Commission in relation to equity and social aspects of all types and levels of education and training in a lifelong learning perspective. Deadline: 8 September 2014. http://ec.europa.eu/education/calls/tender-08-2014_en.htm European Commission: Industry and Education The European Commission has published Measuring the impact of university-business cooperation. The report presents two approaches that can be used to assess university-business cooperation in the field of education for project planning and for the assessment of investment proposals. http://ec.europa.eu/education/news/2014/20140604-cooperation_en.htm European Commission: Information Sources; Higher Education Institutions The new European Tertiary Education Register (ETER) has published its first results, providing access to information on universities in 36 countries, including all EU Member States. The data

include university size, number of students and staff, subjects and degree levels covered, as well as information about research and international activities http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-14-747_en.htm European Commission: Mobility Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia and Turkey joined the Erasmus + programme in June 2014. http://ec.europa.eu/programmes/erasmus-plus/news/2014/20140620_en.htm http://ec.europa.eu/programmes/erasmus-plus/news/2014/balkans-part-erasmus_en.htm European Commission: Science; ICTs; Call for Participation The European Commission has launched a public consultation on the future of science at a time of Internet 2.0 to evaluate the awareness, participation in, and opportunities created by “Science 2.0”. Deadline: 30 September 2014. http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-14-761_en.htm European Commission: Educational Finance; Student Behaviour; Higher Education Institutions The European Commission has published Do changes in cost-sharing have an impact on the behaviour of students and higher education institutions? This report analyses the effect of the split between public and private contributions to higher education funding on students and higher education institutions in nine case studies (Austria, Canada, UK-England, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Portugal and South Korea). http://ec.europa.eu/education/library/study/2014/cost-sharing/comparative-report_en.pdf European Consortium for Accreditation (ECA): Quality Assurance; Internationalisation ECA has published A Guide to Assessing the Quality of Internationalisation. It presents the way in which the elements that make up the Frameworks for the Assessment of Internationalisation are to be interpreted. http://ecahe.eu/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/CeQuint-A-Guide-to-Assessing-the-Quality-of-Internationalisation.pdf European University Association (EUA): Doctoral Education; Internationalisation The 7th EUA-Council for Doctoral Education Annual Meeting on Doctoral Education: Thinking globally, acting locally was hosted by the University of Liverpool, UK in June 2014. Topics broached included Global partnerships and mobility; the Integration of international doctoral candidates; and Internationalising doctoral education. http://www.eua.be/events/past/2014/EUA-CDE-Annual-Meeting-2014/Presentations.aspx European University Association (EUA): Science Education A conference entitled Mobilising Europe’s universities for Smart Specialisation took place in Brussels, Belgium in June 2014. Convened by the Joint Research Centre’s (JRC) Smart Specialisation Platform (S3 Platform), DG REGIO and EUA, it discussed and shared the results of the work that has been carried out by the S3 Platform and EUA on the role of universities in the definition and implementation of Smart Specialisation Strategies. It also provided a platform to share best practice and proposed ways to further enhance the role of universities in this area. It ended with a joint statement. http://s3platform.jrc.ec.europa.eu/conference20june European Women Rectors Platform: Women; Educational Management

