Private returns and international competition

LONDON -- This week’s Economist special takes a look at world-wide university trends. Lead author Emma Duncan sustains that “the whole world is going to university today” and the funding constraints of mass-education would force all countries to go towards the American system which is “excellence vs. equity”. While the US are world-leaders in research paper output, they remain insecure about their drop-out rate and their graduate’s low international ranking. The focus is on their “money’s worth”, the rates of individual investment and return, and the difficulty of measuring learning outcomes … read more 28.03.2015

German-Russian science co-operation builds bridges

FREIBURG (daad) -- In a politically difficult time, science is building bridges between countries. Albert-Ludwigs-University in Freiburg and the Moscow-based Russian State University have created an International Research Training Group which will produce generations of research on German-Russian cultural transfer and identity … read more 25.03.2015

UK: First Global Higher Education Centre to open

SHEFFIELD (hefce) -- Britain’s first research centre dedicated to the investigation of higher education and its future will open its doors in October. Chris Millward, Director of co-funders, HECFE, said the London-run institution will “ensure that government policy, and practice in universities and colleges, are informed by globally connected research and expertise,” … read more | and here 26.03.2015

French academics fear PhD ‘devaluation’

PARIS (le monde) -- Talk of launching a new ‘professional doctorate’ programme has been met with an outcry from the French research community, amid fears that it would lead to a devaluation of the traditional qualification … read more 25.03.2015

“Dialogue and quality”: Slovenia’s new education minister

LJUBLJANA (sta) -- Klavdija Markež has been confirmed as Slovenia’s new education, science and sport minister. Markež said that her priority as minister would be open dialogue with all stakeholders and promoting quality at all levels of education … read more | and here

Promise of more job security for German scientists

BERLIN (div) -- In response to trade union pressure and a petition against researcher precarity, the German government pledged this week more job security in the science sector. Research and education minister, Johanna Wanka, called upon universities to create more fixed contracts, promising financial support … read more | and here 23.03.2015

German software combats fake science

BERLIN (science) -- In 2005, a software engineer from California created a computer programme to generate nonsensical computer science research “to expose the lack of peer review at low-quality conferences that essentially scam researchers with publication and conference fees.”. But SCIgen may have finally met its match as German academic publisher, Springer, this week released SciDetect, an open-source program to automatically detect automatically generated papers … read more 27.03.2015

Belarus-Bologna adoption’s political agenda?

YEREVAN (the) -- In May, ministers from across the European Higher Education Area will meet in the Armenian capital, Yerevan, to discuss the progress of the Bologna Process and the “road map” for the next three years. The integration of dictatorial Belarus and Kosovo into the initiative is set to be a hot topic. Still, tensions between the West and Russia continue, giving science integration geopolitical importance … read more 26.03.2015

Lapland University refuses to be sold

LAPLAND (lapin kansa) -- As university mergers sweep across fellow Scandinavian countries, universities in Finland are fighting to remain independent. For now, the ministry of education assures they won’t be forced to merge but this could change as future governments will be forced to seek savings … read more 27.03.2015

Romanian funding shake-up is cause for concern

BUCHAREST (hotnews) -- Moves by the Romanian government to abolish the national funding body, UEFISCDI, have received heavy criticism by the country’s research community and the European Commission. A massive restructuring of the current funding body would only be counteractive, said the Commission, leading to a “greater dispersion in research and innovation” … read more | and here 26.3.15

Russian students immobilised

MOSCOW (uwn) -- The number of Russian students applying to study abroad has dropped by up to 40 percent in some disciplines this year, according to a leading consulting agency on foreign education. Lack of government funding brought on by Russia’s economic crisis has made it increasingly difficult to study abroad and the International education bureau predicts the trend will only continue … read more 25.03.2015

The world-wide fight against commercialisation

LONDON (guardian) -- As students at the University of Arts, London took over their university’s reception against proposed funding cuts last week, the Guardian has finally noticed a growing trend of student action against commercialisation in universities, drawing examples from Canada, UK and of course, the University of Amsterdam … read more 25.03.2015

Berlin: Make knowledge, not money

BERLIN (tagesspiegel) -- After the German sports associations’ decision against Berlin as host city of the Olympic Games 2024, someone suggests funding 100 additional IT professors for Berlin as a wiser investment instead. That someone is Sebastian Turner, publisher of the daily paper Tagesspiegel. He argues, if the city would have been willing to wager millions of euros on the Olympic event, why shouldn’t it cough up to modernise its infrastructure by adding brain power in one of the key future sectors — making Berlin a Capital even of the digital industry? Several representatives from scientific, economic and political spheres agreed; now only the question of where the money would come from remains … read more 24.03.2015

