From rethinking student success to navigating the opportunities and risks of artificial intelligence, higher education leaders at the 4th USAf Higher Education Conference highlighted the need for universities to be both responsive and resilient. While one discussion underscored that student success requires comprehensive support beyond admission, another explored how student voices, public value and AI governance are reshaping institutional accountability and decision-making. Together, the conversations point to a sector that must balance innovation with inclusion, ensuring universities remain relevant, equitable and future-ready.

Academics and student leaders argue that belonging, reliable support, shared decision-making and institutional accountability must shape the student journey, not merely improve graduation statistics. University admission is not the same as having a fair opportunity to succeed. A student who has secured a place but cannot pay registration fees, find accommodation or afford food may already be...

Day Two Reflections from the Parallel Sessions challenged universities to act on student participation, anticipate familiar disruptions, strengthen innovation and coordinate their response to artificial intelligence. Students who sit on university committees without influencing decisions, leaders who wait for predictable registration disruptions and researchers rewarded for publications rather...

Higher Education and Training Deputy Minister, Dr Nomusa Dube-Ncube, has officially unveiled a facility to provide students with a safe space to seek help and access support for gender-based violence (GBV), mental health challenges and other psychosocial needs. The first of its kind in the Post-School Education and Training (PSET) sector in KwaZulu-Natal, the Comfort Room was launched at Majuba...

University registration and tuition fees continue to rise each year, leaving many students and families frustrated. However, Universities South Africa (USAf) CEO Phethiwe Matutu says the increases are not simply about charging students more - they are about keeping universities financially sustainable. Students at the University of Johannesburg protested this past week against proposed 2027 fee...

The Minister of Higher Education and Training, Mr Buti Manamela, in partnership with the Mpumalanga Provincial Government, will launch the Mpumalanga Skills Development Zone (SDZ), an initiative led by the Just Energy Transition (JET) Skills Desk. The launch will formally establish the Mpumalanga SDZ and mobilise commitment from government, education and training institutions, SETAs, industry...

Rhodes University says it is working with water authorities to probe an outbreak of gastrointestinal illness on campus in Makhanda. This follows reports of over 100 students and staff who were treated for diarrhoea, stomach cramps, and vomiting. Many people reported falling ill after consuming food served at the dining halls. Makana municipality manager Pumelelo Kate said the municipal water...

The Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI) has reaffirmed its commitment to advancing women's participation and leadership in research and innovation, with the launch of the WRIGHT initiative at Mangosuthu University of Technology (MUT). Speaking at the launch, the Science, Technology and Innovation Deputy Minister Nomalungelo Gina welcomed the establishment of WRIGHT at a...

The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) was established to widen access to higher education for young people from poor and working-class households. That commitment remains essential. But a funding system that cannot reliably meet its obligations places students at risk, transfers mounting financial pressure to universities and threatens the resources on which quality education depends...

Veteran broadcaster Tim Modise says receiving an honorary doctorate in communication science from North-West University (NWU) is a deeply meaningful moment. The recognition has made him reflect on his long journey in South African media. For Modise, the honour is more than a personal achievement. It feels like his career has come full circle and returned to its roots. "My career as an on-air...

If you need an explanation of a complex financial concept, rapid coding output, or the analysis of a legal argument, generative artificial intelligence (AI) can draw on more information than any individual could acquire in a lifetime and produce a result in seconds. But does having an answer mean you understand the problem? For Dr...

The IEC has been youth-focused for the upcoming local government elections on 4 November 2026. South Africa's youth make up the overwhelming majority of eligible and registered voters, with roughly 4 million young people registered to vote in the local government elections. At the same time, over 32% of the candidates contesting...

More than 1,600 people have signed a petition demanding that University of Cape Town (UCT) Council chairperson Advocate Norman Arendse SC resign, accusing him of undermining public trust, breaching confidentiality and damaging the university's reputation. The petition, initiated by UCT alumni, has drawn support from academics...

With the upcoming Local Government Elections on 4 November 2026, University of the Western Cape (UWC) Honours journalism student Tiro Ramasodi hit the campus grounds to test fellow students' general knowledge on political parties. Ramasodi's interactive reporting looks beyond registration numbers to focus on actual political...

Those who work and study at the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) can now stay online even when off campus, as a new location is offering internet connectivity to these users. That location is the Mall of Africa shopping centre in Midrand, which is a notable distance from any Wits campus. "Witsies, you can now connect to...