The European Women Rectors Platform and Istanbul Technical University organised the 4th conference on Beyond The Glass Ceiling: Women Rectors Across Europe, Role of Leadership in Structural Changes in Istanbul, Turkey in May 2014. Topics included Gender equality in decision-making in higher education: Where are the women?; Cultural change in academic leadership; and Lost leaders: Women in the global academy http://www.beyondtheglassceiling2014.com/program.php Eurydice: Educational Fees; Educational Grants Eurydice has published National Student Fee and Support Systems 2013/14. http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/education/eurydice/documents/facts_and_figures/fees_support.pdf Heads of University Management & Administration Network in Europe (HUMANE): Educational Efficiency HUMANE held its annual conference in Riga, Latvia in June 2014. Its theme was Measuring the University’s Performance: Data for Decisions. Topics discussed included: Using impact data to measure performance; A holistic framework for actionable and sustainable decision making data; and Importance of effective data collection: An analysis of the decision making process http://www.humane.eu/Riga.309.0.html Interuv – Joint Study Programme: Joint Programmes The INTERUV Third Regional Conference took place in The Hague, The Netherlands in May 2014. Its theme was Joint study programmes: facilitator for university internationalisation. Topics included : The Western Balkans in the European Higher Education Area; Relevance of joint study programmes for graduates; and Joint study programmes in practice. http://www.interuv.eu/regional-conferences/interuv-third-regional-conference/presentations/ League of European Research Universities (LERU): Online Learning LERU has published an advice paper on Online Learning at Research-Intensive Universities which sets out recommendations on strategy development and scenario planning, blended learning, online pedagogy and quality, the global and international perspective, reputation and brand, business models, collaboration and policy making. http://www.leru.org/files/publications/LERU_AP16__Online_Learning_at_RIUs_final.pdf League of European Research Universities (LERU): Philanthropy; Educational Finance LERU has published a note on Philanthropy at research-intensive universities to help rectors to look at fundraising from philanthropic sources, http://www.leru.org/files/publications/LERU_note_Philanthropy_at_research-intensive_universities.pdf Streamlining Institutional Recognition (STREAM) Project: Degree Recognition; Call for Participation Several European organizations and networks have joined forces to develop a training platform for admission officers on recognition issues. In order to make the platform as useful to the admission officer community as possible, the STREAM project is conducting a survey to better understand the needs of the community and develop the platform accordingly. Deadline: 1 October 2014 https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/Z88CJVM

The Policies for OER Uptake (POERUP) Consortium: OER POERUP has compiled individual reports for 33 countries. The project, which is supported by the European Commission Lifelong Learning Programme, compares European case-studies with selected non-European case-studies to provide people in charge of developing OER initiatives with different ways of incorporating successful features from other OER initiatives. http://poerup.referata.com/wiki/Country_reports Inter-regional initiatives Arab States/ Europe: Educational Cooperation; Mobility The Second Arab-Euro Conference on Higher Education took place in Jordan from 10 to 12 June 2014. Its theme was Strengthening Arab-Euro University Collaboration: The Importance of Regional Mobility. Participants discussed the promotion of a sustainable dialogue, mutual understanding, exchange of knowledge, and closer cooperation between Arab and European universities. http://aeche.psut.edu.jo/aeche/index.aspx http://aeche.psut.edu.jo/Presentations/Forms/Presentations.aspx Germany/ Africa: Quality Assurance The University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA), together with the Association of African Universities (AAU), the National Accreditation Board (NAB) and the Nigerian Universities Commission (NUC) have signed a memorandum of understanding in the form of a project agreement, with the University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany to promote internal quality (IQ) assurance in higher education institutions in Africa. The project, Train IQ Africa, is funded by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD). http://www.gbcghana.com/1.1788121 Iran/ World: Awards; Research; Call for Participation The Ministry of Science and Technology and the Iranian Research Organization for Sciences and Technology have published a call for participation for the 28th Khwarizmi International Award (KIA). Its purpose is to recognize outstanding scientific achievements made by researchers, inventors and innovators worldwide. Deadline: 10 November 2014 http://www.irost.org/kia/content/call-participation-28th-khwarizmi-international-award-kia South Africa/ Norway: Educational Cooperation The Centre for Higher Education Transformation has published Driving Change. The Story of the South Africa Norway Tertiary Education Development Programme. http://www.africanminds.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/9781920677435_txt.pdf United States of America/ East Africa: Women in HE The Higher Education Resource Services – East Africa (HERS-EA) is hosted by Makerere University in Uganda as from 5 August 2014. HERS, a US non-profit educational organisation, provides leadership and management training for women in higher education institutions. http://hersnet.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/StoriesfromtheSummitTrail.pdf United States of America/ Lebanon: Access to Education; Refugees; Syria The Institute of International Education (IIE) has released the report The War Follows Them:

