Hungary and Central European University

HEADLINES

Soros-Founded University Says It Has Been Kicked Out of Hungary As an Autocrat Tightens His Grip (The Washington Post, December 3, 2018) “Central European University, established a quarter-century ago to educate a new generation of leaders and scholars after the collapse of the Iron Curtain, became on Monday the first university to be forced out of an E.U. nation.”

Consultation on Marking System at Universities Launched to Help Tackle Grade Inflation (ITV, November 29, 2018) “The rising proportion of top level degrees being awarded could be evidence of grade inflation and may result in an overhaul of the way universities mark students' work, a new study has suggested. The UK Standing Committee for Quality Assessment (UKSCQA), which provides sector-led oversight of quality and standards arrangements across UK higher education, is launching a UK-wide consultation to gain feedback on how the recommendations in its report can be developed and implemented in order to protect the value of qualifications over time.”

Namibia: Graduates Should Enhance Global Competitiveness (AllAfrica, November 29, 2018) “The Strengthening of Quality Assurance in Higher Education in Africa Capacity Building Training Project aims to support 10 African states to strengthen capacity in quality assurance and the harmonisation of efforts throughout the different regions on the continent. About 100 quality assurance practitioners from 12 Namibian accredited institutions of higher learning including other quality assurance agencies, the National Training Authority and the National Council for Higher Education are taking part in the capacity building training.”

Are Global Rankings Relevant to Sustainable Development? (University World News, November 24, 2018) “Multiple factors have contributed to the rise of the ‘excellence and world class’ discourses that have systematically failed to offer a clear definition but have nonetheless succeeded in creating a global frenzy for quality assurance mechanisms, performance monitoring and the continued mushrooming of university ranking systems.”

Extending Việt Nam’s Academic Achievements into Tertiary Education (Việt Nam News, November 20, 2018) “Việt Nam is moving in the right direction on autonomy, but progress is limited in scope and clarity. There are gaps between policy intent and implementation such as the need to substantially revise the National Quality Assurance Framework to address both external and internal quality assurance aspects.”

Embracing the Quality Culture in Higher Education (Daily Times [Pakistan], November 20, 2018) “Quality is a relative term and its definition may vary from stakeholder to stakeholder depending their needs, experiences and perspectives.”