Universities across the world have faced enormous disruption as a result of the pandemic, with those that can, forced to move their activities online. This rapid shift has particular significance in a Commonwealth context, where stark disparities in internet connectivity and infrastructure persist -- and for Association of Commonwealth…

Access to higher education remains a significant obstacle to Commonwealth nations with more applicants than places in many countries leading to an insufficient number of skilled graduates entering the workforce. Digital transformation initiatives have the potential to significantly increase access to higher education, however, if Commonwealth…

Distance education and blended learning have become increasingly relevant aspects of higher education due to the impact of COVID-19 which has seen universities switch to online teaching at unprecedented pace and scale. Hybrid models of teaching are becoming more prevalent with aspects such as recorded lectures, online fora, chat rooms and flipped…

Alongside primary and secondary education, tertiary education is a critical component of the education ecosystem. Universities' role in strengthening and informing education policy and practice at every level -- training teachers, creating pedagogical content, and leading educational research -- is central to reimagining education to address the…

This brief underlines the contribution higher education makes to tackling entrenched global challenges and realising all of the United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) -- through research, teaching, and community engagement. Higher education-led partnerships should be recognised as an effective model that adds value to the…

The fundamental study of physics has played a crucial role in helping to understand natural phenomena and biological processes throughout history. However, physics as a discipline has not advanced at an equal pace around the globe. In sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), physics research faces major challenges including gaps in human capital, infrastructural…

Significant investments have been made in the last five years to further strengthen the relationship between the United Kingdom (UK) and African continent for science and innovation partnerships. This has enabled the enhancement of longstanding relationships for joint research and development activities as well as the establishment of new,…

The Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU) is an international organisation dedicated to building a better world through higher education. With over 500 member universities across 50 countries, our international network spans more than 10 million students and over a million academic and professional staff. In May 2020, the ACU undertook a…

The Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU) conducted a digital engagement survey in May 2020, designed to capture the short-term impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the working habits of staff, students, and university leaders. Results provide a snapshot of individual levels of digital engagement, changing attitudes and behaviours, and the…

The Climate Impacts Research Capacity and Leadership Enhancement (CIRCLE) programme is an initiative of the UK's Department for International Development (DFID). Managed by the Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU), the programme is a response to the shortage of local scientists contributing to knowledge on the impacts of climate change…