Many matric candidates had to be redirected to alternative exam centres on Wednesday after minibus taxi-related shootings and gang violence in parts of Cape Town raised safety concerns for pupils travelling to write their final exams. The violence was reported in Delft, Khayelitsha, Nyanga, Mfuleni and Gugulethu, disrupting public...

Research ethics and open science were at the centre of Day 2 of the CPUT Research Festival, with topics ranging from emerging research ethics risks to the country's Open Science Policy. The three-day festival opened on October 26 and explores the theme: Research with Impact: Celebrating Excellence, Advancing Responsible Scholarship...

African universities have significant public resources, including knowledge, skilled people, infrastructure and networks. Beyond producing graduates, how can these resources be used to address problems that people experience in their everyday lives? This is an important question where societies face challenges like limited income...

The CPUT Research Festival was launched under the inspiring theme of "Research with Impact: Celebrating Excellence, Advancing Responsible Scholarship and Enabling Future Researchers" at the South African Renewable Energy Technology Centre on the CPUT Bellville Campus. This theme celebrates research that sparks real change and...

The Central University of Technology, Free State (CUT), has taken a step towards exploring opportunities for academic collaboration through a high-level engagement with scholars from Harvard Medical School and Michigan State University in the United States of America. Facilitated through the Office of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor...

Xenophobia is not an accident of poverty or frustration. It's political and rooted in distrust of economic and political systems. Between 2022 and 2025, there were 406 verified incidents of xenophobic discrimination recorded in South Africa. On average, at least 103 incidents are reported in a year, but, in 2025 alone, 151 were...

China's remarkable transformation from a country once widely associated with counterfeiting and cheap imitations into a global technological powerhouse offers important lessons about the relationship between education, innovation, economic development and intellectual property protection. This was the central theme of Stellenbosch...

The Durban University of Technology (DUT) marked a decade of research collaboration and technological innovation when it hosted the 10th IEEE International Conference on Information Communications Technology and Society (ICTAS 2026) from 14 to 16 October 2026. Held at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Umhlanga, the conference brought...

The Human Capital Services (HCS) unit at the Durban University of Technology (DUT) recently held a three-day team-building and strategic planning session at Pumula Hotel on the South Coast, focusing on strengthening collaboration, reinforcing institutional values and aligning operational plans with the university's priorities. The...

The University of Venda (UNIVEN) was named second runner-up in the Environmental Assessment Practitioners (EAP) Producing University Award at the 2026 Environmental Assessment Practitioners Association of South Africa (EAPASA) SADC Regional Conference, held from 21 to 23 October 2026 at Mentors Country Estate in Jeff reys Bay...

This year's University Sports South Africa boxing tournament may not know what hit it when Liso Mlahleki steps into the ring. The first-year LLB student will make his Ussa debut for the University of Fort Hare in December, but he is already a national junior and youth champion in two weight divisions and a bronze medallist in a...

iYunivesithi Walter Sisulu Convocation Executive (Convex) presented a comprehensive progress report that outlined key strategic milestones achieved and institutional updates from July 2025 to date. Dr Lunga Mantashe, the President of The Convocation highlighted that following the university's rebranding launch in March 2026, the...

Reasons to be Proud - #R2bP: Nelson Mandela University's Elizabeth Maqhubu was the only South African among about 300 delegates in Hawaii when an international society honoured her as a rising leader in research administration this month. A committee of research administrators chose the research and grants officer from nominations...

Tuks's Rocco Meiring is arguably one of South Africa's best swimming coaches ever. Meiring would certainly not be pleased by that statement. For him, coaching is not about personal glory; it is always about what is best for his swimmers. This attitude earned him the TuksSport Award for Best Coach (individual sports) for the second...

More than four decades of scientific research, international collaboration and postgraduate training have earned Professor Gerhard van der Horst, Emeritus Professor at the University of the Western Cape (UWC), election to the Royal Society of South Africa (RSSAF) Fellowship. Prof van der Horst's election recognised more than 40...

Nelson Mandela University's Centre for Community Technologies (CCT) has launched a breast health offering on the C-Vive app, providing women with accessible information, self-care guidance and supportive resources. Launched during Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October, the initiative aims to help women make informed decisions...

Quantum physics is strange, Nobel laureate Prof Alain Aspect readily conceded at the start of his lecture. Yet, as he reminded an audience at Stellenbosch University's (SU) Endler Hall on Tuesday evening (27 October), strange does not mean irrational. What followed was an intellectual expedition into one of science's most...

