EXCLUSIV! Universitatea „Cuza” a reusit un nou pas spre reabilitarea unei URIASE CLADIRI din COPOU

O noua reusita pentru actuala conducere a Universitatii „Alexandru Ioan Cuza” (UAIC) din Iasi. „Universitatea noastra a reusit intabularea Corpului B. E un demers pe care l-am demarat in 2016, noi cei care facem parte din actuala conducere a UAIC”, a precizat prof. univ. dr. Mihaela Onofrei, rectorul de la „Cuza”. Asa ceva se va intampla pentru prima data dupa 1989 si vizeaza cea mai mare cladire din zona Copou.

De cateva decenii, imobilul se afla intr-o stare avansata de degradare! Crapaturi uriase in zidurile edificiului si fundatie subrezita. Cu toate ca aici intra zi de zi mii de persoane, fiind cea mai mare cladire cu scop universitar din oras, aceasta prezinta un risc ridicat in cazul unui cutremur. Pe viitor se intentioneaza reabilitarea cladirii. Investitia se ridica la cateva milioane euro.

„Da, este un obiectiv major al nostru si anunt, in premiera pentru spatiul public, faptul ca suntem foarte aproape sa lamurim situatia juridica a Corpului B, tocmai pentru a-l moderniza si reabilita. Chiar ne dorim sa reusim acest fapt deoarece este cea mai mare cladire cu scop didactic a Universitatii noastre si aici functioneaza atat cea mai mare facultate de la UAIC, cea de Economie si Administrarea Afcerilor (FEAA), dar si cele de Biologie, respectiv Geografie si Geologie”, arata acum un an, la BZI LIVE, ec. Costel Palade – seful Directiei General Administrative (DGA) la Universitatea „Cuza”.

De precizat ca imobilul cunoscut astazi drept Corpul B a fost construit pana la mijlocul deceniului sase din secolul XX. Initial, aici a functionat fostul Institut Politehnic din Iasi.

Pe de alta parte, spectaculos este ca, pe un teren de zece mii metri patrati, aflati in administrarea Universitatii „Cuza” din zona Sarariei se pregateste un proiect ce vizeaza construirea unei moderne baze sportive ce va cuprinde inclusiv un bazin olimpic de inot.

Publicație : Bună Ziua Iași

Al 13-lea laborator modern amenajat de o firmă privată la Universitatea „Cuza“

 Compania Conduent, unul dintre cei mai mari angajatori din judeţ, a inaugurat ieri o sală a Facultăţii de Filosofie, pentru studenţii de la Resurse Umane.

Universitatea „Alexandru Ioan Cuza“ (UAIC) a inaugurat în cursul zilei de ieri un laborator renovat cu sprijinul companiei Conduent, fosta Xerox, care este unul dintre cei mai mari angajatori ai judeţului. În acest laborator vor învăţa studenţii Facultăţii de Filosofie şi Ştiinţe Social-Politice de la specializarea Resurse umane.

Sala Conduent HR Lab are o capacitate de aproximativ 30 de persoane, renovarea începând de pe 21 ianuarie a acestui an, şi a fost finalizată în 10 februarie. Investiţia a depăşit 75.000 de lei, fiind suportată integral de Conduent.

La inaugurare au participat prof.dr. Mihaela Onofrei, ordonator credite al UAIC, Irina Butnaru, Romania Country Lead & HRO Europe Operations al Conduent, prof. dr. Conţiu Tiberiu Şoitu, decanul Facultăţii de Filosofie şi Ştiinţe Social-Politice, dar şi conf.dr. Romeo Asiminei, directorul departamentului de Sociologie şi Asistenţă Socială, şi Cristian George Nistor, de la departamantul Marketing and Communication din cadrul Companiei Conduent.

„Astăzi inaugurăm cel de-al 12-lea laborator realizat cu ajutorul partenerilor noştri din mediul de afaceri, pe lângă cele 12 laboratoare realizând împreună şi un amfiteatru. Cred că am demonstrat că suntem un partener de încre­dere, nu doar prin calitatea absolvenţilor pe care îi pregă­tim, ci şi prin corectitudinea cu care gestionăm sumele sponsorizate. Mulţumim companiei Conduent pentru sprijinul constant oferit, suntem încrezători că această colaborare frumoasă va continua, întrucât parteneriatul cu mediul de afaceri este foarte important pentru noi“, a menţionat prof.dr. Mihaela Onofrei.

Parteneriatul Universităţii „Cuza“ cu Conduent nu se rezumă doar la sprijinul financiar, în fiecare an aproximativ 60 de studenţi de la Facultatea de Filosofie şi Ştiinţe Social-Politice realizând stagii de prac­tică la Conduent. De ase­menea, Irina Butnaru, reprezentant Conduent, este cadru didactic asociat al Facultăţii de Filosofie.

