6 aprilie 2019
DECLARATIILE acestor profesori din Iasi schimba TOTUL! Cei care vor urma acesti PASI vor avea parte de o SURPRIZA URIASA
O noua situatie paradoxala la nivelul sistemului de invatamant superior din Iasi! • Realitatea este una cu totul si cu totul interesanta, avand in vedere ca, cei mai multi parinti isi doresc ca ai lor copii sa urmeze o facultate in urma careia sa aiba parte de un job foarte bine platit si posibilitatea de a se dezvolta in cariera • Tocmai de aceea, o serie de profesori cunoscuti din Iasi arata ca realitatea este una diferita atunci cand vine vorba ca absolventii de liceu sa se orienteze catre specializari universitare la mare cautare • Fie ca este vorba de zona Geografiei turismului - filiera francofona, Mecanica si autovehicule rutiere, Matematica, Inginerie chimica sau Constructii si instalatii, foarte putini dintre tineri aleg sa urmeze o asemenea traiectorie de formare profesionala superioara • In pofida acestei stari de fapt, tocmai pe aceste domenii sunt companii care solicita din ce in ce mai multi absolventi si le ofera lefuri care ajung si pana la cinci mii de euro pe luna
Este paradoxal ceea ce se intampla, pe anumite paliere, la nivelul sistemului de invatamant superior din Iasi. Este cu totul si cu totul interesant fenomenul avand in vedere ca cei mai multi parinti isi doresc ca ai lor copii sa urmeze o facultate in urma careia sa aiba parte de un job foarte bine platit si posibilitatea de a se dezvolta in cariera.
In acest context, o serie de profesori cunoscuti din Iasi arata ca realitatea este una diferita atunci cand vine vorba ca absolventii de liceu sa se orienteze catre specializari universitare la mare cautare.
Concret, Geografia turismului - filiera francofona, Mecanica si autovechicule rutiere, Matematica, Inginerie chimica sau Constructii si instalatii au putini dintre tinerii care aleg sa urmeze o asemenea traiectorie de formare profesionala superioara.
Ciudat este ca, in pofida acestei stari de fapt, tocmai pe aceste domenii sunt companii care solicita din ce in ce mai multi absolventi si le ofera lefuri care ajung si pana la cinci mii de euro pe luna.
"Noi avem aceasta specializare a Geografiei turismului in Limba franceza si ne straduim sa o mentinem. Ar fi bine sa avem cat mai multi absolventi care sa aleaga sa studieze pe acest segment deoarece, din contactele pe care le am, va pot spune ca ne vin solicitari numeroase de angajare a resursei umane pregatite pe acest palier, atat in tara, cat si in strainatate, si pe salarii care depasesc chiar de o suta de ori media lefurilor din tara noastra. Cred ca aici ar trebui o mai buna orientare in cariera din timpul studiilor liceeale", a transmis prof. univ. dr. Corneliu Iatu, prorector pentru strategie, dezvoltare institutionala si managementul calitatii in cadrul celei mai vechi universitati moderne a tarii - "Alexandru Ioan Cuza" (UAIC) din Iasi.
Angajatii care au terminat Mecanica sau Ingineria chimica, in topul cu cele mai mari salarii din Europa
Pe de alta parte, angajatii care au terminat Mecanica sau Ingineria chimica sunt in topul cu cele mai mari salarii din Europa. "Inca nu inteleg de ce Ingineria chimica nu este interesanta pentru absolventi. Vreau sa va spun ca, pe plan european, pe piata muncii, inginerii specializati pe aceasta zona sunt la mare cautare, domeniul este in plina dezvoltare, iar salariile sunt foarte bune. Cred ca trebuie mai mult lucrat la nivel de mentalitate, orientare in cariera si promovare in randul parintilor a acestui areal de studiu", arata si prof. univ. dr. Nicolae Hurduc, actual ministru al Cercetarii, respectiv decan al Facultatii de Inginerie Chimica si Protectia Mediului "Cristofor Simionescu" de la Universitatea Tehnica (TUIASI) "Gheorghe Asachi" din Iasi.
Cu aceleasi ganduri vine si sef lucrari dr. ing. Gabriel Ursescu, de la Facultatea de Mecanica a Universitatii Tehnice. "Din pacate, in ultimii ani, nu vad un mare interes si entuziasm din partea tinerilor absolventi de liceu catre Mecanica. E ceva paradoxal deoarece absolventii sunt la mare cautare pe piata muncii, inclusiv in Romania. Cred ca e vorba si de o mentalitate gresita", considera profesorul Ursescu.
Conform statisticilor oficiale, peste 85 la suta dintre ei reusesc sa obtina un loc de munca imediat dupa ce-si termina studiile, exact pe specializarile urmate. La nivel de salarizare, de la un absolvent de Arhitectura platit si cu peste 4.000 lei (lunar - n.r.) in Romania, de Mecanica, similar, sau Electronica si Telecomunicatii, cu 4.500, sau Informatica, respectiv Automatica si Calculatoare, cu peste 5.000 lei, acestea sunt in topul celor mai bine platite. Interesant este ca, asta in baza unui studiu coordonat de prof. univ. dr. Mihaela Onofrei, rectorul de la UAIC, la nivelul anului 2018, in topul cerintelor la angajare de absolventi se afla: posibilitati de avansare pe linie profesionala, acceptarea de catre angajator sa-si poata continua studiile post-licenta, facilitati precum acordarea tichetelor de vacanta, participarea la traininguri de specialitate. Spectaculos este ca salarizarea nu este prima conditie ceruta de angajator, leafa fiind abia pe locul al IV-lea sau al V-lea, din aceasta perspectiva.
Publicație : Bună Ziua Iași
Academia de Studii Economice, în topul „2019 Times Higher Education University Impact Rankings“
Academia de Studii Economice din Bucureşti este prezentă în prima ediţie a clasamentului „2019 Times Higher Education University Impact Rankings“, dată publicităţii, miercuri, la 3 aprilie 2019.
