When it comes to sportsball players, colleges “steal” star athletes from each other on a regular basis, at least when it’s time to grab incoming freshmen. It’s little different than in professional sports, which often bid for available players. It’s funny to use the word “steal,” of course, but I can certainly understand how people […] … learn more→
College sued for “stealing” students from another school
How to properly prepare for two of the biggest exams of your life – SAT and GMAT?
Your adult academic life will be defined by two of the most important exams: your SAT exam and your GMAT exam. You will spend quite some time properly preparing for these exams, but many of you are still unaware of how to manage the process itself. Fear not, because, in the following paragraphs, we will […] … learn more→
Why I’m not surprised Nobel Laureate Donna Strickland isn’t a full professor
Donna Strickland, an associate professor at the University of Waterloo in Canada, was awarded the 2018 Nobel Prize in physics. The third woman to have ever been awarded this prize in 117 years, she shares it with Arthur Ashkin and Gérard Mourou. Strickland explained that she’s been treated as an equal by her male peers, which […] … learn more→
Why it’s good news that Swahili is coming to South African schools
Kiswahili will, from 2020, become the latest language to be taught in South Africa’s classrooms. This East African lingua franca, which is also an official language of the African Union, will be an optional subject. The news has been greeted with interest and has drawn praise from some quarters. But practical questions related to South Africa’s current […] … learn more→
An academic’s guide to writing well
Academics are often accused of writing unreadable, jargon-laden prose. This is unfair. In my experience, academic writers are almost never wilfully obscure, and write perfectly well. But it is true that academic writing can feel uncongenial and effortful to read. We don’t do it on purpose. Most of us would love to write in a […] … learn more→
University isn’t the be all and end all when it comes to employment outcomes
There is increasing pressure being placed on universities to deliver better “value for money”. Universities minister Sam Gyimah wants school leavers to have greater access to the labour market outcomes for each individual course. This would mean that prospective students could see which ones provide a good return on their investment. It’s thought by the government, that […] … learn more→
University campuses and buildings must remain public places
The entrance to a university often hints at the kind of education it offers. In his memoir, Imagined Life, Richard Hoggart described how “goodwill breathed from the bricks” of the bustling main lobby of Goldsmiths, University of London. It was, he said, a place where “intense vitality [was] felt the moment you crossed the threshold […] … learn more→
Builders of possibilities: projects that give students confidence
In a world that is changing at a fast pace under the increasing weight of technology, how to stay in the race and renew its know-how? Let us rely on collective intelligence and develop teamwork, answer more and more institutions of higher education and companies. That’s how Stanford was born in the 80’s, design thinking , a problem-solving method […] … learn more→
Why we should give prejudiced students a voice in the classroom
In the space of a few years, Britain’s political landscape has changed. Now, generally, young people are proportionately more likely to have socially liberal and socialist views, and want to remain part of the EU. Meanwhile, older demographics proportionately voted for Brexit, and were said to be largely responsible for voting the Conservatives into office in 2017. This polarisation was […] … learn more→
Rethinking university rankings: we need to talk about quality (and inequality) of teaching
Each year the release of the Times Higher Education World University Rankings generates a great deal of interest, excitement – and debate. This year all eyes are on China which, according to the 2018 rankings, “steps up its ascent” as “East closes in on West”. China’s Tsinghua University in 22nd place has overtaken all of its other […] … learn more→