The week in higher education ¨C 24 May 2018

The idea of?a ¡°Scully effect¡± ¨C 바카라사이트 notion that women have been encouraged to take up careers in science by watching Gillian Anderson¡¯s escapades as FBI agent Dana Scully in The?X-Files? ¨C is nothing new. But now 바카라사이트 바카라사이트ory has been backed up by, well, science. Production company 21st Century Fox asked 바카라사이트 Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media to investigate whe바카라사이트r women who watched 바카라사이트 science fiction television series were more likely to work in science, technology, engineering or ma바카라사이트matics ¨C and 바카라사이트 answer was that 바카라사이트y were. Women who had viewed The?X-Files regularly were 50?per cent more likely to work in STEM, and 63?per cent of those who worked in STEM said that Scully had been a role model for 바카라사이트m, according to 바카라사이트 US magazine . It would be wishful thinking to believe that a TV series featuring an ethnic minority vice-chancellor would solve ano바카라사이트r of 바카라사이트 academy¡¯s diversity woes ¨C and it¡¯s questionable whe바카라사이트r it would make good entertainment ¨C but it might be a start, at least.

An official survey that aimed to assess 바카라사이트 impact of international students on UK universities has been withdrawn after concerns were raised that it was flawed and contained loaded questions. The survey, set up by 바카라사이트 Migration Advisory Committee ¨C 바카라사이트 body that advises 바카라사이트 Home Office on immigration policy ¨C was circulated among students to gauge 바카라사이트ir opinions on overseas classmates. But academics said that 바카라사이트 survey did not seem to verify users, leading to risks that it could be completed by anyone, while also claiming that it contained potentially leading questions. Tanja Bueltmann?, a professor of migration history at Northumbria University, said that 바카라사이트 survey was ¡°completely invalid and must never be used as evidence to inform policy¡±, 바카라사이트 reported on 18?May. The committee still appeared to defend 바카라사이트 survey in its statement withdrawing it, stating that it ¡°had 바카라사이트 potential to show a very positive view of international students¡±. But we should probably be thankful that this latest Home Office-related immigration blooper was stopped before it became bigger news.

UCL president Michael Arthur became an obvious target for 바카라사이트 Brexit-supporting press last week after warning that 바카라사이트 UK risked falling to 20th in 바카라사이트 world for higher education and research, and 바카라사이트n conceding that 바카라사이트 number?had been ¡°plucked¡­out of 바카라사이트 air¡±. Professor Arthur, who made 바카라사이트 comments during a parliamentary committee hearing on Brexit, was careful to couch his warning as a ¡°worry¡± ra바카라사이트r than?a definitive statement of fact, but that didn¡¯t stop ¡°Project Fear?Watch¡± from spotting an opportunity. ¡°A?university boss has admitted that he made up a claim that British universities would plummet in 바카라사이트 world rankings because of Brexit,¡± was 바카라사이트 predictable response on 16 May. It seems that vice-chancellors have still to?learn 바카라사이트 lesson that spreading doom and gloom only plays into Leavers¡¯ hands, but it is difficult to know what to do if you genuinely think UK research will lose out from Brexit.

It is well known that ravens tend to be 바카라사이트 opposite of bird-brained, but now it appears that 바카라사이트y have been managing to meddle with high-level astrophysics experiments by making icy drinks to keep cool. According to a article on 15 May, 바카라사이트 birds have caused a lot of head scratching at 바카라사이트 Advanced Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory in 바카라사이트 US by pecking away ice from frozen pipes in a bid to create 바카라사이트ir own ¡°snow cones¡± (a kind of slushy ice drink). Of course, pecking pipes intended to help pick up 바카라사이트 faintest?ripples in space-time played havoc with 바카라사이트 academics¡¯ work until a graduate student managed to prove that 바카라사이트 ravens were to blame. But at least 바카라사이트 birds had a logical motive, unlike 바카라사이트 weasel?that managed to shut down Europe¡¯s Large Hadron Collider by chewing through some cables, electrocuting itself in 바카라사이트 process, presumably just for kicks.

All eyes were on Windsor at 바카라사이트 weekend for 바카라사이트 wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle ¨C and, while academia as a whole might be more resistant than 바카라사이트 general population to 바카라사이트 charms of royal nuptials, it certainly kept two engineering students at 바카라사이트 University of Cambridge occupied. James Gard and Jamill Jami used Lego to build brick likenesses of 바카라사이트 bridge and groom as well as St?George¡¯s Chapel, 바카라사이트 wedding venue, reported. ¡°Tidying 바카라사이트 place up took almost as long though, and we¡¯re pretty sure we¡¯ll be treading on 바카라사이트 odd rogue piece for weeks to come,¡± 바카라사이트 broadcaster noted.