Italy’s graduate exodus

ROME (repubblica) -- Italy is losing billions of euros every year. Over 24 percent of their graduates emigrate taking their productivity and abilities with them, with the majority of graduates heading for the richer part of Europe … read more 23.03.2015

Students sucked into Greek money row

ATHENS (focus) -- Not even universities are being spared from Greece’s financial tug-of-war with the EU. Around a thousand students gathered before the finance ministry in Athens brandishing posters with the figure 187 Million euros, the sum borrowed by minister Yanis Varoufakis from the universities’ reserve fund to service state debts … read more 25.03.2015

Swiss universities adapt to new times

BASEL (nnz) -- Universities must modernise together with societal changes. Bachelor degrees must be labour-market ready qualifications and flexibility between Masters in different study fields is vital. In an interview with NNZ Campus, Antonio Loprieno, president of the Swiss rectors conference, called for an open minded approach for this new university era ... read more 23.3.15

New ESNA European university bulletin out now

BERLIN (esna) -- After a long winter break, ESNA European Higher Education News continues the successful series of bulletins on university and science policy. Issue 164 features stories, reviews and interviews on Ukrainian universities during the war, the EU funding shift from Horizon 2020 to the so-called ‘Juncker-Plan’, the stuggle for university democratisation in Amsterdam, and the EUROSTUDENT V survey on student life in Europe ... download for free

ETH Zurich at odds with Microsoft

ZURICH (nzz) -- Microsoft’s initiative to make its office programme free for universities has also a downside. ETH Zurich has now blocked its free student access to the Microsoft Office package due to a quarrel over software maintenance. They insist that basic IT support has to be provided by Microsoft and not by the university … read more 24.03.2015

Spanish education community in protest against law reform

MADRID (el diario) -- Against cuts, rising university fees, privatisation of public education, but most of all, Spanish students and teachers have turned out in their thousands to protest against the ‘3+2’ degree. The new course structure is part of a law project named after education minister José Ignacio Wert, which also lifts private tuition costs for Masters degrees among the highest in Europe … read more 25.03.2015

Portuguese student shortage

LISBON (drk) -- Many Portuguese universities are facing a student-less crisis, as expansion and reform in their higher education sphere has begun to show its negative effects. While EU funding was pumped into the formation of new universities, falling student numbers and university bad money management leaves many regional and vocational schools unable to fill lecture halls … read more 19.03.2015

100 days to Summer Universiade



GWANGJU (yongap) -- The countdown to the Summer leg of the Universiade, the international university multisport competition, has begun. The games will take place in July in Gwangju, South Korea, with 20,000 students from 170 countries participating … read more 25.03.2015

Gwangju 2015

20,000 Italian students protest against mafia

BOLOGNA (tds) -- The streets of Bologna were this weekend filled with 20,000 students from all over Italy, marching in memory of the innocent victims of the mafia and showing their commitment to the fight against corruption. “In our fight against the mafia, which is strong among the underprivileged, we also demand a general student wage to guarantee the independence of all students”, says Riccardo Laterza, one of the organisers … read more 21.3.15

Spotlight on plagiarism in Sweden

STOCKHOLM (sveriges radio) -- Cheating in exam halls, plagiarism and collusion in assignments are at an all-time high in Sweden, according to figures published by news agency, TT. 576 students were dismissed last year; the country’s highest rate on record … read more 23.03.2015

Luxembourgish students left out in the cold

LUXEMBOURG (tageblatt) -- Around 1,000 students in Luxembourg have been waiting for months for the state to deliver on their student grants promises. The funding-lag has been put down to recent legislation and respective re-training of staff in the Duchy … read more 18.03.2015

7 in 10 French students struggle to find housing

PARIS (melty campus) -- The outlook is overwhelmingly bleak for French students looking to move out of the family home, as figures published last week show that 70 percent of the 18 to 30 years old have trouble finding accommodation. The study by AFEV shows that lack of availability as well as sky-rocketing prices make the housing market an increasingly pessimistic place for French students … read more 22.03.201

European funding gift for Ukrainian research

BRUSSELS (interfax) -- Ukraine is now officially part of the Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme, just a week after Serhiy Kvit, Ukrainian education minister, declared his desire to participate. Carlos Moedas, said he hoped “Ukraine will make the most of these opportunities”, for which they received an ‘unprecedented’ 95 percent participation discount … read more 20.3.15

