Before digital literacy can become the fourth pillar of education – alongside reading, writing and 'rithmetic – educators must first agree on what being digitally literate actually looks like and where the gaps in understanding lie. And what about digital media platforms themselves – should they be involved in this instruction? 

 

Sara Custer speaks with Jo Coldwell-Neilson, associate dean of teaching and learning at Deakin University, who argues that nobody is actually a digital native, and Joel Breakstone, director of the Stanford History Education Group, who says that the approach to teaching digital literacy needs to be updated, but there are reasons to be optimistic.

It's often said that Australia "punches above its weight" when it comes to internationalisation and research volume and impact. But could recent funding cuts take the wind out of its sails? 

THE's Asia Pacific editor John Ross talks to digital editor Sara Custer about the funding landscape, international researchers and a special nudge for the higher education sector from Australian of the Year and physicist, Michelle Simmons. 

Ana Deletic, pro vice-chancellor for research at the University of New South Wales, Sydney, joins later to discuss research for the public good, open access and if the academy stymies blue skies thinking. 

THE will host the Research Excellence Summit: Asia-Pacific at UNSW, Sydney 19-21 February.

The next three Times Higher Education World Academic Summits will be held in partnership with ETH Zurich, the University of Toronto and New York University. Here we speak with the leaders of these institutions –the former head of ETH Zurich, Lino Guzzella; Meric Gertler, president of the University of Toronto, and Andy Hamilton president of NYU –  about talent in the 21st century, how a university's place is more important than ever and how to rethink the trajectory of students and institutions. 

Sara Custer is joined by Phil Baty, THE's chief knowledge officer and Tim Sowula, head of content and engagement for the World Summit Series. 

For more information about the next three years of World Academic Summits, visit https://www.timeshighereducation.com/world-academic-summit-hosts-confirmed-until-2021.

Sara Custer speaks with Hassan Al-Derham president of the Times Higher Education Emerging Economies Summit 2019 partner institution Qatar University about the upcoming event, the effect of the Gulf countries' blockade on the university, press freedom and the future of branch campuses. 

 

For more information about the summit visit: http://www.theworldsummitseries.com/events/the-emerging-economies-summit-2019/event-summary-df9ad7a68fb343789ee5f1783cc1d6fa.aspx

This special edition of the Times Higher Education podcast features a live discussion of the UK's most provocative higher education headlines, some future gazing and what our panelists would do if they were minister for a day. 

 

Sara Custer is joined by Mary Curnock Cook, former-CEO of UCAS; Pamela Gillies, principal/vice-chancellor at Glasgow Caledonian University; Nick Hillman, director of the Higher Education Policy Institute; and Chloe Tear, a third year student at Leeds Trinity University and a disability activist.

Sara Custer is joined by Simon Baker, THE's data editor, to discuss the figures showing an increase over the decades of top marks across the globe, except for in Australia. Meanwhile, Russia's 5-100 Project has just two years before its deadline to have five universities in the top 100 of global rankings. Is it on track? 

 

Read more: 

Grade inflation

Student marks raised weeks after league table concerns email

Is grade inflation a worldwide trend?

Grade inflation: how certain subjects fuel rise in firsts

 

5-100 Project

Is Russia's 5-100 Project working? 

 

US PhDs

Third of top US professors got PhD at five universities

Democrats won back 34 seats in the House of Representatives and won control of seven more state governorships. But, will Democrats be able to overcome partisan gridlock on key HE issues? And is it time for scientists to take up arms and join the political battle to protect truth? 

THE's North America editor Paul Basken joins Sara Custer to talk about what impact the Democratic victories in the midterms will have on universities. Plus, Harvard scientist-turned-candidate, Eric Feigl-Ding, talks about his run in the Pennsylvania congressional race. 

 

See more of THE's coverage of the US midterms:

US midterms: the academics who tried to switch to politics 

US midterms: House win gives democrats critical leverage on HE

Universities have historically been rooted in a place, but what does that symbiotic relationship with the local community look like for modern institutions? 

Sara Custer is joined by John Morgan, THE's deputy news editor and John Goddard, founding director of the Centre for Urban & Regional Development Studies at Newcastle University.

The mysteriously named Plan S, Science Europe’s massive endeavour to make all publicly funded research available on open access platforms by 2020, has been met with overwhelming acceptance by higher education and research bodies. However, learned societies and open access advocates say it could be doing more harm than good.

Sara Custer is joined by THE reporter Rachael Pells and speaks with Lynn Kamerlin, professor of structural biology at Uppsala University.

Times Higher Education's data editor Simon Baker joins Sara Custer to talk about stories he's worked on recently using data sets from around the HE world, including figures from THE's own 2019 World University Rankings. 

 

The stories mentioned in the podcast are: 

Should the research elite collaborate more with poor countries?  https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/should-research-elite-collaborate-more-poor-countries

Which countries’ HE systems are globalising quickest? https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/which-countries-he-systems-are-globalising-quickest

Postgraduate earnings premium ‘varies hugely across OECD’ https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/postgraduate-earnings-premium-varies-hugely-across-oecd

Is higher education an out-of-control, money-making juggernaut? https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/higher-education-out-control-money-making-juggernaut