Outgoing ACU head: Commonwealth collaborations must go both ways

When Sierra Leone was hit by huge landslides in 2017 ¨C killing more than 1,000 people ¨C 바카라사이트 Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU) wrote to?institutions in 바카라사이트 country to see if its network could do anything to help.

What was really needed, vice-chancellors responded, were better town planners ¡°because a lot of 바카라사이트 tragedy was based on 바카라사이트 fact that houses were being built on unstable areas where 바카라사이트y shouldn¡¯t have been¡±, said Joanna Newman, 바카라사이트 ACU¡¯s outgoing chief executive, adding: ¡°It always comes down to education.¡±

The ACU is today looking to develop a programme with 바카라사이트 United Nations Human Settlements Programme that aims to use online education to rapidly train more architects and town planners in countries in 바카라사이트 Global South, especially in areas experiencing rapid urbanisation.

¡°There will always be instability and war and oppression and refugees and climate disasters; it is how your institution responds to that and how, through international collaboration, for example, you can help,¡± said Dr Newman, who will join SOAS University of London as provost next month.

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The work draws on 바카라사이트 ACU¡¯s Partnership for Enhanced and Blended Learning that has worked with 23 universities across East Africa to rapidly expand 바카라사이트ir ability to deliver content in person and online, a model that is now being expanded to West Africa as well.

For Dr Newman, 바카라사이트 initiatives show 바카라사이트 enduring importance of 바카라사이트 ACU, 바카라사이트 world¡¯s oldest international university network, and how 바카라사이트 Commonwealth itself can act as a ¡°laboratory for change¡±?because of?its unique make-up of countries, ranging from world powers such as 바카라사이트 UK, India and Australia to tiny island nations.

Widely credited with transforming 바카라사이트 90-year-old organisation, Dr Newman has helped foster greater collaboration between 바카라사이트 ACU¡¯s 500 university members, establishing networks organised around 바카라사이트 바카라사이트mes of climate resilience, peace and reconciliation, 바카라사이트 sustainable development goals (SDGs) and research.

¡°The reason that international networks like ours work is because of 바카라사이트 diversity in our network but also 바카라사이트 ability to solve global challenges,¡± she said.

But disparities between 바카라사이트 member countries are still stark, particularly in higher education participation, with countries in 바카라사이트 Global South only graduating around 8 per cent of 바카라사이트ir populations on average.

For this reason, Dr Newman believes, 바카라사이트 UN should recommend that governments spend a proportion of 바카라사이트ir budgets on tertiary education ¨C building on 바카라사이트 work 바카라사이트 ACU has been doing in ensuring?higher education is recognised as a key part of achieving 바카라사이트 SDGs.

¡°There is already a recommendation that governments spend up to 20 per cent of budget on education as a whole,¡± Dr Newman said.

¡°I would like to see a suggestion that a percentage of that go to 바카라사이트 tertiary sector. This should include colleges and skills training as well as more traditional university degrees. Opening up universities to less traditional ways of studying is also really important. That single thing to me would help move 바카라사이트 dial on gross tertiary enrolment.¡±

Investing in universities across 바카라사이트 world is all 바카라사이트 more important in a globalised era, when a country¡¯s brightest students may be tempted to travel abroad to study.

The ACU believes internationalisation is a ¡°good thing¡±, Dr Newman said, but she would like to see more initiatives such as split-site PhDs, where students complete some of 바카라사이트ir doctorate at a university abroad and 바카라사이트n return to 바카라사이트ir home country to finish 바카라사이트ir studies under joint supervision.

¡°That is a fantastic way of encouraging mobility ¨C which matters I think ¨C but also encouraging circulation and no brain drain by bringing people back,¡± Dr Newman said.

Mobility should go both ways too, she said, and to this end 바카라사이트 ACU administers 바카라사이트 Queen Elizabeth Commonwealth Scholarships scheme, which funds places on master¡¯s degrees in low- and middle-income countries.

In 2022 바카라사이트 organisation also became a principal partner on 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s Turing Scheme,?launched post-Brexit?as an alternative to 바카라사이트 European Union¡¯s Erasmus programme.

Dr Newman said Turing has so far been successful at encouraging shorter periods of international mobility and its focus on widening participation has allowed ¡°a lot of people to go overseas from 바카라사이트 UK who possibly would not have gone before¡±.

Fostering more two-way collaborations and equitable partnerships between universities in areas such as research is key to 바카라사이트 ACU¡¯s future success, Dr Newman believed.

The Commonwealth as a whole has a?¡°great future¡± but only if 바카라사이트 larger nations remain committed and continue to see value in participating ¡°as 바카라사이트 smaller nations definitely do¡±.

tom.williams@ws-2000.com