Noaptea Muzeelor, pe 18 mai: Muzeul Universitatii participa si anul acesta la cea de-a 15-a editie a evenimentului organizat pe plan national de Reteaua Nationala a Muzeelor din Romania
Muzeul Universitatii „Alexandru Ioan Cuza” din Iasi propune vizitatorilor sai nu doar o incursiune in universul Civilizatiei Cucuteni si in istoria Universitatii iesene, ci si doua expozitii temporare.
2019 a fost desemnat „Anul Cartii in Romania” si, pornind de la acest context, organizam, in cadrul Muzeului Academic, expozitia „Editii princeps. Patrimoniu universitar – patrimoniu national”. Vom oferi vizitatorilor ocazia intalnirii cu circa 40 de lucrari de referinta la nivel national, din domenii diverse, de la critica literara, la economie si geometrie, publicate intre 1838 (Gheorghe Asaki, Elemente de matematica) si 1957 (N. Sutu, Opere Economice). Autorii au fost nu doar personalitati de seama in domeniile lor de cunoastere, ci si profesori ai Universitatii iesene. Curatorul expozitiei: dr. Petronela-Raluca Podovei.
Cea de-a doua expozitie, intitulata „Razboiul de acasa. Fragmente de memorie”, va cuprinde mai multe piese din armamentul, echipamentul si obiectele personale ale combatantilor din cele doua razboaie mondiale, apartinand armatelor romana, germana, rusa, sovietica, austro-ungara, descoperite in zona Moldovei. In contextul preocuparilor sistematice din ultimii ani pentru istoria conflictelor militare si pentru istoria orasului, punem in valoare fragmente din trecutul nu foarte indepartat al zonei si oferim posibilitatea, mai ales tinerilor, sa intre in contact cu artefacte istorice. Expozitia va fi organizata in Turnul de apa al Universitatii, edificiu de arhitectura industriala, ridicat in 1896, care ofera o excelenta panorama asupra Iasului, de la 35 de metri. Curatorul expozitiei: Mihai Tudose.
Publicație : Bună Ziua Iași
Studentii FEAA de la Universitatea "Alexandru Ioan Cuza" din Iasi, premiati în Italia la un concurs de lucrari stiintifice studentesti
Trei studente înscrise în anul al II-lea la studii universitare de master în cadrul Facultatii de Economie si Administrarea Afacerilor (FEAA) a Universitatii "Alexandru Ioan Cuza" (UAIC) din Iasi au fost premiate în cadrul unei competitii de lucrari stiintifice studentesti pe tema "Inovatii sociale si dezvoltarea sustenabila", organizata de Universitatea din Perugia, prin Departamentul de Economie si Laboratorul Athena din Terni, Italia, la sfârsitul lunii aprilie.
Tatiana Sârbu, înscrisa la programul de master Administrarea afacerilor, a obtinut premiul al II-lea, Anca Madalina Buliga, studenta la Administratie publica, premiul al III-lea, iar Vladislava Coroliac, Marketing si comunicare în afaceri, a primit mentiune speciala. Concursul, aflat la a doua editie, s-a adresat studentilor masteranzi din cadrul urmatoarelor universitati: Universitatea din Perugia - Italia, Universitatea din Nisa - Franta, Universitatea din Lodz - Polonia si Universitatea "Alexandru Ioan Cuza" din Iasi. Reprezentantele Universitatii "Cuza" au fost coordonate de prof. univ. dr. Adriana Manolica, conf. univ. dr. Ana Maria Bercu si lect. univ. dr. Gabriela Boldureanu", au transmis cei de la FEAA.
Publicație : Bună Ziua Iași
Conferinta internationala "Uniunea Europeana - crize si granite în secolul XXI", la Iasi
Departamentul de Cercetare, Departamentul de Stiinte Politice, Relatii Internationale si Studii Europene din cadrul Facultatii deFilosofie si Stiinte Social Politice a Universitatii "Alexandru Ioan Cuza" (UAIC) organizeaza la Iasi, în data de 17 mai 2019, Conferinta internationala "Uniunea Europeana - crize si granite în secolul XXI", editia a III-a.
La eveniment sunt invitati sa participe studenti, masteranzi, doctoranzi, cercetatori, specialisti în stiinte politice, studii de securitate, relatii internationale si studii europene, drept, sociologie, istorie, studii culturale, jurnalism, antropologie politica, geografie sociala sau politica.
"Uniunea Europeana trece printr-o poli-criza de natura endogena, dar care este accentuata de o serie de aspecte exogene, care se origineaza în noua arhitectura geostrategica a lumii contemporane. Astfel, criza economica suprapusa peste necesitatea unui nou contract social care sa re-legitimeze Uniunea Europeana în rândul propriilor sai cetateni trebuie sa fie gestionata în contextul în care se produce o recalibrare a echilibrului international al puterii. Teme si evenimente precum conflictele din imediata proximitate a spatiului comunitar, impactul fenomenului migrationist sau redefinirea relatiilor cu partenerii traditionali ori negocierile cu puterile emergente în conditiile resurectiei nationalismelor reprezinta harta care propune o geometrie tot mai variabila a granitelor Uniunii Europene. În acest context devin relevante atât raspunsurile politice supranationale, care sa reflecte interesul comun al Uniunii, cât si abordarile specifice fiecarui stat în cadrul diverselor formule bi sau multilaterale", au transmis oficialii UAIC.
Conferinta "Uniunea Europeana - crize si granite in secolul XXI" îsi propune sa identifice si sa analizeze, într-o maniera cât mai diversa, provocarile cu care se confrunta Uniunea Europeana la 60 de ani de la intrarea în vigoare a Tratatelor de la Roma, precum si sa ofere o imagine cât mai comprehensiva a gradului în care Uniunea trebuie reformata/transformata, astfel încât obiectivele fundamentale asumate sa ramâna nu doar prioritare, ci si sa fie transpuse în politici functionale care sa raspunda provocarilor actuale.
Publicație : Bună Ziua Iași
Interview
'It's a dangerous time': can UK and US universities survive funding cuts?
Vice-chancellors in Britain are united in the view that this is the most challenging time to run a university in modern history. They are fighting to limit the damage of Brexit, which they fear will hit their recruitment and retention of great staff and students, crush vital research collaboration, and remove billions of pounds of funding. They are also wrestling with the likelihood of a major cut to tuition fees, with little hope in the sector that the government will plug the gap.
Last month in the US, Donald Trump proposed significant cuts to higher education funding in his 2020 budget, including reductions to student financial aid, and big cuts to the budgets of the two biggest public funders of research, the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health. This follows major cuts in the aftermath of the economic crash of 2008-9, after which many universities ramped up their fees considerably.
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In the final instalment of our 2VCs discussion series, Anna Fazackerley spoke to Janet Napolitano, President of the University of California, and Prof Hugh Brady, vice-chancellor of the University of Bristol, about enduring cuts and what the current political climate means for universities.
The University of California is a network of research institutions in America’s largest state. It has 10 separate university campuses, nine of which take undergraduates, including Berkeley and the University of California LA (UCLA). It also runs five medical centres and three national science laboratories, and has an operating budget of $36.5bn. Napolitano was the US secretary of homeland security under the former US President, Barack Obama, and has had a distinguished career in politics.
The University of Bristol is a member of the elite Russell Group of research-intensive universities. It was the first UK university to announce its intention to expand when the government removed the cap of student numbers, and has increased its student population by 30% since 2012. Although born in Ireland, Brady spent a decade working as a physician-scientist in America. Before joining Bristol he was president of University College Dublin.
Brady points out that unlike public universities in America, British universities were pretty well insulated from the economic crash of 2008-9. He says this is largely because “the British government has until recently been robust in its view that higher education should be adequately funded”. But he warns: “I think that is changing. It is no exaggeration to say that UK HE is facing a perfect storm.” He describes the storm as having five fronts: Brexit; the erosion by inflation on frozen tuition fees; a possible major cut to fees in the prime minister’s post-18 funding review; an immigration policy that puts Britain at a competitive disadvantage; and uncertainty around the forthcoming comprehensive spending review.
“It is a dangerous time for UK universities, at the exact time when we need our universities to be more vocal and more effective than ever before, both in bringing civility back to society but also in driving economic growth,” Brady says. He insists that universities like Bristol will weather the storm. “But will we be able to compete with top US research-intensives like the University of California if we are running on fumes?” he asks. “You’ve got to say it’s highly unlikely.”
For many academics in the UK, one of the most upsetting aspects of the Brexit debate has been a growing mistrust of experts. Brady describes this “disdain” as deeply problematic, but points out that universities are facing a similar backlash “in the world of Trump” on the other side of the Atlantic.
Napolitano agrees vehemently. “The scepticism about climate change from President Trump is not just about climate change. It is really an attack on science and the value of validated scientific research. It shows a lack of understanding about how research is conducted and what constitutes findings that are supportable and data-driven.” Against such a backdrop she argues that it is hard to spread the message that the research your staff are doing contributes to things like better health or agriculture. And ultimately it is hard to argue for extra cash. “If the leader of the country is devaluing what you are doing, it is hard to get greater public support in the form of dollars.”
Is there similar uncertainty in the US?
Napolitano says she is grateful that the new governor of California has put more money into her university this year, but notes that tuition fees will be frozen again despite increasing costs. She argues that further cuts would be “very damaging”.
Napolitano explains that in California, demand for higher education has been growing as the population has increased – but the funding hasn’t been there to increase capacity in the state’s universities. “We are cramming students into our campuses and are at risk of sacrificing quality – not necessarily in terms of instruction, but in terms of the overall student experience,” she says. This means that they are now more likely to be squeezing three students into a dorm room instead of two, for example.
