Many governments are debating what to do about the spread of online “fake news”. Singapore is no exception, and it has constituted a parliamentary Select Committee on Deliberate Online Falsehoods. Among several academics to make written submissions and to be called to give evidence in a March hearing was Thum Ping Tjin (P. J. Thum), a […] … learn more→
Monthly Archives: April 2018

PJ Thum’s treatment will dampen Singaporean academics’ willingness to speak out

The plight of University Presses
The Kentucky General Assembly recently passed a budget that reduces funding for higher education by 6.25 percent, and will require cuts of as much as $24 million at the two major state universities. Numerous programs may have to be shuttered as a consequence, most likely including the University Press of Kentucky (UPK), which stands to lose its […] … learn more→

Publishers cannot afford to be coy about ethical breaches
There are rising concerns about the reliability of academic research, yet even when papers are retracted, the reasons are often left unexplained. We recently studied 734 peer-reviewed journals in economics and identified 55 papers retracted for reasons other than “accidental duplication” or “administrative error”. Of those, 28 gave no clear indication of whether any questionable […] … learn more→

Red tape is alienating academics from their own research and work
When South African academics want to set up a new degree module, they’re entering into a process that can take years to germinate. These modules must be approved through an incredibly cumbersome process – departmental, school, faculty, various university quality control committees, an institution’s senate, the South African Qualification Authority. Only then can they be […] … learn more→

Cyberbullies are also victims – they need help too
Cyberbullying is very different to traditional bullying. Relationships between victims and perpetrators do not need to be physically close, they don’t need to be in the same class or even in the same school, for example. It can easily be anonymous, which may lower inhibitions to behave in a mean or hurtful way. It doesn’t stop once someone […] … learn more→

The fetish for vocational degrees is unhealthy
No one – alas! – would trust me, athletically challenged and almost tone-deaf as I am, to coach Manchester United or to direct the London Symphony Orchestra. By the same token, one should not expect most politicians to improve education. Robert Halfon, who despite being a former UK education minister and current chair of the […] … learn more→

Hiring a lawyer for a military case – your must-knows
Facing a court martial or undergoing thorough investigations can be extremely stressful, and the potential punishments you might be subjected to have probably put you under a lot of pressure. When you are being charged with serious accusations, which could affect your military and social status, seeking the best solutions at a rapid pace is […] … learn more→

Five ways artificial intelligence will shape the future of universities
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming many human activities ranging from daily chores to highly sophisticated tasks. But unlike many other industries, the higher education sector has yet to be really influenced by AI. Uber has disrupted the taxi sector, Airbnb has disrupted the hotel industry and Amazon disrupted first the bookselling sector, then the whole […] … learn more→

How to use academic blogs to promote an educational website?
Learning to capitalize and maximize profits in today’s ever-changing Digital World is a daunting task. This is even more difficult for Educational websites. They face constant challenges like budget restrictions and the pressure to constantly evolve. Designing a functional website is the foundation of all marketing strategies today. But the task doesn’t end there if […] … learn more→

Colleges struggle with belated attempt to make online ed legit
Admin, addressing full time faculty: “We’re going to put more of our programs online, for more efficiency. I know we’re asking for a great deal of work from you, but you’ll be helping to build a great institution.” Admin, 6 months later: “Thank you for your hard work developing these courses. We’re going to hire […] … learn more→