Ninth Level Ireland

“The introduction yesterday of an amendment to the Copyright & Related Rights Acts has been in the works for a long time (posts here, here and here). The issue has generated quite a bit of heat on both sides and the Government would do well to observe that opponents to the law have not held a monopoly on intemperate comment …” (more)

[A Clatter of the Law, 1 March]

“A new £250m university building will help revitalise part of Belfast, the architect behind the project said …” (more)

[Belfast Telegraph, 1 March]

“Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Education and Skills his policy on increasing participation at third level; and if he will make a statement on the matter …” (more)

[Dáil Éireann, 28 February]

“A new recovery centre for excessively drunk students is being planned in Cardiff. It is hoped that the new initiative will help to lighten the burden on emergency services such as ambulances and accident and emergency departments …” (more)

[Oliver Smith, Ones to Watch, 1 March]

“Scotland’s ancient universities have warned the Education Minister against making ‘political interventions’ over which school–leavers they admit and insisted places should be granted on academic merit …” (more)

[Simon Johnson, Daily Telegraph, 1 March]

“The Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Mr Richard Bruton, TD, along with the Minister for Research and Innovation, Mr Sean Sherlock, TD, today [Thursday] launched the Government’s plan to target the majority of the Government’s core €500m budget that the State spends on scientific research every year on areas with the greatest potential for economic return …” (more)

[SFI, 1 March]

“The University of Ulster has unveiled its plans for its Belfast campus. Images of the new £250m development, built around the existing campus in York Street, were released for the first time on Thursday …” (more)

[BBC News, 1 March]

“Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Education and Skills his policy on the introduction of third level fees; and if he will make a statement on the matter. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Education and Skills his policy on the introduction of a loan scheme at third level; and if he will make a statement on the matter …” (more)

[Dáil Éireann, 28 February]

“Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Education and Skills his policy on the relocation of DIT to Grangegorman, Dublin 7; and if he will make a statement on the matter …” (more)

[Dáil Éireann, 28 February]

“The junior minister responsible for the introduction of a new law dubbed the ‘Irish SOPA’ has said a public consultation launched yesterday could lead to new laws which would supersede the current law – but only if ‘everybody calls off the dogs’ …” (more)

[TheJournal.ie, 1 March]

“… On the heels of flicking through an 180 page report, several lingering questions arose. I extracted those questions from the PDF file because I believe they deserve a considered response …” (more)

[Bernie Goldbach, Inside View from Ireland, 1 March]

“Today, Google changes its privacy policy. From now on, with any Google product you use, from YouTube and Google Search to Gmail and Chrome, you will be treated as a single user with a single set of data. For some, that might sound a bit scary …” (more)

[Adrian Weckler, Business Post, 1 March]

“Record companies suffered a blow in their campaign against online music piracy, after the Data Protection Commissioner moved to block a scheme to identify illegal downloaders. The commissioner told Eircom to stop implementing an agreement whereby downloaders were to be warned about their actions …” (more)

[Tim Healy, Independent, 1 March]

“A ministerial order allowing record labels and other copyright holders to seek legal injunctions against internet service providers that allow access to websites containing copyrighted material was signed into law yesterday …” (more)

[Genevieve Carbery, Irish Times, 1 March]

“If you advise PhD students, do you have an advising philosophy in terms of the scope of projects for students just starting their PhD research? I know there are big labs in which grad students are cogs and do a particular part of a large project involving many people, and I know there are fields in which the PhD research is entirely student-driven …” (more)

[FemaleScienceProfessor, 1 March]

“When it comes to the nature of the UK’s private higher education sector and the profile of the students who study in it, the civil servants responsible for universities are clueless. And don’t ask David Willetts, the universities and science minister, who is championing the expansion of private provision, because he’s pretty hazy about the whole thing, too …” (more)

[John Morgan, Times Higher Education, 1 March]

“Google is facing some new flack for its new privacy policy — set to be rolled out on March 1 — after the French data protection authority said the new policy appears to violate EU law …” (more)

[Sam Gustin, Time, 29 February]

“… SOPA Ireland got passed into law tonight despite the protests of 80,000 people. I ask you, what do we have to do to move the needle for the venal deadbeats that have brought this country to its knees? These people want to hand it over piecemeal to every transnational corporation who comes looks looking for a piece of the action …” (more)

[Joe Drumgoole, Copacetic, 29 February]

“The Irish Government is to conduct a review of the existing copyright laws, Innovation Minister Sean Sherlock, TD, told Siliconrepublic.com today. The recent outcry over a statutory instrument to amend the 2000 Copyright Act served to indicate the urgent need to review legislation and if necessary compose a new set of copyright laws …” (more)

[John Kennedy, Silicon Republic, 29 February]

“It’s that time of the year again, and as usual the place for student hijinks is the University of Limerick. But some irate residents of estates near the college have become so fed up with rag week celebrations that they claim some students were bringing down the tone of their area …” (more)

[David Raleigh, Herald, 29 February]