Graduates debt will reach £48,825 in 2023, says report
Students who graduate in 2023 face debts of £43,825, four times the amount accumulated by their present-day counterparts, according to new research. While graduates in 2023 are predicted to receive average starting salaries of £52,910, more than double today's £21,985, the proportion of debt to salary is set to rise from 42 per cent of a graduate's starting wages today to 83 per cent in 2023.
The Daily Telegraph, The Independent, The Guardian
Lancet publisher scathing about university funding
The state of university funding in the UK is "unacceptable" and the Government must act to preserve the global reputation of British academic institutions, the chief executive of media group Reed Elsevier said yesterday. The comments from Sir Crispin Davis came as the Anglo-Dutch publisher of the Lancet and Variety predicted a uniformly strong performance across its four divisions in 2005.
The Guardian
Scots deny fees invasion
Scottish universities have ruled out any need for “border controls” to stem the tide of so-called fee refugees from England applying for student places north of the border. Concerns were raised yesterday after figures showed for the first time that the number of English students applying to Scottish universities is greater than the number of Scots. Welsh applications have also risen by 20 per cent.
The Times
Scientists confirm Ethiopian fossils are oldest human skulls
Two human skulls discovered in Africa have been confirmed as the oldest known examples of our species. The remains, unearthed in Kibish, Ethiopia, are estimated to be about 195,000 years old and come from around the time that modern humans are thought to have emerged.
The Independent
DNA chart may give clue to the origins of diseases
A genetic map that charts the way DNA varies across three racial groups will illuminate the origins of health problems as diverse as heart disease and mental illness, scientists said yesterday. The completion of the mapping project by Perlegen Sciences, a company based in California, will help researchers to pinpoint genetic variants that contribute to disease and promises to lead to more effective, tailor-made medical treatments.
The Times
Robots finally learn how to walk but an ant can out-think them
Scientists have developed robots that mimic the human gait, bringing a shade closer the prospect of machines familiar from science fiction. The creations of three independent research teams, all much more sophisticated than any previous model, were shown yesterday.
The Times
Students' union looks beyond town and gown
Lynda Murdin reports on the realities of campus commerce.
The Times
OU is the solution to student IOU
The unsung Open University offers an alternative way of learning without running up debts.
The Times