The Big Tent Consortium, a global network of universities and their community partners today issued a call to action to its members to oppose the Jan. 27 US travel ban, join with other worldwide protests, and create spaces for dialogue within universities and communities everywhere. The call was part of a Consortium statement that responds to the US ban targeting citizens from seven predominantly Muslim countries and which provides the latest evidence of growing Islamophobia and exclusionary trends around the world.

Tecnológico de Monterrey (Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education, Wikipedia) is the latest PASCAL Centre, and the first  Spanish-speaking country to join. Tecnológico de Monterrey was founded over 70 years ago and now has two dozen campuses in Mexico. This Update describes its dynamic programme of entrepreneurship, including social entrepreneurship, outreach and sharing of knowledge both within the country and internationally.

PASCAL is establishing a series of Special Interest Groups (SIGs) to give focus to the advice required by the Board in particular areas.

The Groups will consist of 6 to 8 people, made up of academics and  practitioners in the public, private and NGO sectors and will have a wide geographical spread and gender balance so far as possible. The members of the Groups will serve for up to 3 years with the possibility of renewal and the Groups will report to the Board at least annually with the invitation to report more frequently when needed.