by Irene Jay-Shin A new South Korean admissions policy which attempts to give consideration to an applicant’s extracurricular activities does not seem to be compatible with the general temperament of Korean society which may not accept variety and/or differences between individuals. The society sets a series of ‘correct’ answers for the lives of individuals
Influence of Age on University “Performance”
by Ben Sowter The world is changing. And fast. Higher education is no exception. In Saudi Arabia there are 28 universities, 22 of which were founded after the turn of the millenia. Economies worldwide are turning to the ever enticing notion of creating a “knowledge economy”. I read somewhere that we have generated more
A Gap Between French Universities?
by Stephanie Braudeau A gap between the quality of programmes offered at French universities is growing larger suggests a regional analysis released a couple of weeks ago by the Agence d’évaluation de la recherche et de l’enseignement supérieur, AERES, a French statutorily independent agency. The 600 page report is a thorough four-year work involving 4,500
The Future of Branch Campuses
by Susan Gatuguta Gitau A recent article featured in University World News highlighted Qatar’s aspiration towards developing a hub of academic excellence in the Arab world through the proliferation of foreign universities in the country. The growth of satellite universities in developing countries attracts arguments, for and against them. Of particular interest is the impact
Evaluating Rankings – Perception Is Everything… or Is It?
by Ben Sowter In a recent article in Inside Higher Ed, Philip Altbach commenting on the latest set of rankings from THE said “Why do Bilkent University in Turkey and the Hong Kong Baptist University rank ahead of Michigan State University, the University of Stockholm, or Leiden University in Holland? Why is Alexandria University
Trends in student mobility
by Ina Chiriliuc There has been a significant shift in the preference for study destinations. Students planning to pursue their courses abroad have started to consider new locations and this is only natural since the rather popular study destinations are very competitive, expensive and for many, a great distance away from home. The once obvious
The French Universities Revolution Is en Route
by Stephanie Braudeau Making French universities more attractive? Last December, French President, Nicolas Sarkozy announced that a €35 billion national loan will prioritise higher education and training. At the press conference he expressed the desire to produce the best universities in the world. In order to achieve his objective, he decided to inject €7.7 billion for
The Bologna Process: Trends 2010 – A decade of change in European Higher Education
The Bologna Process is pressing on with its agenda of enhanced student mobility, standardisation of degrees and credit transfer, as well as quality assurance in order to promote institutional competition amongst its 46 participating countries. But as new countries contemplate membership, it is important to evaluate what the last ten years have achieved under this ambitious implementation programme.