Reprezentanţii instituţiei precizează într-un comunicat de presă că „acest clasament reflectă impactul universităţii în societate, conform obiectivelor de dezvoltare durabilă ale ONU“. Clasamentul ierarhizează peste 450 de universităţi din 76 de ţări, evaluate pe baza obiectivelor de dezvoltare durabilă ale ONU: Sănătate şi bunăstare, Educaţie de calitate, Egalitate de gen, Condiţii de muncă decente şi creştere economică, Industrie, inovaţie şi infrastructură, Reducerea inegalităţilor, Oraşe şi comunităţi durabile, Consum şi producţie responsabile, Acţiune climatică, Pace, justiţie şi instituţii eficiente, Parteneriate pentru realizarea obiectivelor. În prima ediţie (2019) a clasamentului Times Higher Education University Impact Rankings, s-au evaluat 11 dintre cele 17 Obiective pentru Dezvoltare Durabilă ale Naţiunilor, printre care Sănătate şi bunăstare, Educaţie de calitate, Egalitatea de gen, Muncă în condiţii decente şi creştere economică şi Industrie, inovaţie şi infrastructură. Pentru anul 2019, Academia de Studii Economice din Bucureşti (ASE) ocupă următoarele poziţii în această evaluare: locul 101-200 în clasamentul general; locul 201-300 în clasamentul privind calitatea educaţiei; locul 38 în clasamentul privind egalitatea de gen; locul 9 în clasamentul privind condiţii de muncă decente şi creştere economică; locul 79 în clasamentul privind impactul în industrie, inovare şi infrastructură; locul 101-200 în clasamentul privind reducerea inegalităţilor; locul 201-300 în clasamentul privind angajamentul în realizarea obiectivelor de dezvoltare durabilă.
Pentru admitere 2019, ASE scoate la concurs peste 11.500 de locuri, dintre care peste 7.200 la programele universitare de licenţă, aproximativ 4.500 la masterat şi peste 200 la doctorat; dintre acestea jumătate sunt la forma de finanţare la buget.
În clasamentului „2019 Times Higher Education University Impact Rankings“ au mai intrat alte trei instituţii de învăţămând din România: Universitatea de Medicină şi Farmacie „Grigore T. Popa” Iaşi şi Universitatea „Babeş-Bolyai” din Cluj-Napoca (poziţiile 201-300) şi Universitatea din Bucureşti (poziţiile 301+).
Publicație : Adevărul
MAI: "În aproape 6 luni au fost evaluate numai 6 teze de doctorat de la Academia de Poliţie. Se impune o analizare a acestui proces"
Ministerul Afacerilor Interne (MAI) a transmis, vineri, că, în aproape şase luni, au fost evaluate şi s-au emis puncte de vedere pentru numai 6 lucrări de doctorat de la Academia de Poliţie, de aceea se impune o evaluare a modului de organizare a acestui proces.
„Având în vedere demersul iniţiat de către conducerea Academiei de Poliţie şi concretizat prin hotărârea Consiliului de Administraţie nr. 40 din octombrie 2018, de a sesiza Comisia de Etică şi Deontologie Universitară pentru verificarea standardelor de etică specifice elaborării tezelor de doctorat, conducerea MAI a solicitat o informare din partea Academiei de Poliţie privind stadiul derulării acestui proces”, a transmis, vineri, Ministerul Afacerilor Interne.
„Constatând că în aproape 6 luni au fost evaluate şi s-au emis puncte de vedere pentru numai 6 lucrări de doctorat, ministrul afacerilor interne consideră că se impune o evaluare a modului de organizare a acestui proces desfăşurat la nivelul Academiei de Poliţie”, se arată în comunicat.
Sursa citată a precizat că, în conformitate cu informarea realizată de rectorul Academiei de Poliţie, Comisia de Etică şi Deontologie Universitară a fost sesizată pentru 60 de teze de doctorat susţinute din 2011 şi până în prezent. La acestea se adaugă şi tezele de doctorat aparţinând întregii conduceri a Academiei de Poliţie, pentru a se clarifica orice suspiciuni de plagiat faţă de aceştia.
„Evaluarea procesului de verificare a tezelor de doctorat se va desfăşura exclusiv din perspectiva organizării administrative a procesului, fără legătură cu analiza respectivelor teze de doctorat, această analiză a lucrărilor putând fi realizată numai de către organismele abilitate de legislaţia din domeniul învăţământului şi nu de către un organism de control al MAI. De asemenea, activitatea va urmări respectarea principiului autonomiei universitare”, a mai transmis MAI.
Conform prevederilor normative, Comisia de Etică şi Deontologie Universitară din cadrul Academiei de Poliţie îşi desfăşoară activitatea în baza Regulamentului Comisiei, aprobat prin Hotărârea Senatului Academiei din anul 2017.
Ministrul Afacerilor Interne, Carmen Dan anunţa, în 30 mai 2018, că vor fi verificate toate lucrările de doctorat eleborate la Academia de Poliţie în perioada 2007-2011, iar pentru început vor fi verificate aproximativ 80 de lucrări de diplomă care aparţin unor angajaţi ai ministerului care primesc indemnizaţia pentru studii de doctorat. Ea a spus că nu pleacă de la premisa că aceste lucrări sunt plagiate, ci de la ideea că trebuie verificate pentru a înlătura suspiciunile apărute în spaţiul public.
În 28 octombrie 2018, ministrul Afacerilor Interne, Carmen Dan, anunţa că raportul final în ceea ce priveşte verificarea lucrărilor de doctorat eleborate la Academia de Poliţie va fi prezentat în data de 15 noiembrie, ceea ce nu s-a întâmplat.
Publicație : Adevărul
Universities urged to stop using ‘unethical’ tactics to pressure students into accepting places
‘It is simply unacceptable for universities to adopt pressure-selling tactics’
The government has condemned universities for using “unethical” selling tactics to pressure tens of thousands of sixth-formers a year into accepting university places which may not be right for them.
Education secretary Damian Hinds is calling for a review of university admissions following a surge in the number of students being offered a place on a degree regardless of their exam grades.
The use of “conditional unconditional offers”, where a university tells students they are guaranteed a place but only if they make it their first choice, is harming students’ attainment, ministers warn.