Echoing the narrative from some quarters in the UK that universities are wasting money – particularly on excessive vice-chancellors’ salaries – Napolitano adds that she has to face down “constant” accusations that her university is squandering money on a “bloated” administration. But she argues that they have already made hundreds of millions of dollars of cutbacks and efficiency savings in recent years – and as a large organisation they simply need a complex infrastructure to operate well.
What will cuts mean for your university?
Brady is quick to stress that Bristol and its Russell Group counterparts have also been delivering efficiency savings over the past five years. But he is clear that the implications of the financial missiles heading for UK universities now will be far-reaching and long-lasting.
He says that “without a doubt, much of the good work that has been done to widen access to universities will be undermined”, with universities forced to make cutbacks to widening participation programmes. In addition institutions will have to curtail ongoing investment in their buildings, in pastoral care, and other areas of student support.
Napolitano says the picture will be similar at her university. “The whole menu of student support services, mental health care, different types of student centres, academic advising, these are all things that could be impacted.” She adds that 42% of UC’s undergraduates are now the first in their family to go to university. Evem though fees have gone up significantly, a generous student aid package means that 57% of undergraduates from California don’t pay any tuition because they come from lower-earning families. “That kind of access and affordability requires continued public investment,” she says.
Brady agrees that cuts will have serious impacts beyond the student experience. He says universities’ ability to contribute to the government’s industrial strategy will be compromised, because both the skills pipeline and universities’ research capacity would be seriously damaged. Although Bristol isn’t running a deficit, Brady points out that it is no secret that many British other universities are. He is concerned that many of the most financially stretched universities are the largest employers in towns that are already struggling. “There is a very real danger that proposed cuts would tip those institutions towards closure and I think the consequences in those regions would be seismic.”
Won’t universities be seen as self-serving if they say they can’t sustain any cuts?
“Yes we will be accused of that,” Brady agrees. “But we can’t shy away from the fact that higher education and research is a deep-pockets game where there is more international competition than ever before, and where there will be winners and losers. We just can’t afford for the UK to be on the wrong side of that equation.”
Have we lost sight of why higher education is a public good?
This is something that worries both presidents. Napolitano thinks universities have “underplayed” the wider returns to society, and how higher education boosts not only our economies and innovation, but also strengthens communities and families. “When everything gets measured transactionally – ‘I pay this much for my education and I will make this much’ – you lose sight of that other important function.”
Brady says a similar thing has happened in the UK, “driven by voices at the heart of government which focus on marketisation and value for money, and on the value of a university degree being judged purely on the salary you come out with”. He describes Bristol as a case study of how a university can power the regional economy. Most of the university’s students come from outside the city, but 40% stay on after graduating or return later in their careers, fuelling the local economy and changing the shape of the city by doing things like sitting on school and hospital boards.
How pessimistic do you feel about what lies ahead for universities?
Brady describes himself as a realist, not a pessimist. “[Universities] are resilient institutions full of smart, thoughtful, creative people who are determined to advance humankind.” He feels encouraged by knowing that the research coming out of universities is changing the face of medicine, coming up with new solutions in areas such as food security, sustainable energy and transport, and challenging how we think about difficult areas like migration and wealth distribution.
And students give him cause for optimism. “I think they are becoming more engaged than our generation ever was. Sure we had some great marches, but I’m not sure we were as thoughtful and nuanced as the current cohort of students.”
I wonder whether Napolitano can find anything to be optimistic about when she is so opposed to Trump’s direction of travel. But she counters that California is its own place – if it were a country it would be the world’s fifth largest economy. “Nonetheless we have to navigate a challenging budget environment,” she says. “I think we have to continue to emphasise that public universities deserve public investment because we are a public good. We can’t just sit back on our heels and presume the taxpayers are going to fund us because they all understand how great we are. We have to continue to fight and make the case.
“Universities are wonderful accumulations of talent with a wonderful mission,” she adds. “And that gives me a sense of guarded optimism.”
What was your first degree and where did you study?
Political science at Santa Clara University.
What advice would you give your 18-year-old self?
Don’t think of your future as a straight line, but rather as one that will zig and zag as new opportunities arise.
What book is on your bedside table?
The Border by Don Winslow.
How do you switch off after a stressful day?
I always try to read something non-work related before I turn in for the night.
What’s your secret vice?
I occasionally binge on ice cream. Vanilla with chocolate sauce is a real favourite.
What do you most admire about the UK?
While in college, I lived in London during a semester abroad and grew to admire the pubs and the tube system. I lived on the Central line and I still remember my stop: Lancaster Gate. I also admire that the prime minister regularly goes to parliament to take questions from members. One can only wonder what would happen if President Trump did the same thing with our Congress!
What was your first degree and where did you study?
Medicine at University College Dublin.
What advice would you give to your 18-year-old self?
Follow your passion.
What book is on your bedside table?
Stephen Greenblatt’s The Rise and Fall of Adam and Eve.
How do you switch off after a stressful day?
