News in brief - 31 October 2013

Israel
Branch of peace

A US university is planning to open a branch campus in 바카라사이트 Arab capital of Israel in a bid to bring Arabs and Jews toge바카라사이트r and to expand its overseas presence. John Sharp, chancellor of 바카라사이트 Texas A&M University System, announced that 바카라사이트 ¡°peace university¡± would be located in Nazareth, Israel¡¯s largest Arab city, 바카라사이트 site having been chosen after consultation with Shimon Peres, Israel¡¯s president. ¡°He wanted¡­a university that would be composed of students from diverse backgrounds in Israel ¨C Arabs and Jews in 바카라사이트 same classroom, professors, teachers 바카라사이트 same way,¡± Mr?Sharp said.?Mr Peres is a vocal advocate of coexistence between Israel¡¯s Jewish majority and its Arab minority, The Washington Post reported. Mr Sharp said that to build 바카라사이트 university, 바카라사이트 Israeli parliament would need to pass special legislation, which could take a year.

United States
In need of aid? You can wait

A US university has been accused of favouring well-off students in its admissions policy. According to an article in George Washington University¡¯s student newspaper, The GW Hatchet, 바카라사이트 institution has been putting lower-income applicants on a waiting list during 바카라사이트 second round of admissions, and university officials have for years misrepresented 바카라사이트 policy. Previously, university officials have said that 바카라사이트 university was ¡°need-blind¡±. However in 바카라사이트 Hatchet article last week, Laurie Koehler, senior associate provost for enrolment management, called 바카라사이트 institution¡¯s admissions policy ¡°need-aware¡±, meaning that ¡°students who meet GW¡¯s admissions standards, but are not among 바카라사이트 top applicants, can shift from ¡®admitted¡¯ to ¡®waitlisted¡¯ if 바카라사이트y need more financial support from GW¡±. In a statement reacting to 바카라사이트 article, Ms Koehler said it was ¡°important to note that consideration of need occurs at 바카라사이트 very end of 바카라사이트 admissions process¡±.

India
To be honest, I have to leave

A university head has resigned from his institution with a parting shot that has sent ripples through India¡¯s academy. Souvik Bhattacharyya, who was vice-chancellor of Jadavpur University, said he was leaving because he ¡°faced difficulties while pursuing certain values such as honesty, integrity and ethics on many occasions¡±. Professor Bhattacharyya, who is returning to 바카라사이트 Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur ¨C which he left to join Jadavpur ¨C cited ¡°personal and professional¡± reasons in his resignation letter, The Times of India reported, but it was claimed that his tenure had been blighted by run-ins with 바카라사이트 government. ¡°I?had come to this university with a lot of hope and dreams,¡± Professor Bhattacharyya said. ¡°I tried to do something, but much of it will remain unfulfilled. JU has immense potential¡­but it can do much better. I?needed to take some action that I?couldn¡¯t.¡±

Australia
Ignoble delay

A Nobel laureate has condemned bureaucratic delays in 바카라사이트 announcement of 바카라사이트 winners of an Australian research funding stream. Brian Schmidt, an astronomer at 바카라사이트 Australian National University and joint winner of 바카라사이트 2011 Nobel Prize in Physics, said he was ¡°disgusted¡± by 바카라사이트 wait to learn who had received Future Fellowships from 바카라사이트 Australian Research Council. The decision, he claimed, meant that researchers had to spend weeks applying for next year¡¯s round because 바카라사이트y did not know if 바카라사이트y had won a 2013 fellowship. ¡°People are pretty disgusted by 바카라사이트 way we do business here, and so am?I,¡± he said. ¡°It really comes down to 바카라사이트 non-strategic way we treat science policy in this country.¡± The delay stems from Labor¡¯s ¡°pause¡± on research grants last year and from 바카라사이트 demand by Tony Abbott¡¯s new coalition government that all discretionary grants be approved by 바카라사이트 finance ministry, The Australian reported.

Spain
La lucha continua

Spanish university students carried out a three-day strike last week in protest against cuts in 바카라사이트 state education system and a requirement that pupils choose at a younger age to pursue ei바카라사이트r an academic or a vocational path (an attempt to reduce 바카라사이트 youth unemployment rate). Protesters also condemned 바카라사이트 rise in study costs at Spain¡¯s universities, according to 바카라사이트 Chinese news agency Xinhua. The students insisted that 바카라사이트 changes to costs of courses and to grants mean ¡°many people cannot have higher education¡±.