Social Mobility

An investigation by the House of Lords committee on social mobility has revealed that social mobility in Britain is hampered by a “culture of inequality” that penalises school leavers who enter the workforce rather than higher education. Social mobility hindered by ‘culture of inequality’ in school system – peers .(The Guardian).

Distance Learning

Open and distance learning universities must determine their “competitive advantage” rather than “parroting” that their value lies in convenience and flexibility, the director of the Observatory on Borderless Higher Education has claimed. Distance learning universities ‘must prove their relevance (THE).

Graduate Earnings

According to a new report by the IFS, graduates from richer family backgrounds earn significantly more than their less wealthy counterparts, even when they take similar degrees from similar universities. You can view the report here.

International students

The Home Affairs Committee is to launch a formal inquiry into the Home Office’s treatment of international students after Home Secretary Theresa May wrongly deported almost 50,000 students in the wake of the TOEIC English exam scam. Home Office’s treatment of international students to be investigated in formal inquiry. (The Independent).

Funding

Research Professional reports that universities’ income from charities has grown at a much slower rate in the past five years than income from other UK-based funding sources. Slow growth for charity research spending (Research Professional).

Student Maintenance

In light of the government getting rid of maintenance grants, undergraduates at St John’s College, Cambridge University will be entitled to a non-repayable grant of £9,570 per year, aimed at covering their day-to-day living expenses, if their household income is below £25,000. Cambridge college to fund students living costs as Government scrap maintenance grants (The Telegraph).

Registering to Vote

Jo Johnson, the universities minister, has written to all vice-chancellors to ask for their support in encouraging all students to register to vote in the EU referendum. You can view the document here.

Below is a list of committee inquiries with current open calls for evidence. Please contact Emma Bambury-Whitton if you would like to discuss submitting evidence.

Commons Select Committee inquiries

• Scrutiny of the Government’s Supply Estimates | Procedure Committee | Deadline: Friday 25 March 2016 (extended to Friday 29 April 2016)
• Support for ex-offenders | Work and Pensions Committee | Deadline: Friday 8 April 2016 (extended to Friday 22 April 2016)
• Recent pensions policy developments | Work and Pensions Committee | Deadline: Sunday 10 April 2016
• Short Money | Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee | Deadline: Tuesday 12 April 2016
• Business views on EU referendum | Business, Innovation and Skills Committee | Deadline: Friday 15 April 2016
• Environmental impact of microplastics | Environmental Audit Committee | Deadline: Friday 15 April 2016
• 2020 renewable heat and transport targets | Energy and Climate Change Committee | Deadline: Monday 18 April 2016
• Pregnancy and Maternity Discrimination | Women and Equalities Committee | Deadline: Monday 18 April 2016
• Graphene | Science and Technology Committee | Deadline: Monday 18 April 2016
• Smart meters | Science and Technology Committee | Deadline: Wednesday 20 April 2016
• The future of Jobcentre Plus | Work and Pensions Committee | Deadline: Friday 22 April 2016
• Countries of Culture | Culture, Media and Sport Committee | Deadline: Friday 22 April 2016
• The future of the Severn River crossings | Welsh Affairs Committee | Deadline: Friday 22 April 2016
• Multi-academy trusts | Education Committee | Deadline: Monday 25 April 2016
• Inquiry into Government accounts | Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee | Deadline: Friday 29 April 2016
• Science communication | Science and Technology Committee | Deadline: Friday 29 April 2016
• Robotics and artificial intelligence | Science and Technology Committee | Deadline: Friday 29 April 2016
• Homophobia in Sport | Culture, Media and Sport Committee | Deadline: Friday 29 April 2016
• Energy revolution | Energy and Climate Change Committee | Deadline: Tuesday 3 May 2016
• Powerhouses and engines: Government policy and regional growth | Business, Innovation and Skills Committee | Deadline: Friday 6 May 2016
• Disability employment gap | Work and Pensions Committee | Deadline: Monday 9 May 2016
• Science in emergencies: chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear incidents | Science and Technology Committee | Deadline: Friday 20 May 2016
• Regenerative medicine | Science and Technology Committee | Deadline: Tuesday 31 May 2016