Online real estate for Austrian students

WIEN (heute) -- ‘Nestpick’, a new online platform will make finding accommo-dation far easier for Austrian students. The service does not come cheap, and lodgers must pay a quarter of their monthly rent as a fee … read more 23.3.15

Uni Amsterdam forced to negotiate with occupiers

AMSTERDAM (science guide) -- With the release of a new 10-point plan, the executive board of the University of Amsterdam hopes to claw black some discourse-sovereignty, so far dominated by revolutionary student activities across Holland. The plan hopes to address the demands of staff and students, which call for democratisation of university administration, financial transparency and an end to the commercialisation of university property … read more 20.03.2015

Iberian university alliance supports business-co-operation

LISBON (público) -- CRUSOE, a network of 22 higher education institutions across Portugal and Spain has been formed with the aim of encouraging co-operation between education and economic sectors. President of the organisation, Sebstian Feyo de Azevedo said the network will be a “motor for development” … read more 17.03.2015

UK: The globally mobile are less unemployed

LONDON (pienews) -- Students who are globally mobile have a lower unemployment rate and end up earning more than their non-mobile counterparts, a new report from the UK Higher Education International Unit has found … read more 17.03.2015

Amsterdam inspires: London students occupy university

LONDON (guardian) -- As the revolutionary air spreads from Holland throughout universities, students of the London School of Economics have staged an occupation of a central administration room. The ‘Free University of London’ occupation aims to fight against “profit-driven and bureaucratic business model of higher education”. A scrapping of tuition fees and zero-hour contracts feature on a list of demands released on Wednesday, which calls for LSE management to lobby to the government … read more | and here 18.3.15

Merger-wave continues to sweep across Norway

OSLO (aftenposten) -- In recent times, Norway has witnessed several cases of university mergers and the trend shows no signs of slowing, as education minister, Torbjørn Røe Isaksen, pledged his support for them. He believes mergers will improve Norwegian research and education, and institutions who insist on standing alone “will struggle” … read more 20.3.15

First science-art video of 2015

VIENNA/BERLIN (esna) -- The Berlin-based news agency ESNA and the Italian cinema, music and arts spin-off Caucaso announced on Friday “Documenting Eurostudent V” to be broadcasted soon. Their creative cross-sector production features a conference of 240 international social scientists in Vienna late February. Kristina Hauschildt, new research director and co-author of the main publication, The Social Dimension of Higher Education in Europe, states: “In none of the European countries we surveyed, equity in education is really achieved. Policymakers and universities must strive to create effictive life-long learning structures for the changing student body” ... 

Estonia’s world-leading technology aspirations

TALLINN (tallinn city) -- On Tallinn University of Technology’s 10th anniversary this week, the institute vowed to become the world leader in smart lifestyle, announcing particular focus on education innovation and digital media for the next five years … read more 18.03.2015

Professor banned from United Arab Emirates

NEW YORK (nymag) -- A professor who had publicly criticised the exploitation of migrant construction workers constructing NYU’s new campus in Abu Dhabi, was refused entry onto a U.A.E. bound flight and told he was barred from entering the country. Andrew Ross, who was heading East for on a research trip, said he hoped this could be a “wake-up call” for universities opening campuses in restrictive countries … read more 18.03.2015

Video: Prof. Andrew Ross, November 2011, on the political consequences of student debt

What about English at German universities?

MBAs for Ukraine’s working class

KIEV (interfax) -- A two-year training programme, set to train Ukraine’s future top managers was announced this week as a joint project between International Management Institute in Kiev and business partners. The initiative provides internationally recognised MBA diplomas focussing on students from low-income families … read more 17.03.2015

Hostage situation in Athens university

ATHENS (imerisia) -- The clean up has begun, days after a team of ‘anti-authoritarian’ students broke into the law school of Artistotle University of Thessaloniki and begun a 6 day occupation, which included a five hour ‘hostage situation’ of the Senate. The ‘explosive situation’ has now calmed and the Ministry of Education condemned the events, wherein occupants demanded the release of terrorist-group N17 member, Savvas Dry … read more | and here 20.03.2015

Austria’s first university campus outside of Europe

VIENNA (esna) -- MODUL University, Vienna, will become Austria’s first private university to set up a campus outside of Europe. The Dubai-based campus is set to open its doors by the end of 2015 … read more 18.03.2105

