By Jennifer Polk. For more than 20 years, the Canadian higher education system has organized and managed itself to improve access: to increase participation rates and to grow. The results of this policy imperative have been spectacular. Over the last 20 years, enrolment in Canada’s postsecondary institutions has grown from 1.3 million to 2.0 million. The results have been particularly impressive in Ontario. From 2003-2008, for example, enrolments in Ontario universities grew 29 per cent from 302,000 to 389,000 and in colleges 11 per cent from 181,000 to 201,000. Postsecondary participation rates in Ontario rose from 33 per cent to 36 per cent and Ontario can boast one of the highest postsecondary attainment rates in Canada, if not the world. More...
Mobilité étudiante : signature d’un accord cadre entre la CPU et ESN France
Le 22 novembre 2013, la Conférence des présidents d’université a signé un accord cadre avec International Exchange Erasmus Student Network (ESN France) lors du salon européen de l’Education. ESN France fédère 25 associations en France, présentes dans 22 villes universitaires, représentant plus de 500 bénévoles et quelque 7500 membres qui œuvrent pour l'accueil, l'intégration, le soutien des étudiants internationaux en France mais aussi pour la promotion de la mobilité internationale auprès des jeunes et étudiants français. Les actions d'ESN répondent à un besoin d'entraide par les pairs à travers la devise première du réseau « Des étudiants aidant des étudiants. »
Cet accord cadre a vocation à encourager la création de nouvelles associations et le développement d’actions d'accueil des étudiants internationaux et de promotion de la mobilité menées par les associations étudiants membres du réseau ESN France...
A travers cet accord, ESN France contribuera, à la demande de la CPU, aux réflexions menées sur la mobilité internationale étudiante, l'accueil et les conditions de vie et d’études des étudiants internationaux à tous les niveaux (L,M,D), et sur d’autres sujets liés à la mobilité, comme l'engagement étudiant européen. ESN France mettra également à disposition des universités son expérience et expertise en termes d'accueil des étudiants internationaux en vue de développer des bonnes pratiques dans les établissements d'enseignement supérieur.
Capacity building for internationalization in Malaysia
From 6 to 8 November, 2013, in partnership with the Malaysian Higher Education Leadership Academy (AKEPT) and Universiti Malaysia Kelantan (UMK), the IAU held a capacity building workshop on internationalization designed for Malaysian senior representatives of higher education institutions. Approximately 40 higher education leaders from public and private institutions throughout the country took part in the Workshop held at AKEPT, in the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur.
The IAU called on international and Malaysian experts in the field of internationalization of higher education to help design and deliver the training program. These included, Dr. Madeleine Green, IAU Senior Fellow, Hans de Wit, Director, Centre for Higher Education Internationalization, Università Cattolica Sacro Cuore, Italy, Pro. Betty Leask, La Trobe University, Australia, Dr. Norpisah Mat Isah, Albukhary International University, Malaysia, among others.
The Workshop sessions covered a range of topics relevant to those responsible for the development and implementation of internationalization strategies and programs, including policy development, internationalization of the curriculum, internationalization of research and managing of student and staff mobility. Presentations also included an update on the goals set by Malaysian policy makers for future internationalization. The IAU will work with AKEPT and other international bodies to develop similar workshops in the future. For more information contact: r.hudson@iau-aiu.net
Yes, PhD grad, there is life outside the Ivory Tower
Time to say no to university growth, yes to quality
By Harvey P. Weingarten. For more than 20 years, the Canadian higher education system has organized and managed itself to improve access: to increase participation rates and to grow. The results of this policy imperative have been spectacular. Over the last 20 years, enrolment in Canada’s postsecondary institutions has grown from 1.3 million to 2.0 million. The results have been particularly impressive in Ontario. From 2003-2008, for example, enrolments in Ontario universities grew 29 per cent from 302,000 to 389,000 and in colleges 11 per cent from 181,000 to 201,000. Postsecondary participation rates in Ontario rose from 33 per cent to 36 per cent and Ontario can boast one of the highest postsecondary attainment rates in Canada, if not the world. More...
University research relies on industry - Private funds attract money from government
By Dave Waddell. A recent Canadian Association of University Teachers' report expresses concerns about the growing role of private industry in funding university research, but the incentives and potential benefits of such partnerships ensure they'll only become more commonplace.
"There is a lot of incentive to have money from industry partners," said Dr. Tricia Carmichael, an associate professor in chemistry who is part of a group doing research in bendable electronics at the University of Windsor. More...
A case for principal investigators as independent contractors
By Jonathan Thon. In my previous blog post, I highlighted the fact that despite their academic laurels, publically funded research institutes are no less aware of their bottom line and profit margins, and no less risk-averse, than private businesses. The problem is that while research departments are run like corporations, few principal investigators see themselves as small business owners. The result is a clear lack of push-back from academic faculty against institutional policies that ultimately take advantage of the basic research lab. More...
Poor Choices
By Melonie Fullick. Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about the job market, poverty, and the assumptions we make when we talk about people’s choices, partly because recently I’ve seen two excellent and provocative posts about this. The first is from Tressie McMillan Cottom on “The logic of stupid poor people”, a post that discusses how expensive status symbols (like a $2,500 handbag) act as powerful signifiers, and how in general there is a complex performance that must be mastered in order for class “mobility” to happen. The second post, “Why I Make Terrible Decisions, or, poverty thoughts” is by Linda Walther Tirado who writes about the (non-) choices faced by poor people, and how they are criticized for what they choose. Read more...Breaking bad habits, building better ones
By Jennifer Polk. I want to write about how great I’m doing, how awesome my clients are, and how good I feel about being a post-academic businesswoman. All those things are true, but there’s more to my story. It’s time to fess up, recommit, and move on. (Can you tell I’ve been mired in Rob Ford news for days?)
First up, social media and the Internet in general. I love these tools, and they add value to my life ... but there comes a point at which scrolling and clicking is just procrastination. I need to be more mindful of the time I spend online. More...
Grad students need social media
By Jennifer Polk. Graduate students conduct cutting edge research, invent new technologies, write books, and start companies – and so much else, besides. Still, many of them shy away from using social media to promote themselves and their research. I work with graduate students in the area of professional development. When I ask them why they don’t use social media to promote their research, I often get responses along the lines of “I don’t have enough to say” or “I’m not an expert.” This is untrue and absurd. Grad students produce innovative research, giving them the experience and credibility to speak about what they do. Social media is a tool students can use to share knowledge and establish themselves in their fields.
Here are 5 reasons why graduate students need social media. More...
Is a PhD a waste of time?
By Léo Charbonneau. Is a PhD really a waste of time? This was the question that a panel at the Canadian Science Policy Conference held in Toronto from Nov. 20 to 22 was asked to consider. Since all of the panelists had a PhD, with the exception of one who was a doctoral student, it was little surprise that they all agreed that no, it wasn’t a waste of time at all. More...
