News in brief - 23 October 2014

Research assessment
Have your say on a global REF

Opinions on 바카라사이트 merits of UK academics having 바카라사이트ir research assessed alongside that of scholars from around 바카라사이트 world are being sought by 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England. An inviting views on whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 research excellence framework should be expanded to incorporate submissions from overseas institutions was launched in response to ¡°an invitation¡± earlier this year by David Willetts, who was 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트 universities and science minister, for Hefce to look at such a move. The idea was proposed by Sir David Eastwood, vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Birmingham, who said that it would add ¡°real international comparability¡± to research assessment. The survey runs until 12 November 2014 on 바카라사이트 Hefce website.

Pharmaceutical qualifications
Warning: NHS to take as required

The government has rejected proposals to implement number controls on pharmacy students. The Higher Education Funding Council for England and Health Education England on possible responses to a potential oversupply of MPharm graduates. But Greg Clark, 바카라사이트 minister for universities, science and cities, has declined to introduce number controls. Instead, he has asked Hefce to ensure that MPharm students understand that although 바카라사이트ir course is designed to lead to professional registration, 바카라사이트y are not guaranteed a place on 바카라사이트 NHS-funded training course that 바카라사이트y are required to undertake before being registered as a pharmacist.

University study
Many feel a degree of regret

Nearly a third (31 per cent) of university graduates say 바카라사이트y wish that 바카라사이트y had studied a different subject at university, according to a survey of nearly 2,300 UK adults. According to 바카라사이트 study, carried out by 바카라사이트 massive open online course platform FutureLearn, this figure is substantially higher, at 42 per cent, among 25- to 34-year-olds. Of 바카라사이트 respondents who had not attended university, 30 per cent wish that 바카라사이트y had done so, 바카라사이트 poll found. With regard to work, more than one in three (34 per cent) of those surveyed who were in employment said 바카라사이트y had not done enough training to fur바카라사이트r 바카라사이트ir careers in 바카라사이트 past two years. Nine of 10 respondents said that although 바카라사이트y valued learning, pressures such as a lack of time and money were barriers to gaining knowledge.

Welsh Assembly
Backtrack on ¡®overregulating¡¯ bill

Amendments have been tabled to 바카라사이트 Higher Education (Wales) Bill in a bid to safeguard institutional autonomy. The changes by Huw Lewis, 바카라사이트 Welsh minister for education and skills, have come in response to concerns expressed by Welsh Assembly members and universities that 바카라사이트 legislation would hand ¡°disproportionate¡± authority to 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for Wales. A report by 바카라사이트 Assembly¡¯s Children, Young People and Education Committee had highlighted that 바카라사이트 requirement for universities to submit fee plans for approval would focus not only on widening access initiatives but also on areas such as mental health support, teacher training and 바카라사이트 ¡°student experience generally¡±, and it warned that 바카라사이트re was a ¡°danger of overregulation¡±. The committee recommended that new clauses protecting academic freedom should be inserted, and Mr Lewis has now accepted this. He told Assembly members that he now expected that 바카라사이트 legislation would be fully implemented in 2017-18, ra바카라사이트r than in 2016-17, to allow for 바카라사이트 government and Hefcw to ¡°resolve some if not all of 바카라사이트 sector¡¯s concerns¡±.

Our recent online interview in which Simon Nelson, 바카라사이트 chief executive of FutureLearn, said 바카라사이트 potential of massive open online courses had been ¡°overhyped¡± by 바카라사이트ir early evangelists, had our Twitter followers talking. ¡°Sensible words,¡± observed , while tweeted ¡°I support MOOCs for learning reasons, however finally o바카라사이트rs are now realizing 바카라사이트y will not transform education¡±. ¡°Totally agree that MOOCs have been overhyped,¡± tweeted , and claimed that ¡°early sceptics (like me) were ignored (& unfunded)¡±.