În ultimii doi ani, ca urmare a parteneriatelor cu mediul de afaceri, UAIC a renovat şi modernizat, cu sprijinul mai multor companii, 13 săli. Companiile care au sprijinit Universitatea în acest demers sunt Gemini CAD Systems, Amazon, Bitdefender, AquaSoft, Centric, Levi 9, Continental, Cegeka, Codeless, CRF Health,Go Daddy, Sevio, Xwiki, BCR şi Conduent.

Publicație : Ziarul de Iași

 Un nou prorector la TUIAȘI. „Mă alătur echipei cu multă determinare“

 Lidia Gaiginschi, care va fi prorector pe probleme studenţeşti,  a fost numită în locul regretatului Cezar Oprişan, care s-a stins din viaţă în luna septembrie. Cu ce gânduri porneşte la drum noul membru al conducerii TUIASI?

 Universitatea Tehnică „Gheorghe Asachi“ din Iaşi (TUIASI) are un nou prorector, propunerea de numire a conf.dr.ing. Lidia Gaiginschi, de la Facultatea de Mecanică, în funcţia de prorector responsabil de relaţia cu studenţii fiind validată ieri în cadrul şedinţei Senatului TUIASI. Lidia Gaiginschi va prelua atribuţiile prorectoratului la conducerea căruia se afla prof.dr.ing. Cezar Oprişan, care s-a stins din viaţă în data de 11 septembrie 2018.

Conferenţiarul Lidia Gaiginschi îşi va intra în atribuţii începând de luni. Ea a menţionat că numirea ei în funcţie o onorează din două puncte de vedere, primul fiind acela că va face parte din echipa managerială a Politehnicii, iar cel de-al doilea pentru că va avea oportunitatea de a continua munca profesorului Cezar Oprişan, „unul dintre cei mai bun profesori şi oameni ai universităţii“.

„A fost unul dintre maeştrii mei; de la el am învăţat că într-o astfel de muncă trebuie să pui suflet, să fii tenace şi înţelept, şi să tratezi pro­blemele profund şi cu mult echilibru. Am colaborat adesea cu echipa de conducere; în decursul actualului mandat, ei au reuşit să înceapă transformarea TUIASI într-un important brand universitar românesc. Mă alătur echipei cu multă determinare, cu resursele mele de experienţă, pricepere şi implicare“, a menţionat Lidia Gaiginschi.

Rectorul Dan Caşcaval spune că este convins de faptul că Lidia Gaiginschi e una dintre cele mai potrivite persoane pentru această funcţie.

„Regretatul nostru coleg, profesorul Cezar Oprişan, a avut un mod aparte de a lucra cu studenţii, mai ales din poziţia de prorector. Dumnealui a reuşit să stabilească o conexiune strâns apropiată, chiar cu interferenţe empatice şi, în acelaşi timp, foarte eficientă cu studenţii. Am spus-o, nu doar o dată, că va fi greu să putem suplini maniera de lucru deosebit de elegantă pe care acesta a reuşit să o construiască. Doamna conferenţiar are şi un fapt pe care îl consider esenţial pentru performanţa unei echipe: are un puternic simţ al apartenenţei la o echipă“, a afirmat Dan Caşcaval.

Lidia Gaiginschi a urmat cursurile Universităţii Tehnice în perioada 1988-1993, ulterior fiind inginer cercetare la Institutul Naţional de Motoare Termice, filiala Iaşi, iar în perioada 1994-1996 a devenit preparator al Politehnicii ieşene. Titlul de doctor în domeniul Inginerie Mecanică l-a obţinut în 2004.

Publicație : Ziarul de Iași și Evenimentul și Bună Ziua Iași

 

Cea mai tânără persoană admisă la un program de master la Harvard are 17 ani. A terminat la 7 ani liceul, iar acum e licenţiată în psihologie

Dafne Almazán Anaya a devenit la vârsta de 13 ani, cel mai tânăr psiholog din lume iar acum a fost acceptată la master, la Harvard, unde va studia Matematică.

Dafne Almazán Anaya şi-a obţinut licenţa la vârsta de 13 ani, devenind cel mai tânăr psiholog din întreaga lume.

Acum, la 17 ani, a fost acceptată la un program de master la Harvard, fiind astfel cea mai tânără persoană înscrisă la master la această universitate, în ultimii 100 de ani.

La vârsta de 3 ani, Dafne putea să scrie şi să citească iar la 7 ani a terminat liceul. La vârsta de 10 ani devenea cea mai tânără studentă înscrisă la o universitate în Mexic.

Dafne Almazán este considerată de către Revista Forbes Mexico ca fiind una dintre cele 50 de femei cele mai puternice din Mexic. „Vreau să îi ajut pe copii, ca să nu mai sufere în şcoală şi să le arăt că şi ei pot avea succes în ce îşi propun”, spune Almazán într-un interviu pentru o publicaţie locală.

Pe lângă studiile formale, Dafne excelează la balet clasic, gimnastică, patinaj artistic şi arta marţială taekwondo. Mai mult, aceasta cântă la pian, vioară şi chitară. În timpul liber, predă engleză, franceză, latină şi chineză, pe care le ştie la perfecţie.

