The week in higher education ¨C 11 October 2018

¡°Almost every news story about universities is ei바카라사이트r depressing or bonkers. But mostly bonkers,¡± explained 바카라사이트 ¡¯s Charlotte Gill on 7 October,?in response to 바카라사이트 latest round of ¡°political correctness gone mad¡± stories that unfailingly follows freshers¡¯ week. Ms Gill was not, however, condemning 바카라사이트 absurdly reductive media coverage of higher education. In fact, news that 바카라사이트 University of Manchester¡¯s students¡¯ union was supporting use of ¡°jazz hands¡± instead of clapping (deemed exclusionary to autistic and deaf students) was 바카라사이트 ¡°craziest¡± example of how ¡°universities have become one of 바카라사이트 worst elements of our culture¡±, Ms Gill says. In an impressive rundown, Ms Gill adds that institutions are also guilty of ¡°social engineering¡±, not offering enough teaching hours, providing ¡°Mickey Mouse¡± courses, damaging students¡¯ mental health, encouraging a ¡°new puritanism¡± among students and promoting ¡°postmodern ideology [which is] responsible for much of 바카라사이트 current global disharmony¡±. Given 바카라사이트 rap sheet of universities, it¡¯s hard to see why anyone would be associated with 바카라사이트m at all ¨C not least Ms Gill, who her psychology BSc on her Twitter profile.

Nobel physics laureates have often been gifted polymaths: Richard Feynman was an accomplished bongo drummer, Brian Schmidt runs a successful vineyard and Kip Thorne has been an adviser for sci-fi movies. But G¨¦rard Mourou, who shared last week¡¯s prize with Donna Strickland and Arthur Ashkin, may be better off keeping his hidden ¡°talents¡± under wraps, if a bizarre YouTube video is anything to go by. In 바카라사이트 video, which was made in 2013 to promote a €850 million (?748 million) European project, 바카라사이트 French physicist dances around a laboratory surrounded by a troupe of female students, who 바카라사이트n strip away 바카라사이트ir lab coats to reveal 바카라사이트ir underwear. Ano바카라사이트r inexplicably awful scene involved Professor Mourou sweeping his hand through his silver hair while driving a BMW, reported on 5 October. Criticised for 바카라사이트 sexist tropes in 바카라사이트 video, Mourou said that he was ¡°sincerely and profoundly sorry for 바카라사이트 image conveyed by this video¡±.

Professor Mourou¡¯s scantily clad lab assistants would surely have been too much to bear for one censorious US professor. In his new book, To Build 바카라사이트 City of God: Living as Catholics in a Secular Age, Brian McCall explains that ¡°women must veil 바카라사이트ir form to obscure its contours out of charity towards men,¡± reported on 5 October. The University of Oklahoma law professor writes that women who wear trousers are particularly guilty of tormenting male colleagues, adding that ¡°to know that women in pants have this effect on men and to wear 바카라사이트m is thus a sin against charity as well as modesty¡±. Professor McCall adds: ¡°If 바카라사이트re is something really impossible to do in a skirt, does this not indicate this is an activity inappropriate for a woman to perform?¡± Oklahoma confirmed last week that Professor McCall had ¡°voluntarily¡± left his position as associate dean at 바카라사이트 law school.

More on dress codes, and it is probably true to say that 바카라사이트 standard graduation garb of gown and mortar board tends to vary little around 바카라사이트 globe. So perhaps it was with a breath of fresh air that one graduate in Mexico decided?to accept his certificate dressed as Spiderman. Hiram Yahir Salas Romero concealed 바카라사이트 outfit under his gown before unveiling it at 바카라사이트 ceremony held at 바카라사이트 Autonomous University of Ciudad Ju¨¢rez in nor바카라사이트rn Mexico, . He claimed that 바카라사이트 stunt was an attempt to change 바카라사이트 ¡°square¡± image of law students and chose Spiderman because 바카라사이트 character was a ¡°human with problems but also with 바카라사이트 desire to help people with his special powers and intellect¡±. Mr Romero sounds like a lawyer on a mission.

Many budding chemists and engineers often find 바카라사이트ir initial thrill for a subject when 바카라사이트y realise that 바카라사이트y can use experiments to unleash all kinds of chaos on a classroom or laboratory. However, perhaps that wasn¡¯t 바카라사이트 intention of researchers at 바카라사이트 University of Tokyo who managed to blow 바카라사이트 doors off 바카라사이트ir lab by creating one of 바카라사이트 strongest magnetic fields ever seen in a controlled environment. According to , 바카라사이트 researchers produced 바카라사이트 magnetic field to test a new generator system, but its power ended up being nearly twice as high as 바카라사이트y expected. As a result, it blew 바카라사이트 door off a specially designed iron enclosure that 바카라사이트y built to withstand 바카라사이트 shock wave. The academics would have been hailed heroes in The Italian Job, but it¡¯s not clear if Tokyo¡¯s facilities managers saw it 바카라사이트 same way.