Sleep! There’s not much time in a vice-chancellor’s day to do much else.
What is your secret vice?
Golf – perhaps not so secret but finding too little time to play.
What is your favourite thing about the US?
Balmy summer evenings in Fenway Park!
Publicație : The Guardian
Universities risk 'damaging' students by giving them unnecessary counselling, report finds
Universities risk “damaging” students by giving them unnecessary counselling for mental health when they just need to join a society, the author of a new report has said.
The Higher Education Policy Institute (Hepi) has urged institutions to distinguish between wellbeing issues and mental health conditions so that students are given the correct support.
Students with mental health issues may need to see a councillor or potentially be referred for treatment on the NHS.
Meanwhile those who have low levels of wellbeing could do more to help themselves, for example, by joining a club or society, taking up a new hobby or confiding in a friend.
The number of university students reaching out to mental health facilities is up by 50 per cent in five years, an analysis last year found.
The number of students seeking help rose from 50,900 to 78,100 between 2012 and 2017, while budgets towards mental health services increased by 40 per cent.
“Some universities are merging their mental health and wellbeing services,” said Rachel Hewitt, the author of the Hepi report titled Measuring Wellbeing in Higher Education.
"It can be damaging in the sense that people are potentially not getting the right treatment they need. “We don’t want to be in a position where students who are just suffering from low levels of wellbeing are being medicalised in terms of the response.”
She said students with low levels of wellbeing or feeling stressed by exams can help themselves by joining a new club or society, or talking to a friend about their problems.
Universities should collect their own data on student wellbeing, the report said
When universities fail to differentiate between mental health and wellbeing, this is “risky” as it means that students too can become confused and end up “misdiagnosing” themselves, Ms Hewitt said.
Universities should collect their own data on student wellbeing so they can design more targetted interventions, the report said.
Last year the president of the Royal Society of Medicine last year said that universities may be fuelling the mental health crisis by mistaking loneliness for depression.
Sir Simon Wessely, who is regius professor of psychiatry King’s College London, warned that universities must not “over medicalise” the normal emotions of young adults.
He said there is an “overwhelming mountain of research” to show that best way to protect against mental health problems is to draw on active social networks.
Having a group of friends who you can confide in is a “probably better” for students than seeking professional help as friends “don’t involve the risk of maybe thinking you have a disorder when you don’t”, he said.
Universities UK, the vice-Chancellors’ membership organisation, said they welcome the idea of institutions collecting their own data on student wellbeing and mental illness.
“Universities see mental health as a priority and there has been increasing investment across support services,” a spokesman said.
“Across the UK, the number of young adults disclosing mental illness is increasing and this is reflected at universities, where there is rising demand for student support services, driven in part by the underprovision of NHS mental health care for young adults.
“There is no evidence of disinvestment in support for students with mental health difficulties in favour of wider wellbeing initiatives at UK universities.”
Publicație : The Telegraph
Black students are failing to apply to Cambridge 'due to lack of Afro-Caribbean hairdressers'
Black students are failing to apply to Cambridge because there is a lack of Afro-Caribbean hairdressers in the city, the university’s pro-vice-Chancellor has said.
The “unexpected” finding arose during research into what deters black students from considering the institution, according to Professor Graham Virgo.
Speaking at an event held at King’s College, Cambridge, he said that this was one of the barriers that black students face in applying to the university.
“We have been doing some quite detailed research, particularly with black students, particularly in London, looking at obstacles to applying to Cambridge and thinking about Cambridge. And number three on the list was hairdressers,” he said.
Prof Virgo, who is a QC and expert in criminal law as well as Cambridge’s senior pro-vice-Chancellor for education, said that this revelation sent a “really important” message to the university.
The research, which involved surveying some Cambridge undergraduates and sixth form students, was carried out in preparation for a new campaign aimed at encouraging more black students to apply to the university.
“[We asked] what is the obstacle, what is stopping you from thinking about Cambridge? The real message was about hairdressers,” Prof Virgo said.
“It’s unexpected but we need to look at applying to Cambridge from their eyes. For those students this is their concern. Really being able to engage with these perceptions enables us to say ‘how are we going to respond to that?’”
Students also had anxieties around whether they would have enough money and whether they would fit in, he added.
Prof Virgo made the comments at a panel discussion on Wednesday evening, convened by the investment bank J. Stern & Co as part of a series of seminars on education.
Universities are under pressure from the higher education regulator to admit more students from ethnic minorities and disadvantaged backgrounds.
Last year it emerged that six of Cambridge’s colleges admitted fewer than ten black British students in five years. The university said at the time that it cannot change diversity “on its own” and called for parents and schools to encourage ethnic minorities to apply.
Naomi Kellman, founder of Target Oxbridge, an programme to assist black students with Oxford and Cambridge applications, said that the question about hairdressers "comes up really frequently".
“If you are from a majority group you assume you will be catered for, anywhere in the country can manage your hair," she said. "But if you have afro hair, the expertise is needed. Things that are really basic and simple become quite a big challenge.”
