Unwanted branch campuses

An unwelcome higher education arrival. University World News reports on French unhappiness at a Portuguese interloper: Portugal’s private University Fernando Pessoa, or UFP, is planning to set up a second branch in France – despite a complaint filed last year by French Higher Education Minister Geneviève Fioraso that installation of its first university centre in …

Tackling Education Corruption

Higher Education challenges in Indonesia. University World Newshas a story on higher education corruption in Indonesia. It sounds like a challenging environment but it does seem like the issues are being tackled: A graft watchdog in Indonesia has sounded a red alert for the education sector as it recorded some 40 cases of corruption in …

New Branch Campuses in China

Some new Branch Campuses on the way The University of Nottingham admitted its first students in China back in 2004, establishing the first Sino-Foreign University in China and then opening its campus, pictured above, in Ningbo in 2006. There are now over 5,500 students following University of Nottingham degrees at the University of Nottingham Ningbo …

Austerity in the USA

Savings needed at US Universities University World News. carries a piece by William Patrick Leonard, vice dean of SolBridge International School of Business in Daejeon, Republic of Korea, suggesting that US Higher education institutions need to rein in their costs. The traditional approaches to meeting financial shortfalls, raising tuition fees or increasing student numbers, are, …

New markets for fake qualifications

Exciting new opportunities for purveyors of fake qualificationss Earlier posts have reported on particular examples of fake university degrees including a scandal in Pakistan and the entertaining story about a dog which was awarded an MBA. Now University World News reports on the new growth area for fake qualifications: Degrees from Western universities have become …

European Union university ranking plan: the sector holds its breath

Latest news on the most eagerly awaited league table A post just over a year ago noted the development of a new EU ranking method. Now University World News carries a piece about the European Union defying criticism of its university ranking plan. Speaking at a rankings event in April Jordi Curell, director of lifelong …

The Shape of Things to Come – Going Global 2012

The shape of things to come: global trends and emerging opportunities to 2022 I was privileged to chair this session at the British Council's Going Global event on 15 March: Over the next five to ten years, which will be the countries with fastest growing higher education systems? Which countries will have environments rich in …

How to create a world-class university

Is there really a recipe for creating a world-class university? University World News carries a piece on what looks like a fascinating new publication from the World Bank on the making of world class universities. The report looks at a number of case studies, particularly from East Asia, and draws out several common characteristics of …