BU Research Blog

Monday

International Students

Sir James Dyson has criticised Theresa May’s proposals (for the Conservative Party manifesto) to expel international students on graduation. He argues the proposals are a short-term vote winner that will harm the economy by losing valuable ideas from the brightest foreign minds. Dyson wipes floor with May’s student immigration plan  (The Guardian).

Tuesday

Student Funding Panel

The interim findings of the Universities UK’s Student Funding Panel, which was established last year to examine the current system, has said that raising tuition fees to £9,000 has not helped drive improvements in teaching despite the government’s insistence it would improve standards. It also reveals concerns around a drop in flexible places (i.e. part-time) and the level of support available to students in financial difficulties. Fee hike ‘has not driven teaching improvement’, says UUK panel (Times Higher Education).

Wednesday

International Students

The Chancellor, George Osborne has opposed Theresa May’s plan to deport foreign students after they graduate amid fears that it would damage the economy and universities’ finances. Osborne blocks May’s plan to deport foreign students (The Times).

Thursday

Independent Universities Group

A group representing non-profit and for-profit private providers aims to be “the Russell Group of the alternative sector” and to dissociate its members from “dodgy” for-profit colleges. The Independent Universities Group consists of eight institutions which have degree-awarding powers and/or university titles that are not funded by the Higher Education Funding Council for England.  Private providers create ‘Russell Group of the alternative sector’ (Times Higher Education).

Friday

NSS 

University teacher training students will be included in this year’s National Student Survey after HEFCE took the “exceptional” step of agreeing to fund their participation. The decision comes days after HEFCE revealed that the National College for Teaching and Learning – the Department for Education agency that funds teacher training, would no longer be funding initial teacher training students’ involvement in the survey. NSS to include teacher training students after funding council steps in (Times Higher Education).