Lords Select Committee inquiries

• The sustainability of Channel 4  | Communications Committee | Deadline: Wednesday 20 April

Monday

Tier 2 visas

The government has responded to the Migration Advisory Committee review of Tier 2 migration. The government has announced it will exempt PhD positions and those switching from a Tier 4 student visa to a Tier 2 visa from the immigration skills charge.  You can view the response to a written question by The Minister of State for Immigration here.

UK universities overseas

Universities that deliver transnational programmes in countries with dubious human rights records have been warned that they are putting more than their reputations at risk. Human rights warning for universities operating overseas. Human rights warning for universities operating overseas. (THE).  

Tuesday

University cooperation

A report by the Leadership Foundation for Higher Education has revealed that negative views of universities based on their perceived “lower prestige” might also be harming efforts to bring together universities, business and government to boost local economic growth. Status anxiety ‘harms university cooperation’. (THE).

Wednesday

Prevent

Research Professional reports that universities risk ignoring laws about protecting freedom of speech in their attempt to protect students against being radicalised. Cultural cold wars (Research Professional).

Thursday

REF

The extent to which the next REF should focus on overall university performance has emerged as a key battleground between the Russell Group and University Alliance. The Russell Group have argued for more emphasis on critical mass at the institutional level, whereas University Alliance have argued that aggregation of assessment at institutional level would destroy dynamism. Universities clash over future of REF. (THE).  

Friday

Student Loans

The private company that took over 250,000 loans from the Student Loan Company has left graduates in turmoil after it wrongly sent letters demanding early repayments. Student loans firm Erudio leaves graduates fuming over latest error (The Guardian).

EU Students

Students from other European Union countries attending UK universities generate £3.7 billion for the UK economy and support more than 34,000 jobs across the country, according to analysis from Universities UK. You can view the report here.

Innovate UK

Innovate UK is to reorganise its funding programmes to address concerns that they are too complex and to make it easier for the agency to work with universities, businesses and the research councils. Innovate UK embraces simplification. (Research Professional).

Congratulations to Emma Hallewell, Physiotherapy Lecturer and her colleagues at Southampton for their recent open access publication in Medical Engineering and Physics titled:

Upper-limb stroke rehabilitation using electrode-array based functional electrical stimulation with sensing and control innovations. Med Eng Phys 2016; 38: 366-379.

http://www.medengphys.com/article/S1350-4533%2816%2900025-4/abstract

Here at RKEO we are always trying to improve the services and information we provide to our audience and the research blog has been our main tool for communicating news to our audience. The research blog has been running since its first post back in March 2011, which makes it a strong 5 years old!

With this historic achievement of age it doesn’t  mean that there isn’t room for improvement. If you have the time it would be greatly appreciated if you could fill out thisquick survey about the research blog. This will allow us to improve the site and in turn provide a better service for you!

Here at RKEO we are always trying to improve the services and information we provide to our audience and the research blog has been our main tool for communicating news to our audience. The research blog has been running since its first post back in March 2011, which makes it a strong 5 years old!

With this historic achievement of age it doesn’t  mean that there isn’t room for improvement. If you have the time it would be greatly appreciated if you could fill out thisquick survey about the research blog. This will allow us to improve the site and in turn provide a better service for you!

Here at RKEO we are always trying to improve the services and information we provide to our audience and the research blog has been our main tool for communicating news to our audience. The research blog has been running since its first post back in March 2011, which makes it 5 years old this month!

With this historic achievement of age it doesn’t  mean that there isn’t room for improvement. If you have the time it would be greatly appreciated if you could fill out this quick survey about the research blog. This will allow us to improve the site and in turn provide a better service for you!