The 10 am Briefing

Exams fiasco could ‘crowd out’ poorer students from top campuses

Caps on places and bigger rise in share of top grades at independent schools could lead to skewed intakes Many students from poorer backgrounds could be crowded out from the UK’s most selective universities this year because of the way A-level grades have been calculated and the cap on undergraduate numbers, it has been warned.

UK: 70% of unis expecting to be “mostly online”

Almost all (98.3%) UK universities are planning to deliver a form of blended learning in the new academic year with both online and face-to-face teaching, while around seven in 10 institutions are expecting provision to be taught “mostly online”, research has suggested. Surveying 104 staff members at UK universities, QS Quacquarelli Symondsfound that only 8.6% of those at

Prejudice against online learning is forcing US campuses to reopen

Universities and colleges are having to promise physical classes to protect enrolments In the post-pandemic era, higher education institutions desperately need online programmes if they are to guard against declining enrolment numbers. But due to their long-standing aversion to online education, many colleges and universities are not equipped with reputable, marketable online degree programmes that will convince students

UK academics call for university closures to reverse massification

Study also proposes creation of new ‘free’ universities to move away from marketisation Some existing UK universities should be closed down while new institutions that are free from excessive regulation should be established to “save” the UK’s higher education sector, two scholars have claimed in a new report. In a study published by the thinktank

Malaysia to act as ‘stepping stone’ for Australia-bound students?

With Australia unlikely to allow foreign students in until next year, the possibility of them taking classes on Malaysian affiliate campuses is being explored Foreign students unable to enter Australia could undergo extended transit in Malaysia under plans being developed by the University of Wollongong (UOW). International education executive Kath McCollim said that Wollongong was looking

European universities hope for share of €700 billion rescue pot

Despite disappointment over Horizon Europe budget, research could still benefit from a vast pandemic resilience fund – if national governments make it a priority Universities could be in line for a slice of a European Union coronavirus recovery fund worth nearly €700 billion (£632 billion), with sector leaders urged to lobby their governments to ensure higher

UK: one month visa “grace period” announced

International students in the UK whose visas are due to run out by July 31 will be given a one month “grace period” in which they can arrange travel back to their home country. However, some concerns remain around the detail of the new guidance. In response to Covid-19, rules were put in place that

UCU: letting universities fail will mean towns and cities fail

Analysis for union shows universities are often among largest local employers and have ‘huge impact’ on town and city economies UK universities typically support up to one additional job in the local economy for every person they employ, and are often among the largest local employers, according to a University and College Union report highlighting institutions’

UK universities accused of overreliance on fees from Chinese students

Tory-backed thinktank is calling for increased funding for domestic students Britain’s universities rely too heavily on tuition fees from Chinese students, according to a Conservative-backed thinktank that wants the government to replace them with increased funding for domestic students taking “high value” degrees. The report by Onward, a thinktank supported by Tory MPs and donors,

Reopening plans at UC Berkeley, other campuses fall apart amid coronavirus surge

Hopes that college life might begin a slow return to normal this fall were deflated Tuesday, when two University of California campuses announced they would begin the semester with fully remote instruction amid a pandemic surge. UC Berkeley and UC Merced had hoped to open Aug. 26 with a mix of online, in-person and hybrid