Şi fraţii tinerei sunt supra-dotaţi. Fratele ei mai mare a fost cel mai tânăr psiholog din lume, înainte să obţină ea acest titlu iar sora mai mică urmează acelaşi traseu excepţional.

Părinţii lui Dafne au fondat un centru pentru copiii supra-dotaţi din Mexic, care să îi ajute pe aceştia, mulţi dintre ei diagnosticaţi cu tulburarea de deficit de atenţie şi hiperactivitate (ADHD, să poată beneficia de o educaţie adaptată nevoilor lor.

Publicație : Adevărul

  More job cuts on cards unless tuition fee cap lifted, v-c warns

A sector leader has warned that more leading UK universities will be forced to make significant job cuts if undergraduate tuition fees remain frozen.

Colin Riordan, vice-chancellor of Cardiff University, said that his plan to cut the equivalent of 380 full-time jobs over the next five years – equal to one in 14 posts – represented the more extreme end of a more general squeeze on funding across the 24-strong Russell Group of research-intensive institutions.

“If you look at the Russell Group, 18 universities have seen their operating surpluses decline for the year we’ve just reported,” said Professor Riordan, who announced on 11 February that Cardiff was to cut staffing levels by 7 per cent after reporting a £22.8 million deficit for 2017-18. While Cardiff’s expenditure increased by 5.2 per cent, its income went up by only 2.5 per cent.

“It is obviously more pronounced for us, but when costs are rising faster than income you are bound to get a squeeze – it is inevitable,” Professor Riordan said.

In Wales, domestic undergraduate tuition fees have been capped at £9,000 since 2012. In England they increased to £9,250 in 2017-18, but will be frozen at this level until at least 2019-20.

Professor Riordan said that this cost Cardiff £5 million a year, and he pointed to another £5 million cut in funding from the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales.

Asked if the continuing freeze on tuition fees could lead to job losses at other research-intensive universities, Professor Riordan said that “it is certainly possible”. Rising utility costs, increased rents and growing staff costs also contributed to the shortfall, he said.

“If the unit of resource for funding students does not change or goes down and costs rise, there will have to be some kind of adjustment,” Professor Riordan said.

With Cardiff predicting a £10.6 million loss this year, a turnaround plan was agreed at a council meeting on 11 February. The university has launched a voluntary severance scheme and has said that no compulsory firings are planned at the moment, but has warned that they cannot be ruled out in future.

Redundancies at research-intensive universities are likely to come under particular scrutiny in the run-up to the UK’s next research excellence framework, which will be conducted next year and published the year after.

Under new rules, universities will be allowed to submit the work of academics that they have made redundant. There has also been speculation that some institutions might use redundancies to remove staff with weaker research track records before the REF “census” in July 2020.

In the 2014 REF, Cardiff’s grade point average was the sixth highest in the country after it submitted a much smaller proportion of eligible researchers than similar providers. This time around, all academics with “significant responsibility for research” must be included.

But Professor Riordan said that there was no link between the job cuts and the upcoming REF.

“Our strategy was always to focus on quality [in 2014] and then maintain quality but ensure we focused on quantity too in 2021,” he said.

Publicație : The Times

Philosopher explores how to combat toxicity of social media

Regina Rini discusses how academics and students can avoid online aggression

When Regina Rini uses social media, she is determined to make it “boring to argue with me”.

The Canada research chair in philosophy of moral and social cognition at York University, Professor Rini was in London recently to speak at a seminar titled “Social media and democracy are incompatible – now what?”, which was organised by the Institute of Philosophy. By breaking down traditional ideas of sincerity and trustworthiness, and turning political debate into a form of entertainment, she argued, social media posed a major threat to democracy – and neither government intervention nor self-regulation seemed likely to offer a solution.

But if social media is so toxic, Times Higher Education asked Professor Rini, was there a role for universities in encouraging better forms of debate and getting students to engage more productively?

One suggestion she made to her students, she replied, was “not to have social media on your phone – portability and the ease to use the thing as a boredom reliever is such a driver of conflict. People get into fights just to relieve boredom.” She also hoped to “use the classroom to model good discussion, in a way that is translatable on to social media”.

When she witnessed a “cascade in a classroom where someone says something very unpopular and people start piling on”, for example, Professor Rini had “found it helpful to point out what was happening and say, ‘Regardless of who’s right, notice the social dynamic emerging in the class where it has become easy to say one thing and hard to say another, because more people are jumping in on one side.’” Building on this, it was possible to draw lessons about the dangers of “mobbing” on social media.

Many philosophy classes, according to Professor Rini, put too much stress on “the formal properties of argumentation” and not enough on “the social context of argumentation”. It could be counterproductive just to “arm people with the names of some fallacies and logical errors and then turn them loose on social media, without any preparation for all the extra social problems that exist. All you to get is a bunch of people obnoxiously quoting Wikipedia articles about logical fallacies at others. That just irritates them…

“It is part of the job to recognise that rhetoric is a real part of social and political life and to teach critical thinking with an eye on that as well as on the formal aspects of argumentation. What I consider a good interaction on social media is when people come away able to articulate what is motivating the other person in a non-derogatory way.”

