The TopUniversities.com guide to the latest higher education news from around the world, on 3 January 2013.
Gender pay gap in Australia rises in 2012
A report from Australia’s Workplace Gender Equality Agency has revealed that the gender pay gap between male and female graduates working in the same profession averaged at 9.1% in 2012, rising to as much as 17.3% in architecture and building, reports News.com.au. In total, 23 professions were examined, with men earning more in 16 of these. The median starting salary for male graduates also rose from $A52,000 to A$55,000 (around US$54,500 to US$57,750) last year, while the female equivalent remained stationary at A$50,000 (around US$52,500).
US universities offering more flexible admissions policies
Inside Higher Ed reports that American universities are increasingly offering international students who have failed to meet language requirements the chance to begin a degree program at the same time as they complete their non-credit bearing foundational intensive language programs. Traditionally, students would need to complete these programs prior to beginning their program, with entrance hinging on the successful completion. Some universities are even beginning to offer credit for language programs.
Lake Superior State University ‘banishes’ overused words
A small university in Michigan has, for the 38th consecutive New Year, unveiled a list of words that were overused in the previous year that it wants to see consigned to the scrapheap, reports 23ABC News. At the top of Lake Superior State University’s list this year was ‘yolo’ – an acronym for ‘you only live once’, often used to justify rash behaviour or hedonistic decisions. Other inclusions are ‘trending’ (currently popular, derived from Twitter) and ‘superfood’ (a food marketed as being extremely nutritionally beneficial).
Spanish study finds binge drinking more prevalent in female students
A study carried out at Spain’s University of Vigo has found that female students at the university were bigger ‘binge drinkers’ than male students (56% compared to 41%). Though male students drank more alcohol overall, female students drank more intensively over shorter periods of time. The use of illegal drugs, saw a reversal of the trend, with 45% of male as compared to 31% of female students admitting to having used them. The general high prevalence of drug use, commented the HealthyFit group which carried out the survey, was troubling, reports The Huffington Post.
Russian triplets enrol on same course
20-year old Russian triplets Olga Zueva and Sergey and Alexander Zuev, all studying at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations are seemingly inseparable. The trio have all completed a semester at Edinburgh University’s Business School, studying exactly the same program, reports the Edinburgh Evening News. This is not the first time Olga, Sergey and Alexander have gone abroad together, having previously spent a year studying in Paris together.
