“Evidence-based policy has become something of a catch phrase recently. My own MP, the scientist and my former departmental colleague Julian Huppert, used the phrase in his maiden speech, pledging to support it, albeit other MPs may be less persuaded by its importance …” (more)
[Athene Donald's Blog, 3 March]
“The triennial review of the UK research councils has resulted in an excellent and challenging response, submitted by the Council for the Defence of British Universities (download document here) …” (more)
[Ferniglab's Blog, 2 March]
“… It also extends voting rights for the university panels – which are currently elected only by graduates of Trinity College or the four NUI universities – to graduates of the other universities, DCU and the University of Limerick, and to the graduates of Institutes of Technology …” (more)
[TheJournal.ie, 2 March]
“Sinn Féin Finance spokesman, Pearse Doherty has said the Government has failed to make the proposed new Croke Park deal fair by tackling what he called the massive pay inequalities across the public service …” (more)
[RTÉ News, 3 March]
“Minister for Education Ruairi Quinn has said his department is trying to implement a fair student grant system. Mr Quinn was commenting on plans to include farm and business assets in the means test for third-level grants …” (more)
[RTÉ News, 3 March]
“The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation is examining whether it can challenge the Croke Park pay cut proposals on grounds that they discriminate unfairly against women …” (more)
[BreakingNews.ie, 3 March]
“The family of a murdered Irish exchange student tomorrow come face-to-face with the man accused of her murder at his trial in Japan. Musician Richard Hinds (19), from Memphis, Tennessee in the US, has admitted strangling Nicola Furlong (21), but denies killing her intentionally …” (more)
[Irish Times, 3 March]
“Public sector workers who reject the new Croke Park deal will not be protected by the terms of the agreement and face their core pay being hit again, the Government has warned …” (more)
[Independent, 3 March]
“Recent changes to the Irish State funding for scientific research and the hatchet job of ‘restructuring’ the policy formation mechanisms for science funding and development have been in the newsflow for some time. Here are a couple of very good links relating to the matter …” (more)
[Constantin Gurdgiev, True Economics, 3 March]
“Croke Park II doesn’t go far enough in cutting pay or delivering real reform, says Daniel McConnell. The deal is dead, long live the deal. In a tacit admission that the first controversial Croke Park deal had run its course …” (more)
[Independent, 3 March]
“… The issue of online cheating concerns many educators, particularly as more students take MOOCs for college credit, and not just for personal enrichment. Already, five classes from Coursera, a major MOOC provider, offer the possibility of credit, and many more are expected. One option is for students to travel to regional testing centers at exam time …” (more)
[Anne Eisenberg, New York Times, 2 March]
“Almost one third of postgraduate students who teach earn less than the minimum wage when the hours they work are taken into account, a study has found. A survey of almost 1,500 postgraduates by the National Union of Students found that universities’ average pay rate for teaching is around £19.95 an hour …” (more)
[Elizabeth Gibney, Times Higher Education, 28 February]