The Faculty of Humanities at Sol Plaatje University, Kimberley, South Africa, invites applications for a Postdoctoral Research Fellowship for the 2026-2027 academic period in Heritage Studies, with a focus on Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) and Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH). We are seeking a motivated and suitably qualified...

A university's ambitions can stretch far beyond its gates. Its finances determine how far those ambitions travel. For South Africa's public universities, the challenge is to open their doors to students, support them through their studies and produce research that serves the country. How to sustain that work has consequences well...

Although South Africa remains listed as an African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) beneficiary for now, the imminent deadline emphasised by the South African Chamber of Commerce in the USA (SACCUSA) has created uncertainty for business interests between the two countries. In commenting on the latest warning from SACCUSA that...

Dr Rostislava Pashkevitch-Ngobeni, Head of the Department of Performing Arts at the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) Faculty of Arts and Design, steps from the world of performing arts education onto the stage of the South African State Theatre (SAST) in Ingoma-busuku/Nightsong: A Journey of Music, Longing and Discovery...

This in one of the findings discussed at the UNESCO World Teachers' Day celebration event hosted at Wits University. This finding resonated with the educationalists at the event, ranging from those at basic education level to former school teachers and principals who are now teaching at university level. Citing the results of the...

At 25, Jani-Mari Ferreira is already pursuing a PhD, examining how digital technologies influence people's understanding and management of their well-being. The University of the Free State (UFS) researcher is now preparing to broaden her horizons as a selected participant in the 2026 Abe Bailey Leadership Development Programme...

The University of the Free State (UFS) hosted South Africa's national Three-Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition for the first time at its Qwaqwa Campus on Friday, 23 October 2026. The event brought together PhD candidates from 12 of the country's 26 public universities to showcase their research and compete for top honours. The...

The University of Johannesburg (UJ) cricket camp is buzzing with momentum as both the A and B teams hit their stride in the opening weeks of the 2026 season. Demonstrating depth, and brilliance on the pitch, UJ has taken the Enza Premier League and the 50-over competition by storm. Carrying a wave of early-season energy, the UJ...

International growth and strategic partnerships were high on the agenda as the University of Johannesburg (UJ) successfully hosted the inaugural Jiangsu-Africa Cooperation Alliance Summit last week (23 October 2026). Borne out of a desire to grow Sino-African academic relations, the summit is the realization of a decade of...

Professor John Mutuwafhethu Mafunisa of the University of Venda (UNIVEN) has received recognition from President Cyril Matamela Ramaphosa for his research contribution to South Africa's revised 2026 White Paper on Local Government (WPLG), a landmark policy framework guiding the country's local government system. Cabinet approved...

Knowing when not to operate can be as important as surgical precision in brain tumour care, British neurosurgeon and bestselling author Dr Henry Marsh told delegates at the University of Pretoria's (UP) third annual Brain Tumour and Translational Neuroscience Centre (BTC@UP) symposium. "It's always easier to do something than to do...

Garrett Behrends was walking through a park in Cape Town this spring when he spotted a giant swarm of paper wasps circling a light fixture about 20 feet above the ground. Behrends remembers thinking, "That's a massive nest." He tracked down the park staff, not so they could call an exterminator, but to borrow a ladder to retrieve...

The University of South Africa (Unisa) Law Clinic has strengthened its commitment to preparing future legal professionals by bringing together students, graduates, judicial officers and experienced legal practitioners for its third annual Law Career Guidance Workshop in the Western Cape. Held on 8 September 2026, the workshop...

For more than two centuries, Lovedale Press has occupied a significant place in South Africa's literary and intellectual history. From publishing some of the earliest works in African languages to nurturing generations of writers, scholars and political thinkers, the institution helped create a platform through which Africans could...

Mr Kabelo Nkadimeng arrived at the Vaal University of Technology's (VUT) Tech Entrepreneurship Bootcamp with an initiative he believed in. He left with questions about the people it served, the problem it addressed and what it would take to make it sustainable. "An idea becomes more meaningful when you begin to understand the...

For Ms Khoaele Mohosho, 35 years at the Vaal University of Technology (VUT) represent far more than a working life. They hold the responsibilities of raising a family, the friendships formed with colleagues and the determination to keep going through difficult times. Her reflections brought a personal perspective to VUT's Long...