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Mr Hinds is writing to 23 of the worst-offending universities, including a Russell Group institution, urging them to stamp out “pressure-selling tactics” which back students into a corner.
Universities that make conditional unconditional offers could be fined or deregistered for the “unacceptable” practice, and the government has not ruled out banning these offers altogether.
In the same place as last year in the Complete University Guide rankings
Getty
The review will look at whether these offers could breach laws designed to protect consumers from entering into a transaction they otherwise would not have, the Department for Education has said.
It comes after a Ucas report revealed that universities made 66,315 of these offers to 18-year-olds from England, Northern Ireland and Wales last year. In 2013, there was no detection of these offers.
The University of Birmingham, a member of the prestigious Russell Group, is one of the institutions Mr Hinds is writing to after it made 4,750 conditional unconditional offers to 18-year-olds in 2018.
“It is simply unacceptable for universities to adopt pressure-selling tactics, which are harming students’ grades in order to fill places,” Mr Hinds has said. “It is not what I expect to see from our world-class higher education institutions.”
Already at least two universities that Mr Hinds is reaching out to – the University of Roehampton and Aston University – have announced that they will no longer be making these offers.
This follows the Ucas figures which revealed that nearly two-thirds of all offers made by Roehampton to 18-year-olds were conditional unconditional offers.
Now more than one in three sixth-formers receive at least one unconditional offer, compared to just 1.1 per cent in 2013.
Students who accept unconditional offers are proportionally 7 per cent more likely to miss their predicted A-levels by two grades than students with conditional offers.
Paul Cottrell, acting general secretary for the University College Union, said: “Unconditional offers put too much pressure on young people to make a snap decision about their future and are symptomatic of a broken admissions system.”
Meanwhile, Labour MP Gordon Marsden, shadow higher education minister, claimed the rise of unconditional offers was a direct result of a “marketised approach” to higher education, which he said has “piled pressure” on institutions to recruit students.
He warned the situation is worsening. “Future higher education income is threatened, and there is a feeding frenzy of competition for students now,” Mr Marsden added.
The Office for Students (OfS), the higher education regulator, is planning to bring together a range of parties to consult on the admissions system to ensure it works in all students’ interests.
Nicola Dandridge, chief executive of the OfS, said: “It is not in students’ interests to push them into decisions that may not be right for them, and admissions practices are clearly not working if they are having a negative impact on students’ choices or outcomes.”
A Universities UK spokesperson said: “As with all offers to study at university, universities must be able to explain why and how they award unconditional offers with conditions attached.
“We are already working together with Ucas, reviewing existing guidance and gaining a better understanding of how these offers are being used.”
“It is essential that admissions processes and policies are fair and transparent, underpinned by clear criteria and in the best interest of students,” they added.
Publicație : The Independent
T levels present a new pathway to university
The combined practical and theoretical knowledge students will gain in the UK’s newest qualification make them a realistic alternative to A levels, says Andrew Kaye
T levels are a new qualification for the UK set to launch in September 2020. They will combine high-level technical study and work-ready skills with the theory and study of traditional A levels over two years.
The department for education is clear that these new courses will be the equivalent of three A levels and will attract the same Ucas tariff points. The content will provide the academic foundation students require for university, through classroom-based teaching, while developing the skills young people need to work in 21st-century jobs through extended industry placements.
With the government’s longer-term goal being to create three distinct post-16 options – A levels, T levels and apprenticeships – it is critical that each provides students with a clear pathway to higher education. This is because a complementary ambition of the government is to develop a post-18 education system that encourages the development of the skills we need as a country. The post-16 reforms, therefore, need to fit strategically into the post-18 review.
However, to make T levels a success, we need universities to endorse them. While we might not have a system like the Swiss or German technical universities, we do know that the UK university sector values diversity and is starting to embrace degree apprenticeship programmes. Therefore, universities endorsing T levels seems completely logical in the context of the post-16 reforms and post-18 review.
What concerns me now, with the imminent launch of T levels, are reports that some universities are split about the benefit of T levels and if they will successfully prepare students for university study.
I believe this is an immediate challenge for the government to reassure not only universities but also colleges, schools, students and parents that T levels could actually be of even greater value than the A level option, which is currently considered the default route to university for school leavers.
T levels’ blend of the practical elements of technical and professional qualifications with the theory and study of traditional A levels is unique. Moreover, employers have been involved in their design, ensuring emphasis is placed on employment skills, with 45 to 60 compulsory days of industry placement.
I believe T levels should be seen as the alternative route to university but bringing with it added benefits to students in that they will be well grounded academically and settled in a career path giving them greater ambition to succeed.
The time spent by a student in a workplace will equip them with experience and skills they cannot gain from A-levels and are totally beneficial to university-style learning: working in teams, taking instruction; working effectively with people at different levels.
T level students will leave with the skills employers need in growing, skilled occupational areas and some will probably make valuable industry contacts who could assist with case studies for assignments, interviews for dissertations or delivering guest lectures and talks to their peers.
While A levels are a general, post-16 education option with students taking a breadth of subjects, with T levels a student can focus on one subject area, giving them huge advantage when they pick a single subject degree. This is also a good thing for universities because it may well help to reduce dropout rates.
Universities now need to consider how they will recognise T levels in their admissions. It is no good universities just listing Ucas tariff points on their websites and in their prospectus. They need to fully, actively and vocally endorse T levels.
Parents and teachers are key influencers and while many now recognise the value of technical and professional education, they may still see this route as second best to A-levels, unless it is clear from the outset that progression to university with T levels is a realistic option.
For further education colleges, our job is an important one: influence universities and schools to value T levels and do so by ensuring that the first T level cohort to achieve their qualifications in 2022 are well equipped to study higher education courses.
The education secretary, Damian Hinds, set out his plans to get more people into skilled jobs at the end of 2018. Many universities are also setting their own degree-level apprenticeship agenda, so there is positive rhetoric in this area.
Ministers now need to place T levels as equal to, if not better than, A levels. Universities should place greater emphasis on the skills required for 21st-century jobs. T levels have the potential to offer this, but parents and schools may not believe this unless universities actively commend them.
