English deprives students of means to express themselves
AMSTERDAM (reformatisch dagblad) -- Currently, 69 percent of all Master’s programs and 20 percent of all Bachelor programmes at Dutch universities are taught entirely in English. Alarm bells ring as language choice is shifting away from Dutch in the social field of university education, which Dr de Groot says will lead to language loss, a gradual decline of the Dutch language in general ... read more 29.09.2017
New code of ethics for Lithuanian universities
VILNIUS (lietuvosdiena) -- Following a plagiarism scandal, the Conference of Rectors of Lithuanian Universities has decided to prepare a new document on academic ethics requirements. “If universities had their own code of morality, transparency and integrity, we’d have even higher standards” explains Juozas Augutis, rector of the Vytautas Magnus University in Kaunas ... read more 29.09.2017
One in two Norwegians doesn’t trust research
OSLO (uwn) -- As part of a survey commissioned by the Research Council of Norway it has been found that almost half of the public does not trust research. Other findings continue in a similar vein: two fifths think that results are greatly affected by researchers’ personal beliefs. Two in three however support further public investment in research ... read more 20.09.2017
External report criticises Europe’s Joint Research Centre
BRUSSELS (nature) -- The European Union’s Joint Research Centre (JRC) celebrates its 60th anniversary this year. Operating at six sites in five EU countries, with a budget of €372 million, it was originally set up as a nuclear research organisation, but widened its remit over the decades. An evaluation criticised it for doing too little independent research of the type required to attract and keep the best scientists ... read more 03.10.2017
Macron's plans to reform the EU
PARIS (blesk) -- “Twenty new European universities should be helped to strengthen the European spirit”, announced French President Emmanuel Macron as he called for a more centralised EU for the future. The goal for 2024 is for European students to master at least two European languages ... read more 27.09.2017
“The future will speak Hungarian”
BUDAPEST (union news) -- The manager of the Hungarian Civil Union (FIDES) has announced that Hungarian leadership will be able to provide training in Hungarian in Ukraine. This comes as prime minister, Viktor Orbán proclaimed last week that “the future is written in Hungarian” and “the future will speak Hungarian” as he stressed his position on the education of his countrymen around the world ... read more 01.10.2017
Making the case for East German universities
BERLIN (epoch times) -- In her weekly podcast Angela Merkel has made the case for East German universities, saying they are just as good, if not sometimes better than their western counterparts. The Chancellor reserved special praise for the university in Greifswald in her home constituency ... read more 30.09.2017
Severe accommodation shortage in Bordeaux
BORDEAUX (20minutes) -- As it grows ever more difficult for Bordeaux students to find accommodation in their wealthy city, Olivier Dugrip, rector of the Academy of Bordeaux has called for landlords to rent their homes to students, and Nicole Rascle, vice-president of the University of Bordeaux has even summoned staff to rent out their spare rooms ... read more 03.10.2017
Slovenian students use less paper
LJUBLJANA (rtvslo) -- The rent of printed materials in libraries across Slovenia has dropped with the start of the new academic year. In the Ljubljana University Library, this can be explained primarily by the availability of materials in digital form and falling student numbers ... read more 01.10.2017
Seven Italian university teachers arrested
FLORENCE (ansa) -- On Monday seven university teachers were arrested by finance police in relation to allegations of exam rigging. A further 22 people have also been barred from holding academic positions for 12 months, and a total of 59 are currently under investigation. These events were triggered when some teachers attempted to persuade a candidate in an exam to withdraw their bid in favour of a less qualified candidate ... read more 25.09.2017
University ‘diversification’ spreads to Turkey
ANKARA (a24) -- Like German and other European countries before them with their excellence strategies, Turkey is now introducing its own hierarchy between national universities – of course with a royal gesture. President Erdoğan, at the Academic Year Opening, has proclaimed the names of the schools to be designated as research universities ... read more 26.09.2017
Risks and opportunities of Catalonian independence
BARCELONA (nature) -- Many scientists believe that an independent Catalonia could change the scientific landscape fundamentally, not least by releasing universities from old-fashioned and inflexible national laws. But Catalonia would automatically leave the EU, and Spain would make sure it never got back in. That would weaken the region’s research ... read more 27.09.2017
Flemish quota for female professors
BRUSSELS (scienceguide) -- The Vrije Universiteit Brussel (the first in Europe to go to the stock market in 2015) is looking to bring more women into the top ranks of the university. In an interview, rector Caroline Pauwels announced that one in three professors must be women ... read more | and here 22.09.2017
Czech unions give up protests
PRAGUE (prague monitor) -- The Czech trade unions on Tuesday withdrew their threat to go on strike as the government approved the demand of pay rise for employees in the public sector, and university representatives called off the protests planned for the beginning of the academic year. The Czech government has also agreed to raise the universities’ budget by three billion crowns (115,000 euros) ... read more | and here 27.09.2017
What Germany’s election results mean for science
BERLIN (nature) -- As Germany reels from an unexpected surge for the far right in the 24 September parliamentary elections, researchers don’t expect much effect on the country’s generous support for science. But with smaller parties standing to gain political influence, battles over issues such as the regulation of gene-edited organisms and how to cut greenhouse-gas emissions could grow fiercer. The right-wing newcomer party AfD has argued for the abandonment of the Bologna Process, and reducing the influence of international foundations ... read more | and here 25.09.2017