NATIONAL NEWS

African universities should step up climate research – Sonjica

 It was essential to strengthen the capacity of African universities to embrace and be involved in global climate change research, Water and Environmental Affairs Minister Buyelwa Sonjica said on Wednesday.Speaking at a South East African Climate Consortium (SEACC) conference, held in the Eastern Cape, the Minister said that government welcomed initiatives that form a partnership to provide a nexus between academia, government and business.

Research at universities ‘boosts case for four-year-long first degrees’

 RESEARCH shows a four-year undergraduate degree would allow the higher education sector to support students whose school education had not adequately prepared them for higher education, the Council on Higher Education (CHE) said yesterday.Higher Education and Training Minister Blade Nzimande has made better success rates in SA’s universities and colleges one of his priorities. Nzimande’s department is still considering changing the minimum number of years required to complete most South African first degrees from three to four, spokeswoman Ranjeni Munusamy said yesterday.

YCL hopes Motlanthe can change Universities

 The Young Communist League said on Tuesday it hoped Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe could bring changes to the University of Venda as its new chancellor."We wish to encourage the newly-appointed chancellor to bring about much-needed transformation in the university with regards to infrastructural development and academia," YCL spokesman said Gugu Ndima said in a statement.

Retired teachers to go back to school

 An initiative to employ retired teachers and principals to address under-performing schools will be rolled out in Gauteng as soon as possible, education MEC Barbara Creecy said on Thursday.Addressing a seminar in Midrand, Creecy said problems in education needed to be urgently addressed.

REGIONAL & INTERNATIONAL NEWS

KENYA- African Governments Challenged On Educational Funds

 African countries should pump in more money in the educational field to boost the continent's education image.Delivering a key note speech at the beginning of a two-day symposium on education excellence organized by Christ the Teacher Institute for Education at Tangaza College, a constituency of the Catholic University of Eastern Africa (March 5-6), Kenyan Professor George Eshiwani said in some cases, "educational budgets were much lower than those of defense,"

INDIA- New credit system in universities soon

 The state Higher Education Department has formed a committee under A K Singh, former vice-chancellor of Babasaheb Ambedkar Open University (BAOU), to help universities introduce a uniform choice-based credit system (CBCS) across the state.

INDIA- `Open varisties provide quality education'

 The quality of distance education programmes is better than the traditional system, said Prof Shree Nath Barua, vice-chancellor of Krishna Kant Handick Open University. He was speaking at a seminar titled `Improvement in distance education' organised at Uttar Pradesh Rajarshi Tandon Open University (UPRTOU) here on Wednesday.

PALESTINE- Universities on strike

 The student senate union in the West Bank announced a strike affecting all universities in the area on Thursday, in ongoing action against the Palestinian Authority Ministry of Education.A statement from the union said ministry officials had yet to meet the demands of the senates, involving the cancellation of a policy to convert grants into loans.

TAIWAN- Taiwan, India sign education agreement

 Taiwan signed an agreement with India Wednesday to enhance cooperation in the field of education, laying the foundation for them to accept each other's academic degrees and certificates.The two sides agreed to initiate strategies to achieve collaboration on research projects, exchanges of teachers and school administration personnel, cooperation in the field of technology, and mutual recognition of higher education academic degrees and certificates.

CANADA- What is a public university?

 The recent debates over Trinity Western University and Canadian Mennonite University have taken an interesting turn. To wit, CAUT is now asking whether religious universities should receive public funding.The answer that has been showing up frequently on this site is, in essence, Why not? If Christians are part of the Canadian public, why shouldn’t Christian institutions get a share of public money?

SPAIN- University bid for 50M in subsidies

 THE University of the Illes Baleares (UIB) has declared that it aims to achieve the status of an ‘International Campus of Excellence,’ a prestigious award nominated by the Spanish Ministry of Education. If achieved, the University could gain up to 50 million euros in subsidies for the improvement and creation of new programmes and areas of research.

UK- Entrepreneurship courses are helping create jobs despite the economic downturn

 Georgia Rakusen, 24, and Beckie Darlington, 27, used to be competitors. Two freelancers managing cultural events in Newcastle, they met pitching for the same clients. It was only after winning scholarships on an entrepreneurship course at Teesside University that they were able to join forces and form their new company, Haus Projects.

USA- Higher Education Colloquium: Association of American University Professors General Secretary Gary Rhoades

 Higher education is facing an unprecedented economic crisis. The nationwide economic recession has left many state budgets in an upheaval and has severely impacted institutions of higher education across the United States. Public universities in particular are caught in a tight balancing act of generating additional revenue while maintaining their land-grant missions.