The TopUniversities.com guide to the latest university news from around the world, on 13 August 2013.
UK: Universities compete for bright students with cash incentives
Several UK universities are offering scholarships to the brightest students in order to fill seats, reports The Telegraph. Some are offering perks such as laptops, gym memberships, and cheap accommodation, books and software. This follows recent reforms that allow universities to recruit as many students with an A and two B grades at A-level as they like, while admission for grades lower than that is capped. The resulting competition for the best students has prompted warnings that students may choose an institution for the wrong reason.
US: New Iowa law tests the tutors
A new law passed in Iowa dictates that faculty at the state’s public universities must administer tests for students in courses with over 300 subscribers, to see how the courses can be improved, reports USA Today. The new law is distinct from laws that have been recently passed in other states that link funding to achievement, such as graduation rates. Director of state relations and policy analysis for the American Association of State Colleges and Universities in Washington, Daniel Hurley, said: "This legislation is clearly an aberration from the norm, in terms of legislative intrusion on university academic matters."
China: Sino-US university welcomes its first students
China’s first university operating as an independent legal entity, New York University Shanghai (NYU Shanghai), has hosted a welcoming ceremony for its first students, reports China.org. Jointly run by New York University and East China Normal University, NYU Shanghai will have a strong international flavor. Almost half of the 295 students are international, and all the students have the opportunity to spend the next three weeks before classes start brushing up on their Chinese or English. They will also be sharing dormitory rooms to encourage multiculturalism.
South Africa: University to collaborate with Russia in nuclear training
North West University in South Africa will be collaborating with a Russian nuclear power company in the exchange of research, experts, seminars and textbook writing, reports South Africa Info. The university is the only institution in South Africa that offers postgraduate degrees in nuclear engineering, and the Russian company, called Rosatom, has initiated the agreement because of the probability that South Africa will be building new nuclear power plants. This follows a speech in February by South African Energy Minister Dipuo Peters, who said: "If we are serious about diversification towards a low carbon economy, we cannot belittle the role that natural gas and nuclear power can play in the realization of that 2030 low-carbon energy vision."