The week in higher education ¨C 11 January 2018

Few issues in higher education could provoke more than 200,000 people to sign a petition, but 바카라사이트 UK government has achieved just this by appointing journalist Toby Young to 바카라사이트 board of England¡¯s new higher education regulator, 바카라사이트 Office for Students. The petition on change.org claims that Mr Young had once referred to children with learning difficulties as ¡°illiterate troglodytes¡±, that he had complained that schools having to give access to children in wheelchairs is an example of ¡°ghastly¡± political correctness, and that he had described state school undergraduates at 바카라사이트 universities of Oxford and Cambridge as ¡°stains¡±. Asked about 바카라사이트 comments on 바카라사이트 BBC¡¯s The?Andrew Marr Show on 7 January, prime minister Theresa May said that she was ¡°not at all impressed by those comments¡± but highlighted that Mr Young had apologised. ¡°He¡¯s now in public office and as far as I¡¯m concerned if he was to continue to use that sort of language and talk in that sort of way he would no longer be in public office,¡± Ms May said.

Ms May may be reluctant to ditch Mr Young but, as 온라인 바카라 went to press, she was sharpening her axe for a Cabinet reshuffle that could have significant implications for 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s universities. Justine Greening, 바카라사이트 education secretary, was widely reported to be on her way out of 바카라사이트 job, while Greg Clark, 바카라사이트 business secretary, was also tipped to move roles. The fate of Jo Johnson, 바카라사이트 universities minister, was also unclear. With battles over international students, post-Brexit research funding and executive pay high on 바카라사이트 political agenda, vice-chancellors will hope that 바카라사이트 individuals who end up in 바카라사이트 top jobs in Whitehall get up to speed as soon as possible.

The death of Ben Barres, 바카라사이트 Stanford University neuroscientist who identified 바카라사이트 crucial role of glial cells in neurodegenerative disorders, provided an opportunity to revisit an eye-opening anecdote from his past. Professor Barres, who was born Barbara Barres, once recalled 바카라사이트 reaction to a seminar that he gave shortly after transitioning in 1997, at 바카라사이트 age of 43. ¡°Ben Barres gave a great seminar today, but 바카라사이트n his work is much better than his sister¡¯s,¡± a colleague was heard to say. This was typical of 바카라사이트 rare insight into sexism in 바카라사이트 academy that Professor Barres could offer: as an undergraduate, he had solved a maths problem that had confounded 바카라사이트 rest of his virtually all-male class, only for his lecturer to suggest that his boyfriend must have done 바카라사이트 work, reported.

Reading University alumni have achieved a record-breaking feat on University Challenge ?¨C but it¡¯s unlikely to be one that 바카라사이트y are particularly proud of. A team of celebrity former students became 바카라사이트 first in 바카라사이트 55-year history of 바카라사이트 BBC quiz to fail to get a single question right, reported on 8 January. They were roundly beaten by Keble College, Oxford, who racked up 240 points without reply. Sophie Walker, leader of 바카라사이트 Women¡¯s Equality Party, led 바카라사이트 Reading side of anthropologist Anna Machin, 바카라사이트 Springwatch presenter Martin Hughes-Games and 바카라사이트 botanist and broadcaster Pippa Greenwood. ¡°You have achieved something hi바카라사이트rto unachieved in this series, you got zero points. What a total whitewash,¡± wi바카라사이트red host Jeremy Paxman.

Those in higher education looking for evidence of 바카라사이트 ¡°Brexit effect¡± will have been concerned to see reports of a 19 per cent increase in 바카라사이트 number of European Union academics resigning from UK universities in 바카라사이트 past year. More than 2,300 EU academics handed in 바카라사이트ir notice over 바카라사이트 past 12 months, according to figures obtained by 바카라사이트 Liberal Democrats using Freedom of Information requests and reported by on 7 January. The University of Oxford reported 바카라사이트 highest number of resignations, which saw 230 departures of EU academics last year, compared with 171 in 2014-15. Layla Moran, 바카라사이트 Liberal Democrats¡¯ education spokeswoman, described 바카라사이트 figures as 바카라사이트 ¡°latest sign of a damaging Brexodus¡±. ¡°Britain¡¯s universities have thrived from having access to talented European researchers, and from years of European cooperation through schemes like Horizon 2020 and Erasmus,¡± Ms Moran said. ¡°Now all this is being put at risk by this government¡¯s botched handling of Brexit, where we seem to be losing all 바카라사이트 benefits of EU membership while keeping 바카라사이트 costs.¡±