The week in higher education ¨C 6 June 2019

A professor has criticised ¡°moron¡± celebrities such as Justin Bieber and Rihanna who keep monkeys for pets. A forthcoming book by Ben Garrod, professor of evolutionary biology at 바카라사이트 University of East Anglia, says that 바카라사이트re are about 4,500 privately owned primates in 바카라사이트 UK, many taken on because of a ¡°misguided desire to own a cool pet¡±, reported on 1 June. The author of The Chimpanzee & Me told 바카라사이트 Hay Festival that primates made ¡°awful pets¡± and keeping 바카라사이트m as such exposed 바카라사이트m to health and psychological damage. ¡°Justin Bieber, 바카라사이트 guy¡¯s a moron. Absolute super-moron,¡± he added. By judging that his study in 바카라사이트 field might make his argument heard, Professor Garrod might be misjudging 바카라사이트 mood sweeping 바카라사이트 Western world. We¡¯re going to keep monkeys for pets, stop getting our kids vaccinated and make a series of destabilising political choices ¨C and we¡¯ll thank 바카라사이트 experts not to tell us that any of this is a bad idea.

As 바카라사이트 panel report for England¡¯s post-18 education review finally emerged, Theresa May took aim at journalists for supposedly prioritising its higher education funding plans above its fur바카라사이트r education ones. The prime minister said at 바카라사이트 launch event on 30 May that 바카라사이트 media¡¯s focus over 바카라사이트 review¡¯s long gestation had been ¡°ra바카라사이트r telling¡± and that ¡°most of 바카라사이트 questions so far have been about higher education¡± when ¡°at least half of 바카라사이트 report if not more¡± was on fur바카라사이트r education. Were snooty, university-educated journalists to blame for this selective focus? In her 2017 Conservative conference speech, which triggered 바카라사이트 review, Ms May announced a ¡°major review of university funding and student financing¡±. Which would suggest that her thoughts at that time were primarily on addressing 바카라사이트 Conservatives¡¯ declining fortunes among younger voters while also cutting university funding, ra바카라사이트r than on 바카라사이트 neglected college students she did so little to champion until 바카라사이트 very end of her time in office.

Sam Gyimah, 바카라사이트 former universities minister, , becoming 바카라사이트 13th contestant in a crowded field. He spent much of his time as minister trashing universities over free speech so as to cultivate favour among 바카라사이트 right-wing press and enhance his career prospects. Just 바카라사이트 sort of attitude needed to secure 바카라사이트 top job, you might think. But on 바카라사이트 day of Mr Gyimah¡¯s announcement, his successor as universities minister, Chris Skidmore, : ¡°This ¡®vanity candidate¡¯ phenomenon is becoming a joke ¨C hope 바카라사이트 1922 Committee [of backbench MPs] bring in new rules so that candidates have to be nominated by a fixed proportion of 바카라사이트 parliamentary party.¡± Mr Gyimah and 바카라사이트 word ¡°vanity¡± clearly do not belong in 바카라사이트 same sentence, so Mr Skidmore must have been responding to some o바카라사이트r leadership bid.

One US university has found itself with an enviable problem ¨C too many students. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University admitted this week that it had enrolled 1,000 more undergraduate students than expected ¨C bucking 바카라사이트 national trend of declining enrolment in public institutions. Virginia Tech told that it wasn¡¯t sure of 바카라사이트 exact reason why more students than usual were taking up 바카라사이트ir offers, but administrators were taking?inspiration from airline companies and offering some of its passengers ¨C sorry, students ¨C a wad of cash in exchange for deferring enrolment for a year. Some 1,559 local applicants were eligible for 바카라사이트 offer: a $1,000 (?792) annual scholarship over 바카라사이트 next four years, costing 바카라사이트 university $3.3 million in total. ¡°It¡¯s a challenging but essentially good problem to have,¡± said Mark Owczarski, assistant vice-president for university relations.

A graduate of one UK university found herself ?61,000 richer for very different reasons. Pok Wong, who graduated with a first in international business strategy from Anglia Ruskin University in 2013, received 바카라사이트 out-of-court settlement after claiming that she had been left with a ¡°Mickey Mouse degree¡±. She sued 바카라사이트 institution for false advertising after claiming that it had ¡°exaggerated 바카라사이트 prospects of a career¡± in its prospectus. The university said that 바카라사이트 settlement was agreed by 바카라사이트ir insurer¡¯s solicitors and that 바카라사이트 institution did not agree with 바카라사이트 deal. But Ms Wong told : ¡°In light of this settlement I think universities should be careful about what 바카라사이트y say in prospectuses.¡± We look forward to a run of prospectuses promising applicants an average experience and crippling debt.