One very important point to consider as we begin this new phase in further education is student choice. We must ensure that students do not feel pressured to make a decision based on what doors might open or close for them as a result. If a student is unsure about whether to go to university or into employment and feels that T levels will afford them the time and experience that they need to make a better decision about their future, they should feel empowered to make that choice.
Publicație : The Times
No obligation to host ‘intellectual rubbish’: French
Government balks at legislative amendments to clarify free speech and academic freedom
Australian universities should not be obliged to provide a venue for “any intellectual rubbish”, a review of free speech on Australian campuses has concluded.
The review, by former High Court chief justice Robert French, highlights an “abundance” of nonsense seeking access to campuses. It says universities are entitled to exclude external speakers sprouting theories which are purportedly based on scholarship or research, “but which fall below scholarly standards to such an extent as to be detrimental to the university’s character”.
Universities are also within their rights to demand that invited speakers cover security costs and comply with booking procedures. The principles are outlined in a “model code” contained in Mr French’s 300-page report, which has now been released.
While not legally enforceable, the code would furnish universities with “umbrella principles”, the report says. “Its purpose is effectively to restrain the exercise of overbroad powers to the extent that they would otherwise be applied adversely.”
Education minister Dan Tehan backed the idea. “While recognising that universities are autonomous institutions, I am writing to all higher education providers to urge them to carefully consider the adoption of the model code,” he said.
As revealed by Times Higher Education last month, Mr French also wants a definition of academic freedom included in the Higher Education Support Act. And in line with a submission from the National Tertiary Education Union, he suggests replacing references to “free intellectual inquiry” with the term “freedom of expression and academic freedom”.
While claiming to have accepted Mr French’s recommendations, Mr Tehan poured cold water on the amendments. “As Mr French makes very clear in his report, the model code can be adopted without the suggested changes to the Higher Education Support Act and the Higher Education Standards,” Mr Tehan said.
The report says amendments to the act and standards are “not essential” but would be “preferable”.
As flagged by THE, the review found no evidence of a “free speech crisis” on Australian university campuses. But overly broad policies create the impression of one, the report says.
University rules and policies are littered with expressions like “lack of respect”, “prejudicial” and “reprehensible”, the report says. Such widely interpretable terminology allows for regulatory “overreach” which can erode “important freedoms”.
“It makes the sector an easy target for those who would argue that the potential exists for restrictive approaches to the expression of contentious or unwelcome opinions,” the report says.
“The diversity and language of a range of policies and rules give rise to unnecessary risks to freedom of speech and to academic freedom. Even a small number of high-profile incidents can have adverse reputational effects on the sector as a whole.”
The complexities of managing free speech issues are illustrated by Mr French’s reflections on “intellectual rubbish”. “Sometimes one person’s intellectual rubbish is another’s profound wisdom,” the report says.
“What is intellectual rubbish today may be received wisdom tomorrow, and vice versa,” it adds.
The report says there is an argument for exposing students to “the proponents of intellectual rubbish, including racist opinion”. Such experiences might help them “better identify it [and] understand how it is propagated and how to challenge it effectively”.
Publicație : The Times
Ateneo di Bologna, il manifesto dei professori contro le false notizie
BOLOGNA - "Mettiamo a disposizione le nostre competenze e ci impegniamo a intervenire sugli attuali macrotemi politici, sociali, scientifici e tecnologici per contrastare le informazioni false e quelle distorte per scarsa conoscenza o per malizia o per fini politici o economici non dichiarati". Si sono stancati i professori universitari dell'ateneo di Bologna di bufale che girano in Rete e letture distorte della realtà, dell'ignoranza assunta come valore nella politica. E così in 128 (ma le adesioni stanno crescendo) hanno deciso di girare quartieri e scuole e usare un sito web (www.parliamoneora.it) per smontare le fake news e portare conoscenza, condividere saperi.
E' nato così il manifesto “ParliamoneOra”, promosso dal basso dal chimicoDario Braga, già prorettore alla ricerca dell'università di Bologna. "Crediamo che lo studio e la ricerca scientifica – sottoscrivono gli aderenti – siano tra i pochi strumenti disponibili per affrontare grandi sfide rappresentate dai movimenti di popoli, dai cambiamenti climatici, dall’invecchiamento, dalla necessità di nutrire e curare una popolazione mondiale in continuo aumento".
Il professor Braga concretizza il progetto: non solo un proclama di valori, pure necessario, ma un impegno a portare in città le proprie conoscenze per approfondire ciò che la gente, gli insegnanti e gli studenti chiederanno: dai vaccini alla Brexit, dall’abuso di alcolici al clima. "Ci impegniamo a dire la nostra in modo aperto, responsabile ed etico, attingendo al grande serbatoio di conoscenze che rappresenta l’Università di Bologna", si legge nel Manifesto.
"Mai come in questo momento serve sapere come stanno le cose visto quello che circola, soprattutto nei social – osserva Braga -. Poi ciascuno è libero di credere in quello che vuole, ma intanto abbiamo dato gli strumenti per leggere la realtà contro una politica e una retorica dell’ignoranza".
Braga presenterà il Manifesto martedì 9 aprile a Bologna, (alle ore 18) in Rettorato, con il rettore Ubertini e il sindaco Merola. Tra i firmatari, i prorettori Mirko Degli Esposti, Antonino Rotolo e Alessandra Scagliarini. E poi giuristi, storici, medici, linguisti, filologi, fisici, semiologi, chimici. Tra i nomi Piero Ignazi, Laura Calzà, Giacomo Manzoli, Stefano Canestrari, Giovanna Cosenza, Francesca Roversi Monaco, Andrea Morrone, Vincenzo Balzani, Costantino Marmo, Luca Prodi, Silvia Giannini.
"Una società che fa dell’ignoranza un valore non ha futuro - conclude Braga - Studiare migliora il mondo, è un incoraggiamento ai giovani. E un modo per muoversi agli occhi dei nostri figli, per non sentirci dire un giorno: e voi cosa avete fatto, siete stati a guardare?".
