David Jardine
A controversial university autonomy law sponsored by the ministry of national education has been annulled by Indonesia's Supreme Court. Opponents of the legislation claimed it gave unfair assistance to the offspring of wealthy families.
A lobby bringing together students' and parents' groups has defeated the ministry on a sensitive issue. A number of student protests had been violent, notably in Makassar, the provincial capital of South Sulawesi.
The autonomy visualised by the ministry would have enabled universities to generate up to one-third of their operational funds in the form of tuition fees and 'donations'. In a country with notorious systemic corruption, it was the latter that alarmed opponents most.
The law envisaged the government providing half the funding for higher education institutions. But the court rejected this argument, judging it was based on the invalid assumption that all higher education institutions were equally able to comply.
The panel of judges ruled that there were "obvious disparities" which, they said, hampered the educational process.
The government's response to the ruling came from as high up as Vice-President Boediono who claimed it would have a "massive impact on the national education system".
Nonetheless, the government is prepared to abide by the judgement.
The government is thus faced with drawing up another plan covering university finances. This may be bad news at a time when the ministry has tripled the allocation for university science and maths research programmes. That is a moot point given that the University of Indonesia (UI) has stated its ambition to become the regional centre for climate change studies.
Meanwhile UI has said it is happy to get on with "facts on the ground" where the court ruling is concerned. Its fees vary widely, from $11 to $824 a semester.
Source: University World News, Issue No: 0121, 25 April 2010
25 April 2010
Unesco Director-General Appoints Senior Staff
UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova last week informed the members of UNESCO's Executive Board of her choice of senior management team. Bokova, whose mandate began on 15 November last year, said that she had chosen a "strong, competent, coherent and motivated team" to lead the organisation. The Education Sector will be headed by Qian Tang of China, who is currently its interim Assistant Director-General.
A specialist in secondary and technical education, Tang has been an educator and a diplomat as well as a technical and professional education manager in China's Ministry for Education. He played a central role in establishing UNEVOC, UNESCO's International Centre for Technical and Vocational Education and Training in Bonn, Germany, has been instrumental in mobilising donor resources for Education for All and has promoted South-South cooperation in education.
The new Deputy Director-General will be Getachew Engida, an Ethiopian who is currently UNESCO's Comptroller and has had a distinguished international career in auditing and financial management. The new Assistant Director-General in charge of the Natural Sciences Sector will be Gretchen Kalonji of the US, who is currently direction of international system-wide research development at the University of California's Office of the President.
More on the University World News site
Source: University World News, Issue No: 0120, 18 April 2010
A specialist in secondary and technical education, Tang has been an educator and a diplomat as well as a technical and professional education manager in China's Ministry for Education. He played a central role in establishing UNEVOC, UNESCO's International Centre for Technical and Vocational Education and Training in Bonn, Germany, has been instrumental in mobilising donor resources for Education for All and has promoted South-South cooperation in education.
The new Deputy Director-General will be Getachew Engida, an Ethiopian who is currently UNESCO's Comptroller and has had a distinguished international career in auditing and financial management. The new Assistant Director-General in charge of the Natural Sciences Sector will be Gretchen Kalonji of the US, who is currently direction of international system-wide research development at the University of California's Office of the President.
More on the University World News site
Source: University World News, Issue No: 0120, 18 April 2010
Academics Identify Ideal Research-teaching Nexus
Research and teaching are supposed to be closely related in universities. Among academics the belief in a symbiotic relationship is strong. However, it is unclear what form this relationship can take. In an article in the latest edition of Higher Education Research & Development , several authors present categories and dimensions to clarify this relationship. The aim of the project was to understand what academics' ideal research-teaching nexus would look like.
The ideal images of 30 academics were investigated using a mental visualisation assignment. Respondents were encouraged to describe in detail what for them the linkage between research and teaching would look like in the ideal situation.
Five profiles of the research-teaching nexus could be distinguished: teach research results; make research known; show what it means to be a researcher; help to conduct research; and provide research experience. These profiles are related to dimensions proposed earlier in the literature on the research-teaching nexus.
More on the University World News site
Source: University World News, Issue No: 0119, 11 April 2010
The ideal images of 30 academics were investigated using a mental visualisation assignment. Respondents were encouraged to describe in detail what for them the linkage between research and teaching would look like in the ideal situation.