As well as asking about the academic demands of courses at Oxbridge, black students are also concerned about what kind of food and night life will be on offer, Ms Kellman said.
Cambridge has a number of hairdressers including the Afro European Beauty Centre, which says on its website it specialises in "Afro and European hair care for both men and women".
However, Dr Tony Sewell, CEO of Generating Genius, a charity that encourages youngsters from underrepresented backgrounds to pursue STEM subjects, said that a lack of hairdressers is not the reason why black students are put off from applying.
"It may be another lame excuse - kids need to get more resilient and get with it," he said. "As a minority, you will have to be confronting a situation where you are the only one. You have to face that and learn how to adapt to that. That’s the key issue."
Sir Peter Lampl, chair of the social mobility charity the Sutton Trust, said that “cultural differences” mean that some ethnic minority students are more likely to apply for a university in their home town rather than move away.
"This difference is holding some young people back in terms of going to their local university when they have the potential to go to a much higher ranked university," he said.
“Part of this is about cultural differences with many students worrying that they won’t fit in."
Publicație : The Telegraph
Chinese recruitment slowdown ‘threatens Australian research’
Gravy train being shunted into siding as interest from Chinese mainland wanes
Signs of an impending downturn in international education have fuelled warnings that Australia risks undermining its research efforts and incurring a “multi-generational loss of reputation”.
The body representing Australia’s top research universities has called for the next government after the federal election on 18 May to support programmes that fund international student exchange, including a scholarship scheme axed in the April federal budget.
The Group of Eight also warned against over-dependence on international tuition-fee revenue to prop up a “distorted” funding model that forces universities to pay for research. The Go8 said its members had received just 35 per cent of their 2017 income from the federal government, down from 50 per cent in 1999.
Chief executive Vicki Thomson said universities were “ever more reliant” on overseas students, along with private sector grants and philanthropy, to bankroll their research and domestic teaching. “If this continues unabated, Australian research efforts will be overwhelmed by the scale of our international competitors in the decades to come,” she said.
The warnings come after Australia’s universities were told not to expect a perpetuation of the boom in Chinese enrolments that had helped to propel international education earnings to a record A$36.6 billion (£19.6 billion) in the 12 months to March. A senior immigration official told deputy vice-chancellors that visa demand from China was “flat”.
The number of visa applications from Chinese intending to study higher education has grown by just 4 per cent this financial year, compared with 9 per cent at the same stage of last year, according to the latest available statistics from the Department of Home Affairs.
This year’s modest increase has occurred exclusively among Chinese applying from within Australia – either current students extending their education or other types of visitors who have decided to study. Growth in this category has reached 17 per cent this year, while the number of Chinese applying from their home country has fallen by 2 per cent.
People applying within Australia have comprised 35 per cent of Chinese visa applicants so far this year, compared with 31 per cent over the same period last year and 28 per cent the year before. Experts cannot explain why the proportion of freshly arrived Chinese students is falling so rapidly.
Source: Australian Department of Home Affairs. Figures reflect growth over the first eight months of each financial year compared with the corresponding period of the previous financial year.
The Education Department’s enrolment figures paint an even more alarming picture, suggesting that the number of new Chinese higher education students has fallen by 14 per cent this calendar year, alongside sharp downturns from Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia and Singapore.
However, these statistics appear to have been skewed by enrolment date anomalies in Victorian universities, with more reliable information expected when March figures become available.
Immigration statistics reflect burgeoning interest from India, with applications to study higher education up 67 per cent so far this year. Applications from Nepal have grown by 17 per cent, with Nepalis now displaying far more interest in vocational education.
Immigration officials have signalled a crackdown on visa fraud in the Himalayan country, with a May rule change requiring vocational education applicants to prove that they have adequate language skills and financial resources.
Publicație : The Times
Springer Nature proposes model for open access transition
Suggested approach could see content from Nature made freely available
Springer Nature has proposed a model to accelerate the shift towards open access publishing, in a move which could see research papers from prestigious Nature titles made freely available.
The UK-based firm had previously promoted hybrid journals as a key part of the transition to open access, and warned that European funders’ demand for the results of publicly-funded to be made freely available at the point of publication could put its flagship Nature out of business. It has also questioned some researchers’ enthusiasm for publishing in non-paywalled outlets.
But Steven Inchcoombe, Springer Nature’s chief publishing officer, said its alternative models “clearly didn’t fly” with the architects of the Plan S initiative, the European-led open access mandate which is set to come into force in January, and so it had gone “back to the drawing board”.
The move comes ahead of the publication of updated guidelines for Plan S, due at the end of this month. The scheme’s leaders have indicated that there is unlikely to be a softening of the bar on open access embargoes for funded research, or of their attitude to hybrid journals, which make some content freely available in return for an article processing charge but reserve some content for subscribing readers. Funded research will only be able to appear in hybrid journals during a three-year transition period, and if they were part of a “transformative agreement” under which they were moving towards full open access.