Syrian University Students & Scholars in Lebanon (2014), which relates the conditions and educational needs of Syrian university students and scholars in Lebanon. The goal is to provide policy and programme recommendations to increase displaced Syrians’ access to higher education. http://www.iie.org/~/media/Files/Corporate/Publications/The-War-Follows-Them-Syrian-University-Students-Scholars-In-Lebanon.ashx United States of America/ World: Research Grants; Science; Engineering; Call for Participation The National Science Foundation (NSF) supports international research activities through the Partnerships for International Research and Education (PIRE). This grant promotes excellence in science and engineering through international collaboration. Deadline: 15 May 2015 http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2014/nsf14587/nsf14587.pdf?WT.mc_id=USNSF_179 Universia: Educational Trends The 3rd International Meeting of Universia Rectors took place in July 2014 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The theme was The University of the 21st Century. An insight from Ibero-America. It discussed topics such as The university today; The university and the students; Research, innovation and transfer; and University and social surroundings. These reflections led to the Carta Universia Río 2014. http://www.universiario2014.com/index.asp?culture/en-us/

National and institutional initiatives

Bahrain: Educational Reform The Secretary-General of the Higher Education Council discussed the academic accreditation, strategies of higher education, scientific research, and professionalization of teaching staff members schemes with representatives from higher education institutions at a meeting in August 2014. http://www.moe.gov.bh/en/ShowNews.aspx?Id=7694 Belgium: MOOCs The Accreditation Organisation of the Netherlands and Flanders (NVAO) has published MOOCs and online HE.A survey which looks at the potential of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), blended learning, and online education in general to strengthen the quality of programmes in higher education. The NVAO approaches this issue from three perspectives: Dutch/Flemish, European, and global. http://www.nvao.net/page/downloads/NVAO_MOOCs_and_online_HE_A_survey_June_2014.pdf Brazil: Educational Planning The Ministry of Education and Science has launched the portal of the National Education Plan- Planning the Next Decade. http://pne.mec.gov.br/ (in Portuguese) Brazil: Internationalisation The Conselho de Reitores das Universidades Brasileiras (CRUB) has created a Working Group on the Internationalization of Higher Education. It will work with specialists in the field on

topics such as accreditation, reaching excellence through internationalization, and international academic mobility. http://www.crub.org.br/blog/category/destaques (in Portuguese) Canada: Distance Education Athabasca University (AU) Press has released Online Distance Education: Towards a Research Agenda (June 2014). It provides an overview of the major issues, trends, and areas of priority in online distance education research. http://www.aupress.ca/books/120233/ebook/99Z_Zawacki-Richter_Anderson_2014-Online_Distance_Education.pdf Canada: Educational Administration The ARUCC (Association of Registrars of the Universities of Canada) 2014 Conference was held in Quebec from 15 to 18 June 2014. Its theme was Inspiration, Collaboration, Innovation in difficult times: Leading your teams into the future! Participants addressed topics such as enrolment management, credential evaluation, language tests, and collaborative management. http://arucc.ca/conferences/arucc2014/english/program_en.html Canada: Study Abroad; Call for Participation The Canadian Bureau for International Education (CBIE) has launched a survey to collect terms that are currently used to build a common education abroad vocabulary and help international educators to collect statistics on student participation in education abroad. https://fluidsurveys.com/s/CBIE-EDAbroad-Vocabulary-Survey/ China: Educational Development Six Sino-international universities formed the Sino-foreign Cooperative Union to identify and share transferable experience and best practices that were collected as part of their joint-venture with foreign institutions. It will advise the government in reforming and further developing the higher education system. http://www.universityworldnews.com/article.php?story=20140617154911673 Colombia: Access to Education An agreement been the Instituto Colombiano de Bienestar Familiar (ICBF) and the Asociación Colombiana de Universidades (Ascún) on the Life Project Programme (PPV) will consolidate a proposal on access to higher education for young people who are part of the restoration of rights process in order to help them in their professional and technical training in higher education institutions. http://www.ascun.org.co/noticias/1749/ (in Spanish) Colombia: Educational Policy The National Council on Higher Education (CESU) has published Acuerdo por lo superior 2034: Propuesta de política pública para la excelencia de la educación superior en Colombia en el escenario de la paz, a public policy proposal for excellence in higher education for 2034. http://www.dialogoeducacionsuperior.edu.co/1750/articles-319917_recurso_1.pdf (in Spanish) Cote d’Ivoire: Academic Teaching Personnel The Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research is to recruit 300 teachers to improve the student-teacher rate in public universities and Grandes Ecoles. http://www.enseignement.gouv.ci/index.php?open=actualite&actu=article&artID=391 (in

