Regional
Research Council Reports Strong Interest from Overseas Grant Applicants
The European Research Council [1] (ERC) received 9,167 proposals in response to its first call for proposals. Among those received, a significant number came from outside the EU, according to the ERC.
Officially launched in 2007, the ERC is offering €290 million (US$400m) in ‘Starting Grants’ to young researchers who have completed their doctoral studies and wish to establish their first research team or do their own independent research in an EU member state for the period of the grant. Funding is open to researchers from EU member states and third-country applicants alike, and is geared toward enhancing the competitiveness of Europe as a research destination.
– Euractiv.com [2]
June 15, 2007
Declaration for a Euro-Mediterranean Higher Education Area Issued
Launched in 1995 under the Barcelona Process, the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership was established as a cooperation framework for countries bordering the Mediterranean. In June of this year, the first Euro-Mediterranean Ministerial Conference on Education and Research was held under the aegis of the Barcelona Process. At the conference, ministers agreed to adopt the Cairo Declaration on Higher Education and Scientific Research [3] with a view to creating a Euro-Mediterranean research and higher education area, and a Euro-Mediterranean university through a network of existing universities. Conference delegates also agreed on the need to enhance student participation in Euro-Mediterranean scholarship schemes, and on the need to rationalize Euro-Mediterranean higher education systems with the tenets of the Bologna process and European Credit Transfer System.
– Euromed news release [4]
June 18, 2007
Austria
Interpol Investigating its own University
The world’s largest police force, Interpol, has announced plans to establish its own university in Austria. The organization has launched a $US22 million fundraising campaign to establish its first research and training institution in Vienna. The university-level institution would provide training for high-level officials in the judiciary and police services worldwide. It will be concerned largely with Eastern Europe, which is trying to reform deeply corrupt administrative systems that are a legacy of the Soviet era. It will receive its first 150 students in 2009, according to Ronald K. Noble, the Interpol secretary general.
– The Times Higher Education Supplement [5]
July 20, 2007
Bulgaria
Universities Given Greater Autonomy
The Bulgarian Ministry of Education [6] announced recently that from October 2007, public institutions of higher education will be given the freedom to set their own tuition fees up to a state-mandated maximum of no more than 30 percent the annual costs of educating a student. The education development strategy also aims to increase state subsidiaries for education. This is primarily a response to the EU requirement of unified tuition fees across the Union. Therefore, with Bulgaria’s entry into the EU this year, students from other member states pay the same tuition fees as their Bulgarian counterparts, implying a financial loss for universities who once charged more for all foreign students. In response, universities are now insisting on the re-introduction of paid education in Bulgaria.
– ACA Secretariat [7]
June 2007
Cyprus
Universities in Northern Cyprus Subject of Intense Debate among Bologna Stakeholders
At the recent Bologna Process [8] summit of European education ministers in London [9], there was an “intense” discussion as to the status of universities in Northern (Turkish-held) Cyprus. Because Northern Cyprus is not recognized by the EU, delegates debated issues such as the “right to education” and educational embargoes on the majority Turkish-speaking half of the island.
At the meeting, ministers recognized Montenegro as the 46th signatory to the Bologna Process; however, the final communiqué [10] failed to make mention of the representation of Turkish Cypriot universities despite the best efforts of Turkish delegates.
– ACA Secretariat [7]
June 2007
France
Legislature Passes University Reform Bill
In late July, the National Assembly passed a bill designed to give France’s 85 universities increased autonomy over finances and hiring decisions. The controversial reforms [11] have been high on the priority list of President Nicolas Sarkozy since he was elected to office in early May, despite severe criticism from student groups and opposition politicians. However, even those opposed to the new law are in agreement that higher education must be reformed. The law is currently under review by a special committee before its final adoption, which is expected in early August.
– Le Monde [12]
July 26, 2007
Germany
German Language Increasingly Popular in India
In India, Germany’s language and culture institute, the Goethe Institut [13] (or Max Müller House as it is known in India), can barely keep up with demand among Indian students wanting to learn German. India is home to six Goethe Instituts or Max Müller Bhavans and more are planned. At the Goethe Institut in Delhi [14] alone, 2,200 students pass through its doors every year.
– Deutsche Welle [15]
July 6, 2007
Lithuania
Higher Education Reforms
Government officials and other higher education stakeholders are in the process of drafting what many consider to be much-needed university reforms. Numerous policy papers have been drafted and discussed, including somewhat controversial motions to raise tuition fees, a move designed not only to increase university revenue and funding, but also as a means of increasing competition and standards among universities. Other measures expected to be introduced include increased institutional autonomy over fees and governance; increased scholarships for academically talented students; and the introduction of state-funded, inflation-matched student loans.
