Ninth Level Ireland

“… What greater good would be lost if universities closed tomorrow? If higher education is emptied out of its public purposes we can no longer justify its survival.Today’s higher education institutions need a larger purpose that underpins their existence, a purpose that is more than a marketing slogan. The 21st century university needs to redefine itself as a creator, protector and purveyor of public goods …” (more)

[Simon Marginson, The Conversation, 30 March]

“… It is terrible that even with free fees, large sections of the lower-income majority are kept out. Clearly this needs to be fixed. But Sullivan looks at this problem through the blue-tinted glass of a right-wing, pro-cuts social discourse and says: it’s not working, so let’s scrap free fees. Poorer people aren’t going to college for the simple reason that college is nowhere near free …” (more)

[Manus Lenihan, University Times, 31 March]

“Scientific endeavour should be intrinsic in innovation policy rather than ‘a staging post to higher GDP’. Innovation policy has been central to the avowed economic strategies of successive Irish governments, before and during the current crisis, and as a purported way out of it …” (more)

[Aidan Kane, Eolas magazine, 31 March]

“Higher education needs more critical mass to reach its potential, according to the Hunt report. Decisions must now be taken by a sceptical Education Minister …” (more)

[Eolas magazine, 31 March]

“This reports considers the question of university governance and suggests that fundamental changes are needed because the balance of interests in our universities is rapidly changing. Students are increasingly taking on the full costs of their education, the state is moving towards being a loan facility rather than a granting body, and the pressures of competition are driving universities to be more entrepreneurial …” (more)

[Malcolm Gillies, HEPI, 31 March]

“The most damaging and hurtful taunt that can cascade down from the terraces at a football match is the heavily sprung ‘You don’t know what yer doing’. It’s rare for a manager to hear that and keep his job. Yet if David Cameron is forced next week to repeat yesterday’s fantastical performance at PMQs on tuition fees, this is exactly what he will start to hear, and not only from the Labour benches …” (more)

[William Cullerne Bown, Exquisite Life, 31 March]

“For universities facing tight budgets, it can be tempting to look at online education as a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Shifting classes to online and blended formats will save money, some think—or, better yet, bring in more of it. Not so fast, warned e-learning experts from three public universities …” (more)

[Marc Parry, Chronicle of Higher Education, 30 March]

“Queen’s University has warned that up to a quarter of its staff could be laid off because of savage budget cuts …” (more)

[Patrice Dougan, Belfast Telegraph, 31 March]

“The Irish Independent‘s education editor John Walshe (pictured) said last night he was ‘honoured’ by his appointment as special adviser to Education and Skills Minister Ruairi Quinn …” (more)

[Independent, 31 March]

“Madam, – Paddy Healy (March 29th) seems to think that third-level contract researchers are entitled to career paths into academia. This is a serious misinterpretation on the part of Mr Healy. The Irish taxpayer is not investing in developing public research in order to create a new generation of academics …” (more)

[Thomas O Brien, Irish Times, 31 March]

“Over the past ten years I have frequently, particularly on a Friday night or at weekends, overheard students talking about their plans for a drinking spree …” (more)

[Ferdinand von Prondzynski, University Blog, 31 March]

“There is no such thing as an objective international university ranking and they undermine the mission of education, says leading DIT researcher …” (more)

[Dick Ahlstrom, Irish Times, 31 March]

“The Belfast student who hoodwinked a TV station into giving him major coverage after claiming he won an internship with hell-raising actor Charlie Sheen has admitted the story was a hoax for his masters degree …” (more)

[Fiachra Ó Cionnaith, Irish Examiner, 31 March]

“In Ireland the new government has now been in place for a couple of weeks or so, and it is interesting to note what has been its first higher education initiative: international student recruitment …” (more)

[Ferdinand von Prondzynski, University Blog, 31 March]

“The government’s threat to withdraw funding from England’s universities if they set tuition fees too high is actually pushing charges up, it has been claimed. Senior sector figures have warned that universities are calculating their fee levels to make up for possible punitive withdrawals of funding in the future, rendering the pressure from the government counterproductive …” (more)

[John Morgan, Times Higher Education, 31 March]

“There are currently 1,200 engineering vacancies across Ireland in the pharmaceutical and biomedical sectors which companies can not fill, according to John Power, director general of Engineers Ireland …” (more)

[TechCentral.ie, 30 March]

“I recently discovered the Science of Science Policy website, affiliated to the United States (US) Office of Science and Technology Policy …” (more)

[Martin Ryan, Geary Behavioural Economics Blog, 30 March]

“Education Minister Ruairi Quinn has recruited long-serving Irish Independent journalist John Walshe to be a special advisor. Mr Walshe is currently working as the newspaper’s education editor but is set to take up the high-powered role in the coming weeks …” (more)

[Kevin Doyle, Herald, 30 March]

“He was the unexpected poster boy of the election but quiff-haired Dylan Haskins is back in college. Since losing out in the election the 23-year-old has returned to the halls of Trinity College to ‘catch up’ on his workload ahead of exams next week …” (more)

[Kevin Doyle, Herald, 30 March]

“Protests against the willingness of the Arts and Humanities Research Council’s decision to join up to the Government’s Big Society idea in order to safeguard funding are gathering pace …” (more)

[Iain Pears, Future Thoughts, 30 March]