Formation Continue du Supérieur

By Myra Imran. To approach the youth living in far-flung and underdeveloped areas, the Higher Education Commission (HEC) plans to introduce online learning scheme in the higher education institutions. The policy of new learning scheme will be introduced after extensive consultation with all stakeholders.    
The information was shared by the Higher Education Commission Chairman Dr. Javaid Laghari in an interview with ‘The News’. He said that besides ensuring quality at higher education institutions (HEI), the biggest challenge for HEC is to increase the accessibility of people to higher education by reaching the far-flung and neglected areas. Read more...

By Severin Carrell. Universities Superannuation Scheme says funds face potential crisis under strict EU laws on cross-border pensions. The UK's universities could face an immediate pensions shortfall of nearly £10bn if Scotland votes for independence next year, leaving the pensions fund in crisis. The Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS), which manages funds worth £34bn to pay pensions to hundreds of thousands of lecturers and staff, has warned that EU pensions laws have "considerable implications" for its viability. Under EU rules on cross-border pensions, funds are not allowed to carry deficits and must be fully funded at all times, experts have warned. The rules are extremely strict for schemes that operate across international borders. Read more...

By Holly Brentnall. Cuts in spending and the replacement of academic staff by technology are not the only pressures faced by British academia. Increasingly, education is fashioning students into a productive labor force rather than teaching them more traditional academic ideals. 
Last year’s plans to raise tuition fees in Britain to a maximum of £9000, $13,731 at today’s exchange rate, were coterminous with cuts of £2 billion in funding for education. Universities’ lack of funding caused them to compensate for lost income by hiking up tuition fees. This is perceived as disastrous for Britain’s progression up the global league tables, which, conducted by the Times educational supplement, rank universities by teaching, research, knowledge transfer and international outlook. With increasing competition from universities around the world, the UK’s University and College Union warns that Britain is at risk of being left behind. Read more...

By Rebecca Nathanson. Activists and legislators from New York to Oregon look for ways to make college more affordable. On May 1st, as activists across the globe rallied in honor of International Workers' Day, a group of students from universities around New York City gathered in the tiny park in front of the Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art's Foundation Building, where Cooper Union President Jamshed Bharucha's office is located. While the students spoke about struggles for justice on their campuses, above them, draped from a window, hung a banner that read, "Free Education To All." Read more...

By Scott Travis. A free education isn't just for kids anymore. And Florida lawmakers want to help you take full advantage of it.  Whether you're a retiree wanting to learn about history or politics, an unemployed worker looking for new job skills or a high school student ready for college-level work, there are plenty of classes free and open to anyone with an Internet connection. They're called MOOCs — massive open online courses — and thousands of students often take the same class. They're offered by schools worldwide, from Broward College to Harvard to Tel Aviv University. The Florida Legislature is so excited with the classes' potential that it passed a law requiring students be given high school or college credit for certain large online classes. Read more...

Par Jean-François Cullafroz. L’Académie des langues anciennes 2013 vient de fermer ses portes à l’IUT de Digne, chef-lieu des Alpes de Haute Provence. Malgré la canicule, près de 80 « apprenants » de 14 à 87 ans se sont confrontés aux difficultés et aux joies du parler en akkadien, sumérien, sanskrit, persan, mais aussi des très classiques grec, latin, hébreu ou arabe. Cette institution qui totalise 32 sessions d’été a déjà en perspective l’édition 2014. Plongée dans les couloirs de l’IUT de Digne, et revue de détail avec des participants assoiffés d’apprendre et des enseignants qui ont la transmission aux tripes.
Qu’est-ce qui peut faire courir des dizaines de personnes venues de tous les coins de France, mais aussi du Luxembourg, vers cette petite ville de la région Provence-Côte d’Azur, à deux pas du massif du Lubéron et des gorges du Verdon ? Pourquoi vient-on le 14 juillet passé vers ce petit paradis où cigales, soleil et lavande font bon ménage avec des sabirs peu communs ?
Car à Digne depuis dix ans, l’Académie des langues anciennes tient une session de formation. 2013, consacrait la 32e année, le parcours ayant débuté dans les années 80 à Lunel dans aux confins de l’Hérault et du Gard. Cette année, du 15 au 25 juillet, ils étaient près de 80 « apprenants », jeunes et moins jeunes, qui oscillaient entre 15 et 87 ans réunis pendant douze jours. L’akkadien comme le grec, le sumérien comme le latin, le persan, l’arabe, l’hébreu ou le sanskrit ont fait transpirer les étudiants. mais quelle joie au terme de dix jours de labeur… Ainsi, parmi un bon groupe de jeunes, Félix Fabryczny, étudiant au  lycée Louis-le-Grand à Paris. Il est venu à Digne par amour des langues et il témoigne. Suite...

La loi du 22 juillet 2013, relative à l’enseignement supérieur et la recherche, entend mieux encadrer le régime des stages.
A l'heure où des stagiaires européens se mobilisent contre leurs mauvaises conditions de travail, la France légifère sur ce statut.  La loi du 22 juillet 2013, relative à l'enseignement supérieur et à la recherche, entend mieux réguler le régime des stages.
Celle-ci donne une définition plus précise du stage professionnel, définit comme une période "au cours de laquelle l'étudiant acquiert des compétences professionnelles (…)". Exit donc, les postes permanents occupés par des stagiaires. Suite...

La loi relative à l’enseignement supérieur et à la recherche est publiée. Plusieurs de ses dispositions intéressent les collectivités locales. Ainsi, les collectivités territoriales sont associées à la stratégie nationale de l’enseignement supérieur, comportant une programmation pluriannuelle des moyens, élaborée et révisée tous les cinq ans sous la responsabilité du ministre chargé de l’enseignement supérieur. Elles sont également associées – notamment les régions -à l’élaboration de la stratégie nationale de recherche, tous les cinq ans. 
La région coordonne, sous réserve des missions de l’Etat et dans le cadre de la stratégie nationale de recherche, les initiatives territoriales visant à développer et diffuser la culture scientifique, technique et industrielle, notamment auprès des jeunes publics, et participe à leur financement. L’Etat transfère aux régions les crédits qu’il accordait à ces initiatives. Suite...

World's top 100 universities 2013: their reputations ranked by Times Higher Education 
Harvard has topped a reputation ranking of worldwide universities, with US institutions taking more than 40 places on the top 100 list complied by Times Higher Education.
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Harvard university has once again topped the Times Higher Education's world reputation ranking of universities. The 2013 rankings, show the US dominating the list with more than 40 institutions in the top 100. Read more...

Edited by Michelle Morgan. Supporting Student Diversity in Higher Education is a working manual that is designed to help managers, academics and members of the professional service teams within universities, recruit and support a diverse student body across the student lifecycle at the same time as delivering a quality student experience in a challenging and pressured environment.
Using the Student Experience Practitioner Model as a framework, this book helps colleagues responsible for improving the student experience navigate their way through the maze of student diversity across all levels of study, determining what to deliver, how to deliver it and to whom. It interlinks academic, welfare and support activities at faculty department, school, course and university level to support the student in their university journey.
Containing 40 practical and innovative undergraduate UK and international case studies from across 12 countries spanning four continents, this book provides practical examples of recruiting and supporting a diverse student body. It includes initiatives to support:
o mature students (e.g. academic re-engagement);
o students with special needs (e.g. dyslexia and other disabilities); 
o international students (e.g. language support requirements);
o students at risk (e.g. lower socio-economic groups, care leavers, male learners); 
o Transfer and direct entry students (e.g. supporting students through this transition);  
o individual learners and their learning needs (impact of personality on learning);
* students who support students (e.g. peer support).
This book will be of great use to senior and middle administrative managers and academics involved in the recruitment, retention and progression of students; and also to anyone involved in education policy and students aiming to work in higher education.