There are currently 15 public and seven private universities in Lithuania, enrolling approximately 140,000 students. According to government statistics, Lithuania has one of the highest percentages of student enrollments among college-age students in the EU, yet the lowest investment as a percentage of GDP. If adopted, the reforms would be implemented from September 2008.
– ACA Secretariat [7]
June 2007
Slovakia
President Signs Bill on the Recognition of Foreign Qualifications
Slovak President Ivan Gašparovič has signed a new law on the recognition of foreign qualifications which is aimed at smoothing the process of recognizing educational qualifications from other EU countries. The document is designed to ease bureaucratic hurdles for EU citizens wishing to work and study in Slovakia.
– Slovak Spectator [16]
June 14, 2007
United Kingdom
Overseas scholars Count 1 in 5
Foreign academics make up a fifth of Britain’s university faculty, and one in three academics in some subjects is now from overseas, according to the latest figures, as universities increasingly rely on foreign staff to fill vacancies left by a dearth of domestic researchers and teachers.
According to data from the Higher Education Statistics Agency, [17] there have been steep year-on-year rises in the number of international academics working in the UK over the past decade. At present, in electrical, electronic and computer engineering about a third (34 percent) of staff are from overseas; in physics 31 percent and in mathematics 30 percent. In social studies, clinical medicine and IT, about a quarter of academics are international.
The trend has been welcomed by university managers and staff alike, who think foreign academics add new strengths and bring fresh perspectives to teaching and research in British institutions. From an economic perspective, universities can recruit highly experienced lecturers and pay them similar salaries to newly-minted domestic peers. For lecturers coming from areas such as Eastern Europe, Russia and Africa, the UK offers them a chance to fast-track their career, gain access to good facilities, broaden their experience and, in some cases, improve their English.
But there are also concerns about the potential impact on career opportunities for UK academics and PhD students, not to mention the impact on source countries where professors are often leaving in droves. This issue has been picked up by Education International [18], an umbrella union for teachers and lecturers around the world, which has joined forces with Britain’s University and College Union [19] in a bid to encourage European policymakers and higher education leaders to address it.
– The Times Higher Education Supplement [20]
June 15, 2007
New A-Level Top Grade to be Introduced
The new top A-level grade, the A*, will require marks of at least 90 percent as compared to 80 percent for the existing top grade. The A* is intended to highlight the best candidates, without altering the standards required for the existing five A-level grades (A-E). The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority [21] (QCA) had recommended to outgoing Education Secretary, Alan Johnson, that this new top-level grade should be reserved for students who had an aggregate score of at least 90 percent across the units of their A-level, and before leaving office he signed off on the new award.
Examination boards are also being instructed to make their questions more open-ended to allow pupils the opportunity to shine, according to Ken Boston, chief executive of the QCA, in an interview with the Independent newspaper.
There have been calls for this extra level in response to the increasing proportion of students getting an A grade – which has now risen to almost a quarter of entries. With an increasing number of students getting A grades in all subjects, the selection process has become much more difficult for university admissions officers. The A* will be tested in “modeling exercises in 2007 and 2008” to make sure that “the new assessments maintain the A-level standard.” The A* is scheduled to be fully in place from 2010.
– The BBC [22]
June 29, 2007
Government to Tackle Bologna Confusion
The British government admitted in July that it must do more to address confusion among universities about the Bologna reform initiative and to allay fears that the process is intended to “harmonize” European education systems. The Bologna process [8] – an intergovernmental initiative aimed at making it easier for students and staff in universities to study and work in the 46 signatory countries – has drawn criticism in the UK since its inception in 1999.
According to an education and skills committee report [23] on the process, published in July, there is a distinct lack of awareness and understanding in the sector. The government statement admitted that more must be done to make universities aware that the process is not about “standardisation or harmonisation” of European higher education systems, but rather, “comparability and compatibility”. It said it would be a “mistake” for the UK not to engage with the process, as it would allow students to move more freely between European universities and offer them the chance to acquire experience, language skills, cultural awareness and other skills.
It also said master’s and integrated four-year undergraduate and master’s degrees are not threatened by the process. Concerns were “unfounded”, it said, because both degrees are compatible with Bologna requirements on learning outcomes and credit ranges. Finally, the government said it has asked all universities to issue the Diploma Supplement [24] – a document that spells out how a graduate’s qualification fits within national and European higher education systems – automatically to all graduates.
– The Guardian [25]
July 3, 2007
Domestic, EU Students Undeterred by Tuition Fees
Despite predictions to the contrary, last year’s tuition hike at English universities has not led to a drop in the number of applicants, while there was significant growth in applications from EU countries whose students pay the same rates, according to a report released last week by Universities UK [26], the umbrella organization for vice chancellors of all British universities.