French) Finland: Competences CIMO, together with a Helsinki-based think tank (DEMOS Helsinki), has published the report Hidden Competences. It summarises the findings of a project that examined how Finnish employers rated the skills and knowledge acquired through international experiences in recruitment. While language skills, cultural knowledge and tolerance have often been understood to be the basis of international competences, three new factors were now recognized: productivity, resilience and curiosity. http://www.cimo.fi/instancedata/prime_product_julkaisu/cimo/embeds/cimowwwstructure/32427_Faktaa_1_2014_Hidden_Competences.pdf France: Educational Forecasting The report Quelle France dans 10 ans ? (Which France in ten years’ time) has been published. It looks at knowledge and competences based on an open redefinition of education, higher education and research, which will be strongly influenced by technological revolutions and internationalisation. http://intranet.cge.asso.fr/uploads/upload/Quelle%20France%20dans%2010%20ans%20-%20Pisani-Ferry%20-%2020140625.pdf (in French) France: Educational Strategies A medium-term report on the Higher Education Strategy was published in July 2015. It presents a first vision of the Strategy before the final report. http://cache.media.enseignementsup-recherche.gouv.fr/file/STRANES/05/3/Rapport_etape_StraNES_8_juillet_-_17h04_339053.pdf (in French) The Conférence des Grandes Ecoles made its contribution http://www.cge-news.com/main.php?p=1074 (in French) France: New University The decree on the creation of the University of Guyana (Université de Guyane) was published on 31 July 2014. http://www.enseignementsup-recherche.gouv.fr/cid81606/creation-de-l-universite-de-guyane.html (in French) Germany: MOOCs The German Rectors’ Conference (HRK) published a position paper on MOOCs in the context of digital teaching in June 2014 to determine whether higher education institutions should offer digital teaching formats via commercial platforms or whether independent alternatives should be developed. http://www.hrk.de/resolutions-publications/resolutions/resolution/convention/hrk-position-paper-on-moocs-in-the-context-of-digital-teaching/ Ireland: Access to Education; Call for Participation The Higher Education Authority (HEA) has published a Consultation Paper: Towards the Development of a New National Plan for Equity of Access to Higher Education and is inviting input from all stakeholders. Deadline: 30 September 2014. http://www.hea.ie/node/1292

Ireland: Education and Society The Presidents of Higher Education Institutions gathered to sign the 10 point Campus Engage Charter on Civic and Community Engagement in Dublin Castle in June 2014. Under the Charter, the Presidents underscore their commitment to the civic and community engagement role and responsibilities of their institutions. http://www.campusengage.ie/groups/minister-education-and-skills-mr-ruairi-quinn-td-officially-launches-campus-engage-charter Ireland: Educational Efficiency A System Performance Framework, stating national priorities and key objectives for higher education, was set out by the Minister for Education and Skills for 2014-2016. The Higher Education Authority presents this first annual higher education system performance report against these objectives. http://www.hea.ie/sites/default/files/evaluation_framework_short_2011-12.pdf Japan: Educational Quality Japan launched its first monitoring project to identify good practices that encourage education quality in trilateral (China, Japan, Korea) exchange programmes in 2012. The monitoring reports have now been published. http://www.niad.ac.jp/english/campusasia/monitoring_reports.html Japan: Quality Assurance The National Institution for Academic Degrees and University Evaluation (NIAD-UE) has released the second edition of Overview: Quality Assurance System in Higher Education, Japan, a publication that provides information on the country’s higher education and quality assurance (QA) systems. It includes an historical background, types and size of institutions, and presents types of QA systems, laws, and regulations. The chapter on the higher education system also deals with agencies and organizations involved and student-related questions (tuitions and fees, graduation requirements, scholarships, registration). http://www.niad.ac.jp/english/overview_jp_e_ver2.pdf Japan: Scientific Cooperation The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) has released the Results of a Survey on International Research Exchange for FY2012 that investigated the number of annual research exchanges between foreign countries and Japan’s national, public, and private universities, colleges of technology and incorporated administrative agencies. Items measured were: the number of overseas researchers accepted and the number of Japanese researchers dispatched abroad; the number of research exchanges per organization; and the number of research exchanges per region. http://www.mext.go.jp/english/report/1349369.htm (Summary) http://www.mext.go.jp/english/report/1349405.htm (Full report) Kenya: HE Institutions The Universities Regulations 2014 apply to all universities (including foreign universities intending to offer university education in Kenya) and all specialized degree-awarding institutions. They set the rules for their establishment or, for foreign universities, for their collaboration with local institutions. They also define the rules for the recognition and equation of qualifications awarded by foreign institutions. http://www.cue.or.ke/images/phocadownload/university%20regulations%202014.pdf

