What differences are there across the life course in learning processes, and how might public policy enhance learning capacity?
The process of ageing affects the way people learn and their ability to absorb new information. This report examines the evidence on differences in learning processes and capacity through life. It assesses what changes might be expected in the learning capacity of older people in future and considers how public policy could enhance capacity.

Excellent education, qualification, science and research are prerequisites for the present and future success of Germany in the international competition. Education and qualification are the key to social participation and integration of each and every one. They are also the best means to prevent skills shortage. High innovative strength is inconceivable without skilled staff and excellent res earchers and scientists.
The quality of the education system and the science, research and innovation system has played a major role in Germany mastering the economic and financial crisis so successfully and without suffering a slump on the labour market. The Federal Government therefore continues to set its priorities in the areas of education, science and research. It will provide an additional 9 billion euros for these areas during the 18th legislative period.
Sound policy-making in education, research and innovation requires reliable data and information. As well as specific information about the various areas of education and research, this includes data on the expenditure of the Federal Government and the Länder. The data and facts about education and research contained in this brochure provide the basic information needed to gain a quick overview of education and research policy. More detailed, up-to-date information covering longer time series is available on the website of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research: www.datenportal.bmbf.de
You can search the site by entering keywords or use the available navigational aids. Various output formats are available. More...

This paper discusses the cognitive, social and technological prerequisites for collective intelligence.
Key findings:

•     Collective intelligence emerges when there is a balance between technology, governance and joint goals.
•     Collaboration builds on our cognitive capabilities to think as we and have joint intensions.
•     Technology should make visible the assemblages of information and support the modification of knowledge.
•     Organisational models must mimic cultural transmission allowing for imitation, appropriation and combination.

The report includes a detailed case study of the Missing Maps project engages thousands of volunteers to map vulnerable areas for humanitarian intervention and disaster relief using satellite imagery and Openstreetmap, an open data-mapping platform. This is a powerful example of collective intelligence which allows us to analyse what are the prerequisites for new forms of collaboration.
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By Lynne Pepall and Dan Richards. Competition, Selectivity, Quality Assurance and Innovation in the Higher Educational Market.
Declining college matriculation rates, the unrelenting rise in net tuition costs and the questionable quality of some accredited degree programs has led to heightened public scrutiny of the higher education sector.
Competition, Selectivity, Quality Assurance and Innovation in the Higher Educational Market (PDF Download Available). Available from: http://www.researchgate.net/publication/278327941_Competition_Selectivity_Quality_Assurance_and_Innovation_in_the_Higher_Educational_Market [accessed Jul 12, 2015].

Propos recueillis par Louise Lis. Bien que rares, les cas de méconduite scientifique entachent la réputation de la science auprès du grand public. Le président du CNRS, Alain Fuchs, nous explique comment l’organisme réagit face à ce phénomène.
Peut-on dire que les cas de fraude scientifique se sont multipliés ces dernières années ?
Alain Fuchs : Je réserve pour ma part le terme de « fraude » scientifique à une situation dans laquelle un chercheur a inventé un résultat de toutes pièces. Même si elles existent, ces pratiques, véritables tentatives d’assassinat de la science, sont fort heureusement très rares. C’est pourquoi je préfère recourir au terme de « méconduite scientifique ». Le terme recouvre des pratiques diverses. Il peut s’agir d’omission d’une partie des résultats, d’embellissement des résultats, de mauvaises présentations de figures, etc. Ce peut être de ne pas avoir suffisamment testé la reproductibilité de ces résultats, sous prétexte que c’est long, que c’est cher, que l’on veut publier tout de suite. Ou alors prétendre qu’on les a reproduits alors que ce n’est pas le cas. La méconduite peut également être liée aux figures, qui peuvent avoir été retravaillées, avec un logiciel type Photoshop par exemple quand il s’agit de photos. Ce sont autant de mauvaises manières qu’il faut identifier et traquer. Est-ce courant ? C’est très difficile à dire… Pour notre part, le nombre de cas ne dépasse pas une dizaine par an, alors qu’en 2014 plus de 40 000 publications ont porté la signature CNRS. C’est à cette aune-là qu’il faut tenter d’évaluer l’étendue des cas de méconduite scientifique.
Télécharger le guide « Promouvoir une recherche intègre et responsable », Comité d’éthique du CNRS, juillet 2014, 44 p.

The British Academy and the British Institute of Persian Studies today release a paper highlighting the obstacles to academic collaboration between the UK and Iran, and recommend how these might be overcome.
Academic mobility and sustained collaboration between UK and Iranian research-active institutions, such as universities and museums, are challenging due to the difficulty of securing visas on both sides and the stringent, often disproportionate, application of sanctions by financial institutions in the UK.
The complexity and operation of the current visa and sanctions regimes on the UK side incur considerable reputational damage and risk diverting excellent Iranian scholars away from the UK to other countries.
Strengthening Academic Collaboration between the UK and Iran encourages UK policy makers to reduce the practical barriers to academic collaboration between the UK and Iran.
You can download Strengthening Academic Collaboration between the UK and Iran here. More...

This research, undertaken by the Open University, set out to investigate the part-time student experience of higher education across the UK, in the context of a well-publicised contraction in the sector, and increasing divergence between policies affecting part-time study in the four nations.
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