Asia

Indian govt mandates environmental education for university students

Aug 14, 2023Aug 14, 2023 awouniversity

India’s higher education apex body, the University Grants Commission (UGC), has mandated all students at the country’s universities to study subjects such as environmental education and climate change in order to graduate, starting from the about-to-begin 2023 to 2024 academic year. The new course will include the national obligation to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The UGC recently directed universities and colleges to introduce a compulsory core subject on environmental studies for all undergraduate programmes, including general engineering, medical, architecture, pharmacy, management,…

Only males will sit university entrance exam – Afghanistan Official

Jul 31, 2023Jul 31, 2023 awouniversity

The National Examination Authority (NEXA) in Afghanistan said that only male students can attend the university entrance examination this year. NEXA said on Twitter that the decision was made by the Ministry of Higher Education (MoHE) and sent in a letter to the authority. “A letter arrived from the Ministry of Higher Education saying that only male students should be recruited. So, this is the responsibility of the Ministry of Higher Education to decide who should be giving tests and who should not. NEXA has…

Research group launched to tackle AI, new tech challenges

Jul 25, 2023Jul 25, 2023 awouniversity

Singapore is set to tackle social and institutional challenges regarding artificial intelligence (AI) and new technologies through a research group launched by Singapore’s MIT research enterprise. Launched by the Singapore MIT-Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART), the Mens, Manus and Machina – How AI Empowers People, Institutions and the City in Singapore (M3S) interdisciplinary research group (IRG) will focus on the “human-machine relationship, enhancing existing AI initiatives in the city-state”, according to the enterprise. Behind SMART M3S is 17 professors from the Massachusetts Institute of…

Universities that don’t innovate must shut down, South Korea President says

Jun 18, 2023Jun 18, 2023 awouniversity

South Korean President, Yoon Suk Yeol, has come hard on universities in the country that have failed to innovate, saying the government wouldn’t hesitate to shut down such institutions. President Yoon Suk Yeol, during the Tuesday Cabinet meeting, blasted Korea’s higher education sector, calling it “a cartel of suppliers with vested interests.” Yoon then turned to Lee Ju-ho, who doubles as the education minister and deputy prime minister, saying, “Universities that embrace innovation should be strongly supported [by the government], while those that fail…

Help recruit young reporters for the Chengdu 2021 FISU World University Games

Mar 27, 2023Mar 27, 2023 awouniversity

Like for the Winter edition of the FISU World University Games held earlier this year in Lake Placid (USA), there will be FISU-AIPS Young Reporters at the Summer edition of the FISU Games in Chengdu (China, 28 July-8 August 2023). For this event, seven international candidates will be selected by FISU and the International Sports Press Association (AIPS) and added to the existing pool of Young Reporters (YRs). On its side, the Organising Committee of the Chengdu 2021 FISU Games will select 12 national Young Reporters. Selection of Young Reporters for…

Pursuing dreams in China: Stories of UIC’s international students

Mar 22, 2023Mar 22, 2023 awouniversity

BNU-HKBU United International College Zhuhai, China UIC is a cradle for all kinds of dreams and possibilities, attracting students from various countries and regions, including the US, Korea, India, Malaysia, Ukraine and more. We have invited four international students who won scholarships in the previous academic year to share their stories at UIC. Ana Cristina Rios Powell: For love of film Ana Cristina Rios Powell is a second-year student from Panama of UIC’s Cinema and Television (CTV) Programme. Ana Cristina Rios Powell After attending online classes for the first academic…

Chinese University Invents “Kissing Device” That Lets Users Smooch Over The Internet

Mar 1, 2023Mar 1, 2023 awouniversity

The device is being advertised as a way to let long-distance couples share “real” physical intimacy. A university in China has invented a unique “kissing device” which has caused a buzz among Chinese social media users, who have reacted with both intrigue and shock. According to CNN, the invention has been patented by the Changzhou Vocational Institute of Mechatronic Technology. The device is being advertised as a way to let long-distance couples share “real” physical intimacy. The unique smooch device has been patented by the Changzhou Vocational Institute of Mechatronic Technology.…

Record-breaking detection of radio signal from atomic hydrogen in extremely distant galaxy using GMRT

Jan 30, 2023Jan 30, 2023 awouniversity

16th January 2023/From India Institute of Science Press Release Astronomers from McGill University in Canada and the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bengaluru have used data from the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT) in Pune to detect a radio signal originating from atomic hydrogen in an extremely distant galaxy. The astronomical distance over which such a signal has been picked up is the largest so far by a large margin. This is also the first confirmed detection of strong lensing of 21 cm emission from a galaxy. The findings have…

HKUMed uncovers an unexpected T cell exhaustion factor driving cancer immunotherapy resistance

Jan 30, 2023Jan 30, 2023 awouniversity

A research team from the LKS Faculty of Medicine, the University of Hong Kong (HKUMed) has identified an unexpected driver of cancer immunotherapy resistance: the harmful effect of chronic Type I Interferon signalling on tumour-killing CD8+ T cells. These findings provided new insights into the development of exhausted CD8+ T cells, which no longer effectively limit tumour growth, and highlighted a new target for immunotherapy improvement. The research has been published in Cell Reports [link to publication]. Background Immunotherapy, where drugs reactivate the body’s immune system to fight diseases, is an increasingly popular first-line…

Afghan scholars fear creeping closure of universities by Taliban

Apr 21, 2022Apr 21, 2022 awouniversity

Recent measures prevent women from participating in academic conferences or graduation ceremonies From Times Higher Education. Source: iStock Academics in Afghanistan fear that the semester just finished could be their last before the Taliban closes universities ahead of major reforms. The country’s fundamentalist regime, which took over nine months ago, has already put its stamp on higher education. It has forced out female faculty members and segregated students by gender, establishing physical barriers between men and women and changing schedules to divide them into separate classes. In recent weeks, women have been banned from attending academic…