Legend has it that Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses to the church door at Wittenberg Castle on October 31 1517, sparking the Protestant Reformation. Regardless of whether the event itself actually happened, the target was clear: the practices of the Roman Catholic Church. As we commemorate the 500th anniversary of Luther’s protest, there is a comparable institution whose practices […] … learn more→
The university must be the site of the next Reformation – here’s why
Performance funding is not the way to improve university teaching
A week after the Nick Xenophon Team called for a new review of higher education, the Productivity Commission has provided one, of sorts. The report, titled “Shifting the Dial”, covers higher education as well as health care, schools, cities, government and energy. It is part of much broader five-year productivity review and covers topics from recent policy debate on higher […] … learn more→
5 Startups disrupting major industries
We talk a lot about the big innovators of the world: the Apples, the Googles, and the Amazons. These companies have all been leaders in innovation, producing incredible technology and changing the way we communicate, shop, and work. However, they weren’t always huge and respected—they all started off small. What’s really impressive is when a […] … learn more→
The predatory MFA
“I’m going to be an engineer! I get free tuition for taking the classes!” –So many female students walk on campus saying something like this. I have no problem with scholarship, but there’s a trap here many “female engineering students” fall into… Every year, students come to campus, and many are clever enough to understand: […] … learn more→
Money woes force South Africa to revisit how it rewards researchers
It’s been 30 years since South Africa first introduced a rating system to incentivise the country’s academics and scientists. This system was built on the principle that funding should be awarded to those researchers with a proven track record of scientific excellence. This is a unique approach among global rating systems: it rewards individual researchers […] … learn more→
Explainer: preparing to be professionally edited
Every document deserves an extra set of eyes! Some students ask a friend or relative to proofread their thesis for them, some cross their fingers and hope for the best, and some use a professional editor. Most of the students who use my editing services are from non-English language backgrounds, and in some cases the […] … learn more→
How to master time management as a student
Time management is one of the biggest challenges for students who are trying to strike the right balance between university life, home and work. Without a proper plan to arrange your priorities, it’s hard to stay on track and be organized, especially during the exam period. Whether you’re a full-time, part-time, online or on-campus student, […] … learn more→
Looking after the environment with my canvas tote bag
First day of class and I am really comfortable making my way across campus with a canvas tote bag by Ketabags Being an environmental science student I carefully considered my clothing and accessory options before coming to College as I did not want to be looked down on as a fresher. The canvas tote bag […] … learn more→
Does regulating artificial intelligence save humanity or just stifle innovation?
Some people are afraid that heavily armed artificially intelligent robotsmight take over the world, enslaving humanity – or perhaps exterminating us. These people, including tech-industry billionaire Elon Musk and eminent physicist Stephen Hawking, say artificial intelligence technology needs to be regulated to manage the risks. But Microsoft founder Bill Gates and Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg disagree, saying the technology is not nearly advanced enough for […] … learn more→
Telling Chinese students to conform won’t fix cross-cultural issues
Incidents of Chinese students being offended by Australian lecturershave become a heated topic in the media. Some reports blame lecturers for mentioning sensitive matters (such as the status of Taiwan), others express concerns about preserving the freedom of speech in Australian campuses, and some attribute the students’ reaction to deliberate influence from the Chinese government. Government influence or not, these […] … learn more→