Kyrgyzstan: Educational Reform Reforms have been engaged to improve higher education quality and fight the commercialization of higher education. These include a monitoring process of educational standards to determine which institutions should be maintained, closed down or merged; the compulsory licensing and accreditation; the obligation to offer at least a Bachelor and Master ’s degrees for local universities; and the consolidation of State universities by area of specialty. http://centralasiaonline.com/en_GB/articles/caii/features/main/2014/06/13/feature-01 Lebanon: Access to Education Further to the teachers’ boycott of correcting tests of the Baccalaureate Certificate of Secondary Education, the Minister of Education has decided to give those students who took official exams a certificate that would allow their entry into colleges. The Certificate is necessary to enrol in university but admission also depends on school grades in grades 10 and 11 and on the SAT 1. http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Lebanon-News/2014/Aug-16/267414-bou-saab-issues-passing-certificates-defies-teachers.ashx#axzz3BQVoPXTf Malaysia: Foreign Students The Malaysian government has launched a new identity card for international students (i-Kad) to improve the services that are offered to them. Its validity period will be aligned on that of the duration of studies. http://www.nst.com.my/node/6975 Mexico: Access to Education The Ministry of Education has signed an agreement with the Federation of Private Mexican Institutions of Higher Education (FIMPES) and the National Association of Universities and Institutions of Higher Education (ANUIES) for the creation of 6,000 places at 1,000 pesos/month for the 1st year of study in their affiliated institutions. http://www.ses.sep.gob.mx/sala-de-prensa/comunicados/item/268-6-mil-lugares-mas-en-instituciones-de-educacion-superior-sep (in Spanish) Mexico: Industry and Education Corporate bodies and representatives of higher education institutions signed an agreement to develop university-enterprise activities on 16 June 2014. It will encourage greater private sector investment and increase their participation in scientific research on poverty alleviation. http://comunicacion.senado.gob.mx/index.php/informacion/boletines/13214-firman-acuerdo-para-el-impulso-y- fortalecimiento-de-la-innovacion-y-desarrollo-tecnologico.html (in Spanish) Mexico: Scholarships The Federation of Private Mexican Institutions of Higher Education (FIMPES) is offering some 15,000 scholarships for the 2014-2015 academic year to talented young people who did not obtain a place at the public universities in the Metropolitan Area of the Valley of Mexico. http://www.fimpes.org.mx/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=174&catid=12 (in Spanish) Morocco: Educational Associations The Presidents of five private universities have announced the creation of the Association of

