Harvard Students File a Lawsuit against University Officials

Harvard students sue university officials over investments in private prisons

CNN reports that the students filed the lawsuit against the university’s president, a senior fellow of Harvard Corporation, and Harvard’s endowment manager, Harvard Management Company (HMC), of a “violation of fiduciary duty and breach of the Harvard charter.” The students are part of the Harvard Prison Divestment Campaign (HPDC), which opposes university investments in private prisons.

It is believed that Harvard has invested at least $3 million in “prison-industrial complex” which includes food services providers for prisons.

Students argue in the lawsuit that the money “funds the opulent lifestyles of Harvard’s top administrators who are prison profiteers” and hope the court would force university to termintate investment ties to prisons. Similar cases were dismissed before but now the case has sufficient standing.

Students in Kosovo don’t know they enroll in universities with no accreditation

Balkan Insight reports that Kosovo’s government is under pressure because many students enrolled at universities that were not accredited. Country’s higher education system is in trouble and many students did not know that these universities were not accredited.

According to the magazine, the Kosovo Accreditation Agency (KAA)’s dysfunctional activities and years of political interference have led to the current situation. Dukagjin Zeka, a member of the KAA’s governing board accused the outgoing Minister of Education, Science and Technology, Shyqiri Bytyqi of undermining the KAA’s independence. Bytyqi, on the other hand, stated: “During my time as a minister, the KAA was the most independent it has ever been. At no point did I personally interfere with any decision.”

Call for Nigerian private universities to benefit from state fund

The Guardian Nigeria reports that Vice-chancellor of Precious Cornerstone University in Ibadan, Professor Julius Oloke called the Tertiary Education Trust fund to extend grants to private institutions. Oloke said: “At Precious Cornerstone University [PCU], we have the number of students that our facilities can cater for.

So students that come to PCU will be given the needed skills to face realities of life. To address the challenge of overpopulation, the government should give more license to private universities.” Chief Bode Amoo added: “Private universities should be encouraged by giving [them] grants and modern teaching facilities.”

Read more about students’ strikes and discover why Ethiopian students have left classes here. 

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