A sense of belonging and personal connection can be argued as essential for both staff and students alike regardless of the learning context. In this pandemic era, 'Relationship-rich education' philosophies for universities are considered more vital than ever due to increased online learning (Felten & Lambert et al., 2020). To-date, higher education students' sense of belonging is a concept that has not been adequately conceptualised. The current literature on 'sense of belonging' spans a number of disciplines, with no apparent consensus on definition between these, complicated by the fact that sense of belonging is temporal and context-sensitive such as during COVID-19. Whilst there has been recent studies outlining the student experience of belonging in the online space (Peacock et al., 2020), investigation of teacher/educator experiences have been relatively overlooked. This presentation will present interim findings from the SoE CSSP that explored students' sense of belonging to their education units.

As higher education institutions continue to negotiate effective ways forward embracing on-line learning pedagogies due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we now read many of the findings from on-going research into the effectiveness and impact these changes have made to student learning. Higher education institutions are at the very nexus of career-focussed education, for students seeking qualifications to contribute positively to their community. Recognising the strength of academia and the challenges that plague access to a range of reliable resources, ensure that policy-makers and educators alike, continue to review best practices in order to provide the innovative delivery of pedagogical excellence. We are proud to present this issue with contributions and perspectives from the USA, Cameroon, Ghana, Nigeria, Oman, South Africa, Spain, Kuwait, Uganda and Israel. This issue has a strong focus on learner pedagogy, gender performance, student teacher experiences, and post-COVID adaptations. Research in these areas provide interesting and informative reading, on how global educators continue with their core business of delivering relevant and meaningful education to their students.

We continue to be confronted by ongoing global challenges that require educators and students to conform to learning that requires greater patience, application, flexibility, and a willingness to learn differently. It would appear that no corner of the globe is exempt from the implications to their daily life of the actions and relationships between countries. Years on, the full ramifications of the COVID-19 pandemic are still evident in the practices and policies of tertiary educators, as evidenced by the many articles that continue to discuss their experiences. What has remained a constant for higher education educators is their duty to ensure that they provide opportunities for their students to develop and experience a sense of belonging, community, and 'place' in the virtual classroom. Another challenge is ensuring that the design of educational offerings taps into and nurtures the development of student learning styles and approaches to learning, that can lead to a successful, meaningful, productive and enjoyable student learning experience.

The Commencing Student Success Project (CSSP) is an innovative research and development project that started in the School of Education (SoE) mid-2019. The team, led by Associate Professor Ingrid Harrington, have been working closely with SoE Education developers and Unit Coordinators (UC) to disseminate 14 evidence-based core pedagogical strategies and innovations known as the 'Basic Elements' (BE), consistently within and across all first year units.

I am proud to introduce our 2023 Special Issue focusing on university and college Thai graduates. In an increasing complex global set of events, we are reminded of the importance and value the role of education has in securing our futures. It is important that our scholars of tomorrow maintain their trust and faith in how their contribution will encourage others to pursue their hopes and dreams. To that end, this issue provides numerous strategies, program suggestions, personal development, teacher and peer support systems, and guidelines to empower upcoming educators, supervisors and managers. We are proud to present this Special Issue with a focus on sharing the latest research findings that may assist in improving student retention rates and improving the overall tertiary student experience, through contributions from China and Thailand.

The Commencing Student Success Program (CSSP) comprises 13 evidence-based strategies for online engagement underpinned by the Universal Design for Learning principles of inclusive access to improve learner retention and engagement (Sasson et al., 2021), promoting first year student engagement and retention at the tertiary level. The program's impact has led to it being adopted across the University's School of Education as its signature pedagogy. The University's unique regional context provides education to a high number of students studying by distance; often rural, mature-age, or first-in-family. Applying these strategic elements into online course design ensure a sense of support and connection is embedded, and reducing sense of isolation, throughout their studies.

The IJHE continues to be the choice of journal for many global researchers. As such, the strength of the IJHE journal is reflected in this issue's five research articles from Canada, South Korea and Saudi Arabia. This issue has a strong focus on improving the online curriculum and learning space for students. Global events continue to dominate media outlets and present everyday challenges for some with seemingly no end or resolve. With significant political change in the air, it is important that we continue to prioritise education and lifelong learning, researching areas that will improve educational access and strategies for success. The IJHE provides an important platform for the development of theory, the addressing of policy questions, and the dissemination of innovative practice in the field of tertiary education, specifically widening participation and lifelong learning.

The study investigated 13 high school students in Xi'an China on 1) disciplinary measures adopted by their parents, 2) the effects on their academic performance and affection for their parents. The method of in-depth interview was adopted and NVivo was employed in data analysis. The results from this investigation show that 1) physical punishment with good reason in early childhood can be forgiven by them after entering into high school; 2) constructive verbal discipline is the most effective method of discipline for academic performance and the development of a parent-child bond; 3) nagging has a detrimental effect on both school performance and the intergenerational relationship.

To all our Journal's readers and followers, a warm welcome to the August issue of 2022!

In this issue, 19 papers discuss higher education practices, contributions and perspectives from South Africa, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, the USA, Saudia Arabia, Australia and Portugal. This issue has a strong focus on learner pedagogy, gender performance, student teacher experiences, and post-COVID adaptations. Research in these areas provide interesting and informative reading on how global educators continue with their core business of delivering relevant and meaningful education to their students in challenging times.