Tuition was raised from approximately US$2,400 to $6,000 annually. The report [27] covers the first full academic year since the higher tuition rates were introduced. It notes that preliminary data from the Higher Education Funding Council for England [28] shows that by Jan. 15, 2007 applications had risen 3 percent over 2005 and 12 percent over 2004, despite a decline in real terms between 2005 and 2006.
Although tuition has increased, students are no longer required to pay for their current academic semester. Instead, they can defer payments by taking out a loan to cover the fees, which they do not have to begin repaying until they have reached a specific income threshold after graduating.
– Universities UK news release [27]
June 26, 2007
Nearly 50 Universities on the Brink
Forty-six universities in England are facing the kind of financial dire straits that risk their very existence, according to a “secret list” compiled by the Higher Education Funding Council for England [28], the agency responsible for distributing state funds to tertiary institutions. The list was composed mainly of former polytechnics, which were only granted full university status in the 1990s. Although officials at the funding agency told The Guardian newspaper that the situation had improved at most universities since the list was compiled, the newspaper reported that it had obtained documents suggesting that three institutions in particular are thought to be “so ‘at risk’ that officials are still withholding their names,” and that more universities were being monitored “because they are under threat unless they act.” The list was compiled in an attempt to gauge how universities are faring since tuition fees were introduced in the UK.
– The Guardian [29]
Monday, July 9, 2007
Incoming Prime Minister Creates New Education-Related Government Department
One day into his new job as prime minister, Gordon Brown announced a major reorganization of the government, including the creation of a Department of Innovation, Universities, and Skills [30]. The new office will take over responsibility for the development, financing, and performance of higher education from the Department of Education and Skills, which will be disbanded. It will also take charge of promoting science, research, and innovation from the Department of Trade and Industry, which will also be eliminated.
– The Chronicle of Higher Education [31]
July 13, 2007
Report: International Students Fees too Costly
The United Kingdom is in danger of pricing itself out of the international-student market, according to a recent study by the Higher Education Policy Institute [32] (HEPI). The Economic Costs and Benefits of International Students [33] states that the UK’s global market share of such students is still second only to the US, but it dropped to around 11 percent in 2004 from 16 percent in 1998. According to a student survey conducted by HEPI for the report, 25 percent of international students think they get poor value for money. While the actual number of international students in the UK is increasing overall, the report said universities should not presume this would continue.
As other countries such as Germany and France begin to teach in English and market themselves more aggressively, and students get better information to compare the value for money of courses “it is quite possible that UK universities will begin to struggle to maintain numbers while charging the sorts of prices that are charged at present”, the report warns. HEPI argues for the government to subsidize international students to maximize their numbers and “provide the greatest benefit to the country as a whole, looking beyond the narrow interests of universities”. In 2004-05, there were 218,395 students from outside the EU, made up of 82,095 full-time undergraduates, 85,605 full-time postgraduates, 16,320 part-time undergraduates and 34,375 part-time postgraduates.
– The Guardian [34]
July 12, 2007
(Scotland)
Visa-Pedaling Colleges under Government Spotlight
A number of colleges in Scotland have come under scrutiny by the British government for issuing what are thought to be questionable credentials and a front for an elaborate immigration scam. The Home Office’s Border and Immigration Agency launched an investigation in July to decide if the colleges have been set up purely to bring immigrants into the UK under student visas, rather than to educate them.
According to an investigation by The Herald newspaper, a string of colleges in Glasgow are under suspicion of advertising non-existent programs or using logos of recognized educational and industry bodies on their websites without permission. All the colleges under suspicion are currently on an official government register which allows visas to be issued to students enrolled there.
Two of the colleges, Commonwealth College Glasgow and Great Regent College are reportedly operating out of apartments and office blocks, despite websites suggesting grander locales. Another two institutions, Middlesex College and Glasgow College have misleading website addresses registered in the Ascension Islands. A further two colleges, and many more operating throughout the UK, appear to be connected to an institution called Newcastle University, which is operating illegally in the American state of Oregon. The Newcastle University website, which has no connection to the legitimate institution in the north-east of England, claims to have a UK base in Essex but its address is actually home to a private college called Abbey College, an entity that appears more concerned with relaying information on applying for a student visa and providing leads to immigration agencies in Pakistan and India.
According to a representative for the Border and Immigration Agency, interviewed by the Herald, “institutions are visited on an intelligence-led basis and removed from the register where they are found not to be bona fide. A total of 45 colleges have been removed since 2005.”
– The Herald [35]
July 11, 2007