Where science meets fiction
ANTALYA (hurriyet) -- A research centre at Akdeniz University in the Mediterranean province of Antalya, Turkey, has introduced “Ufology and Exopolitcs” to its latest curriculum, in an attempt to prepare for possible contact with visitors from outer space ... read more 27.11.2017
Italian students protest the defunding of the South
PALERMO (palermo today) -- The National Association of the University of Palermo organised a day of protest on November 24th, to denounce the progressive fall in state investment in universities and the simultaneous defunding of Southern Italy’s universities ... read more 22.11.17
40 percent gender quota for Swedish reading lists
LUND (uwn) -- Lund University in Sweden has introduced a reading list gender quota, meaning 40 percent of all course reading materials must be written by women. This has sparked a debate about the extent to which such quotas might damage academic integrity, as a course on the development of fascist ideas before the World War I was disallowed due to the lack of female representation in such literature at the time ... read more 24.11.2017
Strategic headquarters for Franco-Spanish uni campus
JACA (radiohuesca) -- The cross-border campus, EBRoS (European Bioregion of Science), which includes universities in northern Spain in Southern France wants to make the ancient city of Jaca its strategic headquarters, where ideally more university related activities would take place. The aim of EBRoS Campus is to promote training and research, in the areas of energy and environment, nanoscience, agri-food, wine and tourism ... read more 28.11.2017
Charles University rector not backing down
PRAGUE (pl) -- The Rector of Charles University in Prague, Tomáš Zima refuses to heed the call of hundreds of academics not to appoint Alice Němcová Tejkalová Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences. According to the signatories of an open letter, her appointment may damage the name of the faculty and the university, due to her allegedly publishing articles in fraudulent journals ... read more 28.11.17
Spain: Private universities on the rise
MADRID (rrhh) -- The total value of the sector of private universities and business schools in Spain reached 2.06 billion euros in 2016, 8.1 percent more than the previous year. They enroll 16.6 percent of all students in Spain. The sector is highly concentrated with the ten largest providers accounting for nearly half of the students ... read more 28.11.2017
Hungary sets sights low
BUDAPEST (hirtv) -- While most EU members are aiming to have at least 45 percent of their population become graduates, Hungary’s target is lagging behind at 34 percent. Education minister, László Palkovics points out that despite this, Hungary has the union’s lowest rate of graduate unemployment. One must wonder if this is part of prime minister, Viktor Orbán’s plan to promote the trades over a university education ... read more | and here 24.11.2017
Russia expels Polish scientist
MOSCOW (euractiv) -- Poland has protested against the Russian decision to expel a Polish historian from the country. The historian from Jagiellonian University, was first detained overnight, and then given a note demanding that he leave the country, giving no explanation. The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has since clarified that this was in retaliation to the expulsion of a Russian scientist from Poland in October, and accuses Poland of stirring artificial tensions between the countries ... read more 28.11.2017
61 percent higher tuition fees in Italy
ROME (wired) -- Italian students who enrolled in 2005 paid on average 775 euros in tuition fees. Today the sum stands at 1,250 euros, 61 percent more. The effects are felt worst in southern Italy where at the University of Salento fees have increased by 208 percent ... read more 21.11.2017
Serbian funding in all the wrong places
BELGRADE (blic) -- Public expenditure on education in Serbia came to 4.3 percent of GDP last year, comfortably in line with the rest of the EU. However, next to nothing was invested in the improvement of the teaching process itself. Nikola Gluhovic, professor of economics in the University of East Sarajevo says “some study programs do not have many practical components, which diminishes their competitiveness in the market” ... read more 26.11.2017
Hungary rewards highly cited scientists
BUDAPEST (nature) -- Hungarian commissioner for research and innovation József Pálinkás has designed grants that reward research excellence. They are part of a long-term, systematic plan to encourage researchers in all fields to strive for world-class publications and to tempt Hungarian scientists working abroad to return ... read more 21.11.17
Macron urges to build university networks in Europe
PARIS (science business) -- A memo outlining French president Emmanuel Macron’s proposals was distributed last week to aides of the 27 other European Union leaders. The Élysée Palace wants EU research and education funding to support the, “emergence by 2024 of around 20 ‘European universities’ that will be based on networks of four to six institutions, in at least three member states” ... read more 21.11.2017
Key area of the new Armenia-EU agreement
BRUSSELS (mediamax) -- Within the frames of the Eastern Partnership Summit on November 24, 2017, Armenia and the European Union signed the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement (CEPA). It includes that Armenian universities will participate in the Horizon 2020 and in EU4Innovation programmes ... read more 25.11.2017
Paris-Saclay wants to go up a league
PARIS (les echos) -- In stark contrast to the French government’s position, refusing to talk about ‘entry requirements’, the university Paris-Saclay plans to introduce just that, in order to attract top students. The institution has announced the launch of ‘selective degrees’, in an attempt to compete with the world’s greats ... read more 21.11.2017
Polish student numbers fall
WARSAW (bankier) -- The number of students in Poland is decreasing. According to the Central Statistics Office, more than 1,300,000 people studied in Poland in the last academic year. In comparison, this number was almost two million in 2011 ... read more 17.11.2017
Irish university pay-cap raised
DUBLIN (irish times) -- Universities in Ireland are to be allowed to hire world-leading scientists and engineers on salaries of up to 250,000 euros. Until now, strict rules have meant that public sector employees cannot be paid more than Ireland’s Prime Minister, or 190,000 euros ... read more 10.11.2017