Ninth Level Ireland

“British universities have warned students considering travelling home to China to celebrate Chinese new year that they risk being quarantined on their return. The University of Chester said it had warned its Chinese students in the UK that if they returned to their homeland they may not be readmitted without a suitable quarantine period …” (more)

[Nazia Parveen and Libby Brooks, Guardian, 24 January]

“More than one in four university graduates are still being awarded first class degrees despite a crackdown on grade inflation. A record number of students, 28.4%, were given a top degree last year – double the 14% who gained a first a decade ago, Higher Education Statistics Agency data revealed …” (more)

[Eleanor Busby, Independent, 16 January]

“Last week, the government reassured Irish students travelling to study in Northern Ireland and the UK – and those coming in the opposite direction – that existing fee arrangements would be maintained for another year. In January of last year, 364 days ago and three weeks before the February CAO deadline, students starting in September 2019 got the same assurance …” (more)

[University Times, 12 January]

“Irish students hoping to study at UK universities next September will not face a hike in fees and can continue to avail of Irish grant support despite the UK’s scheduled exit from the EU at the end of the month, according to the Department of Education. In a statement released on Friday, Minister for Education Joe McHugh said the current fee regime and grants support for Irish students studying at UK institutions from September 2020 would remain in place …” (more)

[Sorcha Pollak, Irish Times, 10 January]

“The government has confirmed that existing fee arrangements will be maintained for Irish students enrolling in UK universities in 2020/21, amid ongoing uncertainty surrounding Brexit’s implications …” (more)

[Donal MacNamee, University Times, 10 January]

“The Minister for Education and Skills Joe McHugh TD and Minister of State for Higher Education Mary Mitchell O’Connor TD today announced that current fee regimes and grant supports are being maintained for Irish students going to higher education institutions in the UK from September 2020. The Ministers also confirmed the current system will apply for students from Britain and Northern Ireland who are applying to attend colleges in Ireland …” (more)

[Department of Education and Skills, 10 January]

“The government has said it is committed to maintaining the UK’s membership of the Erasmus+ programme, which funds opportunities for young people to train and study across Europe, despite shooting down an attempt to make its membership a priority in EU withdrawal negotiations …” (more)

[Richard Adams, Guardian, 9 January]

“British MPs yesterday voted against making securing full ongoing participation in the EU’s Erasmus+ educational and work placement exchange programmes a negotiating objective in the next phase of Brexit talks. The vote has been met with anger and disappointment from pro-EU commentators and social media groups – however it does not mean participation has been completely ruled out …” (more)

[Oliver Rowland, The Connexion, 9 January]

“Though a Conservative landslide was always on the cards, something about the 2019 election result has unsettled the higher education sector. The infamous Michael Gove quote about experts, and very visible remain advocacy during the 2016 referendum campaign, has positioned the sector outside of the mainstream of UK culture …” (more)

[David Kernohan, Wonkhe, 14 December]

“University of Limerick staff are set to be balloted for potential strike action next week as they reject UL’s Executive Committee’s offer for an extended consultation period for structural changes within the university’s schools and departments. On Monday, the Executive Committee, which is chaired by UL President Des Fitzgerald, informed staff via email that they are ‘more than happy’ to provide ‘additional time to facilitate collaborative debate’ on the proposed condensing of the university’s 24 schools and departments into 10 …” (more)

[Rebecca Laffan, Limerick Leader, 5 December]

“The anticipated strikes of staff from UK universities have begun: they will last from today (November 25th 2019) until December 4th. The cause of the dispute is twofold: (1) the long-running saga of the Universities pension scheme (about which there were strikes in 2018); and (2) over pay, equality, workloads and the ever-increasing casualisation of lecturing and other work …” (more)

[In the Dark, 25 November]

“Universities are braced for compensation claims as reveal their plans to limit the impact of lecturers’ strikes. Over a million students face disruption as academics from 60 universities signed up to strike over their pay and pension. Members of the University and College Union (UCU) voted to back strike action in two ballots over pensions and pay and working conditions …” (more)

[Camilla Turner, Telegraph, 21 November]

“Queen’s University and Ulster University face eight days of strike action from many lecturers and support staff, starting on 25 November. The action by University and College Union (UCU) members is due to disputes over pay and pensions. The walkout follows votes in favour of industrial action and will affect about 60 universities across the UK …” (more)

[Robbie Meredith, BBC News, 7 November]

“Staff at 60 universities across the UK are to walk out on strike later this month over pensions, pay and conditions in a wave of action which could disrupt the studies of more than a million students, according to union leaders …” (more)

[Sally Weale, Guardian, 5 November]

“Women academics do not rise through the ranks as fast as men with the same credentials and personal circumstances, research indicates. The study, of 2,270 academics at 24 top UK universities, found the men reached more senior levels than the women, even after parenthood was accounted for …” (more)

[Hannah Richardson, BBC News, 17 October]

“We would like to thank the Chair, Senator Neale Richmond, and the Committee members for inviting the Irish Universities Association to address the Committee. We would like to start by highlighting the importance of higher education and research to the Irish economy and the role it plays in protecting Ireland from global crises before discussing Brexit specifically in terms of higher education and research …” (more)

[IUA, 9 October]

“Jim Miley Director General of the Irish Universities Association today responded to comments made by Hugh Brady, President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Bristol, at the British Irish Chamber event this morning, Jim Miley said …” (more)

[IUA, 4 October]

“Thank you for the invitation to address you this morning: I had the honour of taking up the role as President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Bristol in 2015. For those of you not familiar with the UK system, most universities are run by a Vice-Chancellor who is both the Chief Academic Officer and Chief Executive …” (more)

[IUA, 4 October]

“The former president of University College Dublin has called for immediate action to address a ‘national crisis’ ahead of Brexit. Now the Vice-Chancellor and President of the University of Bristol, Hugh Brady spoke at the British Irish Chamber of Commerce earlier today, insisting that the ‘state of Ireland’s higher education and research system should be viewed as a national crisis’ …” (more)

[Rebecca Stiffe, Irish Examiner, 4 October]

“The most common query Ireland’s Higher Education Authority is receiving in relation to Brexit comes from school students who hope to study in the UK after their Leaving Certificate exams. These students want to know will this still be possible …” (more)

[Emma O Kelly, RTÉ News, 1 October]