Under Springer Nature’s new proposal, publishers could term themselves “transformative publishers”, under which they would commit to increasing the average level of open access take-up across its titles “at least at the rate of research funding bodies, institutions and consortia”, and would promote open access to researchers by releasing aggregated article metrics showing how they, for example, get more readers and citations than closed-access papers.
At the end of a transition period, all of the publishers’ papers – in titles which were formerly hybrid or subscription – would be available open access, even titles such as Nature. Mr Inchcoombe said that, in the case of Nature, this would probably mean researchers being allowed to place their papers in open access depositories, with the journal’s editorial content continuing to be sold via subscriptions.
The transition would be managed via “read and publish” deals with university consortia, similar to Springer Nature’s agreement with the UK which was extended last month – and which currently excludes Nature titles. These charge a set fee for reading all of a publishers’ content, and publishing papers with them.
“We respect academics,” Mr Inchcoombe told Times Higher Education, “but it’s become increasingly clear…that unless we can move from being a passive enabler for academics and researchers to make their choices, to become a driver enabler, the transition is going to happen at a snail’s pace.
“We are not claiming this is some kind of silver bullet, but we do believe that transformative deals are a much more effective way forward.”
Mr Inchcoombe said that it had shared its ideas with Plan S and some of the funders that support it.
The announcement was met with some scepticism, however. Jon Tennant, a researcher at the Institute for Globally Distributed Open Research and Education, rejected the notion that the company was acting as a leader on open access.
“Springer Nature are the definition of bandwagon jumpers,” he said, “they have been dragged kicking and screaming into the open access space.
Mr Inchcoombe said that “someone had to go first”, and that he hoped the move would encourage rival publishers to follow suit. “Our job is not to be the most popular in the room,” he said. “But I would hope people consider this model with an open mind – we can’t do it by ourselves.”
Publicație : The Times
Comment devenir scénariste?
Le métier de scénariste est souvent moins connu que celui de réalisateur. Le Figaro Étudiant se penche sur ce métier de l’ombre qui permet de vivre de sa plume.
Le développement des séries, qui exigent de créer des histoires toujours plus créatives, a popularisé le métier de scénariste. En France, la Guilde française des scénaristes regroupe moins d’un millier de professionnels. Cette association est largement inspirée de la puissante Writers Guild of America, le métier étant beaucoup plus reconnu aux États-Unis. En France, même si le métier de scénariste est encore écrasé par la popularité du réalisateur, cette profession sort depuis peu de l’ombre. «Un scénariste est avant tout un créateur d’histoire. Son scénario est un objet de transition, à l’inverse d’un livre. Il disparaît en effet au profit de l’image et du son», définit Fabien Suarez, scénariste de nombreux films pour la télévision et le cinéma. En effet, le scénario est une œuvre qui ne va pas rencontrer son public, contrairement à un roman. Il est le fruit d’une «collaboration» entre le scénariste et le réalisateur avant que le monteur n’intervienne.
Quel métier?
«Il faut abandonner l’image du créateur qui écrit, seul, à la plume d’oie dans sa chambre de bonne. L’écriture du scénario est un métier qui nécessite d’être organisé et encadré comme toute activité professionnelle», affirme Romain Protat, de la Guilde des scénaristes.
Les plus: C’est une profession qui permet d’exercer en continu sa créativité et qui permet de vivre de sa plume. Un scénariste travaille pour des supports très variés: film, dessin animé, séries, téléfilms... «Autre avantage, ce métier permet de travailler en indépendant, d’être son propre patron, d’avoir des horaires libres», complète Fabien Suarez. Enfin, même si c’est un travail au départ solitaire, il faut aussi travailler en équipe, en prenant en compte les indications du réalisateur.
Les moins: Cette profession est un métier de l’ombre. En effet, si le nom du réalisateur et du producteur sont souvent cités, le nom du scénariste, quant à lui, l’est rarement. «Ce que l’on produit ne peut pas exister en tant que tel», explique Saskia Waledisch, ancienne élève du Conservatoire européen d’écriture audiovisuelle (CEEA). «Audiard disait que le scénario est un objet transitoire qui se dissout dans le film», cite Patrick Vanetti, scénariste et directeur du CEEA. Les films peuvent, en effet, être arrêtés en cours de production. Un film peut ne pas voir le jour si des versements sont interrompus ou si un comédien n’est plus disponible pour des raisons de santé, par exemple. Le scénariste ne touche alors aucune subvention. «C’est dur à vivre. Tu as le sentiment de faire une fausse couche. Tu as porté un scénario et il n’existe pas», compare Saskia. Il faut faire le deuil d’un projet sur lequel le scénariste a passé de longues heures de travail. «Chaque film qui se fait est un petit miracle», regrette Romain Protat.