As for her own interactions on social media, Professor Rini now tries to “be as polite as possible but to avoid tangents and ask people repeatedly to clarify their main point…I want it to be boring to argue with me. That way, the only people who will do it are the ones who sincerely care about the argument. If you care about the topic, you won’t get bored. If you’re just there for a fight, I want you to get bored and leave.”

Publicație : The Times

Oxford and Cambridge have fewer than 3% poor white students, study finds

Fewer than 3 per cent of students enrolled at Oxford and Cambridge are poor and white, an analysis has found.

A report from the National Education Opportunities Network (Neon) showed more than half of universities in England admit less than 5 per cent of white students from deprived areas.

The study, from an organisation that promotes wider access into higher education, revealed that prestigious universities have particularly low numbers of white students from poorer backgrounds.

here are just 2 per cent at the University of Cambridge, compared with 28 per cent at Teeside University, the analysis showed.

Among poorer white students going to university, 70 per cent go to newer universities, with lower numbers in Russell Group institutions. Oxford, Warwick and Bristol take fewer than 3 per cent and Durham admits 4 per cent.

Students at the Cuba’s National Ballet School (ENB) wait in line to enter a classroom in Havana, Cuba

Reuters

The report calls on universities to set targets for admitting more white working-class students after it found that fewer than a fifth of English universities have specific objectives for this group.

The study looked at white students from “low-participation neighbourhoods”, which are areas in the country where fewer people usually go to university.

The numbers are particular low for London universities – many are 1 per cent or 2 per cent – but the analysis suggested a lack of low-participation neighbourhoods in the capital has skewed the figures.

Graeme Atherton, director of Neon and coauthor of the report, warned that “big variability exists” across the sector in the chances of poorer white students getting into university.

He said: “We need to know more about why this variability exists and do more to eliminate it.”

Universities with the lowest percentage of white poor students

The table excludes London

  1. Royal Agricultural (0)
  2. Cambridge (2.44%)
  3. Bath (2.59%)
  4. Warwick (2.68%)
  5. Aston (2.70%)
  6. Oxford (2.73%)
  7. Bristol (2.85%)
  8. Reading (3.23%)
  9. Surrey (3.26%)
  10. Manchester (3.37%)

Recent government figures revealed that white disadvantaged boys are the least likely to access higher education, particularly at the most selective institutions.

Damian Hinds, education secretary, said: “We need to ask ourselves why that is and challenge government, universities and the wider system on it.

“Universities need to look at the data, including dropout rates, outreach activity and admissions policies to make sure they are improving their access and successful participation.

“It’s vital that we do this to make sure that no part of our country feels as though it is being left behind.”

The report was published as it emerged that entry requirements for some of Scotland’s most prestigious universities will be lowered to increase the number of students from diverse backgrounds.

The University of Edinburgh has introduced a programme ahead of the new academic year, which lowers the grades required by prospective students hoping to gain a place.

The University of Glasgow and the University of Aberdeen have also published two sets of entry requirements for each course.

A Universities UK (UUK) spokesperson said institutions were committed to widening access to higher education and that 18-year-olds from the most disadvantaged areas in England are more likely to go to university than ever before.

The spokesperson added: “But we know that a number of challenges and disparities remain between different groups. We are supporting universities in their efforts to build on work that has increased the number of students from diverse backgrounds in recent years.”

The UUK said efforts to improve social mobility could be helped by the reintroduction of “targeted maintenance grants for those most in need”.

Publicație : The Independent

Half of universities in England have fewer than 5% poor white students

Study finds white working-class are less likely to attend prestigious institutions

 

The University of Cambridge was among the institutions with the smallest number of white working-class students. Photograph: Poohz/Getty Images/iStockphoto

More than half of universities in England have fewer than 5% of white working-class students in their intakes, according to researchers.

A report from the National Education Opportunity Network (Neon) found that white youngsters in receipt of free school meals were the least likely of any group to study at university after those from Traveller backgrounds.

White students make up the majority of people living in areas where university attendance is lowest and those who do attend are more likely to enrol at less prestigious post-1992 universities.

Figures from the admissions service Ucas show that in terms of numbers, white people from all social backgrounds make up the largest group of university students and nearly half of all students at further education colleges. But in proportion to the population, young white people are less likely to go to university than black or Asian teenagers.

The University of Cambridge and Oxford University were among the institutions accepting the smallest number of white students from low-participation neighbourhoods, while the Royal Agricultural University in Cirencester has none.

Sheffield Hallam University accepted the greatest number of poorer white students, closely followed by Liverpool John Moores and Teesside.

The analysis found that of all applications to higher education by this demographic, only 22% were accepted. More than 50% of universities accepted fewer than 20% of the applications received from these students.

Although many universities admit only a very small number of white students from areas of low participation, with some admitting none at all, fewer than 20% of institutions have targets related to accessibility for them.