Publicație : La Repubblica
8 aprilie 2019
Emisiune de impact national la BZI LIVE! Europa, incotro? Alaturi de conf. univ. dr. Bogdan Stefanachi vom discuta despre cele mai importante subiecte ale alegerilor europarlamentare
Emisiune de impact national la BZI LIVE! Europa, incotro? Alaturi de conf. univ. dr. Bogdan Stefanachi vom discuta despre cele mai importante subiecte ale alegerilor europarlamentare. Luni, 8 aprilie 2019, incepand cu ora 13.00 in studioul BZI LIVE, Roxana Caraiman il are invitat pe cunoscutul conf. dr. Bogdan Stefanachi, prodecan al facultatii de Filosofie si Stiinte Social-Politice din cadrul Universitatii ''Alexandru Ioan Cuza'' din Iasi.
Alaturi de reputatul profesor universitar, Bogdan Stefanachi, vom vorbi despre cele mai arzatoare subiecte ce tin de alegerile europarlamentare, dar si aprofundarea integrarii europene, UE – actor international si parteneriatul transatlantic, institutii si proces decizional european, perspectiva diacronica asupra procesului de integrare europeana plus multe alte subiecte de impact major.
Toti cei care au intrebari pentru invitatul de luni, 8 aprilie, le pot adresa la rubrica de comentarii sau in direct, pe Facebook.
Publicație : Bună Ziua Iași
Una dintre cele mai FRUMOASE editii in Platoul BZI LIVE cu tineri de succes ai UAIC! Vor fi oferite detalii despre trei LOCURI FABULOASE ale Romaniei
Luni, 8 aprilie 2019, incepand cu ora 15. 00 in Platoul emisiunii BZI LIVE este programata o noua editie speciala, proaspata si interesanta! Sunt invitati la un dialog riguros, constructiv si spectaculos din perspectiva cercetarii in Natura si pe varii segmente din aceasta perspectiva trei dintre tinerii valorosi, implicati si pasionati ai Universitatii Alexandru Ioan Cuza (UAIC) din Iasi! Acestia coordoneaza trei importante, unice si aparte statiuni de cercetare ale tarii! Dialogul va avea in prim - plan detalii din ceea ceea realizeaza acolo, proiectele pe care le au! Este vorba de lect. univ. dr. Ioan-Bogdan Robu - Statiunea Biologica Petre Jitariu Potoci- Neamt, adm. fin. grad. I (S) Cristian Alin Barbacariu - Statiunea de Cercetare-Dezvoltare pentru Acvacultura si Ecologie Acvatica Iezareni, judetul Iasi si CS III Emanuel Stefan Baltag - Statiunea Biologica Marina "Prof. Dr. Ioan Borcea" de la Agigea. Astfel, emisiunea va oferi detalii legate de aceste statiuni!
Toti cei care au intrebari pentru invitatilor de luni, 8 aprilie, le pot adresa la rubrica de comentarii sau in direct, pe Facebook.
Publicație : Bună Ziua Iași
EXCLUSIV! Universitatea "Cuza" din Iasi, gazda in PREMIERA pentru ROMANIA, a unei reuniuni cu specialisti în resurse umane din aeroporturi mari din state ale Uniunii Europene
În perioada 4-7 mai 2019, Consiliul International al Aeroporturilor Europene (Airport Council International Europe (ACI-Europe), cu sediul la Bruxelles - Belgia, va organiza la Iasi Forumul HR and Leadership. Evenimentul va avea loc la Universitatea "Alexandru Ioan Cuza" (UAIC), care, în parteneriat cu Universitatea Politehnica din Bucuresti si Aeroportul International Iasi, va asigura, pe durata a trei zile, conditii optime de dezbatere a subiectelor de interes real cu care se confrunta aviatia civila în prezent.
La acest eveniment, organizat în premiera în România, vor participa directori si specialisti în resurse umane din aeroporturi mari din state ale Uniunii Europene (UE), cum sunt Franta, Italia, Germania, Spania, Grecia, Bulgaria, Malta, Marea Britanie. ACI-Europe va fi reprezentat la cel mai înalt nivel, prin Olivier Jankovec, Director General, precum si prin Danielle Michel, Director.
De asemenea, sunt asteptati reprezentanti ai aeroporturilor din Norvegia, Islanda, Israel. Totodata, programul va cuprinde vizitarea obiectivelor turistice ale Iasului, cum sunt Palatul Culturii, Catedrala Mitropolitana, Manastirea "Golia", Biserica "Trei Ierarhi", Muzeul Universitatii "Cuza", Gradina Botanica "Anastasie Fatu". Lucrarile vor avea loc în Sala Senatului Universitatii "Alexandru Ioan Cuza". ACI-Europe a fost fondata în anul 1991 si reprezinta interesele a peste 500 de aeroporturi din 45 de state europene. Membrii organizatiei faciliteaza peste 90 la suta din zborurile comerciale din Europa, numarul anual al pasagerilor fiind de 2,3 miliarde (https://www.aci-europe.org/).
"Pentru Universitatea «Alexandru Ioan Cuza» este o mare onoare sa fim gazdele unui asemenea eveniment de elita si am demarat înca de anul trecut, discutiile organizatorice. Propunerea a venit din partea conducerii Aeroportului International Iasi, prin directorul Catalin Bulgariu. Credem ca UAIC se poate implica în mod activ, prin specialistii pe care îi are, în analiza problemelor actuale din aviatia civila, cum sunt asigurarea securitatii cibernetice, reducerea emisiilor de carbon în contextul schimbarilor climatice, resurse umane si leadership. În plus, se creeaza oportunitati concrete de dezvoltare ale Aeroportului, care, la rândul sau, dobândeste un rol fundamental în dezvoltarea regionala si locala. Numai în anul 2018, de la Universitatea noastra au fost emise 2.480 de dispozitii de plecare externe, pentru care principala ruta de transport a constituit-o Aeroportul International Iasi", a declarat prof. univ. dr. Mihaela Onofrei, rectorul de la "Cuza
Publicație : Bună Ziua Iași
Lansare de carte "Scriitori evrei de Limba romana", organizata in Libraria "Orest Tafrali" a Universitatii "Cuza" din Iasi
Editura Universitatii "Alexandru Ioan Cuza" (UAIC) din Iasi invita publicul maine, marti, 9 aprilie 2019, de la ora 17:00, la Libraria "Orest Tafrali" (Universitatea "Alexandru Ioan Cuza" din Iasi, Corp A, parter), la lansarea volumului "Scriitori evrei de Limba româna: de la rebeli marginali la critici canonici", de Camelia Craciun.