«Il n’y a pas de profil idéal pour devenir scénariste. Il faut être ouvert sur le monde, aller au cinéma, voir des séries et lire des scénarios», avance Fabien Suarez, scénariste, entre autres, de Belle et Sébastien. Saskia a un profil littéraire mais tous les scénaristes ne disposent pas forcément des mêmes atouts: «Certains se reconvertissent en scénaristes. Ils étaient kinés, commerciaux, barmen ou encore joueurs de tennis avant», affirme-t-elle. Cette profession rassemble des personnes de toutes générations confondues, issues d’origines sociales diverses. Et 26 % des scénaristes de longs-métrages sont des femmes, d’après l’étude du CNC et de la SACD.
Le scénariste doit maîtriser l’art de la dramaturgie et «être perméable aux critiques mais imperméable aux échecs», selon Fabien Suarez. Il doit accepter une relecture critique du réalisateur voire une réécriture de son histoire.
Quel bac?
Tous les bacs sont possibles pour devenir scénariste, même un bac S. À noter qu’il existe une option cinéma audiovisuel proposée dans de nombreux lycées en France comme à Paris le lycée Turgot, Saint-Sulpice, Sophie Germain...
La plupart des écoles exigent le bac, voire deux années d’études après le bac pour la Fémis. Seul le Conservatoire européen d’écriture audiovisuelle ne demande aucun diplôme.
Quelles études?
Longtemps, l’idée d’une école qui mettrait en danger le talent inné de l’auteur réalisateur a dominé. Aujourd’hui, s’inspirant du modèle américain où les scénaristes sont très respectés, l’industrie a compris que scénariste était un vrai métier, qui exigeait une formation spécifique.
En France, la Femis et le CEEA sont les formations les plus prestigieuses.
La Fémis propose un diplôme d’auteur de scénario, même si cette école ne forme pas uniquement des scénaristes. Le concours général se déroule en décembre et permet d’accéder à une formation qui dure 4 ans. La formation est accessible sur concours après un bac +2 (BTS audiovisuel, classes préparatoires, licence de cinéma...)
Le Conservatoire européen d’écriture audiovisuelle (CEEA) propose, depuis 23 ans, une certification professionnelle de scénariste en deux ans. Les places sont chères puisque 12 élèves seulement sont sélectionnés afin de bénéficier d’un suivi personnalisé «Ils voient s’ils sont plus à l’aise dans les séries, les polars ou les comédies», explique le directeur du Conservatoire. «J’avais peur, en venant au CEEA, que l’école nous donne des recettes. Mais elle nous donne surtout des repères», se réjouit Saskia. L’école lui a aussi apporté une plus grande confiance en elle.
D’autres formations existent, comme le CLCF ou Conservatoire libre du cinéma français qui forme, en 3 ans, au métier de scénariste. L’Institut international de l’image et du son (3IS) dispose d’une spécialisation scénario en 2e et 3e années de la filière Cinéma Audiovisuel. L’Eicar,également, propose un bachelor d’écriture scénaristique, accessible après le bac et d’une durée de trois ans. Quant à L’Esra, école supérieure de réalisation audiovisuelle, elle possède un département intitulé Hautes Etudes Cinématographiques Scénario. Un concours d’entrée sélectionne les étudiants. Fabien Suarez a fait des études à l’ESRA.
Des universités ont également des parcours dédiés à de futurs scénaristes, à l’instar du master arts, lettres et langues, parcours scénario et écritures audiovisuelles, de l’Université Paris Nanterre. Il recrute des étudiants de niveau BAC+3, BAC+4. L’Université Panthéon Sorbonne propose, elle aussi, un master 2 en scénario, réalisation, production.
Combien coûtent les études?
La Fémis étant une école publique qui dépend du Ministère de la Culture, les droits de scolarité sont accessibles. Ils sont de 433 euros pour l’année 2018-2019. Ce montant est susceptible d’être révisé.
Pour le CLCF, il faut compter 400€ par an. Quant à 3IS, elle demande environ 8 000 € par an à ses étudiants.
Comment trouver son premier job?
Fabien Suarez recommande d’écrire sans cesse. «Il ne faut pas attendre d’avoir une commande d’un réalisateur. Il faut écrire puisque les réalisateurs demanderont forcément de lire certains de nos scénarios précédents», déclare-t-il. Pätrick Vanetti assure qu’il ne faut pas lâcher. «Il faut savoir que s’insérer prend du temps. Un bagage de scénariste peut toujours servir pour être conseiller de programme ou conseiller littéraire.»
Quel salaire?
La Guilde estime que le salaire moyen d’un scénariste est de 15 000 euros les mauvaises années et 45 000 euros les bonnes. «Un scénariste qui travaille un an sur un film empoche 14 500 euros net si le film se fait et 9 617 euros si le film ne se fait pas», précise Romain Protat. Mais les scénaristes sont souvent payés tardivement dans le processus de fabrication des œuvres. Environ 2 ans s’écoulent entre la date de signature du premier contrat et la date de début de tournage, pour un long-métrage. Un contrat de scénariste de long-métrage prévoit un échelonnement de paiement, en 5 fois. Les scénaristes reçoivent presque un tiers de leur argent à la fin du travail d’écriture, soit près de deux ans après le début du projet. Le producteur achète les droits lors de l’écriture du scénario. Lors de la diffusion du scénario à la télévision, par exemple, le scénariste est rémunéré à la minute diffusée.
