The TopUniversities.com guide to the latest higher education news from around the world, on 21 March 2013.
Global: International research university groups form network
Four major research university groups from around the world are to form a global network, reports University World News. The Association of American Universities, the League of European Research Universities, China’s C9 League and Australia’s Group of Eight are to work together on tackling the major issues facing research universities today. The first three goals are to produce a statement highlighting the role of research universities, establishing of what each university is capable by coming up with a set of common measures, and establishing a relationship with the Global Research Council of Science and Engineering Funding Agencies.
Italy: Italian universities to offer English-language medical programs to international students
An agreement has been reached by the Italian Ministry of Education, Universities and Research and the Cambridge Assessment Group which will see English-language medicine programs opened to international students. Students who wish to gain admittance to these courses can sit the International Medical Admission Test in English, registration for which is through the Italian Ministry for Education’s website. The universities involved in this move are the University of Bari, the University of Milan, Second University of Naples, the University of Pavia, the University of Rome, La Sapienza and the University of Rome, Tor Vargata.
US: Cuts damage education and economy, finds new report
A report from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities has found that US states who chose to cut higher education funding rather than raise taxes risk damaging not only the quality of education, but also their economies. The cost of these cuts is most often passed on to students in the form of higher tuition rates, which has led to falling enrolment rates since 2010. The consequence of this is a less-educated workforce, which in turn threatens the economy as skilled jobs – which have come to account for a greater and greater proportion of employment – cannot be filled. States have, on average, cut higher education funding by 28% per student since 2008, reports The Huffington Post.
US: Supreme Court ruling allows resale of foreign textbooks
A case brought to the US Supreme Court by a publisher against a student for copyright infringement after he resold books made outside the US online on the internet has ruled in favor of the student. So long as the book was purchased lawfully, in the US or elsewhere, than copyright laws no longer apply to their resale, the court said in the a statement. Companies like eBay and Costco are said to be relieved by the decision, as much of their business relies on goods made outside the US, reports The Huffington Post.
UK: Place limitations relaxed for students with high grades
Limitations on the numbers of high-achieving students universities in the UK can recruit have been further relaxed. Since the 2012-13 academic year, universities have been permitted to recruit as many students who achieved AAB in their A-Levels; this has been lowered to ABB this year. Extra places have been also been given to universities which change less than the maximum permitted annual fees of £9,000 (around US$14,000 in March 2013), reports The Guardian. It is feared that mid-ranking universities could suffer as a result of these changes, being unable to lower their fees (£0.9 billion, around US$1.4 billion, has been cut from the national budget for teaching) or attract top students who now face fewer obstacles in gaining admittance to higher ranked institutions.