A spokesperson for the University of East Anglia, which has 310 students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, said: “University outreach activity alone is unlikely to affect the change necessary to ensure that white disadvantaged students have the same outcomes as their more advantaged peers.

“The issue would require national investment, working in partnership with school leaders, businesses and local authorities to affect deep-rooted change.”

Of the higher education providers who responded to a survey by Neon, fewer than 40% were doing outreach work specifically with white males and fewer than 12% with white females from low-participation backgrounds.

London has fewer areas with low participation in higher education and a high number of black and ethnic minority students. This provides some explanation as to why students going to university from areas with low participation are more likely to be white. Some of the high number of students from BME backgrounds would undoubtedly be classed as being disadvantaged by any other measure.

A spokeswoman for Universities UK said: “Universities are committed to widening access to higher education and ensuring the success of all their students, regardless of their background. Eighteen-year-olds from the most disadvantaged areas in England are more likely to go to university than ever before, but we know that a number of challenges and disparities remain between different groups.
“We are supporting universities in their efforts to build on work that has increased the number of students from diverse backgrounds in recent years.”

Education secretary Damian Hinds said: “Whilst it’s right that we celebrate the record rates of 18-year-olds from disadvantaged backgrounds going to university, there is clearly more to do to make sure everyone who has the talent and potential can thrive in higher education.

“White British disadvantaged boys are the least likely of any large ethnic group to go to university. We need to ask ourselves why that is and challenge government, universities and the wider system on it. Universities need to look at the data, including dropout rates, outreach activity and admissions policies to make sure they are improving their access and successful participation.

“It’s vital that we do this to make sure that no part of our country feels as though it is being left behind.”

Publicație : The Guardian

Universities stamp out creativity’: are graduates ready for work?

Universities are changing the way they teach to prepare students for a future in which lots of jobs will be automated

A few numbers are enough to sum up how far the world of work is changing. More than six million workers fear their jobs could be replaced by machines in the next 10 years. Around 1.1 million people now work in the gig economy, using online platforms to find small, often on-demand, jobs. And a third of graduates find themselves mismatched to the jobs they secure on graduation.

What universities can do to prepare their graduates for an unknown future was the subject of a roundtable, sponsored by HSBC, held in Birmingham last week and attended by senior academic leaders, employers and policy-makers.

It emerged that the numbers did not paint the full picture. Take automation: Scott Corfe, chief economist at the Social Market Foundation, pointed out that automation did not necessarily mean fewer jobs – just different ones. And politicians were wrong to assume that these would largely be in programming; in fact, programming was likely to be automated in future, while more creative skills would still be in demand. “The key thing is to enable people to reskill and move around the job market in a more nimble way than they currently can do,” he said.

Paul Faulkner, chief executive of the Birmingham Chamber of Commerce, questioned the idea that an ever-changing, unknown jobs future was something new. “Every generation will have felt that way.”

Were students graduating without the skills needed by employers? It was important not to confuse learning skills with content that becomes quickly outdated, said Kathy Armour, pro vice-chancellor (education) at the University of Birmingham, while Alec Cameron, vice-chancellor and chief executive of Aston University, said content matters but mainly as “the context around which you can develop skills and attributes”.

Mike Rowley, Paul Faulkner, Kathy Armour and Sonia Hickey. Photograph: Andrew Fox

The consensus was that whatever the future of work looked like, it would demand creativity.

Julie Ward, Labour MEP for north-west England, stressed the importance of including arts in the emphasis on science, technology, engineering and mathematics as key subjects, so that Stem becomes Steam. Parents who advised their children that taking arts subjects would harm their job prospects were making a mistake, she said.

Yvonne Brown, senior lecturer in management and human resources at Coventry University, said universities needed to ensure the way they assessed students encouraged teamwork and a creative approach to learning. It wasn’t just creativity that employers looked for, added Graham Thompsett, people capability director at Jaguar Land Rover – it was also curiosity. “There isn’t enough of that.”

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Mike Rowley, partner and head of education at KPMG, said his company did not focus on a particular degree or content but on softer skills, which he argued should be taught to students at an earlier stage in the education system.

Work experience was essential in developing these skills, speakers agreed. Professor Philip Plowden, vice-chancellor of Birmingham City University, said work placements or experiential learning were invaluable in closing attainment gaps between advantaged and disadvantaged students. Not everyone approached the world of work from the same starting point: many students at Birmingham City came from deprived backgrounds and even short placements could help demystify office life and behaviour. “We talk about preparing students for an unknown future,” he said. “For a lot of my students it’s an unknown present.”

Work placements had another value too – in preserving students’ innate abilities. “I think sometimes universities inadvertently stamp out creativity,” he suggested. “I have watched law students coming in with oodles of common sense from their everyday lives. You start teaching them and within about a year they can give you a lecture on contract law, but can’t solve a problem any more they could probably have solved when they came in.”

Sarah Stevens, head of policy at the Russell Group, said another way of equipping students with transferable skills was enabling them to work closely with researchers to become independent learners and researchers in their own right.

