On Wednesday 16 December, Government published a press release on the website announcing that Universities and Science Minister Jo Johnson launched a UK-wide independent review of REF. We heard that the review will be chaired by Lord Stern, President of the British Academy. His team will comprise of a group of academics, and they expect… Read more » about Lord Stern to Chair UK-Wide Independent Review of REF.
Daily BUzz
Global Buzz Europe!
Today was a wonderful and busy day at Bournemouth University, as Global BU (@GlobalBU) presented the Global Buzz Europe event! To see how the day went, do look at #GlobalBuzzEurope which has plenty of highlights and photos. The event kicked off at 10:00 with some refreshments, fruit and pastries in Kimmeridge House Foyer on Talbot Campus, where… Read more » about Global Buzz Europe!
The EC’s ‘Dropout and Completion in Higher Education in Europe‘ Study
The European Commission have just published a new study on ‘Dropout and Completion in Higher Education in Europe‘, which was prepared by the Center for Higher Education Policy Studies and Nordic Institute for Studies in Innovation, Research and Education. The Europe-wide survey study aims to highlight different approaches used throughout Europe to improve completion and reduce dropout… Read more » about The EC’s ‘Dropout and Completion in Higher Education in Europe‘ Study
Hepi’s Employability: Degrees of Value Paper
Yet another December paper is out – Hepi’s Employability: degrees of value. This paper is quite interesting in that it raises a key point in the ongoing discussion about what universities actually offer, how students benefit and what they can actually hope to get out of higher education. Plenty of focus has been afforded to HE’s direct link… Read more » about Hepi’s Employability: Degrees of Value Paper
British Council publishes the report Transnational Education
On Friday, the British Council published the report Transnational Education – A Guide for Creating Partnerships in India, which provides a guide for UK universities to improve relationships with Indian institutions. Because India has become a key nation globally, there are considerable opportunities for UK universities to enter the India HE market. The report recognised that… Read more » about British Council publishes the report Transnational Education
World Bank Group releases a report, Competitive Cities for Jobs and Growth: What, Who, and How
The World Bank Group has released a report, Competitive Cities for Jobs and Growth: What, Who, and How, which analyses cities to understand factors what improve their competitiveness in order to support growth and productivity. The idea behind the analysis, which began in January 2014, is to provide strong and practical evidence for policymakers, so that they… Read more » about World Bank Group releases a report, Competitive Cities for Jobs and Growth: What, Who, and How
HEA publishes report on ‘learning gain’ in UK universities
The Higher Education Academy has just published the survey results of more than 24,000 undergraduates, in a first attempt to understand and measure ‘learning gain’ in UK universities. The report is based on the US’s National Survey of Student Engagement which is a well-established survey used worldwide, to investigate students’ perceptions of skills development and educational activities. Findings,… Read more » about HEA publishes report on ‘learning gain’ in UK universities
UUK report recommends improved understanding of skills
A new report published today by UK Universities explores the question of whether the UK is or isn’t churning too many skilled graduates, and whether the skills developed cater to the needs of the labour market and global knowledge economy. The report suggests that in the next decade, there will be a shortage of skilled graduates, but more critically,… Read more » about UUK report recommends improved understanding of skills
Parliamentary Briefing on the UK’s Immigration Policy
Today’s Buzz is a link to a Parliamentary Briefing on immigration policy and the UK’s visa ‘refusal threshold’. Universities UK states that visa refusals are by no means a good proxy for curbing the entrance of ‘bogus’ students. They suggest the threshold, currently at 10%, puts smaller institutions at risk of losing their international recruiting opportunities,… Read more » about Parliamentary Briefing on the UK’s Immigration Policy
Turkish-Russian tensions impact academia
In the height of the Turkish-Russian tensions, after the shooting down by Turkey of a Russian fighter jet on 24 November, it is worth reflecting on how political conflict impacts academia and relationships between academics. Apparently over 40 universities have ended collaboration with Turkey; there is also news that Turkish students are being harassed by… Read more » about Turkish-Russian tensions impact academia