Can the EU lead the world on Covid-19? How hard hit will UK higher education be?
In depth: In this week’s Research Europe, Pola Lem examines how Covid-19 has increased the strain on already overtaxed academics and students.
Full story: The viral load
Europe
International experts believe the EU can head up the global response to the Covid-19 pandemic amid the failures of other heavyweight political powers. But academic leaders have expressed their concerns after the EU published a plan for recovering from the pandemic that makes no reference to research or education.
With countries across Europe slowly bringing their current waves of the pandemic under control and starting to ease some lockdown restrictions, governments and academic leaders now face tough decisions about when and how to reopen research and higher education institutions.
Italy has extended an ongoing exercise to evaluate publicly funded research by six months to allow for time lost during the long shutdown of the country due to the pandemic.
UK
The coronavirus outbreak will result in a £2.6 billion shortfall in university finances in the 2020-21 academic year, according to analysis by the London Economics consultancy for the University and College Union. Shadow universities minister Emma Hardy has urged Michelle Donelan, her government counterpart, to reassure universities that a financial rescue package is on its way.
A survey funded by UK Research and Innovation is aiming to develop a national picture of how doctoral students and research staff have been affected by the pandemic. And UK aid funding is helping R&D efforts to design and deploy new diagnostics for Covid-19 in developing nations.
United States
The National Institutes of Health has announced it is setting up an international public-private research consortium to accelerate the development of vaccines and treatments for Covid-19.
Africa
The coronavirus pandemic is threatening economies around the globe. But the research-based advice and services many top African scientists are giving their governments could help them argue for funding in a post-crisis financial downturn.
South Africa’s universities are busy with a slew of research projects to combat the spread of Covid-19, including manufacture of preventive products. Government officials have warned that the 2020 academic year at South African universities might be extended into 2021.
Worldwide
Transnational education offers a way for universities to “transcend” national borders as the coronavirus and travel bans force students to stay at home, a conference has heard. And students from India and Pakistan are still ‘positive’ about UK study, according to a survey.