Alaturi de autoare, sunt invitati pentru a vorbi despre acest volum prof. univ. dr. Mihai Dinu Gheorghiu si lect. univ. dr. Doris Mironescu. Editura UAIC va organiza cu aceasta ocazie si o tombola în cadrul careia vor fi oferite studentilor prezenti la lansare, prin tragere la sorti, doua exemplare din cartea care se lanseaza.
Volumul "Scriitori evrei de Limba româna: de la rebeli marginali la critici canonici" se prezinta ca o analiza a grupului de scriitori evrei aculturati, prezenti în mod activ în cultura româna începând cu putin înainte de Primul Razboi Mondial si, din ce în ce mai vizibil, în perioada interbelica, pâna când legislatia antievreiasca le impune tacerea.
"Nascuti în ultimii ani ai secolului al XIX-lea si în primii ani ai secolului XX, acesti intelectuali îsi pastreaza o puternica identitate evreiasca, dar folosesc Limba româna pentru a-si scrie operele literare înainte, dar si dupa emanciparea obtinuta în 1923. Cercetarea se concentreaza asupra optiunilor identitare specifice printr-o analiza a contextului socio-cultural si politic care determina si modeleaza discursul lor ulterior. Practic, analiza lamureste mecanismele care determina optiunile culturale si identitare, urmând mai departe profilurile individuale cu caracteristicile lor specifice si, în final, strategiile de incluziune socio-intelectuala si integrare culturala pe care scriitorii le folosesc în noul context generat înainte si dupa emancipare si, mai ales, de crearea României Mari", arata reprezentantii Editurii UAIC.
Camelia Craciun (n. 1977, Onesti, Bacau) este lector la sectia de Studii Iudaice, Facultatea de Limbi si Literaturi Straine, Universitatea Bucuresti, unde preda cursuri de Istoria evreilor din România, precum si de cultura si literatura idis. A editat volumele "Lumea evreiasca în literatura româna" (Editura Universitatii "Alexandru Ioan Cuza", Iasi, 2014), "De la «Dybuk» la «Lozul cel mare». Antologie de teatru idis" (Hasefer, 2016), precum si seria de carte Biblioteca de Literatura Idis a Editurii Hasefer (patru titluri, începând din 2016). A colaborat la The YIVO Encyclopedia of Jews in Eastern Europe (2008) si este autoarea volumelor "Traduceri în limba româna din literatura clasica idis" (e-book, Editura Muzeului Literaturii Române, 2015) si "140 de ani de teatru idis în România (Institutul Cultural Român, 2016).
Publicație : Bună Ziua Iași
Universities defy funding shortfall to spend millions on art
Cambridge’s £1.6m purchases head the list of Russell Group universities that found money to buy artwork for their campuses despite financial uncertainty
Cambridge University spent more than £1.6m on works of art last year, an Observer investigation reveals, at a time when UK universities are facing severe financial uncertainty, with many warning of staff redundancies.
The university spend on art in 2017-18 – which excludes any donated works – does not include acquisitions made by its individual colleges, which are separate legal entities and public authorities, so the overall figure is likely to be higher.
A £1m marble bust of Queen Victoria, which had been earmarked for export, and a £380,000 Nicolas de Largillière portrait, were among works bought in the period, both for the Fitzwilliam museum.
Neither was acquired with central university funding, but with donations and a grant.
With almost one in four English universities reporting deficits last year, Paul Cottrell of the University and College Union said: “Spending thousands on works of art while students rack up record debt and staff pay is held down is not a good look. Research shows that students value substance over style and that they want to see the hard work of staff properly rewarded. Universities would do well to remember that staff are their most valuable asset and should focus on improving pay and conditions.” Cambridge was one of several Russell Group universities to spend thousands on artwork for their campuses. Leeds University spent over £500,000, University College London £300,000, and Warwick £100,000. Oxford University refused the freedom of information request on the basis that it would cost more than the appropriate £450 limit to source the information.
A Cambridge University spokesperson said: “The university is home to eight extraordinary museums – all open to the public free of charge – which together contain more than 5 million objects, artefacts and works of art of international stature. As is the case with most publicly-funded museums in the UK, our purchasing power is very limited.
“When a work of art is occasionally purchased for our collections, it is normally with funds donated by philanthropists specifically for that purpose, or with sums that cannot be spent in any other way. Some come to us thanks to enlightened government schemes, such as Acceptance in Lieu.”
Cambridge received a £100m donation from an alumnus in February, believed to be the largest donation from a British donor in recent history. The university says £1m of that donation will help fund its access programmes, aimed at attracting disadvantaged students to the university.
Publicație : The Guardian
Time(tabling) for a revolution
Timetabling should be at the heart of curriculum development and business strategising, argues Gill Sinclair
Timetabling has had a very slow evolution within higher education. Its early days were simply telling people where to go and when, which still lingers in some minds. But to others it slowly came to include resource management, an effective but limited means of booking rooms. Further development brought an appreciation that “it is hard”, and a further progression acknowledged that it is invisible if it works. But, if it’s broken everyone knows – and usually shouts very loudly about it.
While the perception of timetabling has changed little, the demands placed on the timetable have continued to grow with increased student numbers, financial pressures, diversifying demands on academics, learning analytics, the electrification of data, integration of data systems, higher student expectations, attendance monitoring, demand for better teaching space usage and the terrifyingly personalising National Student Survey question: “the timetable works efficiently for me”.
Technology is the solution, you might be thinking. But the challenges of timetabling higher education courses today defies most software. It is the stuff computer programmers’ dreams are made of, commanding complexities, hierarchies, data structures and variables, yet most software companies do not spend vast amounts of development money on dream timetabling software: only a handful of useable software suppliers have risen to the challenge to be able to timetable a large institution, and each has strengths and weaknesses.
