As travel bans disrupt international education and the global recession squeezes public and charitable funding sources, universities stand to lose revenue while costs rise. But there are also opportunities. It’s common knowledge that when the economy thrives, university enrolments fall, whereas a recession causes enrolments to rise. But what institutions and governments need to know […] … learn more→

COVID-19 comes with a set of pressing social challenges. These include environmental catastrophes such as the Australian droughts and bushfires, and the impending crisis of global warming. Social and health issues – include debilitating poverty, racial and income inequality, and chronic diseases – also loom large. In this turbulent environment, universities have an important role […] … learn more→

When I was awarded my PhD in medical research in 1991, going into business was not on my agenda. My aim was to make discoveries that would contribute to a body of knowledge on human health. Put simply, I wanted to make people’s lives better. I regarded the academic research environment, full of smart, inquisitive […] … learn more→

International students made up more than 30% of the population in some Australian suburbs, before borders closed to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The Mitchell Institute mapped where international students lived using data from the ABS census and Department of Home Affairs. The results show striking growth in capital cities, and in some regional areas. The mapping […] … learn more→

A number of American colleges and universities have decided to bring students back to campus this fall, believing they can diminish the risk of coronavirus transmission if everyone wears masks, uses hand sanitizer and social distances. Some schools also plan to reconfigure dorms to create family-sized clusters of uninfected students, who could socialize in relative safety, if […] … learn more→

Despite massive efforts by teachers and schools during the remote learning period, many students are likely to have learnt less than they would have in the classroom. Most of these students will recover without too much trouble, but disadvantaged students will need extra help. Our new report, COVID-19 catch-up: helping disadvantaged students close the equity gap, […] … learn more→

Advice on literature reviews pretty well always say something like – the literature review should say what’s already been said about your topic – or – you need to bring together the particular literatures that your study is going to use. I say this kind of thing myself. But the trouble with this advice is that it ignores/overlooks/downplays […] … learn more→

The confinement derived from the COVID-19 pandemic has meant an unforeseen and drastic adaptation on the march of the teaching-learning processes established in the university. From one day to the next, the teachers found themselves in the imposed need to teach all their classes in person, and the students had to continue their studies without leaving […] … learn more→

As leaders, scholars and practitioners in higher education, it is our responsibility and privilege to understand the challenges and opportunities ahead, to make judgements about where we should be sailing towards in the post-Covid world and, importantly, to collectively shape the future of sustainable development for all. Universities are facing a myriad of questions, with […] … learn more→

Sustained self-improvement is a hallmark characteristic of successful people. Whatever career they may choose, a persistent effort to further their expertise serves them well. This idea of lifelong learning is ancient.  Virgil (70–19 BC) commented that, “One grows weary of everything except science”. A modern resurgence of this concept was articulated by Basil Yeaxlee (1929) […] … learn more→