New loan scheme for British masters and PhDs

LONDON (the) -- British Chancellor for the Exchequer, George Osbourne, released this week the 2015 national budget.  Investment in research excellence came high on the agenda. Higlights are the £400 million (€555 million) for scientific infrastructure, a new loans scheme for masters and PhDs as well as £100 million for research and development into intelligent mobility and £40 million to develop applications for “internet of things” technologies … read more | and here 18.03.2015

Irish government neglects basic research

DUBLIN (nature) -- Ireland’s commercially driven research investment strategy is “short-sighted and destabilises the country’s basic-research fabric”, say around 900 scientists in a critical letter to the government. The call is aimed at changing the course of Ireland’s currently “detrimental” research strategy, which fails to recognise basic research areas … read more 17.3.15

Ukraine wants a slice of Horizon 2020 cake

KIEV (interfax) -- Serhiy Kvit, Ukrainian education and science minister, has tried to rally the government to participate in the EU research funding programme, Horizon 2020. Continuing to push far-reaching science and education reforms despite Ukraine’s broken banks, Kvit said during a cabinet meeting, Ukraine “must get access to such a big grant programme.” Prime Minister Arseniy Yatseniuk asked Kvit to explain in detail the importance of participation to the heads of higher education institutions … read more 12.03.2015

Lithuania steers towards industry led science policy

VILNIUS (baltic course) -- Lithuanian economy minister, Evaldas Gustas, showed his unwavering support for science and business co-operation this week at a partnership forum in Vilnius. In a statement he outlined what he sees as the “obvious benefits” of inviting businesses to take advantage of science … read more 17.03.2015

France publishes research priorities

PARIS (gouv) -- French education minister Najat Vallaud-Belkacem published this month the National Research Strategy (SNR). This comes as the product of a two-year process of consultation of science and relevant societal groups and will set the priority research directions until 2020 which respond to 10 social challenges. Three main pillars of strategic research goals are health, energy and sustainability … read more

Bulgarian business signed into higher education

SOFIA (technews) -- A memorandum of a business and student co-operation in Bulgaria hopes to ‘modernise’ higher education. Chairman of the Bulgarian Industrial Association, Bozhidar Danev, said that the partnership with the national student organisation NPSS should address what he sees as a “serious gap” in labour market expectations … read more 16.03.2015

Education to counter religious extremism

Poland’s student loan market ‘collapse’

WARSAW (gazeta prawna) -- Student loans in Poland have plummeted, falling to one tenth of their former allocation rates in1998. A decrease of the student population has been cited as a possible reason, as well as the obstacle of red tape … read more 18.03.2015

Italian students protest against “back door privatisation”

MILAN (press tv) -- Italian students violently clashed with riot police last week, as 50,000 students in cities aross Italy marched against government austerity and university privatisation. Tensions rage between groups as Prime Minister, Matteo Renzi, pushes for his reform plan known as “Buona Scuola”, a refurbishment of Italian school system through private sector investment. Protesters in Milan, Italy’s second city carried a banner with the words “A Generation That Does Not Give Up” and branded the reforms “yet another attack on public schools” … read more | video 13.03.2015

MOOCs continue gaining international ground

LONDON (future learn) -- In a press release published last week, British MOOC giant, FutureLearn confirmed partnership with nine new universities in Europe and further afield. University of Los Andes, Bogotá has been confirmed as the first Latin American branch of FutureLearn’s ever-growing online-learning monopoly … read more 09.03.2015

Hungary braces for university overhaul

BUDAPEST (hungary today) -- Universities across Hungary received news from the government that, if implemented, a new higher education strategy would see tuition fees introduced for many courses and several popular degree programmes cancelled altogether. Educational institutions nervously await education minister, László Palkovics’ firm decision … read more 11.03.2015

The role of women in science isn't well enough understood

LONDON (tes) -- Despite the many achievements of more and more female scientists, a quarter of the population cannot name a single one, living or dead. Why is it so hard? One answer may lie in the way young people learn about science, argues UCL professor Sarah Blakemore ... read more 10.3.15

Higher education cuts cancelled in Finland

HELSINKI (yle) -- Crowds of students erupted in cheers on Friday, as proposals to limit student aid failed to pass through parliament. Following much discord over proposals to cut education funding by 191 million euros, the bill was eventually scrapped last week after two parties withdrew their support … read more 13.03.2015

British industry designs degrees

LONDON (gov uk) -- The British government has announced new industry designed Degree Apprenticeships offered in key areas including, Chartered Surveying, Aerospace Engineering, and Nuclear. The new qualifications, which are “co-designed by employers to make sure it is relevant for the skills industry is looking for” will see ‘apprentices’ splitting their time between university study and the workplace. The model is similar to Germany’s ‘Dual System’ expanded from vocational to tertiary education in the 1970s … read more 12.03.2015