The Department of Public Management at the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) strengthened its commitment to graduate employability by recently hosting a Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) Work Readiness Seminar at the Willows Hotel & Conference Centre in Pretoria. Hosted in collaboration with the Department of Employment and...

Third-year Fashion and Textile student at iYunivesithi Walter Sisulu, Lukhanyo Kilivile, has emerged as the winner of the South African Fashion Week (SAFW) Student Competition with his sculptural garment, Suspended Heart. Kilivile was among students from South African institutions who showcased their designs at SAFW in Hyde Park...

A colleague sent me an article on WhatsApp recently. The headline immediately caught my attention. 'Physically attractive female university students got lower marks when lectures moved online.' It was an unexpected finding. What stayed with me was the question of gender bias. Are assumptions about women's appearance influencing how...

President John Dramani Mahama has called for increased enrolment of Ghanaian students at the Russian University of Transport to strengthen specialised training in the country's transport sector. Speaking after receiving an honorary doctorate from the university in Moscow, President Mahama said he had been informed that only one...

The Concerned Students' Movement of the University of Ghana has announced plans to protest on Monday, November 2, over a 26% increase in accommodation fees at university halls and facilities managed by the University of Ghana Enterprise Limited (UGEL). The group is demanding a reduction in the revised fees, refunds for students who...

Konza Technopolis is developing as a hub where digital infrastructure, higher education, research and business converge. Universities, research institutions, and technology-based enterprises are establishing a presence in the 5,000-acre development as Kenya seeks to expand its capacity for scientific research, innovation, and...

The Universities Fund has warned of a Ksh.16 billion funding gap for university scholarships in the 2026/2027 financial year amid rising demand for higher education financing. According to the fund, scholarship requirements for the current financial year are estimated at Ksh.47 billion, against an allocation of Ksh.30.1 billion...

Morocco faces a shortage of nearly 400,000 student accommodation beds, according to documents accompanying the 2027 Finance Bill, exposing the scale of a housing crisis that has pushed students into expensive private rentals, long commutes and protests over access to university residences. In Rabat, students at Mohammed V...

The International University of Rabat (UIR) will host its 2026 Job Fair on October 29, bringing together companies, students, and young graduates to support recruitment and help graduates enter the job market. UIR's College of Engineering and Architecture and Rabat Business School (RBS) will jointly organize the event on the...

Mozambican minister of education Édson Macuácua calls on universities to revise their training models, aligning their curricula with the labour market. Speaking on Tuesday, in Maputo, at the debate titled "Unfiltered Data, Real Conversations Today, Strong Roots Tomorrow", the State no longer handles jobs following the completion of...

The Vice-Chancellor of Augustine University, Ilara-Epe, Lagos State, Rev. Father Professor Anthony Alaba Akinwale, OP, STM, has said Nigeria needs more universities to expand access to higher education and address the growing number of qualified candidates unable to secure admission. Akinwale stated this on Tuesday during a press...

A bill seeking to transform the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS) into a full-fledged university to serve Nigeria and the West African sub-region has passed first reading in the Senate. The bill, titled West African University of Legislative Studies (Establishment) Bill, 2026 (SB.1087), was read for...

The University of Rwanda (UR) graduated 4,953 students in 2026, down 48 per cent from 9,526 the previous year, with sharp differences in graduate numbers across its colleges. The graduates included 3,783 undergraduate students and 1,170 postgraduate students. Among the undergraduates, 3,480 earned bachelor's degrees, 302 received...

Somali federal government opened its fourth National Cyber Security Forum on Tuesday in Mogadishu as the country expands efforts to protect its growing digital infrastructure. The two-day forum, organized by the National Communications Authority (NCA) and Mogadishu University, is being held under the theme "Building Trust and Cyber...

Ahmed Haroun Al-Tom, Director General of the Sudanese Geological Research Authority, met with Anthony Cahalan, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Australia's Macquarie University, to discuss establishing a research partnership aimed at advancing geological studies in Sudan. The collaboration will focus on leveraging remote sensing and...

The Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) has launched inspections of 10 public universities to assess their compliance with equal opportunities laws, affirmative action policies and accessibility standards for persons with disabilities. The exercise, which began last week and ends this week, seeks to establish whether the...

The International University of East Africa (IUEA) says it is ready to implement competence-based education, with a focus on equipping students with practical skills to become innovators and entrepreneurs capable of creating businesses and addressing unemployment. "We have been doing that for a while now. We've always paired our...

