Uganda: University Accused of Issuing 1,000 Fake Degrees
Uganda’s National Council of Higher Education is investigating Busoga University for issuing 1,000 degrees to South Sudanese students. The incident caused diplomatic tension with South Sudan, as most of the students are high-ranking South Sudanese government officials and army members in need of academic credentials to keep their positions. The students, who were in attendance at the university for just two months, are said to have been admitted irregularly without appropriate academic qualifications. The university reportedly took in $1 million from the alleged scam, charging each Sudanese student USD $1,000– far more than the standard average semester fee of USD $300.
allafrica.com
November 29, 2016
Pan Africa: Fewer International Students from Africa in Europe
Europe is losing ground in attracting African students. French organization Campus France issued a report with that finding based on the analysis of UNESCO and French government data, from 2013 and 2015 respectively. The European Union in 2013 attracted 49 percent of all African students. But that number has declined from the 57 percent who enrolled in E.U. institutions in 2012. In the intervening years, the destinations of African students have diversified. They increasingly include Middle Eastern countries, as well as countries on the African continent itself: 9.5 percent of students studied in the country of South Africa in 2013. Overall, the total number of international students from Africa has declined in recent years. However, African students in 2013 still made up 10.5 percent of all mobile students worldwide, and the student mobility rate for Sub-Saharan Africa students is twice as high as the world average.
University World News
November 17, 2016
Tanzania: Government to Close Additional Higher Education Institutions
The Ministry of Education has found substandard conditions at some higher education institutions (HEIs), and has slated a number of institutions and university programs for closure, due to shortcomings in infrastructure and teaching staff. Students enrolled at the affected institutions will be transferred to other HEIs. The announcement comes in the wake of closures that affected other HEIs, including Saint Joseph University, earlier this year. The clean-up is part of an attempt to improve the quality of higher education in Tanzania.
allafrica.com [1]
November 22, 2016
Eastern and Southern Africa: New Regional Education Hub in Development
The World Bank is assisting the governments of eight countries in Eastern and Southern Africa with USD $140 million establish several regional centers of educational and research excellence. The Eastern and Southern Africa Higher Education Centers of Excellence Project is the second such initiative in Africa – the first one is located in Western Africa. The center is designed to strengthen universities’ abilities to conduct quality postgraduate research, focusing on regional development priorities. The project will last five years, include, university research centers from 24 institutions, and enroll an estimated 3,500 graduate students, including more than 700 Ph.D. students. It has a fixed female quota of at least 1,000 students.
University World News
November 4, 2016
South Africa: ESL Industry Likely to be Revitalized After Legal Victory
A two-year slump in South African ESL enrollments is expected to end soon, in the wake of a court settlement that, for the next 18 months, will allow ESL students to study on visitor visas. The measure is a short-term fix. In the long term, ESL providers are asked to seek accreditation as “education providers” – a step that will allow the issuance of regular student visas. Unlike universities, primary, secondary or vocational schools, ESL providers were until now not considered “education providers.” Regulatory changes two years ago led to widespread governmental refusals to issue visas to ESL students, causing enrollments to tank. After decreasing by 37 percent between 2014 and 2015, South African ESL enrollments only make up one percent of what is viewed as a lucrative global market.
The PIE News
November 14, 2016