Russian universities withhold student finance

MOSCOW (moscow times) -- The Russian education ministry has declared a “violation of students’ rights” as more than 40 universities across Russia have failed to pass on scholarship funds to their intended student recipients. Amid a currency crisis and spiralling inflation, further tuition fee increases have also been forecast … read more 05.03.2015

Science tower to dominate Copenhagen’s skyline

COPENHAGEN (university post) -- A new building of the University of Copenhagen’s ‘Panum Complex’ set for completion at the end of this year, will become a new science hub in the Danish capital … read more 14.03.2015

Crimean students show video solidarity

LVIV (ukrinform) -- On the anniversary of the Russian annexation of Crimea, students in Ukraine from the occupied peninsula have released a video showing their solidarity with Crimean residents, pledging support for their friends and admitting their dreams to return home after graduation … read more 15.03.2015

Horizon 2020 success rate “a concern”

BRUSSELS (science business) -- Over the past 14 months, the European Commission has been inundated with over 45,000 applications but with number of successful applicants as low as 14-15 percent, Carlos Moedas, EU research commissioner, said “we really have a problem with the success rates” … read more 12.03.2015

Moldovan students complain about corruption

CHISINAU (infoprut) -- A survey conducted in the European Institute for Culture and Rights brought to light the level of corruption in Moldovan universities. One in two students believe their system is corrupt and only 38 percent said they think grading is done correctly … read more 06.03.2015

Amsterdam students and staff demand self-organisation of universities

AMSTERDAM (red flag) -- The University of Amsterdam chancellery building, the Maagdenhuis, has been occupied since 24 February, when students broke down the door and took over the ground floor. Since then, there has been a constant stream of teach-in discussions and organising activity. These protests differ significantly from student protests in other countries in that they are joint student-staff actions demanding a total restructuring of higher education ... read more 08.03.2015

Turkey appoints first science attaché in Berlin

ANKARA (aa) -- Fikri Işık, Turkish science minister, announced the appointment of a science attaché in Germany. Speaking at the closing ceremony of German-Turkish Year of Science in Ankara, he announced that the post serves to ensure that “Turkish-German science relations will be followed more officially and effectively” … read more 12.03.2015

Italy: After school reform, university autonomy

ROME (lapresse) -- A school reform with more decisional freedom for school principals regarding hiring and curricula has just been approved by the Council of Ministers. Now Italian education minister Stefania Giannini announced new measures also for universities. “There as well, the magic word is autonomy”, she said in an interview. While one billion euros have been earmarked for 2015 to assume 150.000 additional school teachers (or end their temporary contracts), no additional money for unversities has been announced ... read more 14.3.15

Flanders asks international students to cough up

LEUVEN (de morgen) -- Several Flemish universities have upped tuition fees for students coming from outside the European Economic Area. The price-hike comes in the context of austerity measures implemented by the Flemish government … read more 04.03.2015

Dutch students opt for nursing home

DEVENTER (journal) -- Students in Holland are participating in a unique accommodation scheme. The project in Deventer, East Netherlands, sees young people living rent-free in retirement homes on the condition that they spend 30 hours a month with the elderly residents. The students prepare simple meals for some of the elderly in the evening and offer them activities according to their interests. … read more 12.03.2015

Times Higher Education rankings released

LONDON (the) -- This year’s university prestige ranking by the British newspaper, The Times, what a surprise, with Harvard, Cambridge and Oxford refusing to budge from their top spots … read more 12.03.2015

In Amsterdam, rebellion against the neoliberal university

AMSTERDAM (teleSUR) -- For three weeks now, the University of Amsterdam (UvA) has been shaken by a wave of student protests against the neoliberalization of higher education and the lack of democratic accountability in internal decision-making. This week, UvA staff joined the rebellion, declaring their solidarity with the students and threatening further actions if their demands are not met ... read more 07.03.2015

World University System conceived in Hamburg

HAMBURG (welt) -- President of the University of Hamburg, Dieter Lenzen, invited this week his peers from 50 of the world’s leading universities to join to discuss the future of higher education. On the agenda is the increasing commercialisation of higher education and reduction of state funding but ultimately, the groundwork is being laid for a ‘World University System’ … read more 08.03.2015

