In light of the recent attack against Charlie Hebdo EUA wishes to express its solidarity with the families of the victims and associates itself with the statement of the French national Rector’s Conference (Conférence des présidents d'université - CPU) in reaffirming the primacy of freedom of expression, a core university value.

Statement of the French Rector’s Conference (Conférence des présidents d'université - CPU)

L’Association internationale des Universités est profondément choqué et attristé suite à l’attaque terroriste perpétuée à l’encontre de Charlie Hebdo à Paris. L’AIU déplore la mort tragique des journalistes, des autres membres du personnel ainsi que des officiers de police. Toutes nos condoléances vont à leurs proches ; nous sommes solidaires de tous les journalistes. Les atteintes à la liberté d’expression et les tentatives visant à limiter la liberté de la presse sont inacceptables et elles doivent être combattues par tous ceux qui chérissent de vivre au sein de sociétés démocratiques. Voir l'article...

12 persons died yesterday in Paris, most of them illustrators and journalists. 12 persons killed by two terrorists claiming they were avenging the Prophet Muhammad. 12 persons that speak for our freedom, freedom of speech, freedom of thought.
Lincoln once said “if you think education is expensive, try ignorance”. Is it all about ignorance? Is it about their ignorance? Or about our own ignorance? Are these illiterate murderers the symbol of our failure to educate them?
The journalists that died were defending a simple truth: we can laugh at everything, at everyone. Do we really learn this at school? Are we brave enough when defending the core values of our democracies? Are we brave enough when we dissimulate the truth to sell more geographic atlas in a given region of the world? Are we brave enough when we let mobbing, racism, sexual harassment enter our classroom? Are we brave enough when we discuss about how religion should be taught and not about how democracy should be taught?

I write every week in my blog about the value of open education and innovative learning. Open education should enable knowledge and values to be shared massively. Innovative learning should be about giving anyone a chance to succeed in school and in life. We discuss endlessly about efficacy, cost effectiveness, adaptation to the job market. We don’t speak enough about simple things such as love, care and respect. How many MOOCs and OERs have been produced on democracy, free speech… and are really used? How much web skills are needed to succeed in life? And how much personal skills?
Education is only a promise that needs to be reaffirmed continuously with or without technology. Two terrorists that were brought up and went to school in France broke this promise with their bullets.
For them education is not the answer. For us it is THE answer, more than ever.
We are Charlie. More...

By Liz Koblyk. Know what to reasonably expect if you decide to pursue a volunteer opportunity. More...

By Ameya Charnalia. Ask students at top universities in Canada what their average class sizes are; their answers could surprise you.
As an undergraduate at the University of Toronto, I took an introductory economics class with hundreds of students in an auditorium directly above a subway station. The rumble from the trains passing every few minutes made it nearly impossible to hear the professor from the back half of the auditorium. More...