Don's Diary
Tuesday Kyushu, Southern Japan. The earthquake hits at 7.30am. Five point eight on the Richter scale with the epicentre in a nearby town. My hotel room jerks and sways violently like an Inter-City...
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Youth packs degree punch
French students' performance at university bears a strong correlation to their secondary school record, according to a study by the education ministry's department for assessments and forecasts. In a...
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Pay review or a strike?
TONY BINNS cites just one of the anomalies in the titles and pay of academics in different types of institution (THES, February 14). The top points of the main and promoted scales in the new...
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Funding link to quality broken
The assumed connection between funding and quality in higher education appears to have broken down, according to an analysis of teaching funding published by The THES this week. The analysis, by...
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Subjects object to funding banding
Geographers, psychologists and archaeologists are protesting over plans to place their disciplines in the lowest funding band. Professional groups representing the three subjects were due to meet...
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Anyone but Ludwig
Aberdeen University's series of free lunchtime musical recitals took an intriguing turn this week with cellist Alan Brodie, flautist Tim Dale, and pianist Peter Shand presenting a programme entitled...
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Report reveals college warfare
A row has broken out over the administration of Llismatusarfik, the University of Greenland. A report by PLS Consult, a Danish consultancy, for the Greenland government, describes conditions at the...
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Africa's tusk master
Richard Leakey tells Andrew Robinson how a young bone peddler grew up to become a respected palaeoanthropologist and politician. "You say I'm a scientist and a conservationist and a politician. I'm...
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Ulster apologies
The Thes January 3 issue reported that Queen's University received top ratings in the research assessment exercise for its research on cancer, ageing and diet. It is in fact the University of Ulster...
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Parma condemns lack of chances
The Council of Europe finds HE guilty of inequality, says Olga Wojtas. Higher education in Europe is guilty of reflecting and reinforcing inequalities in society, and should instead itself become a...
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Historic rebuff for researchers
THE future of a unique British centre for historical research in Germany is in doubt following a shock decision to close the internationally renowned Max Planck Institute for History at Gottingen,...
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Speak up for science
I am one of the science communicators that Ian Hughes wants more of (THES, Personal View, October 25). I am not one of the bright new MSc graduates from Imperial or Dublin/Queen's but a professional...
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Reform group faces collapse
Union participants in working parties on the reform of French universities may pull out if education minister Francois Bayrou does not produce concrete proposals by the end of January. Their...
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Dons's Diary
Monday Lazy Cypriot winter's morning: relaxing in my over-grown garden. Weather is mild and clear. I finish reading Dervish, the Making of Modern Turkey by journalist Tim Kelsey. Very enjoyable, if...
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University funding
The Association of University Teachers has again called for a Royal Commission to lead a national investigation in to the "nightmare problem" of university funding, writes Alison Utley. The AUT said...