Ghana challenges critical World Bank
The World Bank unfairly singled out Ghana for an invidious comparison with South Korea in its draft report on higher education, the vice-chancellor of the country's leading university has said. Ivan...
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Prospects grim for researcher held in Aceh
Australian academics have condemned the detention of British researcher Lesley McCulloch and two friends in the Indonesian province of Aceh for the past three weeks. Until June, Dr McCulloch lectured...
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In the news: Tony Ryan
The man who is giving the 2002 Royal Institution Christmas lectures describes himself as "a little fat bloke". But Tony Ryan, ICI professor of physical chemistry at Sheffield University, clearly has...
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Don's diary: A fight for whose rights?
Sunday Off to the US with a team assembled by the Publishers Association to assess the effectiveness of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), which allows companies and individuals to serve "...
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What's your poison?
A novel nomination in the search for outstandingly obscure journals has arrived. Chris Borthwick, a journal editor for the Australian VicHealth organisation, writes: "My nomination would be the...
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Soshhhialists
Huffy harrumphing was heard at this week's Labour Party conference in Blackpool when higher education fringe meetings were disrupted by a timetable clash. Universities UK had attracted education...
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Open-and-shut case
Openness may be a watchword for the Labour government, but this welcome transparency seems slow to spread to other parts of the Labour Party machine. For instance, just ask the Labour Students...
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Liberal with the truth
Apologies. Apparently something vaguely amusing did happen at the Liberal Democrats conference last week, contrary to The Diary's earlier report. The Liberal Democrats' education spokeswoman in the...
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Aisle have egg 'n' chips
The Diary despairs over academic standards. It has received a report that the renewal of two students' wedding vows will contribute towards their PhDs in the name of performance art. While...
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Does it pay to vote?
It appears that some 14,000 AUT members voted for the 3.5 per cent pay offer, three times more than voted for either Sally Hunt (4,594) or John Duffy (3,339) in the ballot for general secretary. Mr...
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We must ensure we do the business for UK plc
Degrees need to be more flexible if they are to meet the needs of industry, argues Sa'ad Medhat Are universities really seeking to satisfy the needs of business and industry - or are they focusing...
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PM gives blessing to radical reforms
Bold reform in higher education was given new impetus this week as prime minister Tony Blair set out his vision for a revamp of public services. Higher education minister Margaret Hodge said Mr Blair...
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PFI deal makes economic sense, says university
Hertfordshire University this week defended its decision to pursue an ambitious building programme part-funded through a private finance initiative. The university said the deal would not cost the...
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UK prepares to cash in on foreign boom
British universities are set to benefit from an unprecedented boom in foreign study over the next 20 years, according to an international report published yesterday. Global demand for international...
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Europe strikes deal on stem-cell funding
* A final deal appears to have been struck by European research ministers over the funding of stem-cell studies with European money. The row has been holding up approval of the Sixth Framework...