Private Universities (CPUP). This new body aims to be a platform for exchanges and coordination and a think-tank on private higher education issues. http://www.lematin.ma/journal/2014/marrakech_naissance-de-l-association-des-universites-privees/206947.html (in French) Morocco: Educational Reform The Minister of Higher Education, Scientific Research and Executive Training presented the main lines of the university reform in an interview. It includes the obligation to merge faculties by law and not by convention, the establishment of the Council of Research, the creation of pedagogical councils, and the merger of Casablanca and Rabat universities. http://www.medias24.com/SOCIETE/13716-Lahcen-Daoudi-voici-les-nouveautes-de-la-rentree-universitaire.html (in French) Myanmar: Study Abroad After a 50-year interruption, the government has started to offer scholarships to study abroad. http://thepienews.com/news/burma-strict-criteria-for-first-gov-scholarships-in-50-years/ Netherlands (The): Internationalisation NUFFIC has published a report providing input for a new vision on internationalisation to informand advise the Ministry. It also provides insight into the potential of internationalisation in terms of developing the international and intercultural competencies of higher education students in the home country, also referred to as internationalisation at home. http://www.nuffic.nl/bibliotheek/internationalisation-at-home-management-summary.pdf New Zealand: Educational Strategies The Tertiary Education Commission Te Amorangi Matauranga Matua (TEC) has published TEC Statement of Intent 2014-2018, a document that sets out the organisation’s objectives and performance commitments for the next four years. They comprise the following six strategic priorities: Delivering skills for industry; Getting at-risk people into a career; Boosting achievement for Maori and Pasifika; Improving adult literacy and numeracy; Strengthening research-based institutions; and Growing international linkages. http://www.tec.govt.nz/Documents/Publications/TEC-SOI-2014.pdf Oman: Student Services The Ministry of Higher Education has created the Communication Center for Higher Education whose aim is to become the one-stop service for all student inquiries. http://mohe.gov.om/NewsDetails.aspx?id=865# Paraguay: Quality Assurance A workshop to validate the documents Mecanismo de Evaluación Institucional (Mechanisms of institutional evaluation) and Matriz de calidad para la Evaluación Institucional (Quality matrix for institutional evaluation) took place in Asunción at the end of July 2014. http://www.aneaes.gov.py/aneaes/index.php/mecanismo-de-evaluacion-y-acreditacion-institucional (in Spanish) Peru: Educational Autonomy The Rectors of the Peruvian universities ratified a declaration on university autonomy and

heritage in August 2014. http://www.anr.edu.pe/pdf/NOTA_DE_PRENSA_05-08-14.pdf (in Spanish) Russia: New University Russia's Prime Minister has issued a directive about establishing a Crimean Federal University named after Vladimir Vernadsky to be operational by January 2016. http://en.itar-tass.com/russia/744724 Samoa: Educational Quality The Post School Education and Training Annual Conference 2014 was hosted by the Samoa Qualifications Authority (SQA) from 30 to 31 January 2014 and addressed the theme Promoting Quality in the Post School Education and Training Sub-Sector in Samoa. The report of the conference is now available. It contains all the presentations, as well as a chapter on challenges/issues and what was learned at the conference. http://www.sqa.gov.ws/FormsAndDocuments/Publications/PDF/PSETAnnualSeminarReports/Report%20of%20the%2 0PSET%20Annual%20Conference%202014.pdf South Africa: HE and Society The CEO of Higher Education South Africa (HESA) provided recommendations for rebuilding public trust in universities in South Africa in a talk at the University of the Western Cape which took place on 31 July 2014. The topic of the talk was Is Public Trust in Universities declining in South Africa? Dilemnas and Paradoxes. http://www.hesa.org.za/public-trust-universities-declining-south-africa-dilemmas-and-paradoxes Spain: Foreign students International students entering higher education (HE) institutions in Spain no longer need to pass the competitive entrance exam. Instead, universities will now be responsible for creating their own admissions exams in a move to open up Spanish HE to more global students as from 2015.http://www.boe.es/boe/dias/2014/06/07/pdfs/BOE-A-2014-6008.pdf (in Spanish) Sri Lanka: Quality Assurance The University Grants Commission has released the Manual for Quality Assurance of External degree Programs (EDP) and Extension Courses offered by Universities and the Manual of practices Standards and Guidelines for External Training Institutions (ETI) to provide guidance for improving quality and relevance of EDPs. They will be used by the UGC Quality Assurance and Accreditation Council (QAAC) from 2014 to review and accredit EDP and ETIs. http://www.ugc.ac.lk/en/news-and-events/1392-launching-of-quality-assurance-system-for-external-degrees-on-08-august-2014-.html Switzerland: Bachelor’s Degrees The rectors of the Swiss universities adopted a position paper on the Bachelor universitaire degree in July 2014. It specifies the study conditions in order to strengthen the choice and mobility of students in their transition to the Master’s degree. http://www.crus.ch/fileadmin/Positionspapier_FR.pdf (in French)

