Germany

Program Helps 1,500 Study in Eastern Europe

Almost 1,500 German students and graduates are studying in former Soviet and Warsaw Pact countries about to join the European Union under a US$3 million initiative by the German higher education authorities. The program started 18 months ago.

— The Times Higher Education Supplement
Feb. 20, 2004

Jewish-American University Opens in Berlin

Germany’s first Jewish-American university recently opened in Berlin. Touro University is a U.S. university offering a bachelor’s program in business management and administration, and courses in humanities and the Hebrew language. The bachelor program is the same as the program offered by the college’s home institution in New York. The language of instruction is English, and tuition is US$3,600 a semester.

— Campus-Germany
Feb. 9, 2004

Bavaria Launches ‘Elite Network’

Bavaria is the first state in Germany to announce the start of “elite degree programs”, with the establishment of 10 elite degree programs and five international doctoral research colleges within existing universities that will offer places for 300 students from fall 2004.

Rather than concentrating on the development of just one or two universities, Bavarian ministers want each university to offer first-class programs to the best national and international students, alongside what is currently available. The chosen projects at nine of the state’s 11 universities will form part of an “elite Bavarian network” that the state of Bavaria will support with the creation of 233 jobs and — together with business and industry — US$16.8 million. According to Education Minister Thomas Goppel, these programs will be characterized by their inherent breadth and depth and will reflect the top-quality research being carried out in Bavaria. Students will be expected to complete the programs in less time than normal degree programs while delving further into the subject. Program offerings are mainly in the sciences and range from applied mathematics to cellular biology.

— Campus-Germany
March 15, 2004

Hungary

More Graduate; Fewer Find Jobs

Before the collapse of the communist system, passing the university-entrance examination meant being able to find a secure job after graduation. In the first years afterward, many skilled laborers in state industry were laid off. The economy, however, managed to absorb graduates. When recession hit in 2000, the situation reversed. Data from the Ministry of Labor now show that the number of unemployed graduates reached its peak in July 2003: more than 15,000 people, or nearly 4 percent of the total unemployed population. Unofficially, the number of unemployed people who have a degree is thought to be much higher, approximately 40,000 to 50,000.

Because university funding levels are determined by the number of students they enroll, schools are still heavily recruiting applicants. Coupled with the rise in unemployment is an apparent decrease in the average compensation that graduates can now expect. At the candidate.hu online job fair for university and college students, newly graduated economists, computer scientists and engineers were looking for starting salaries of US$971, based on the fact that graduates in the second half of the 1990s were finding positions with a starting salary of US$1,068. But now, economics majors who graduate with no special qualifications are typically offered approximately US$364 per month.

In 1990, there were 24,100 graduates; in 2003, 47,200 people age 18 to 24 graduated from a college or a university. Since the collapse of communism, the number of students has almost tripled; today there are almost 400,000 students pursuing higher education. In addition, the government is seeking more graduates through a policy whose aim is to have every second member of the younger generation in college by 2010. Since schools are subsidized on the basis of the number of students they enroll, a place is found for almost every applicant.

— Nepszabadsag
Jan. 24, 2004

Slovak Republic

Cabinet Forced to Abandoned Tuition Fee Proposals

The Slovak Cabinet withdrew its proposed bill on student loans, which also would have introduced university tuition fees of up to US$550 a year. The government was forced to reconsider in the face of mass student protests.

One day after the Cabinet put off the introduction of tuition fees at universities, students at Comenius University, the largest university in Slovakia, decided to join the strike alert announced by university students all over the country March 3. The protesters have assumed that the Cabinet is pursuing a hidden purpose by withdrawing the proposal. Concerns also have been raised that fees would cause a brain drain to the neighboring Czech Republic, where young Slovaks would be able to study free of charge.

— The Slovak Spectator
March 8, 2004

The United Kingdom

Top Universities Awarding More ‘Firsts’

The number of first-class honors degrees awarded at Britain’s top 19 universities, the so-called Russell group, has increased 50 percent in five years. Despite accusations of “dumbing down” programs, universities pointed out that student numbers are rising, and increasing competition from ever better-qualified students has led to better academic standards. The 19 universities awarded 9,475 firsts in 2003. The proportion of firsts rose from 11.8 percent to 15.5 percent, while firsts and 2:1s combined were up from 61.1 percent to 66.6 percent, according to evidence produced in Parliament.

According to the Economist magazine, the economics of generous markings are straightforward. When the many who are merely good get the same top grades as the few who are truly brilliant, there are more winners than losers; marking more toughly creates the opposite scenario. If universities admit the problem at all, the most they are likely to do is introduce new top grades, as witnessed recently at Harvard University, where President Larry Summers called for a new A-plus and an A-double-plus at the school, notorious for awarding half its students As.

— The Guardian
March 15, 2004

EU Expansion a Mixed Bag for Higher Education

A recent study has found that expansion of European Union membership will have far-reaching consequences, both good and bad, for Britain’s system of higher education on May 1, when 10 countries, mainly from Eastern Europe, become members. The report finds that among students from the current 15-member countries, Britain is the most popular destination. Students within the European Union compete equally — regardless of country of origin — for spaces at universities and for financial aid.

The report, “Projecting Demand for UK Higher Education From the Accession Countries,” warns that the government must increase its financial support to meet the increased demand, or else risk harming the quality of an already overburdened and under-financed system of higher education. The flip side, according to the report, is that the predicted influx will add up to US$150 million a year to the UK economy. The report expects between 20,000 and 30,000 students from the 10 expansion countries to be studying at British universities by 2010.

Beginning in September, undergraduates from these countries will pay the home fee of £1,125 instead of overseas fees of between £7,000 and £8,000 — and because incomes are lower, they may not have to pay fees at all. Demand for higher education has grown rapidly in the accession states in recent years and has led to the growth of private fee-paying universities, so the prospect of paying fees is unlikely to deter students from going to the United Kingdom, argues the report.

— The Daily Telegraph
March 4, 2004

(Scotland)

Special Visas Extended for Foreign Graduates

In a bid to halt a perceived brain drain from the country, Scottish authorities are investing more to attract foreign students to Scotland and extending special visas to allow them to remain in Scotland after they graduate.

Visas will be extended for overseas students who graduate from Scottish universities after September 2005 for two years. The visa gives students more time to find jobs, increasing the six-month grace period allowed under current rules. The plan fits into the framework of the Scottish government’s policy to halt population decline: Scotland’s population is predicted to fall below 5 million from today’s level of 5.05 million by 2009.

— The Guardian
Feb. 26, 2004

Online Medical School to be Hosted by Dundee University

Academics from the world of medicine converged on Dundee at the end of January for a summit to discuss the world’s first virtual medical school. The International Virtual Medical School (IVIMEDS) is being developed by 40 medical schools, which will contribute learning materials and teaching time to help train medics, especially in the developing world. The IVIMEDS project will be based at the University of Dundee.

The director of the project, Ronald Harden, said, “The priority for medical education today is to train more doctors in a more cost-effective way. The consortium is putting together a huge bank of resources, which will eventually cover the entire spectrum of medical education from undergraduate to CPD.”
The first phase of the project is expected to go live in September.

— The Guardian
Jan. 28, 2004