Austrian rectors want reforms and budget increases
LINZ (oön) -- Austrian rectors are keen on university reforms which are currently debated among the political parties and they would wish to be enacted before the legislative period. Part of the reforms are performance-oriented funding criteria and the possibility for universities to be more selective with new students. An appetizer is an increase of the university budget by 1,35 billion euro from 2019 ... read more | and here 30.05.2017
Petty wrangling over the new EMA home
BRUSSELS (sb) -- An unruly contest among European cities vying to be the next home of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) got a bit more orderly. Following a new set of rules to select the winner in October, front-runners now appear to include Amsteram, Copenhagen and Barcelona ... read more 24.5.
New EU rules on text and data mining
BRUSSELS (the) -- New EU directive set to ease rules on text and data mining. But research organisations say proposed directive does not go far enough and could hinder links with companies ... read more | and here 22.05.2017
University-industry links stronger in rich countries
LONDON (the) -- The richest countries in Europe tend to perform best in terms of their universities engaging with industry, a Times Higher Education ranking suggests. The median ranking score on industry income against GDP per person does suggest that the two indicators are related. Leading are the Swiss, Germans and Dutch ... read more 15.05.2017
EP set to threaten Hungary with sanctions over ‘CEU law’
BRUSSELS (sputnik) -- The European Parliament is set to consider invoking Article 7 of the Treaty on European Union - for the first time - against Hungary, over the controversial legislation aiming at closing the Central European University in Budapest ... read more .05.2017
Romanian universities open for Azerbaijanis
BAKU (azernews) -- Romania is willing to develop relations with Azerbaijan not only in the spheres of politics and economy, but also in the spheres of culture and education, Ambassador Dan Iancu said. Azerbaijan and Romania have been successfully developing relations for 25 years, especially in the energy sector. Education quality in Romania is one of the highest in Europe, he said, especially noting the country’s educational potential in the oil and gas, as well as the medical sphere. Romanian universities offer educational programmes both in English and Romanian. Both countries’ education ministries plan to sign a number of agreements during an upcoming visit ... read more 22.05.2017
Austria bans burqas at universities
VIENNA (npr) -- Austria became the latest European country to ban the full-face veil. "Starting in October, police will be charging fines from people who wear clothes that obstruct their facial features. The ban is seen above all as a symbolic measure designed to avert pressure from the anti-immigration Freedom party, only between 100 and 150 women are estimated to wear the full-face veil in Austria."... read more 18.05.2017
Wishful thinking: a university spin-off
LONDON (nature) -- In a survey of Nature readers, 47 percent said that they would consider leaving academia to commercialise their research in a start-up company. However — a mere six percent of the respondents reported having started a company. The greatest perceived barriers were financial risk and lack of business skills ... read more 17.05.2017
Deal for student exchange between France and Canada
OTTAWA (uwn) -- Canada and France have signed a cooperation agreement to improve professional opportunities for students studying for a degree in 'French as a foreign language' in France ... read more 16.05.2017
Macron’s new science minister
PARIS (science) -- Frédérique Vidal, 53, the new research minister for science, spent most of her career at the University of Nice Sophia Antipolis, where she increasingly focused on education and climbed through the administrative ranks until becoming university president in 2012. Vidal is one of the new ministers appointed from ‘civil society’ to the government which will serve at least until the French general election in June ... read more 18.05.2017
Marches for CEU continue
BUDAPEST (trt) -- A crowd estimated at 10,000 people by local media marched through Budapest on Sunday in a demonstration against tough laws targeting foreign-backed NGOs and higher education institutions, amid rising tensions between Budapest and Brussels ... read more 21.05.2017