Turkey: Foreign Students The Prime Ministry's International Students Department is to allocate $96 million in scholarships to increase the number of foreign students studying in Turkey from its current level of 54,000. http://www.dailysabah.com/education/2014/07/10/turkey-aims-to-boost-popularity-for-international-students Ukraine: Educational Legislation A law to reform higher education has been adopted. It sets principles and means of realization of state policy on higher education, higher education levels and degrees, higher education administrative agencies and their authority, and standards of education. http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/rada-adopts-law-to-reform-higher-education-354346.html United Kingdom: Access to Education The Forum for Access and Continuing Education's (FACE) 21st Annual Conference was hosted by the University of Salford in July 2014. Its theme was Collaborate to Widen Participation: to, through and beyond HE. Topics included Back to the curriculum; Working in partnership; and Overcoming global predictors of failure in higher education. http://www.face2014.org/index.php/presentations/ United Kingdom: Education and Employment Universities UK organised a meeting on Enhancing Postgraduate Employability in London in July 2014. Topics included: What do employers value? Is an MA worth it? and A competency framework for postgraduates. http://www.universitiesuk.ac.uk/events/Pages/postgraduate_employability.aspx United Kingdom: Educational Research The Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI) has published ‘Only Connect’: Is there still a higher education sector? It advocates for a more collective approach in three areas: regulation and quality assurance, lifelong learning, and the significance of universities as recognizable membership organisations. http://www.hepi.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Only-Connect-WEB-clean.pdf United Kingdom: Educational Trends Global Universities of the 21st Century took place at the University of Liverpool in June 2014. It examined how economic changes and diverse demands were affecting the higher education sector at a global level and the creative and innovative ways in which universities are responding. http://www.globaluniversitiesevent.com/presentations United Kingdom: Enrolment At the end of 2013, the end of student number caps was announced, allowing higher education institutions to recruit as many students as they want. In the report, Unleashing student demand by ending number controls in Australia: An incomplete experiment? Andew Norton considers how the same policy worked when it was applied in Australia. http://www.hepi.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/NORTON-As-uploaded.pdf United Kingdom: Higher Vocational Training In its report Breaking the Mould: Creating higher education fit for the future, the Association of Colleges (AoC) calls for higher technical and vocational education in England to be strengthened to help the country compete on a global scale.

http://www.aoc.co.uk/system/files/Breaking%20the%20Mould%20%28web%29.pdf United Kingdom: OER Students’ views on learning methods and Open Educational Resources in higher education presents the findings of a study commissioned by the Higher Education Academy (HEA) and conducted by the National Union of Students (NUS)/NUS Services. It comprises a quantitative and qualitative analysis of students’ views on current learning methods and the use of OERs in educational practice. The OER issues investigated include: students’ overall attitudes towards OERs; existing usage and awareness of OERs; preferences around OER delivery and the drivers of those preferences; and aspirations for the future use of OER. https://www.heacademy.ac.uk/sites/default/files/resources/NUS-report.pdf United Kingdom: Study Abroad The British Universities Transatlantic Exchange Association (BUTEX) 11th International Conference took place at The University of East Anglia in July 2014. Its theme was Narrating Education Abroad: what’s your story? Topics included: A collaborative approach to the international student experience: ; Increasing participation in study abroad – The intern group: Using the story to market the study abroad experience ; and Was my study abroad a waste of time? http://www.butex.ac.uk/events/past-events/the-butex-11th-international-conference/ United States of America: Access to Education The Lumina and Century Foundations have released The Future of Affirmative Action: New Paths to Higher Education Diversity after Fisher v. University of Texas. This report addresses the stakes involved in diversity discussions, examines the legal environment and the meaning of the Supreme Court’s decision in Fisher v. University of Texas as well as the experiences of States with race-neutral strategies, reports on research on promising race-neutral strategies, and public policy proposals. http://apps.tcf.org/future-of-affirmative-action United States of America: Accreditation; Job Offer The Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) is looking for its Vice President for Recognition Services. Applications are welcome until the position is filled. http://www.chea.org/about/vp_position_announcement_July2014.asp United States of America: Competency-Based Assessment The Advancing Competency-Based Education Demonstration Project Act (H.R.3136) passed the House of Representatives on 23 July 2014. The Act will allow for a selection of higher education institutions to offer programmes that use direct assessment and measurement of student learning instead of measuring students’ credit or clock hours. https://beta.congress.gov/bill/113th-congress/house-bill/3136 United States of America: Credit Transfer The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) has released a Statistical Analysis Report called Transferability of Postsecondary Credit Following Student Transfer or Coenrollment (August 2014). It examines how often and under what condition postsecondary institutions accept the transfer of credits obtained by students at other institutions. http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2014/2014163.pdf United States of America: Disabled Persons The Association on Higher Education and Disability (AHEAD) held its 2014 Conference in Sacramento, California, from 14 to 19 July 2014. Its theme was Access Always, in All Ways. This

