AFRICA: New head for African universities association/Karen MacGregor The new Secretary General of the Association of African Universities, Professor Goolam Mohamedbhai, took up his post this month. His priorities include growing the AAU's membership, strengthening its secretariat and collaborating with continental development bodies to drive a revival of African universities. This is no easy job - but one for which the former president of the International Association of Universities and University of Mauritius vice-chancellor is exceptionally well qualified.
ZIMBABWE: Unqualified Mugabe supporters access HE/Clemence Manyukwe Zimbabwe's ruling Zanu-PF party is forcing the admission of young supporters into higher education institutions even though they do not meet entry requirements. Students claim the party is using them to destabilise the student union movement by reporting on its activities.
Mugabe scraps student elections/Clemence Manyukwe Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe is tightening his grip on the country's institutions of higher learning by scrapping elections to choose student leaders.
EGYPT: Universities must open during holy month/Ashraf Khaled Egyptian Minister of Education, Hany Helal, has caused a stir by opposing a suggestion that the new academic year be postponed until the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Insisting that studies at universities and other education institutions begin on 20 September, Helal was quoted in the press as saying: "Postponing the academic year until the end of the [lunar] month of Ramadan would give a bad impression in the West that Muslims are lazy."
NIGERIA: Controversy over university entrance system/Tunde Fatunde University teachers and the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) are once again at loggerheads over Nigeria's reformed higher education admission policy. The board, which operates a competitive national entrance examination, is unhappy about universities being allowed to conduct their own admission exams - and has accused some of using the tests to make money.
TUNISIA: New agency to promote research and innovation A new national agency to promote research and innovation in Tunisia was established in August, under the supervision of the Ministry of Higher Education.
SENEGAL: University students reluctant to leave campus Students remaining at Senegal's biggest university, Cheikh Anta Diop in Dakar, have finally left the campus after water and electricity supplies were cut off last week. They had been refusing to leave their accommodation at the end of an extended academic year, protesting that they had not received their grants.
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