The TopUniversities.com guide to the latest university news from around the world, on 12 July 2013.
US: 70% of full-time electrical engineering graduate students are international
International students now account for 70% of full-time electrical engineering graduate-level students in the US, The New York Times reports. This statistic comes from a report by the National Foundation for American Policy, which also found 63% of graduate computer science students were international, and more than half of those in industrial engineering, economics, chemical engineering, materials engineering and mechanical engineering. The report emphasizes the positive aspects for the US economy of welcoming these students and providing opportunities to stay and work after graduation.
UK: Almost 75% of universities to charge maximum tuition fees
Almost three quarters of UK universities plan to start charging the maximum annual tuition fee rate for at least some of their undergraduate courses next year, BBC News reports. This will bring the average fees for 2014-15 to £8,650 (about US$13,000). However, universities will also increase the amount spent on supporting students from low income backgrounds, from £672m to £708m. The Office for Fair Access (Offa) says universities are becoming more effective at providing support to students who need it.
Hong Kong: Educators call for more subsidized degree places
Educators in Hong Kong are calling for more government-funded university places, South China Morning Post reports. The government currently provides support for 15,000 first-year degree places, available to those who meet minimum standards in the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (HKDSE) exams. Last year, almost 37% of HKDSE takers met the threshold, but only 18% received government funding. Professor John Malpas, president of private university Centennial College, says it’s important to provide support for more young people to attend university, in order to maintain Hong Kong’s competitiveness.
UK: New national center for innovation in synthetic biology
£24 million (about US$36m) is being invested in a new UK center for innovation in synthetic biology, Imperial College London reports. The SynbiCITE Centre, based at Imperial, will aim to provide a bridge between universities and industry, to speed up the development and commercialization of new synthetic biology technologies. It will involve researchers from almost 18 UK universities and 13 industry partners, including Microsoft, Shell and GlaxoSmithKline. £10m has been pledged by public research councils, with a further £14m coming from the private sector. Synthetic biology is one of eight fields identified as priorities by universities minister David Willetts.