UK: New university set to provide STEM graduates

HEREFORD (cipd) -- A new university is set to open in 2017 with the aim of providing work-ready graduates for the science, technology and engineering sectors. Industry leaders will advise on design and content of courses. Celebrated as Britain’s first “greenfield” university in 40 years, it will operate as a not-for-profit private operation. The campus will be built with private funding, government and the EU. Future running costs will be met by tuition fees and funding from industry ... read more 09.03.2015

Polish graduate tracking scheme fails to impress

WARSAW (gazeta) -- A graduate monitoring scheme unveiled by the Polish government has gone down like a lead balloon, with criticisms that the heavy investment in “invalid data” will not be useful to institutions. Next month, the government will fund the tool but publish nothing for public use … read more 10.3.15

Sweden heads European youth study

OREBRO (orebro tribune) -- Örebro University in Sweden has been chosen to run a study investigating young people’s relationship with the EU. The three year study, receiving €2.5 million in EU funds, will ask in this time of economic crisis how today’s European youth identify as EU citizens … read more 9.3.15

France shows extremism the book

PARIS (france24) -- Home-grown education is the key, to combatting religious extremism, believes French prime minister Manuel Valls. He announced a doubling of the number of Islamic university courses in France, the country with Europe’s highest Muslim community … read more 03.03.2015

EU and Kazakhstan get closer in trade and science

BRUSSELS (astana times) -- In the 14th bilateral meeting between Kazakhstan and the EU, Kazakh foreign minister Erlan Idrissov said: “The simplification of the visa regime between Kazakhstan and the EU and the conclusion of the agreement on scientific and technical cooperation and innovation are two areas in particular which could make a significant contribution to enhancing our relationship” ... read more 09.03.2015

DOAJ raises quality of open access journals

COPENHAGEN (knowledge speak) -- DOAJ, an international database of more than 10,000 Open Access journals, recently implemented a rigorous new vetting process that aims to raise the bar of quality for the journals it lists and filters out publications that are tarnishing the image of Open Access. The application that must be approved to get into the directory now includes about 50 questions rather than just seven ... read more 06.03.2015

Connecting German schools and universities policy

DÜSSELDORF (esna) -- A German association of philologists demands funds to raise the teaching quality at secondary schools, as well as efforts to foster cooperation with universities. School policy, they claim, must overcome its solipsism and open and professionalise its methods ... read more 10.03.2015

Turkey suspicious of foreign diploma mills

ANKARA (daily sabah) -- It is now more difficult for Turks educated abroad to practise at home, after new regulations close in on foreign qualifications. The higher education board YÖK imposed new rules following complaints of fraudulent acquisition of diplomas in medicine, law or engineering at universities in the Balkans, Middle East and Turkic republics … read more 3.3.15

Universities feel wronged by medicine cooperation initiative

BRUSSELS (srf) -- The largest biomedical public-private partnership in the world has come under fire recently, as participating academic institutions voice their discontent over institutional inequality. The Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI) receives billions in funding to unite public and private sectors to re-invigorate Europe’s pharmaceutical sector, but university’s feel embittered by the private-sector’s “very strong supremacy” … read more 9.3.15

Italy and Israel further research co-operation

TEL AVIV (globes) -- As part of a co-operation agreement between the two countries, Israel is playing host to an ever increasing number of Israeli-Italian research and technology institutions. A neurology and brain laboratory in Tel Aviv and a solar laboratory in Sde Boker are among the programmes being run, which receive EU funding … read more 03.03.2015

Portugal’s student drop out worries

LISBON (dn) -- Portugal’s education ministry has recognised the need to “improve its success” and fight “waste of resources” as very high student dropout rates are registered in the past years … read more 09.03.2015

Lithuanian women most educated in EU

VILNIUS (baltic course) -- In the context of International Women’s Day, Statistics Lithuania was proud to announce that they have the best educated female population in any EU country. 94.7 percent of Lithuanian women aged 25-64 years have secondary or tertiary education. In universities the biggest proportion of women are studying medicine (78), pedagogy (75), humanitarian (74) and social (70 percent) sciences … read more 09.03.2015

French science minister resigns over health problems

PARIS (science) -- The French secretary of state for higher education and research, Geneviève Fioraso, has stepped down for health reasons. Limited by France’s austerity policies, Fioraso had few budget increases to offer, and she came under fire from groups that hoped that she would make a more radical break with the policies of the right-wing government of Nicholas Sarkozy … read more 5.3.15

