The Centre for Higher Education (CHE) (German: Centrum für Hochschulentwicklung) is a German organization dedicated to higher education reform. Founded in 1994 by the Bertelsmann Stiftung and the German Rectors' Conference as a non-profit limited liability company, it is best known to the public for its published university rankings.
The Higher Education Differentiation Strategy of Ethiopia aims to transform selected public universities into Universities of Applied Sciences (UAS). This transformation looks to enhance graduate employment, promote collaboration between universities and industries, foster applied research, and support the socio-economic development of the nation. To achieve this transformation, it is essential to build the capacity of university leaders and faculty members. This paper examines the effectiveness of the FAITH (Fit, Adjusted, Innovative, Trendy, and Holistic) Toolbox's capacity-building program in enhancing competencies related to UAS transformation. The study employed convergent mixed-methods pretest-post test design, gathering both quantitative surveys and qualitative reflections from 213 participants. Data was collected using a questionnaire and open-ended items online that focused on six dimensions: outcome-based curriculum development, applied research and co-creation with industries, university-industry partnerships, engagement with industry experts, quality internship delivery, and the integration of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Descriptive statistics and pre-test/post-test comparisons were employed to evaluate the effects of the training. In addition, qualitative data was analyzed thematically according to the framework proven by Braun and Clarke [4]. The mean competency scores improved from 2.97 before the training to 3.99 afterwards, being an increase of 1.02 (ΔM) or 34.3% improvement, showing a large effect size (1.02). The most significant gains were seen in areas such as applied research, industry co-creation, engagement of industry experts, quality internships, and the alignment of programs with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Additionally, the qualitative data revealed that participants gained a deeper understanding of the philosophy of University of Applied Sciences (UAS), outcome- and competency-based education, applied research, university-industry connections, internship reforms, and institutional transformation. Participants showed a strong commitment to implementing curriculum reforms, building industry connections, integrating work-based learning, and making institutional changes. However, participants often expressed that the sustainability of the UAS reforms depends on several factors, including strategic institutional policies, sufficient funding, leadership commitment within institutions, professional development, KPI-based monitoring and evaluation mechanisms, and strong collaboration between academic institutions, industry and development partners.
This study integrates nanomaterial doping with advanced image enhancement algorithms to improve phase characterisation and functional performance in gold nanoparticle (AuNP)-doped liquid crystals, focusing on 10OBA. Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) revealed a reduction in the nematic - isotropic transition temperature from 112.1 degrees C to 110.2 degrees C and a decrease in enthalpy from 3.7 J/g to 2.9 J/g, confirming disruption of long-range ordering. Stable dispersion was obtained at 0.3 wt% AuNPs, with >70% uniform distribution across thermal cycles. Polarising Optical Microscopy (POM) showed enhanced textural clarity, further refined using digital algorithms - Illumination Map Estimation (IME), ARS-ESIHE, and AR-ESIHE. AR-ESIHE performed best, raising Peak Signal-to-Noise Ratio (PSNR) from 22.5 dB to 28.9 dB and Structural Similarity Index (SSIM) from 0.55 to 0.88, with frame-wise deviations < +/- 0.5 dB. Sampling ratio analysis confirmed robustness, with PSNR values similar to 19 dB under limited data. Functional improvements were observed in display metrics: luminance increased from 87 to 102 cd/m(2), contrast ratio from 7.2:1 to 9.5:1, and uniformity from 83% to 91%. Dielectric characterisation indicated extended tunability from 400 to 620 MHz, driven by interfacial polarisation at the LC-AuNP boundary. These results demonstrate the synergy of nanoparticle incorporation and computational enhancement in LC-based displays and tunable microwave devices. [GRAPHICS]
In the the present global context, the international flow of human beings from one nation to another in search of greener pastures has attained unprecedented proportions. And both creative writers and literary critics have respectively captured this reality and critiqued it in their works over time, highlighting the contours of this phenomenon that is characterised by ambivalence. Communities and individuals succumb to the flux of change, yet they feel the need to militate for cultural preservation. This paper attempts to investigate immigrants’ predicament as they are torn between the home and host countries in Imbolo Mbue’s Behold the Dreamers. The paper hinges on the hypothetical premise that Mbue’s migrant characters in Behold the Dreamers create a Third Space as a route of escape from the tensions they experience as they are torn between the changes brought about by globalisation, and the desire to remain rooted in their culture. Postcolonial theory is handy as the frame of analysis of Mbue’s novel as it sheds light on characters’ dilemma and these characters’ efforts at creating the Third Space through negotiation, subversion, transgression and resistance. Mbue’s choice to make her characters come back to Cameroon as heterotopia is evidence that the characters’ dystopic perception of Cameroon is corrected, a suggestion that the millions of Cameroonians in the diaspora and those that are still leaving the country today to find an utopia elsewhere can come back home, or stay home, and create their eldorado here.
تركز هذه الدراسة على فاعلية استخدام تقنيات الذكاء الاصطناعي في تكييف تدريس المفاهيم الفلسفية المجردة للتلاميذ ضعاف السمع ضمن بيداغوجيا دامجة تراعي خصائصهم اللغوية والمعرفية. تبحث الدراسة في قدرة الذكاء الاصطناعي على تسهيل فهم الفلسفة وتعزيز التفاعل والفهم العميق للمفاهيم. تفترض الدراسة أن الذكاء الاصطناعي يحسن استيعاب المفاهيم وتنمية التفكير النقدي، خاصة عند دمجه بوسائط تعليمية بصرية وتفاعلية. اعتمدت المنهج الوصفي–التحليلي لتحليل أثر الأدوات الذكية على الأداء التعليمي والتفاعل الصفي. أظهرت النتائج أن الذكاء الاصطناعي يبسط المفاهيم الفلسفية ويحوّلها إلى تجارب تعلم ملموسة. يسهم ذلك في تعزيز الفهم والمشاركة والاستبقاء المعرفي. توصي الدراسة بتطوير بيئات تعلم رقمية دامجة وتدريب المعلمين على استخدام الذكاء الاصطناعي بفعالية لتحقيق تعليم فلسفي شامل