But the lack of keen development is understandable. Each institution is too disparate in its requirements and practices for a one-size software package to fit snugly. Instead, timetablers work with a best-fit approach, nipping and tucking the program to make it cover what is required locally. This means that ultimately, only the human touch can balance the innumerable timetabling demands.
This requires a high degree of skill, knowledge and professionalism of the timetabler, which is often lost on those outside the trade.
Meanwhile the timetable’s opacity renders it open to criticism: the lack of concrete rules (notwithstanding the bending of those that do exist but are inconvenient) makes it hard to define quite how the timetable is formulated. Indeed, nearly 25 years ago a Times Higher Education article noted that articulating timetabling rules is so difficult for an institution that “it is easier to criticise the computer program and its operators than to face up to the decision-making process to make use of staff, student and physical resources as efficiently as possible”. Little has changed in the past quarter of a century.
However surprising, there are some very simple rules about timetabling: the first is to centralise. Devolved timetabling in schools and departments and smaller units demands individualised teaching spaces. While department-owned rooms might work in smaller institutions or even be necessary in specialised subjects, general teaching space is a huge overhead and enormous efficiencies can be achieved by sharing such spaces. Shared spaces need to be managed by an impartial, central team who can coordinate conflicting demands.
The second rule of timetabling is to place your centralised timetabling team where your institution has its biggest problem. If space is tight and forcing your hand to look at alternatives such as extending the teaching day, timetabling belongs in estates where there can be a daily dialogue about efficiencies, developments and budgets. If, however, your problems stem from a complex or varied curriculum, timetabling most definitely belongs in the registry, amid student records, programme approval and curriculum design.
Timetabling’s contribution to the curriculum is, indeed, the next step in timetabling evolution. Few institutions involve timetabling in curriculum development, yet the timetable is expected to deliver whatever academic fancy is passed by the approvals board.
Ten years ago a timetabler lamented that timetabling can feel “like it is at the end of every other process”. Every timetabler since has been repeating the same grievance. Being at the end of the curriculum conveyor belt makes timetabling an easy target for those who do not understand the enigma and intricacies: poor decisions about the curriculum early on result in poor delivery – as does everything else in between. Is the timetable really to blame or, as was alluded to a quarter of a century ago, is it the failure to establish a mature, fully integrated model with timetabling properly established among and contributing to the university’s business processes?
Time perhaps for the next evolution in timetabling.
Publicație : The Times
Is mental health support really that bad at Oxbridge?
Zeireen Fuzurally interviewed students from Oxford and Cambridge and found that the nuance in their experiences is often overlooked in the national conversation about mental health
As part of the research for my MSc dissertation last year, How effective is mental health policy in the UK? A focus on University Mental Health, I spoke to seven graduates about their time studying at Oxford and Cambridge – two institutions that are frequently linked with poor mental health and suicide in press coverage of this topic.
Their commentary revealed generally positive experiences, while still exposing aspects of student support that can be improved in every phase of studying.
One of the takeaways from my research has been that mental health isn’t just an Oxbridge problem, it’s a higher education issue that will require a whole of sector response.
Below is a sample of the interviews that have informed my research, and will, I hope, contribute a more realistic account of mental health support at the UK’s leading higher education institutions to the critical sector-wide conversations on this topic.
What are the main barriers to effective mental health provision for young people?
Oxford graduate 1:
Funding. Everything seems to be linked to this. There is not enough funding for us or mental health in general. The transition period [into adulthood] is also a barrier as mental health provision for young people appears to stop at CAMHS (child and adolescent mental health services) and students are expected to transition to adult services. But transition support isn't really there.
What is your view and experience of mental health at Oxbridge and that of your friends?
Oxford graduate 1:
Oxford does put an insane amount of pressure on students, but they counteract this in terms of how great their response is. But support is dependent on the college.
My brother passed away which I had a hard time dealing with while I was applying for university. Oxford was very supportive through the process by accepting my circumstances, while other universities I applied to did not. Oxford offered to defer my place for the following year, give me a personal tutor, peer support, a GP on site and support through the college chapel.
The drug scene, which is rife in social circles at Oxford, does not help students either, and even though tutors and staff monitor this, it is always well hidden and kept underground.
Oxford graduate 2:
I had a good experience studying theology at Mansfield College. It wasn’t overly academic. I only stressed during the eight-week exam period where I suffered from anxiety. Today, when I have deadlines, it sometimes triggers the Oxford anxieties.
Oxford/Merton postgraduate:
I really enjoyed my time at Merton. It was tough, but I coped. Perhaps because I was there as a postgraduate and did not have the same pressures as undergraduates, alongside having the experience of being an Oxford undergraduate [before my postgraduate degree].
Cambridge graduate:
I really struggled in the first term. I contemplated going home. I felt lonely and spent most of the first term on my own, as I struggled to fit in. Eventually, I got good support, made friends and got used to it.
I read history and the tutoring classes were intense, but gave me confidence. I struggled with the intense exam period: an eight-week term, then six weeks off and still having to study during the “break”. It was hard to not have much free time. It was really difficult to get good grades, for a 2:1, you had to work really hard and getting a first was impossible and rarely happened.
Do you think there is a difference between Oxbridge and other universities regarding how mental health is handled?
Cambridge graduate:
Contrary to the misconceptions about Oxbridge and mental health, Oxbridge is better because they seem to have more funding. The collegiate system means smaller and more personalised care, attention and pastoral support. At the bigger universities, because they are so populated and within a centralised system, a student is just a number and there is less personalisation.
I think the reputation they have in the media is unfair, things are sensationalised when it is just a few stories out of many that get blown up.
The respondents were also asked whether they think universities should act in loco parentis as suggested by former universities minister Sam Gyimah. They all supported that call and thought that students shouldn’t necessarily be expected to transition to adult services as it is a very different type of support. Instead, they should be given a specialised service.
Regarding Oxbridge, most respondents thought that an academic structural change would help students. Adding coursework and spreading deadlines and exams would improve student wellbeing. Additionally, it would help increase admissions of state school pupils thereby diluting the dominate culture of private-school graduates.
At other institutions, the Oxbridge respondents called for better financial support to provide regular counselling services as well as better careers’ support and peer-to-peer support – services which they have benefited from at Oxbridge. In general, more personalised care, time off and enhanced connections with the NHS are needed.