Publicație : Le Figaro
Élections européennes: plus de trois jeunes sur quatre ne comptent pas aller voter
Si les élections européennes ne suscitent pas un vif engouement chez les Français, les jeunes se sentent particulièrement peu concernés, d’après une enquête de l’Ifop publiée ce jeudi 9 mai.
La faute revient-elle à l’Europe, aux candidats, ou aux jeunes Français? Quoi qu’il en soit, ces derniers semblent bien peu intéressés par le scrutin du 26 mai prochain, pour élire les représentants du pays au Parlement européen. C’est la conclusion que révèle une enquête de l’Ifop, réalisée au mois d’avril 2019 auprès de 1 500 personnes de 18 à 25 ans et publiée ce jeudi 9 mai. Seuls 32 % d’entre elles se disent intéressées par la campagne en cours, et près de la moitié (42 %) ignoraient en avril que les élections européennes auront lieu en mai prochain.
Des jeunes majoritairement de gauche
Le désamour des jeunes pour le scrutin européen s’exprimera très probablement dans les urnes: si 79 % des jeunes sont inscrits sur les listes électorales, moins d’un quart (23 %) envisage d’aller voter le 26 mai. En bref: plus de trois jeunes sur quatre ne comptent donc pas voter. Un indice inférieur à la population française globale (40 % des Français estiment qu’ils voteront), et nettement en dessous de la mobilisation pour l’élection présidentielle de 2017. À la même période de l’année, 52 % des jeunes envisageaient de déposer un bulletin de vote pour élire leur président de la République.
Pour qui les jeunes comptent-ils voter aux Européennes? Comme à l’échelle globale, LREM et le Rassemblement national caracolent en tête, avec tous deux 19 % d’intentions de vote. En revanche, c’est le parti Europe Ecologie Les Verts qui occupe la troisième position (16 %, contre 8,5 % pour toute la population). En organisant leurs récentes marches et grèves pour le Climat, les jeunes ont montré leur préoccupation pour les enjeux écologiques. Une chose est sûre: la jeunesse française est davantage de gauche que ses aînés. Les intentions de vote atteignent 41 % d’intentions de vote chez les 18-25 ans pour la gauche de gouvernement, contre 27,5 % pour l’ensemble des électeurs. La France Insoumise est créditée de 12 % (9 % à l’échelle nationale), et les Républicains dégringolent à 9 % contre 15 % pour l’ensemble des Français.
Les jeunes se montrent plutôt indécis, puisque 50 % pourraient changer d’avis, contre 32 % de l’ensemble des électeurs. Pour la majorité d’entre eux, les 18-25 ans hésitent avec la liste des Verts. La moitié d’entre-eux entend voter pour manifester son mécontentement sur la manière dont est gérée l’union européenne, et 54 % d’entre eux voteront plutôt en fonction d’enjeux européens, contre 46 % en fonction d’enjeux nationaux.
Les 18-25 ans se méfient de l’Europe
Une large majorité des jeunes (69 %) s’estiment mal informés sur l’Union européenne (17 % «très mal informés»), même si la plupart affirment connaître les noms de ses principales institutions. Ils méconnaissent aussi ses domaines d’action, 76 % ignorant qu’elle agit en matière de production de séries télévisées, 72 % qu’elle agit sur les congés parentaux, et 69 % en matière de tarif des forfaits de téléphone.
Ce sentiment de manque d’informations s’accompagne d’une défiance. Parmi les 18-25 ans, 71 % ont moins confiance dans les institutions européennes que dans les institutions nationales. La majorité d’entre eux préfèrent adopter des mesures à l’échelle nationale pour traiter de l’emploi (66 %), de la fiscalité (64 %), des politiques sociales (62 %), des transports (62 %), de la culture (61 %), de la santé (55 %), de l’agriculture (53 %) et même des problèmes de sécurité (52 %). En revanche, ils pensent que l’échelle européenne serait plus efficace dans la lutte contre le réchauffement climatique (79 %).
Si les jeunes se sentent si éloignés de l’Europe, c’est en grande partie par le fait qu’ils peinent à mesurer son impact sur leur quotidien. Si la majorité des sondés a déjà participé à un voyage scolaire en Europe, seuls 13 % ont déjà bénéficié d’un programme Erasmus, 12 % de la garantie jeunes. Ils ne sont que 10 % à avoir profité du volontariat de solidarité internationale et autres programmes similaires. À moins de trois semaines du scrutin, les candidats vont devoir mettre les bouchées doubles pour séduire la jeunesse française. À bon entendeur...
Publicație : Le Figaro și Le Monde
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