Brain drain plugged by 44 per cent pay rises
Young scientists working in British universities were awarded pay rises of up to 44 per cent yesterday as chancellor Gordon Brown moved to halt the brain drain from academia to lucrative careers in law, accountancy and the City. (The Times, Financial Times)
Cash for scientific research will double
The science budget will increase by 10 per cent a year over the next three years. About £100 million is earmarked to pay higher research grants to postgraduates. (The Independent, Financial Times, The Guardian)
Brown’s £93 billion spree
Education minister Estelle Morris was the runaway winner in chancellor Gordon Brown’s spending review. Ms Morris gets a £15 billion rise in funding over three years. Education maintenance allowances, which give 16-19 year olds up to £30 a week to stay at school, are to be extended across the country. (The Times, The Daily Telegraph, Daily Mail, The Independent, Financial Times, The Guardian)
New Cambridge students ‘can’t write English’
Cambridge University is admitting students who, bright as they are, cannot construct coherent essays or write grammatical English, Jesus College don Dr Adam Tooze said yesterday. (The Daily Telegraph, Daily Mail)
Solid steps on the care ladder
More healthcare assistants are training to become nurses thanks to universities offering either two or three-year nursing diplomas. (The Independent)
British marine life under threat
Britain’s marine life is at risk of losing some of its most beautiful species and habitats, claims a report published by The Wildlife Trust today. Pollution, oil spills and over-intensive fishing are the main culprits, the report says. (The Times, Daily Mail, The Independent)
Summer is here at last, or is it?
The longed-for British summer has arrived and in a series of sunny bulletins, forecasters promised yesterday that it was definitely here to stay. However, unorthodox methods used by Piers Corbyn, an astrophysicist at Weather Action, conclude that Britons should make the most of the good weather while it last. He predicts that next week will bring “sharp thunderstorms and probably some local flooding”. (The Times)
Britain helps recreate ancient tombs of Egypt
British academics including Aiden Dobson of Bristol University are acting as consultants on a project to replicate in minute detail ancient tombs and monuments of Egypt because the originals are too remote or too delicate to cope with the hordes of tourist who descend on them each year. (The Times)
Women’s sleeping prowess key to longevity
Women may live longer than men because they tend to sleep more soundly, researchers at Penn State College of Medicine, Pennsylvania, have found. (The Daily Telegraph, The Times, The Independent)
Teacher admits child porn
A former doctor of music at Canterbury Christchurch University College, Dalwyn Henshall, 45, pleaded guilty to downloading almost 5,000 indecent images of children to his computer. He was sentenced to 18 months suspended for two years, at Maidstone Crown Court yesterday. (The Daily Telegraph)
Underfunding causes havoc in history
Severe weaknesses in the teaching of history have been highlighted in a report to be published in the August issue of History Today . (The Guardian)
UK and South Africa strengthen university links
Since the fall of apartheid, South Africa has strived to grow its international links. (The Guardian)
Universities: the hidden museums
Leeds University is bringing its collections to a wider public. (The Guardian)