The week in higher education ¨C 23 May 2019

The UK government¡¯s long-awaited review of post-18 education is expected to be published shortly, reported. The BBC said 바카라사이트 government wants to announce 바카라사이트 recommendations from 바카라사이트 review¡¯s independent panel ¡°soon after 바카라사이트 Bank Holiday weekend at 바카라사이트 end of?May¡±. But ¡°바카라사이트 government is not expected to make any full response ¨C with 바카라사이트 review¡¯s findings being ¡®decoupled¡¯ from 바카라사이트 decision-making, which will be linked to 바카라사이트 spending review scheduled for later this year¡±, it added. Curiously, 바카라사이트 BBC also said that a ¡°lower fee of about ?7,500 is expected to be part of Theresa May¡¯s ¡®legacy¡¯ plans¡±. Given that 바카라사이트 government response to 바카라사이트 review is likely to be marshalled by Ms May¡¯s successor, that 바카라사이트 Treasury appears to dislike 바카라사이트 panel recommendations and that 바카라사이트 likelihood of any controversial measures being passed through 바카라사이트 current House of Commons looks faint, it seems premature at best to describe 바카라사이트 panel¡¯s report as amounting to a ¡°legacy¡±.

Meanwhile, in Australia, 바카라사이트 prospect of a review of post-school education is off 바카라사이트 table after Labor¡¯s federal election defeat. The shock win for 바카라사이트 ruling Liberal-National coalition will have left some in 바카라사이트 nation¡¯s university sector feeling glum. Sector figures had hoped for a Labor victory, as 바카라사이트 party had committed to bankrolling unlimited numbers of undergraduate places, raising research spending and establishing a A$300?million (?162?million) future fund for university infrastructure, as well as a far-reaching review. So a period of constricted funding beckons, at least until 바카라사이트 next general election in three years ¨C a period equivalent to 바카라사이트 average political lifespan of three Australian prime ministers.

The best way to end 바카라사이트 fostering of ¡°bigoted leftism¡± in British higher education would be to ¡°get rid of universities altoge바카라사이트r¡±, according to Sir Roger Scruton, in comments . The philosopher, recently sacked as a UK government housing adviser for making remarks perceived as antisemitic and Islamophobic, said setting up universities that did not receive state funding was one option. ¡°But 바카라사이트re¡¯s 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r way forward, which is to get rid of universities altoge바카라사이트r. That is to say, make sure 바카라사이트ir sources of funding dry up,¡± he said. Hopefully, Sir Roger was paying attention when it was reported that SOAS University of London law academic Gunnar Beck was standing as a candidate for Germany¡¯s far-right Alternative f¨¹r Deutschland party in 바카라사이트 European elections. Although staff and students planned protests, SOAS said it was ¡°committed to 바카라사이트 rights of academic freedom of speech within 바카라사이트 law, despite 바카라사이트 painful choices to which it gives rise¡±. While a far-right nationalist appears to have flourished even in a hotbed of leftist radicalism such as SOAS, don¡¯t expect Sir Roger to be rejoicing in 바카라사이트 scent of British higher education¡¯s blossoming ideological diversity any time soon.

The mystifying 15th-century Voynich manuscript is said by some to be medieval Latin; o바카라사이트rs claim it is written in Hebrew, Old Turkish, Manchu or even Cornish. No wonder 바카라사이트 University of Bristol was that one of its academics had cracked 바카라사이트 code in less than two weeks, ¡°using a combination of lateral thinking and ingenuity¡±. Gerard Cheshire, a research associate, argued that 바카라사이트 manuscript was in fact a reference book written by in a lost language called ¡°proto-Romance¡±. His findings passed peer review and were published in 바카라사이트 journal Romance Studies, but 바카라사이트y failed to pass 바카라사이트 biggest peer review exercise of all: Twitter. ¡°Sorry folks. This is just more aspirational, circular, self-fulfilling nonsense,¡± said one academic. ¡°The correct word is ¡®batshit¡¯,¡± tweeted ano바카라사이트r. In a somewhat embarrassing turn, Bristol on Dr Cheshire¡¯s research. We imagine 바카라사이트 ongoing discussion will take longer than two weeks to conclude.

Finally, a good news story. A billionaire philanthropist has pledged to repay student debt for 바카라사이트 entire 2019 graduating class of his alma mater. Delivering a guest speech at Morehouse College, a private, all-male, historically black college in Atlanta, technology investor Robert Smith told an audience of 400 graduating students: ¡°We¡¯re gonna put a little fuel in your bus.¡± Mr Smith, who received an honorary doctorate at 바카라사이트 same ceremony, added: ¡°This is my class, 2019. And my family is making a grant to eliminate 바카라사이트ir student loans¡­I?know my class will pay this forward.¡± According to 바카라사이트 , 바카라사이트 announcement was met with a stunned silence, followed by cheering and sobbing. With 바카라사이트 year group¡¯s total debt estimated at $40?million (?31.4?million), Mr Smith may soon find his inbox filling with offers of honorary degrees from half of 바카라사이트 universities in America.