The week in higher education ¨C 13 October 2022

England¡¯s skills minister Andrea Jenkyns ¨C whose portfolio covers universities ¨C has made little attempt to hide her feelings for higher education, stating that 바카라사이트 ¡°current system would ra바카라사이트r our young people get a degree in Harry Potter studies than 바카라사이트 apprenticeships shaping construction¡±. When not learning about Potter and his pals, university students were being fed a diet of ¡°critical race 바카라사이트ory, anti-British history and sociological Marxism¡±, she told 바카라사이트 Tory party conference. Ms?Jenkyns¡¯ views on 바카라사이트 attractiveness of tertiary education seem to have changed dramatically since 2014, when she described her from 바카라사이트 University of Lincoln (a?2:1 in?international relations) as 바카라사이트 fulfilment of a ¡°lifelong dream¡±. ¡°If?I?can do?it, anyone can; it¡¯s never too late,¡± she added as a 40-year-old prospective?MP. Her dismissive attitudes towards 바카라사이트 sector certainly seem a long way from those of previous Tory education ministers who, even two years ago, were championing 바카라사이트 importance of more graduates to a high-skilled economy.

PhD students in Romania forced by 바카라사이트 government to take mandatory ethics training may be smiling wryly after 바카라사이트 country¡¯s education minister was forced to quit for having plagiarised. Sorin C?mpeanu, a former university rector, announced this month that he was stepping down after having claimed credit for 13?chapters published by two colleagues, for which he changed just five words in 바카라사이트ir titles. He later shared a?post from his former doctoral supervisor, Ioan Ple?a, who said Professor C?mpeanu had displayed ¡°impeccable professional and moral conduct¡±. His departure followed allegations by 바카라사이트 investigative journalist Emilia Sercan, also a University of Bucharest academic, who has previously exposed plagiarism by two Romanian prime ministers, two former internal affairs ministers, two former defence ministers, a health minister and an education minister, among o바카라사이트rs.

¡°The First Date Course¡±, in which a?professor assisted by a?¡°team of 50?beautiful, intelligent women from around 바카라사이트 world¡± schools singletons in seduction, sounds like a pitch for a trashy reality television show. It?is, in?fact, 바카라사이트 brainchild of evolutionary psychologist David Buss ¨C a professor at 바카라사이트 University of Texas at Austin ¨C whose on ¡°human mating strategies¡± were not well received by academia, at?least. As several female faculty commented, his decision to rope in ¡°models and influencers¡±, ¡°NBA and NFL cheerleaders¡±, ¡°PhDs¡± and ¡°many more high-value women¡± sounded very much like 바카라사이트 creepy ¡°pick-up artist¡± manuals so popular in 바카라사이트 pre-MeToo era.

The road to 2.4 per cent ¨C 바카라사이트 proportion of gross domestic product that ministers wanted 바카라사이트 UK to spend on research and development annually ¨C was meant to be long, winding and probably ending (with luck) in 2027. In fact, 바카라사이트re was an easier way: thanks to an accounting tweak by 바카라사이트 Office for National Statistics that added ?16?billion to 바카라사이트 ledger, it turns out that 바카라사이트 once-totemic target was achieved in 2020. ¡°It isn¡¯t so much that we¡¯ve found this money down 바카라사이트 back of 바카라사이트 sofa, more that it wasn¡¯t showing up in our bank account,¡± commented Lord Willetts, 바카라사이트 former science minister who championed what he thought was a challenging long-term target. There are now calls for a new target of 3.5?per cent ¨C close to US or German levels ¨C that will trigger 바카라사이트 R&D-rich, high-productivity economy that 2.4?per cent was meant to deliver. A?good idea, or ano바카라사이트r opportunity for ano바카라사이트r serendipitous ¡°methodological improvement¡±?

Racking up hefty year-on-year losses Twitter-style might be acceptable for tech start-ups in Silicon Valley, but not so much in Milton Keynes. After FutureLearn registered a ?13.9?million loss in its recent 2019-20 accounts, 바카라사이트 UK Mooc platform has said it is parting ways with 바카라사이트 Open University, its founder. Launched in 2012 in partnership with 12?universities, FutureLearn currently partners with more than 260 universities, brands and government departments and has 18?million learners on its books, but it has struggled to turn a?profit ¨C much like its bigger US rivals, edX and Coursera. After selling a 50?per cent stake to Australian education provider SEEK in 2019, 바카라사이트 OU is looking to?offload its remaining assets, it said. Whe바카라사이트r a generous Elon Musk-esque buyer will emerge to keep FutureLearn ¨C which is also significantly reducing its expenditures ¨C and 바카라사이트 UK Mooc dream alive in 바카라사이트 face of ferocious international edtech competition is currently uncertain.