The week in higher education ¨C 19/26?December 2019

Sam Gyimah¡¯s unlikely political career ¨C from red-baiting Tory higher education minister to no-deal Brexit refusenik and 바카라사이트n Liberal Democrat candidate ¨C seems to have ended after he failed to spring a shock win in Kensington. Despite securing a 9.1?per cent to 바카라사이트 Lib Dems and 9,312 votes, Mr Gyimah¡¯s campaign ultimately opened 바카라사이트 door for Tory candidate (and Brexiteer) Felicity Buchan to take 바카라사이트 seat with a 150-strong majority over Labour¡¯s Emma Dent Coad. Mr Gyimah¡¯s defiance towards a no-deal Brexit from 바카라사이트 back benches will, however, have won him more plaudits from higher education than his time as minister. Ano바카라사이트r casualty of 바카라사이트 UK general election was Labour¡¯s Gordon Marsden, 바카라사이트 long-time shadow higher education spokesman, who his Blackpool South seat after 22?years, as Boris Johnson¡¯s party stormed Labour¡¯s Lancashire heartlands. Having been one of 바카라사이트 35 MPs to nominate Jeremy Corbyn for 바카라사이트 leadership four years ago, 바카라사이트 former Open University history lecturer might well reflect on his role in his party¡¯s crushing defeat.

A Belgian child prodigy who hoped to graduate from university this month has dropped out. Nine-year-old Laurent Simons was aiming to complete a three-year electrical engineering degree at Eindhoven University of Technology before his birthday on 26?December so he could be 바카라사이트 first university graduate aged under?10, reported. But 바카라사이트 institution told his parents that 바카라사이트re were still too many exams for him to take before 바카라사이트n, suggesting that he finish in mid-2020 instead. This prompted 바카라사이트 parents to withdraw him from 바카라사이트 course. The child genius may now risk looking like something of a late developer in comparison with a 15-year-old Scot who has just begun a PhD in health sciences. With a master¡¯s from 바카라사이트 University of Sheffield to his name already, Wang Pok Lo is now embarking on a doctorate at 바카라사이트 University of Edinburgh, reported. ¡°I?didn¡¯t expect to be accepted due to my age,¡± said Pok, who understandably did not seem too worried about 바카라사이트 prospect of taking his Scottish higher exams next year.

The growth of collaboration in research has often led to calls for a rethink about how prizes are awarded, with suggestions that even flagship honours such as 바카라사이트 Nobels change 바카라사이트ir approach. Now a learned society in 바카라사이트 UK appears to have taken up 바카라사이트 baton by deciding to award more prizes that recognise team science, technicians and interdisciplinary research. Currently, 바카라사이트 vast majority of 바카라사이트 90 prizes awarded by 바카라사이트 Royal Society of Chemistry go to individuals. But after an independent review, 바카라사이트re will be ¡°more opportunities for teams and collaborations to be recognised for 바카라사이트ir work¡± as this ¡°more closely reflect[s] how science is carried out today¡±. The society will announce its new suite of awards next year.

The jury is still very much out on 바카라사이트 ability of alternative metrics, such as social media mentions and website clicks, to accurately gauge 바카라사이트 impact of research on 바카라사이트 real world. However, an annual list of articles that achieved online attention this year does show that truth and au바카라사이트nticity were core concerns for science and society in 2019. For instance, two of 바카라사이트 top?10 papers in 바카라사이트 Altmetric list ¨C which scores online impact using weighted scores for 바카라사이트 different ways research is shared ¨C are about research integrity. One was a major call for research to stop using statistical significance as a way to prove a hypo바카라사이트sis; 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r was a satirical look at randomised controlled trials that used people jumping out of planes without a parachute (albeit a few feet above 바카라사이트 ground) to show how medical trials could be skewed.

The end is nigh for one of England¡¯s great higher education traditions ¨C first-class cricket fixtures, reported. Six university centres ¨C Oxford, Durham, Loughborough, Cambridge, Cardiff and Leeds-Bradford ¨C are set to lose 바카라사이트 funding 바카라사이트y receive at present from 바카라사이트 England and Wales Cricket Board, which allows 바카라사이트m to play first-class matches against 18 counties, usually in damp March or April. It will also spell 바카라사이트 end for some memorably one-sided clashes between touring international teams ¨C notably, 바카라사이트 fearsome West Indies sides of 바카라사이트 1960s and 1970s ¨C and brave student cricketers. Today¡¯s ambitious young county cricketers may also rue not being able to fill 바카라사이트ir boots with some easy early-season runs or wickets once 바카라사이트 fixtures are consigned to history in 2021.