But students needed to pick up more than learning skills from universities to have successful careers, argued Frances Howell, managing director and head of corporate banking Midlands Region, at HSBC. “Another thing that’s really important is around building the strength and skills of individuals to manage mental wellbeing,” she said.

Jason Arday, senior teaching fellow in the Centre for Education Studies at the University of Warwick, said students felt they were paying a lot of money to be at university and that had changed attitudes towards the skills institutions needed to deliver.

Sandy Lindsay, Scott Corfe and Jason Arday. Photograph: Andrew Fox

But it was not all up to universities, said Thompsett. Employers needed to change too. This meant working more closely with universities to develop skills and find suitable – and diverse – recruits.

Plowden said he would “vehemently disagree” with any suggestion that universities were just about getting a job. But for Cameron it was “base level hygiene”. While he appreciated the sense of civic engagement, morals and values he derived from his university education, his ability to appreciate it all had been underpinned by the fact that he was employed, and universities failed their students if they did not give them that opportunity.

For Sandy Lindsay, founder and chair at the communications consultancy Tangerine, apprenticeships offered one solution. She set up the Juice Academy, a digital marketing apprenticeship programme, because she felt digital marketing was too fast-changing to be taught at the slow pace of a university setting.

Yet she felt the government’s current apprenticeship programme was a missed opportunity, lacking essential flexibility. And Plowden agreed that the bureaucracy involved was such that the apprenticeship system “makes us look like Usain Bolt”.

Slowness was particularly problematic in the pace of change on diversity, argued Arday. He was concerned at the persistent attainment gap between white and black and minority ethnic students and felt this was reinforced by the dearth of people of colour in leadership positions in universities or industry. “We don’t have a model reflective of the student population,” he argued.

But while many agreed that universities needed to be faster at responding to change, the solution was not just extra speed, countered Armour. She made the case for “slow learning”, rejecting the government’s enthusiasm for accelerated two-year courses in favour of a more modular approach, interspersed with periods of work. Why do we study for three years, she asked, rather than seven? “The idea that you will be able at 18 to study something and three years later you’ll have everything you need to take you through until you’re 75 is fanciful. If it ever were true it’s certainly not true now.”

She predicted that universities would remain trusted providers of education but there would be new ways to package material into microchunks. Only a few years ago, music lovers could only buy records on an LP, but now most young people buy bits and pieces through iTunes, she said. “You can see a lot of students who might want to package their learning somewhat differently over a life course,” she said. “That seems to me where the future is.”

At the table

Rachel Hall (chair), Universities editor, The Guardian

Alec Cameron, vice-chancellor and chief executive professor of Aston University

Sandy Lindsay, founder and chair at Tangerine & The Juice Academy

Frances Howell, managing director and head of corporate banking, Midlands Region, HSBC

Paul Faulkner, CEO, Birmingham Chamber of Commerce

Scott Corfe, chief economist, Social Market Foundation

Julie Ward, Labour MEP for north-west England

Michael Rowley, partner and head of education, KPMG

Professor Philip Plowden, vice-chancellor of Birmingham City University

Professor Kathy Armour, pro-vice-chancellor (education), University of Birmingham

Graham Thompsett, people capability director, Jaguar Land Rover

Yvonne Browne, senior lecturer in management and human resources, Coventry University London

Jason Arday, senior teaching fellow in the Centre for Education Studies, University of Warwick

Sarah Stevens, head of policy, the Russell Group

Publicație : The Guardian

Les étudiants des grandes écoles interpellent leurs futurs employeurs sur l’écologie

Près de 30 000 jeunes ont signé un « manifeste pour un réveil écologique »

Le plateau de Saclay, près de Paris, où plusieurs étudiants de grandes écoles ont écrit un manifeste pour l’écologie. OLIVIER LABAN-MATTEI / AFP

Après chaque présentation sur le réchauffement climatique organisée par son association DDX (Développement durable à l’X, l’Ecole polytechnique), il vivait un moment « désagréable », une sorte de « douche froide ». « Rien que la présentation factuelle de la situation était étourdissante », raconte Corentin Bisot, élève ingénieur en troisième année à l’X. C’est après ces conférences auxquelles des experts étaient invités, souvent des polytechniciens, que cet étudiant de 22 ans se décide à contacter les autres associations « vertes » des écoles du plateau de Saclay : HEC, l’Ecole normale supérieure, AgroParisTech et CentraleSupélec. Les étudiants de ces associations se voient plusieurs fois courant 2018 et conviennent de rédiger ensemble un manifeste.

Publié en septembre, le texte obtient vite un soutien auprès des étudiants : début février, ils étaient près de 30 000 à l’avoir signé. « L’effet réseau a joué, c’est sûr », analyse Théo Miloche, étudiant de 22 ans en double diplôme Sciences Po et HEC, qui a découvert la démarche lorsqu’il était en stage au ministère de la transition écologique, en septembre.

