The job market is a highly competitive place. In the constant rat race, landing your dream job at the first go seems next to impossible. Most candidates would agree that searching for the perfect job is akin to looking for a needle in a haystack. Even with an impeccable resume, it can sometimes be a […] … learn more→

Dialogue has been at the heart of learning since Plato’s academy was founded in the 4th century BC. For centuries it has pushed students in higher education to go the extra mile, provoked them into seeing things in new ways and forced them to defend their own ideas. However, the traditional forms of student dialogue have […] … learn more→

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→

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→

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→

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→

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→

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→

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→

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→