Germany’s helping hand for Syrian students

DÜSSELDORF (koop int) -- Unable to study in their war-torn homeland, Syrian students are being offered opportunities to continue their studies in Germany. German exchange service (DAAD) offers scholarships and language courses worth €1.5 million, due to begin this Summer … read more 06.03.2015

Portuguese universities’ medicine checkmate

LISBON (económico) -- Private universities across Portugal have been trying to establish medical degree courses for years, all eventually failing to meet the necessary conditions. Lack of qualified teachers, no partnerships with host-hospitals and insufficient research activities have been cited as reasons … read more 03.03.2015

Vienna’s ultra-modern economics university evacuated for third time

VIENNA (heute) -- The fire brigade was called and library building evacuated on Friday, in the latest in a series of glitches at the brand new campus of Vienna’s university for business and economics … read more 06.03.2015

Belarus’ European hopes

MINSK (belta) -- Belarus is determined to join the Bologna Process… and their dreams may come true following a meeting between the education minister and Council of Europe delegates. Describing their desire to join other the European Higher Education Area, the minister described recent developments in their education system and the council responded saying they were “seriously considering the application” … read more 04.3.15

Record number of international students in Norway

OSLO (hegnar) -- The number of international students in Norway has doubled to 24,000 since 2005, now comprising 10 per cent of the overall student body. Boosts to internationalisation and English courses have been cited as a reason but researchers recognise the effects of tuition fees introduction in neighbouring countries … read more 04.03.2015

Bulgaria pilots EU reform-review service

BRUSSELS (nether) -- The European Commission has launched a new instrument to help Member States reform their research and innovation and Bulgaria is the first country to try it out. European commissioner for research and innovation, Carlos Moedas, described the Policy Support Facility (PSF), whereby countries receive free peer-review from a team of international experts, as a tool to “identify and implement those reforms which are key to achieving sustainable growth” … read more

Education minister identified as Finland’s ‘weakest link’

HELSINKI (yle) -- A survey conducted on 60 politicians and 1,000 citizens revealed the opinions on current ministers and Krista Kiuru, minister for education and communication came in last place, scoring 6.4/10. Other female ministers also received lower scores … read more 04.03.2015

First OECD gender and education report

PARIS (economist) -- The OECD has published the first ever major report on gender and education. Boys’ dominance just about endures in maths: at age 15 they are, on average, the equivalent of three months’ schooling ahead of girls. In science the results are fairly even. But in reading, where girls have been ahead for some time, a gulf has appeared. In all 64 countries and economies in the study, girls outperform boys. The average gap is equivalent to an extra year of schooling ... read more | and here 05.03.2015

Media learning trends - a 2015 prognosis

BONN (teachersnews) -- How do universities use media in their learning plans? What will be the trends this year? A prognosis by ‘Teachersnews’ states marketing within MOOCs, adaptive learning platforms and the use of video technology in universities as the top trends for 2015 … read more 02.03.2015

Baltic education and science cooperation

SKOPJE (vlada) -- First launched in 1995, Macedonian and Croatian ministers met last week to sign a new three-year programme for cooperation in sectors of education, science and technology … read more

Social skills trump work skills

WASHINGTON DC (huffingtonpost) -- Our grandchildren will pity our working conditions and a bright future is not a utopian dream but an achievable goal. That’s the conclusion of “The Zero Marginal Cost Society”, by Jeremy Rifkin, economist and bestselling author, who believes that in the new economy, social competences are more important than abilities to work … read more 02.03.2015

Teachers support student protest at Amsterdam University

AMSTERDAM (volkskrant) -- After students occupied a building of the University of Amsterdam (UvA) in the last weeks, over 300 teachers have joined their protest in solidarity. The cause of the outrage is the university’s business-oriented agenda including stock market operations and leaked plans to sell real estate. Further strike action is planned if the administrative board of the UvA does not bow to the researchers’, teachers’ and students’ democratisation demands ... read more 04.03.20

Unanimous support for Bulgarian HE plan

SOFIA (mediapool) -- Bulgaria’s new higher education strategy received overwhelming support as it was passed through parliament last week, receiving zero ‘no’ votes and only one abstention. The plan aims to provide for increasing student numbers, prioritise funding of courses relevant to the economy and fund universities according to performance, not enrolment figures … read more 26.02.2015

Croatian science in crisis

ZAGREB (vercernji) -- Croatia’s science sector is in an ‘alarming’ state, lagging behind all other European countries to get by on a halved budget years after the crisis. Millions of euros in investment are needed and Ivo Družić, president of the national science council has vowed to “fight for more funding” … read more 11.02.2015