Au cœur de ce texte réside l’idée que ces futurs jeunes diplômés, issus pour la plupart de grandes écoles prestigieuses, pourront choisir leur poste en fonction du comportement écologique de l’employeur. « En effet, à quoi cela rime-t-il de se déplacer à vélo quand on travaille pour une entreprise dont l’activité contribue à l’accélération du changement climatique ou à l’épuisement des ressources ?, questionnent les étudiants dans le manifeste. Au fur et à mesure que nous nous approchons de notre premier emploi, nous nous apercevons que le système dont nous faisons partie nous oriente vers des postes souvent incompatibles avec le fruit de nos réflexions et nous enferme dans des contradictions quotidiennes. »

Forte de ses milliers de signataires, « l’équipe du manifeste », comme elle s’est baptisée, s’est agrandie et compte désormais une trentaine d’étudiants mobilisés sur les deux piliers que le manifeste souhaite repenser : l’enseignement supérieur et les entreprises.

« Vos élèves sont engagés »

« Nous aimerions faire une révolution de l’intérieur », expliqueRebecca Doctors, étudiante brésilienne de HEC, chargée du volet entreprise. « Nous sommes les futurs employés des entreprises, des grands groupes mondiaux, c’est à nous de changer leur fonctionnement », poursuit la jeune femme. Pour aider les jeunes diplômés à sélectionner leur futur employeur, l’équipe travaille à une « grille de lecture » pour comprendre ce que font vraiment les entreprises pour la transition écologique.

Mais cette « révolution de l’intérieur » nécessite des compétences. « Nous avons constaté que nous n’étions pas formés pour changer l’impact environnemental des entreprises », explique Théo Miloche. Le document propose ainsi que l’écologie soit « intégrée » dans l’ensemble des formations du supérieur, une sorte de tronc commun enseigné dans toutes les disciplines. « Le manifeste peut devenir un point de départ pour les étudiants qui voudraient influencer les contenus de leur cursus. Nous leur donnons les outils pour qu’ils puissent interpeller leur direction », précise Corentin Bisot.

C’est ce qui s’est passé à Polytechnique, où 600 élèves ingénieurs ont signé le document. « Nous sommes allés voir le nouveau président, Eric Labaye, et nous lui avons montré les signatures en lui disant : “Vous voyez, vos élèves sont engagés” », poursuit Corentin Bisot. La mobilisation leur aura permis de pousser la porte des ministères de la transition écologique et de l’enseignement supérieur. « C’est ce que nous voulions : un mouvement qui vient du bas et qui obtient l’écoute du haut », se félicite l’étudiant de l’X, qui capitalise sur le réseau de son école pour frapper aux bonnes portes.

Publicație : Le Monde

Une première marche avant la grande école

Il est tout à fait possible – et de plus en plus courant – d’intégrer une grande école de commerce ou d’ingénieurs après un BTS, un DUT ou un bachelor. Et d’atterrir dans le même cursus que des élèves passés par des classes préparatoires.

Marie-Victoria, Morgane, Sarah et Imane étudient dans une grande école de management ou d’ingénieurs. Avant d’y entrer, elles ont validé un BTS, un DUT ou un ­bachelor. Ces profils gagnent du terrain depuis une vingtaine d’années, à mesure que les voies d’accès aux grandes écoles se sont diversifiées. Près du tiers des entrants en école d’ingénieurs et plus de la moitié des étudiants en management viennent de « voies parallèles ». Ils sont admis, sur concours, sans être passés par une classe préparatoire après le bac. Leur principal atout : leur connaissance des matières ­professionnelles et du monde du travail.

La coloration professionnelle du CV de Marie-Victoria Touchelet, 21 ans, saute aux yeux. « J’ai trois ans d’expérience en entreprise, et pas seulement en tant que stagiaire », insiste la jeune femme. Elle a suivi un BTS ­commerce international, puis un bachelor à l’ESG Tours, en alternance. Aujourd’hui inscrite à l’EDC Paris Business School, ­Marie-Victoria estime avoir ­ « appris le commercial sur le ­terrain ». Lorsqu’elle a intégré le programme grande école (PGE) de l’EDC, elle a été frappée par ­ « l’appréhension de certains ­camarades passés par des prépas à l’égard du monde du travail, des collègues, des supérieurs hiérarchiques ». Marie ­Pfiffelmann, directrice déléguée du PGE de l’EM Strasbourg, la ­rejoint. « Ceux qui arrivent en admissions parallèles ont une maturité plus forte, sont plus autonomes et connaissent mieux le monde de l’entreprise que ceux qui viennent d’une classe prépa. »

A l’instar de Morgane Reimliger et Sarah El Janati, 60 % des ­étudiants de cette école de commerce sont issus de voies d’admission parallèles. Parmi eux, 3 sur 10 sont titulaires d’un BTS, comme Morgane. Après son BTS management des unités commerciales, elle a réussi le concours. « On m’avait dit que ce serait difficile. J’ai réussi à gérer les cours, les révisions, mes stages et mon travail », témoigne-t-elle. Sarah, elle, s’est assuré une place dans ce programme dès la terminale. A l’époque, elle voulait « du concret et des stages » et ne s’imaginait donc pas en classe préparatoire.