The University Grants Commission (UGC) is planning to launch a dedicated satellite television channel for higher education to reduce disparities in educational opportunities across the country. As part of the initiative, the commission is considering launching a pilot programme using the existing technological facilities of...

President Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir today said the country's all universities must play more effective role in producing skilled, innovative and technology-driven entrepreneurs alongside preparing students for jobs. "Higher education institutions must focus not only on students' knowledge and skills but also on developing their...

About 300 kilometres northwest of its main campus in Kamloops, B.C., Thompson Rivers University (TRU) operates a satellite location in the small city of Williams Lake. The school's president says the site loses $14,000 every single day. Many universities in Canada are facing a financial crunch, and must determine whether to retain...

Students and professors are raising questions about how McGill University handled the admission of a convicted murderer to its law school this fall, as authorities evaluate whether he will remain behind bars. Jeffrey George Ewert was returned to the custody of federal authorities last Friday after his parole was suspended. Before...

French Higher Education Minister Philippe Baptiste has urged secondary school and university students to return to classes on Monday, 2 November, despite calls from student unions to continue their protests. Speaking on France 2 on Tuesday, 27 October, the minister insisted that lessons must resume following more than a month of...

B A Prakash, Economist and Chairperson of the newly constituted State's University Finance Commission, has sought to dispel fears that the panel is a precursor to the privatisation of public universities in Keralam. He said the commission's primary mandate was to assess the financial health of the 10 universities under the higher...

Deputy Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Technology, Stella Christie, has urged universities to grasp artificial intelligence (AI) developments so they can reassess the role of education and prepare graduates for an evolving job market. "Artificial intelligence doesn't grow linearly, it develops exponentially. At first...

A record 291 applications were submitted this fiscal year by universities to the security technology research promotion program overseen by the Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Agency (ATLA). The number was double that of the previous fiscal year and a record 30 applications were approved, or more than 60 percent of the total...

"'College of Design' has no majors. Here, design does not refer to fashion or graphic design, but rather to identifying societal problems and designing solutions to help society progress in a better direction." Established in 1877, Japan's top national university, Tokyo University, will launch the College of Design next year...

The Qualifications Authority (NZQA) has blocked enrolments in a masters degree provided by an Auckland tertiary institute focused on international students. The authority said it issued a compliance notice against ICL Graduate Business School. The notice ordered the school to stop enrolment of new students into all Master of...

Hansung University said on the 28th that it had visited universities in Tashkent and Khorezm Region, Uzbekistan, on the 21st and 22nd, signed memorandums of understanding (MOUs) to operate dual-degree programs, and discussed ways to expand student exchanges. During the visit, Hansung University signed separate agreements with Ajou...

Damascus University announced on Wednesday, October 28, that it is finalizing codes of conduct aimed at regulating relations among members of the university community and defining the rights, responsibilities, and rules of interaction among students, faculty members, and administrative staff, both on and off campus. Ahed Abu...

A two-day German-Syrian forum on higher education cooperation opened Wednesday at Damascus University, focusing on academic partnerships and support for Syria's reconstruction. The forum, held at the university's Reda Saeed Conference Hall, is organized by Germany's Darmstadt University in cooperation with the German Foreign...

The University of Sharjah (UOS) convened researchers from 41 countries for the 23rd International Conference on Computer Systems and Applications (AICCSA 2026), a four-day conference focused on advances in computing, artificial intelligence, and digital technologies. Organised in cooperation with the Association for Computing...

The United Arab Emirates has strengthened its position as a leading regional hub for higher education, with 19 UAE universities featured in the QS Arab Region University Rankings 2027, including three institutions entering the rankings for the first time. This achievement reflects the continued development of the country's higher...

The Georgia Student Finance Commission partnered with the University System of Georgia, the Technical College System of Georgia, and private colleges to eliminate application fees from Nov. 1-30. High school seniors face no limit on how many participating schools they can apply to using the waiver program. Applying to public...

Top research universities dialed down their federal lobbying efforts over the last several months. An analysis of federal lobbying expenses at major research institutions found that Association of American Universities members spent less in July through September than either of the prior two quarters of 2026. Altogether, those...

On October 28th, in his speech at the 50th anniversary celebration (1976-2026) of the Ho Chi Minh City University of Economics (UEH), General Secretary and President To Lam emphasized that the Resolution of the 14th National Congress of the Party, aiming towards the goals of 2030 and 2035, requires the country to strongly innovate...