French student housing urgently needed

PARIS (e-orientations) -- In this year’s higher education funding report in France, the need for an “indispensable modernisation” was outlined, describing student housing and cantines as the areas in most dire need. Tens of thousands of student flats are lacking and food services need renovation as science minister, Najat Vallaud-Belkacem, admitted … read more 02.03.2015

Latvia’s educated elite mapped out

RIGA (baltic course) -- New grid maps released by Latvia’s central statistical bureau have given a detailed overview of where the highest concentration of educated people are, showing the most highly educated flock to densely populated areas … read more 26.02.2015

Dutch student protests following ‘university squatting’ eviction

AMSTERDAM (bnr) -- The Dutch student body marched last week to show support after a group of 47 students were arrested in Amsterdam following a two week ‘squatting’ stint in the Bungehuis, University of Amsterdam. Students had originally broken into and occupied the building after university documents revealed plans for merging or sale of large parts of Amsterdam’s educational institutions … read more 25.02.2015

France called to strike over education cuts

PARIS (le monde) -- A mobilisation of student and staff has been called for in France to denounce the “financial difficulties of the institutions” ahead of the 2015 budget announcement. The national student union (UNEF) and Parisian universities will march together today … read more 02.03.2015

Course closure rouses Sicily student protests

CATANIA (corriere di ragusa) -- Following the suspension of the contemporary history course at the University of Catania, Sicily, students are protesting and petitions have been launched. A letter to the rector reads “… we pay taxes for the university services, we are the mainstay of the university with our classes suspended and unable to take exams” … read more 03.02.2015

Georgian students’ video solidarity with Ukraine

TBILISI (radio svoboda) -- In a demonstration of solidarity with Ukraine, a group of students have released a video expressing their support against a “common enemy”. This comes as the latest example of students using videos to communicate political statements … read more 26.02.2015

Austria’s greenest student homes opened

VIENNA (heute) -- Students have begun moving into Vienna's ‘Green House’, Austria’s most ecological student homes. The dorms are fitted with state-of-the-art technology to measure CO2 levels and lifts run on self-produced energy … read more 02.03.2015

European science collaborates for commercialisation

BRUSSELS (science business) -- Some of Europe’s leading research centres are joining forces in an example of open innovation. CERN and three others are planning the new collaboration scheme named ATTRACT, which will work together to “promote commercial applications” … read more 26.02.2015

Irish technology institute merger on track

DUBLIN (irish examiner) -- The plan to speed up the merger of two Irish polytechnics - Cork Institute of Technology and Institute of Technology Tralee - has caused panic among staff. Under threat of industrial action by Teachers’ Union of Ireland, the progression was halted … read more 27.02.2015

Portuguese polytechnics torn over entry exam abolishment

LISBON (público) -- Polytechnics in Portugal are in disagreement over proposals to abolish entry exams, a move which would generate differentiation between universities and colleges. Joaquim Mourato, chair of the council of higher polytechnic institutes, the body leading the proposal, said the move would address the “need for admission of more students in higher education” … read more 24.02.2015

Nationalist student death sparks protests across Turkey

IZMIR (today’s zaman) -- Protests took place in universities across Turkey on Monday against the killing of a student during a clash between supporters of the opposition nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) … read more 23.02.2015

Academics call on Israel to ‘choose Europe’

BRUSSELS (al monitor) -- A new document by Israeli experts on the European Union calls upon Israel’s next government not to distance itself from Europe, but to seek special relations with the world’s largest commercial bloc … read more 23.02.2015

German media giant sets sights on universities

FRANKFURT (reuters) -- Bertelsmann, Europe’s largest media group, has made education its top investment priority, vowing to achieve 1 billion euros in revenue from cooperation with universities. Thomas Rabe, chief executive, said, “over the next few years, we will build a network of universities that deliver innovative education programs in various fields of the health and human sciences” … read more 20.02.2015

Anarchists hijack Spanish education reform strikes

MADRID (el mundo) -- Riot-police were forced to intervene in Madrid last week, as a protest organised by the national students’ union was hijacked by anarchists and riots broke out. Students and staff had been calling for the retirement of education minister José Ignacio Wert in response to his controversial education reforms … read more 26.02.2015

Nordic countries lead in English-taught programmes

HELSINKI (pienews) -- 61 percent of higher education institutions in the Nordic region are offering Bachelor’s or Master’s programmes taught entirely in English, a recent report shows. This is compared to 32 percent in 2007 … read more 24.02.2015