Sur le Web, cette boursière « échelon 6 » – le niveau 7 étant le plus élevé – découvre l’existence du concours diversité de l’association Passerelle, ouvert aux élèves de terminale, qui prend en compte des critères économiques et sociaux, et ­permet d’assurer sa place en école de commerce à la sortie d’un DUT. Avec « 14-15 de moyenne en terminale ES », Sarah a été admise sans peine dans un DUT partenaire de l’école. « Pour que ma place à l’EM Strasbourg soit conservée, la condition était de ne pas redoubler en DUT », ­explique-t-elle.

Des écarts gommés

En première année d’école de management, Sarah explique avoir étudié « toutes les matières professionnelles dont [elle] avai[t] ­acquis les bases pendant [s]on DUT ». La jeune femme de 23 ans poursuit : « Les élèves de prépas se pensaient plus légitimes que nous au départ. Finalement, ils sont bien préparés au concours mais moins bien aux cours », juge-t-elle. Points faibles de ceux qui ne sortent pas de classe préparatoire ? « Ils n’ont souvent qu’une seule langue vivante et sont moins à l’aise dans la rédaction et la prise de hauteur », note Marie Pfiffelmann.

Selon Sarah, la prépa permet d’acquérir « de meilleures méthodes de travail et d’être plus efficace en termes de gestion du temps qu’après un DUT ». La ­directrice déléguée du PGE de l’EM Strasbourg assure que ces écarts sont gommés dès la deuxième année.

« Peu importe d’où l’on vient, on peut aller où l’on veut avec du ­travail et de la volonté », généralise Anas Fatahallah, 22 ans, aujourd’hui en première année à la Montpellier Business School. « Mes parents n’ont pas fait d’études supérieures, mais ils voulaient que je réussisse », confie le jeune homme. A la fin du collège, celui qui n’est « pas très bon élève » est « orienté en bac pro ». On lui propose la mécanique. Il choisit le commerce. « J’avais bien aimé le relationnel lors de mon stage de troisième dans un magasin. » En bac pro, il plafonne à 17-18 de moyenne générale. « Dès la première semaine de stage en entreprise, je me suis promis de ne pas finir vendeur », se souvient-il. Il se projette alors en BTS ou en DUT.

Deux images

Une visite dans une classe le fait changer d’avis : il rencontre les ­représentants de la classe prépa commerciale technologique du lycée René-Cassin, à Strasbourg, l’une des rares qui soit réservées aux bacheliers de la voie professionnelle. Anas l’intègre. Après ce cursus de trois ans, il décroche sa place : « 500e sur 5 000 personnes au moins, au même concours que les bacheliers technologiques, lance-t-il, tout sourire. Mes parents sont très fiers. »

A l’Ecole nationale du génie de l’eau et de l’environnement de Strasbourg (Engees), la diversification des publics se résume de prime abord en deux images : une photo de promo des années 1960, exclusivement masculine. Et le trombinoscope de la promo en cours, dans le bureau de la directrice des études, sur ­lequel figurent plus de 50 % de filles. Ce qui ne se voit pas, sur ces images, c’est qu’« un quart des élèves admis ces cinq dernières ­années ont intégré une promotion en “admission sur titre”, c’est-à-dire après un BTS (pour 9 % d’entre eux), un DUT (10 %) ou une licence (6 %) », détaille Marianne Bernard, directrice des études au sein de l’école.

Toute admission sur titre à l’Engees passe par l’étude du dossier du candidat, une épreuve de deux heures en physique et mathématiques, ainsi qu’un ­entretien de motivation. Les ­admis sur titre rentrent une ­semaine plus tôt pour participer à une session de maths intensive. « Certains ont eu besoin de passer par une prépa ATS [adaptation technicien supérieur] pour se rassurer avant de tenter l’admission sur titre », ­observe-t-elle.

Imane Nadam, 22 ans, fait partie de ceux-là. Avec du recul, elle juge qu’elle aurait pu se passer de cette prépa ATS « en préparant bien l’examen ». A la fin de son BTS ­Gemeau (Gestion et maîtrise de l’eau), elle est la seule de sa promo à avoir tenté d’intégrer une école d’ingénieurs. Une possibilité qu’elle a découverte en cherchant une licence professionnelle en hydraulique.

En entrant à l’Engees, la jeune femme ne s’est pas sentie en difficulté : « On commence par une année de mise à niveau. Chacun a des facilités dans des domaines différents, selon qu’il a déjà fait de l’hydraulique ou qu’il sort de prépa bio ou physique. » L’élève ingénieure planche actuellement sur son projet de fin d’études « sur l’irrigation à Haïti ». Lors du récent gala annuel de l’école strasbourgeoise, trois des cinq meilleurs projets de fin d’études présentés ont été réalisés par des ingénieurs passés par un BTS, un DUT ou une licence. Entrer par la petite porte n’empêche pas de sortir par la grande.

Publicație : Le Monde