The responses revealed that even though a number of students felt supported during their studies at Oxbridge, there are things that can improve. The same can be said of the entire higher education sector: a 2017 report, from the Institute for Public Policy Research revealed an almost five-fold increase in the number of first-year undergraduates reporting a mental health condition in 2015-16 compared to 2006-07.
The NHS is working with Universities UK to improve student wellbeing and universities minister Chris Skidmore recently urged providers to improve their support for students in three phases of studying: student transition, experience and progression (STEPs).The transitions taskforce is to have its first meeting on the 1 April.
Despite the good intentions laid out in these initiatives, time will tell if there will be more focus on improving wellbeing services during the critical transitional period.
Publicație : The Times
Sociologists must publish twice as much as before to get first job
Oversupply of young scholars means employers’ productivity demands are much higher than a generation ago, study finds
Early career sociologists in the US have to publish twice as much as their counterparts a generation ago to get their first permanent academic job, according to a study.
Research by Rob Warren, professor of sociology at the University of Minnesota, found that academics had an average of 2.5 peer-reviewed papers under their belt when they secured their first assistant professor position in a US sociology department at the start of the 1990s. By 2017, this figure had risen to 4.8, according to an article in Sociological Science.
Professor Warren said universities were able to be increasingly selective about who they hired because the expansion in the supply of PhD graduates continued to dwarf the demand for new faculty.
He said he feared that growing numbers of promising scholars would conclude that securing a permanent job in sociology was “unattainable” and quit the field, doing “long-term damage” to the discipline.
For his study, Professor Warren looked at 21 leading sociology departments in the US and identified faculty members who had been new assistant professors or newly promoted associate professors between 1991 and 2017.
Researchers then counted how much the academics had published in the period up to and including the first year they took up the role.
The demands on new associate professors have also grown significantly over time: in the early 1990s they had an average of 6.4 peer-reviewed articles, but this figure had risen to 11.1 by 2017. The increase was even more rapid among new associate professors who had not published a book.
While the number of PhDs awarded in the field has expanded by 50 per cent since 1991, the number of new assistant professor positions has “not nearly kept pace”, the paper says. This has allowed hiring committees to be “more selective and favour applicants with higher numbers of publications before they start their first faculty jobs”.
Professor Warren said that his research provided “no evidence” about whether early career sociologists were actually working harder than their predecessors a generation ago, highlighting that technological advances and the growth in publishing opportunities, particularly in non-sociology journals, might be important factors.
But he said that the swelling publication expectations placed on sociologists seeking their first permanent job could have a damaging impact.
“If a talented scholar with creative ideas that are valuable for addressing social problems leaves the field, that is a bad thing,” he said.
“My fear is that promising young scholars will perceive that career success is unattainable – that the bar for achieving their career goals is too high in terms of publication expectations – and will consequently go into other lines of work.”
Professor Warren said it was incumbent on those sociologists who do secure staff roles to address the problem.
“Sociology faculty themselves play a big role in perpetuating this trend because they comprise the committees that hire new assistant professors and review candidates for promotion to associate professor,” he said.
“If sociology faculty themselves collectively decided to make hiring and promotion decisions more on the basis of the quality or impact of research and less of the quantity of that research, this trend would dissipate.”
Publicație : The Times
Autonomy fears over government review of English admissions
Commentators question value of exercise when Augar review has yet to report and Office for Students is already exploring issue
Sector leaders have warned that the Westminster government’s “comprehensive” review of English university admission policies must not infringe on institutional autonomy.
Damian Hinds, the education secretary, said on 5 April that he would ask the Office for Students to conduct the review. The move was apparently triggered by concerns about the use of “conditional unconditional” offers, which become unconditional only when an applicant selects the university as their firm choice. The review’s terms of reference are yet to be announced.
But Mr Hinds said that he was also “concerned about the wider picture of how some universities are getting students through their doors”, and the Department for Education said that there would be a focus on widening participation. The OfS would, Mr Hinds said, “look at how well current admissions practices serve students and how they can be improved, so we can protect the integrity of our higher education system”.
The review has been launched before the publication of the results of the review of post-18 education funding in England, led by Philip Augar, which could have a major impact on admissions. Universities have expressed particular concern about a potential proposal to, in effect, prevent students with lower grades from entering higher education by restricting student loan access.
Greg Walker, chief executive of MillionPlus, the association of modern universities, said that universities were “best qualified to judge who can benefit from the opportunity to study in higher education”.
“Universities take their responsibility for admissions seriously, while their autonomy in doing so has rightly been protected by Parliament,” he said. Institutions’ prerogative “to determine the criteria for the admission of students” forms part of the 2017 Higher Education and Research Act.
“University admissions practices are something that the OfS [states it is] examining already in relation to [its] regulatory responsibilities…Ahead of this evidence gathering, we should not assume that any particular practice is generally unacceptable,” Mr Walker said.
Nick Hillman, chief executive of the Higher Education Policy Institute, while noting that he disliked conditional unconditional offers because of the undue pressure they placed on students, agreed that “universities have a right to autonomy in admissions, and that is enshrined in regulation”.
Mr Hillman said that it would have been more helpful to wait until the Augar review was published. “The spate of unconditional offers is more a reflection of competition within the sector,” Mr Hillman added. “Collective action may be needed, but I am against ministerial intervening in university autonomy.”
The review is likely to be seized on by supporters of a shift towards a system of post-qualifications applications, in which students apply to university after they have received their grades. It may also lead to increased pressure on universities to use contextual admissions, under which students from disadvantaged backgrounds are admitted with lower entry grades than their more privileged peers.
Amatey Doku, vice-president (higher education) of the National Union of Students, said he “welcomed” the review but added that what higher education needed was a sustainable funding system that “doesn’t require universities to compete and take drastic steps to recruit vast student numbers in order to stay afloat”.
The review of admissions practices was the latest in a series of interventions from Mr Hinds, afer announcements on grade inflation and essay mills, seen by many as an attempt to assert his control over universities in the Department for Education, ahead of the publication of the Augar review.
Publicație : The Times
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