Category Archives: Universities

Welsh Higher Education Madness

Posted on August 28, 2012 by Maria Pretzler

During the last few days universities have been concentrating on Clearing, the process whereby students can find places in university courses in the days after they receive their A-level results, and change their plans if their A-levels are significantly different … Continue reading →

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Open Access Publishing – but who will pay?*

Posted on July 16, 2012 by Maria Pretzler

Today’s Guardian front page offers an encouraging headline: Free access to British scientific research within two years. The idea is that by 2014 all publications of all research which has been funded by the British taxpayer has to be accessible … Continue reading →

Posted in Current events, Education, Universities | Tagged , , , , , | 6 Comments

British Academia: abandoning the next generation

Posted on July 3, 2012 by Maria Pretzler

The fate of young academics in UK universities looks increasingly bleak: the chance to reach paid employment as an academic in the Arts and Humanities increasingly depends not only on talent and a willingness to work hard, but also on … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Universities | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

Well, I am back….

Posted on February 26, 2012 by Maria Pretzler

… sweeps away some cobwebs … I guess I have to apologise for leaving my blog behind for so long. It’s been a few busy weeks – any excuses I might make would make a localised version of many points made in this article: Stefan … Continue reading →

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Higher Education in the Marketplace

Posted on January 8, 2012 by Maria Pretzler

Sometime towards the end of the fifth century BC the young Athenian Xenophon encountered a man in a narrow side street. The man blocked his way and asked where every kind of food was sold. Once he had received a reply, he asked another … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Universities | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Private University Fail (with a dose of political corruption)

Posted on December 23, 2011 by Maria Pretzler

The Austrian edition of last week’s Die Zeit (51/2011) contained an article on such a blatant example of a private university gone wrong that I decided to translate the whole article in order to give it a chance of some exposure.  My … Continue reading →

Posted in Austria, Politics, Universities | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Knock-Down University

Posted on October 20, 2011 by Maria Pretzler

The Guardian today has a report about a ‘no frills university college’ which will start recruiting this week. Coventry University College offers degrees for £4800, with teaching going on for 42 weeks a year, 7 days a week, 7am to 10pm on weekdays. Courses … Continue reading →

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The Trouble with Universities in Wales

Posted on October 16, 2011 by Maria Pretzler

Just over a week ago, the Times Higher Education Supplement brought out this year’s World Universities Rankings. Although universities live and die by such ranking exercises these days, we should take such elaborate attempts to compare apples with oranges with … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics, Universities, Welsh Politics | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments