Advanced British Standard: A-level replacement will require more teachers – but bonuses may not be the way to get them

Oct 06, 2023 07:02 am UTC| Insights & Views

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has announced a new qualification to replace A-levels and T-levels. The planned Advanced British Standard (ABS) will also come with more teaching time for students: an extra 195 hours over two...

Jerry Coovadia: the South African doctor who led the fight against HIV in children

Oct 06, 2023 07:02 am UTC| Insights & Views

South African-born Professor Hoosen Jerry Coovadia, renowned academic and prominent anti-apartheid activist, passed away on 4 October. As a paediatrician I was privileged to know and work with him over two decades. Prior...

The splendid life of Jimmy Carter – 5 essential reads

Oct 06, 2023 07:01 am UTC| Insights & Views

In Mark 8:34-38 a question is asked: For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Jimmy Carter never lost his soul. A person who served others until the days leading to his...

Is there really a 1 in 6 chance of human extinction this century?

Oct 06, 2023 06:35 am UTC| Insights & Views Life

In 2020, Oxford-based philosopher Toby Ord published a book called The Precipice about the risk of human extinction. He put the chances of existential catastrophe for our species during the next century at one in...

Suicide rates jumped after extreme drought in the Murray-Darling Basin – we have to do better as climate change intensifies

Oct 06, 2023 02:31 am UTC| Insights & Views Life

The impact on mental health of weather extremes such as drought is a growing concern due to climate change. Rural communities feel the impact of drought much more than urban residents. Our new research looks at the link...

Physician associates: a solution for healthcare staff shortages or a colonial throwback?

Oct 06, 2023 02:24 am UTC| Insights & Views Business

Before the COVID pandemic, the global health workforce needed as many as 6.4 million more medical doctors, and the gap between demand for health workers and supply is growing. As you might expect, the shortage is most...

Cautious welcome: World Bank and IMF return to Africa, but questions remain

Oct 06, 2023 02:24 am UTC| Insights & Views Economy

The annual meetings of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) are due to take place in Marrakech, Morocco, in mid-October. The city and country are still reeling from a devastating earthquake in early...