My daily selection of the most interesting news on the internets:

• Number of researchers in developing countries is rising – The number of researchers, on the rise world-wide, jumped by 56% in developing countries between 2002 and 2007, according to a new study published by the UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS). In comparison, their number increased by only 8.6% in developed countries during the same period.
• Universities are failing South Africa – Half a million of South Africa’s graduates are without jobs as they don’t have enough occupational experience. So says Ivor Blumenthal, chief executive of the Service Seta (Sector Education and Training Authority), who believes universities don’t offer enough on-the-job training for their graduates.
• White House Begins Campaign to Promote Science and Math Education – To improve science and mathematics education for American children, the White House is recruiting Elmo and Big Bird, video game programmers and thousands of scientists.

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My daily selection of the most interesting news on the internets:

• EU to speed up recruitment in global ‘war for talent’ – Specialised knowledge of the European Union will no longer be the main focus of tests to recruit EU officials under new guidelines to come into force next year, EurActiv has learned, as the bloc’s institutions seek to attract the best talent to Brussels.
• Germany: Nationwide Bologna protests – Thousands of students took to the streets last Tuesday to voice their anger over the way the Bologna reforms are being implemented in Germany. Opposition to tuition fees was also clearly reflected in the motto “Education is not for sale”.

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My daily selection of the most interesting news on the internets:

• Research Set to Win Big in France’s Stimulus Plan – France's collective brainpower may be headed for a massive boost in the government's long-awaited economic stimulus plan. A panel chaired by two former prime ministers recommends spending more than €20 billion on boosting research, higher education, innovation, and technology. The plan would also give the 5-year-old National Research Agency (ANR), whose €800 million budget has been flat for several years, considerably more clout.
• Warning: studying can seriously affect your grades – Does studying affect grades? Ralph and Todd Stinebrickner published what they say is the first persuasive evidence that it does. In their words, there is a “causal effect of studying on grade performance”….
• Cuts will cost British universities their international reputations – Sir Alan Langlands, head of the university funding council and a former chief executive of the NHS, warned that the UK risks losing its international reputation for higher education as other countries pump cash into universities to try to train people out of the recession.
• Open Doors 2009 released – The number of international students at colleges and universities in the United States increased by 8% to an all-time high of 671,616 in the 2008/09 academic year, according to the Open Doors report, which is published annually by the Institute of International Education (IIE) with support from the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. This is the largest percentage increase in international student enrollments since 1980/81, and marks the third consecutive year of significant growth (with increases of 7% in 2007/08 and 3% in 2006/07). The total international student count exceeds by 14.5% the prior peak enrollment year (2002/03).

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My daily selection of the most interesting news on the internets:

• Rankings between simplicity and nuance - An article based on a keynote speech I held at the Dutch Association for Institutional Research earlier this month. It discusses the value of rankings for the decision-making processes of international students and suggests ways in which international rankings could be improved. The article is written in Dutch.
• University’s e-press recasts publishing model – The government is considering tighter controls on entry visas for overseas students, to address concerns that illegal immigrants are using them as an easy way to get into Britain.
• Visas may be tightened for foreign students – The government is considering tighter controls on entry visas for overseas students, to address concerns that illegal immigrants are using them as an easy way to get into Britain.

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My daily selection of the most interesting news on the internets:

• The Insecurity of Higher Ed Research – When it comes to a field with an inferiority complex, few have it over scholars who study higher education. They, like many of their colleagues in the social sciences, yearn for more attention from and influence with policy makers, as was the subject of numerous discussions at last week's meeting of the Association for the Study of Higher Education here.
• Are Too Many Students Going to College? – Which students are most likely to succeed in college? What kind of college they should attend? Does the individual or society benefit more from postsecondary education; Is college worth the high cost and likely long-term debt? The Chronicle Review asked higher-education experts to weigh in.
• McKinsey: What Matters – In less than 20 years, the Internet has transformed the way we shop, socialize, and communicate. What’s next?

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My daily selection of the most interesting news on the internets:

• Challenges and threats to top institutions – Most institutions at the top of the rankings clearly value a truly international student community, bringing together people with a diverse range of backgrounds and cultures to create a rich learning environment.
• Socrates in the Boardroom: Why Research Universities Should Be Led by Top Scholars. – Socrates in the Boardroom argues that world-class scholars, not administrators, make the best leaders of research universities. Amanda Goodall cuts through the rhetoric and misinformation swirling around this contentious issue–such as the assertion that academics simply don't have the managerial expertise needed to head the world's leading schools–using hard evidence and careful, dispassionate analysis. She shows precisely why experts need leaders who are experts like themselves.
• The Spaces Between Numbers: Getting International Data on Higher Education Straight – The research report, The Spaces Between Numbers: Getting International Data on Higher Education Straight, reveals that U.S. graduation rates remain comparable to those of other developed countries despite news stories about our nation losing its global competitiveness because of slipping college graduation rates.

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My daily selection of the most interesting news on the internets:

• Increase in foreign applications puts pressure on university numbers – The number of foreign students applying to start university in Britain next year has increased by 17 per cent. Ucas, the admissions service, warned that an overall rise of 11.6 per cent in early applications means prospective students will face “strong competition” for places.
• Higher education contributes £33 billion to economy – The higher education sector contributed more than 33 billion pounds to the British economy it was revealed on Wednesday just hours after Business Secretary Peter Mandelson said it needed to do more to contribute to growth in the future.
• Graduate unemployment increases 44% in one year – Graduate unemployment has increased by 44% in 12 months and is now at its highest for 12 years, according to research released today. Some 7.9% of students who left university in 2008 were out of work in January, the Higher Education Careers Services Unit (HECSU) found, up from 5.5% the previous year. HECSU warned the picture could be even worse for those graduating this year. The last time levels of joblessness were so high was in 1995-96.
• More than you think, less than we need – Contrary to what many observers think, findings from a national study released today show that gathering information about what undergraduates learn during their studies is commonplace in most US colleges and universities. However, the results are not always used and reported in ways that could improve student accomplishment and inform the public about institutional performance.

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