MPs with fake degrees
MPs in Pakistan convicted for faking academic qualifications A post back in 2010 noted the planned check of over 1,000 politicians’ academic credentials. A law passed a decade ago requires all MPs to hold degrees and, ac…
Posts, page 36
2013 International Leadership Conference: Managing Global Universities
A reminder about this forthcoming conference taking place at the University of Nottingham Ningbo China The 2013 event, which takes place from Monday 4 – Thursday 7 November 2013 will mark the third anniversary of the Int…
Defining ‘education hubs’
A helpful approach to definition in this rather vague area An earlier post noted that there were rather a lot of ‘education hubs’ around the world. This Inside Higher Ed report on the recent Going Global event highlights…
Students ‘swayed by league tables’
Some rather unsurprising research findings here The Guardian has a report on the impact of university league tables on prospective students. And in what might be the least surprising research finding of the year to date …
Latest campus craze? Humans v Zombies
And some have tried to stop this innocent fun… According to The Chronicle of Higher Education , the craze that is the Humans versus Zombies game does continue on campuses, despite the efforts of “killjoys” to prevent it:…
University league tables: buying success?
Australian universities are paying big salaries for rankers Inside Higher Ed has a report on at least a couple of Australian institutions appointing league table specialists: Some Australian universities are paying about…
Broadcasting university performance
Very public reports on institutional performance. Accessible university performance data. Rather impressed by this Performance Tracker which is concerned with reporting in a very accessible way on the progress of Michiga…
The student body. For sale
On “body commodification” Last year saw a rash of rather prurient press stories about students acting as escorts to help with university fees. Although vastly over-stated there are parallels with some developments recent…
A movie about Admissions in HE? Yes please!
But when will it be released in the UK? There really just aren’t enough HE related movies about. And even fewer which cover professional services rather than academic or student matters (which are, let’s face it, much mo…
The Imperfect University: Free Information?
Freedom of Information costs. But does anyone really benefit? “You idiot. You naive, foolish, irresponsible nincompoop. There is really no description of stupidity, no matter how vivid, that is adequate. I quake at the i…
True Crime on Campus §28: gas!
More true crime on campus: Strange things continue to happen on campus. Our Security staff always respond professionally, even when faced with rude taxi drivers and distressed waterfowl. Not to mention possible gas leaks…
Investing in careers support
More careers support for Nottingham students The University of Nottingham has invested in a major expansion of its Careers and Employability Service intended significantly to enhance provision for students. The new inves…
Unwanted branch campuses
An unwelcome higher education arrival University World News reports on French unhappiness at a Portuguese interloper: Portugal’s private University Fernando Pessoa, or UFP, is planning to set up a second branch in France…
Hobbit talk
A great oration Continuing the ceremonial theme this week. I recently received an email from a Tolkien scholar asking for a copy of the oration delivered when the great man was awarded an Honorary Degree by the Universit…
Chancellor successfully installed
One of those big University events Yesterday the University of Nottingham installed (a technical term) its seventh Chancellor, Sir Andrew Witty. Full details of the appointment and the background to Sir Andrew can be fou…
An interesting approach to teaching physics
But is it effective? Inside Higher Ed reports on a Columbia University professor who adopted a rather unconventional approach for a physics class: A Columbia University professor who incorporated (himself) stripping, nin…
Everything’s gone green
Some positive work on sustainable futures at the University of Nottingham In 2012 the University of Nottingham won the Times Higher Education Award for Outstanding Contribution to Sustainable Development. In the citation…
The College Scorecard: KIS-ing in the USA
President Obama announces a higher education initiative which looks a bit familiar The College Scorecard as it is known has attracted some mixed reviews since it was announced by the President. The Chronicle of Higher Ed…
Big Brother for University Sport
Responding to worries about student athletes on social media There has been not insignificant anxiety in US higher education about the inappropriate use of social media by student athletes and universities are looking to…
A winning international strategy
The University of Nottingham wins another award The Guardian awarded its first HE prizes at a ceremony in London on Thursday. And the University of Nottingham came out top for its international strategy against stiff com…