event looked at strategies that disability services providers can use to enhance access to and engagement in higher education institutions. http://ahead.org/conferences/2014/handouts United States of America: Educational Innovations The U.S. Department of Education has announced a new round of experimental sites to test innovative practices aiming at providing better, faster and more flexible paths to academic and career success. http://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/us-department-education-expands-innovation-higher-education-through-experimental United States of America: Governance The American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA) has released Governance for a New Era: A Blueprint for Higher Education Trustees (the Schmidt Report). Signed by 22 higher education leaders, it recommends that boards of trustees should articulate the mission of the higher education institution, protect academic freedom and intellectual diversity, set the educational strategy, demand transparency in performance and results, improve the presidential selection process, and strengthen trustee selection and education.. http://www.goacta.org/images/download/governance_for_a_new_era.pdf United States of America: Internet EDUCAUSE has joined other leading higher education and library associations in proposing neutrality principles for the Internet. These are addressed to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for use in developing new regulations that guarantee an “open Internet”. http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/EPO1305.pdf http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/EPO1305_1.pdf United States of America: Student Services The American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO) Technology & Transfer Conference, Charting the Course, took place in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, from 6 to 8 July 2014. This event combined two meetings: the Technology Conference, which examined the use of technology to develop and improve the effectiveness of student services, and the Transfer Conference, which explored the methods of facilitating transfer of academic credit and serving transfer student. http://www4.aacrao.org/handouts/2014techtr/display.php United States of America: Student Success Maximizing Resources for Student Success is a research project funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to explore how comprehensive public four-year colleges and universities can improve low-income students’ outcomes without increasing costs. Investigations are undertaken on competency-based education; reducing credits- and time-to-degree; tuition and aid policy; and transfer pathways. http://www.hcmstrategists.com/maximizingresources/ United States of America: Student Success AAC&U has joined the multi-State Coalition of Higher Education Leaders mobilizing in support of Common Core Standards. Its mission is to express higher education’s support of K-12 educators in their implementation of college- and career-ready standards to better prepare students for success in higher education. http://www.aacu.org/press_room/press_releases/2014/higheredhigherstandards.cfm http://higheredforhigherstandards.org/ United States of America: Transnational Education

World Education Services (WES) has released an article entitled A Question of Quality on the complexity of ensuring higher education quality in transnational education (TNE). http://www.wes.org/ras/recentarticles/A_Question_of_Quality.pdf Venezuela: Educational Planning The Plan Universitario de la Patria (National University Plan) has been published http://www.mppeu.gob.ve/web/uploads/PDF/84d259546201ba04459a9c1ac19998b964158414.pdf (in Spanish) Venezuela: New universities The Government has announced the creation of the first six territorial polytechnic universities. They are UPT de Aragua “Federico Brito Figueroa”, de Lara “Andrés Eloy Blanco”, de Barlovento “Argelia Laya”, del Alto Apure “Pedro Camejo”, de Barinas “José Félix Ribas” y del Norte del Táchira “Manuela Sáenz”. http://www.mppeu.gob.ve/web/index.php/noticias/show/id/6625 (in Spanish)

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