Five profiles of the research-teaching nexus could be distinguished: teach research results; make research known; show what it means to be a researcher; help to conduct research; and provide research experience. These profiles are related to dimensions proposed earlier in the literature on the research-teaching nexus.
More on the University World News site
Source: University World News, Issue No: 0119, 11 April 2010
Private Education and Development
In the past decade, private education has had an increasingly significant impact in the developing world, with many countries promoting private sector growth to expand educational capacity and access at all levels, an international education conference was told last week.
The conference heard that more entrepreneurs were investing in the private sector in developing countries and "bringing fresh approaches and perspectives".
It was the fifth global conference to be held in Washington by the International Finance Corporation and attracted representatives of private education organisations and institutions from around the world.
The IFC provides investments and advisory services to expand the private sector in developing countries.
The corporation - an arm of the World Bank - has committed US$469 million in financing 62 education projects in 30 countries at a total value of $1.54 billion. Of these, 21 or 35% were in the world's poorest countries. IFC-supported projects help educate about 1.2 million students annually.
More on the University World News site
Source: University World News, Issue No: 0118, 04 April 2010
The conference heard that more entrepreneurs were investing in the private sector in developing countries and "bringing fresh approaches and perspectives".
It was the fifth global conference to be held in Washington by the International Finance Corporation and attracted representatives of private education organisations and institutions from around the world.
The IFC provides investments and advisory services to expand the private sector in developing countries.
The corporation - an arm of the World Bank - has committed US$469 million in financing 62 education projects in 30 countries at a total value of $1.54 billion. Of these, 21 or 35% were in the world's poorest countries. IFC-supported projects help educate about 1.2 million students annually.
More on the University World News site
Source: University World News, Issue No: 0118, 04 April 2010
10 Maret 2010
Malaysia: Terror-accused Students Remain in Detention
Tunde Fatunde
The Geneva-based World Organisation Against Torture (OMTC) has protested to the Malaysian government over the arrest in January of 50 people at the International Islamic University near the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur. They are believed to include at least two students from Nigeria and others from Ghana, Kenya, Syria and the Sudan. Although 38 of those arrested were later released, 12 remain in custody and were accused of having links with Al-Qaeda. Two of the Nigerian students are likely to be deported - another incident involving students and religious extremism that is causing the Nigerian authorities concern.
The previous incident involved former Nigerian student Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, who was arrested in the US after allegedly trying to blow up an American aircraft en route from Amsterdam last Christmas day.
In its letter of protest to the Malaysian Prime Minister Dato' Sri Mohd Najib bin Tun Abdul Razak, the OMCT says it is seriously concerned about the fate of the 12 individuals, in particular because of the 60-day detention for investigation allowed under the Internal Ssecurity Act.
"Previous detainees under the ISA have reported to have been interrogated and tortured during that initial detention time," the organisation says.
Malaysian security agencies are believed to have swooped on an audience attending a lecture at the Islamic University campus in Senangor. The packed audience was listening to a lecture by Syrian Islamic preacher and fiery orator Sheikh Aiman Al Dakkak, who advocated the need for Muslims to destroy the infidel Christian America and Europe.
More on the University World News site
Source: University World News, Issue No: 0114, 07 March 2010
The Geneva-based World Organisation Against Torture (OMTC) has protested to the Malaysian government over the arrest in January of 50 people at the International Islamic University near the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur. They are believed to include at least two students from Nigeria and others from Ghana, Kenya, Syria and the Sudan. Although 38 of those arrested were later released, 12 remain in custody and were accused of having links with Al-Qaeda. Two of the Nigerian students are likely to be deported - another incident involving students and religious extremism that is causing the Nigerian authorities concern.
The previous incident involved former Nigerian student Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, who was arrested in the US after allegedly trying to blow up an American aircraft en route from Amsterdam last Christmas day.
In its letter of protest to the Malaysian Prime Minister Dato' Sri Mohd Najib bin Tun Abdul Razak, the OMCT says it is seriously concerned about the fate of the 12 individuals, in particular because of the 60-day detention for investigation allowed under the Internal Ssecurity Act.
"Previous detainees under the ISA have reported to have been interrogated and tortured during that initial detention time," the organisation says.
Malaysian security agencies are believed to have swooped on an audience attending a lecture at the Islamic University campus in Senangor. The packed audience was listening to a lecture by Syrian Islamic preacher and fiery orator Sheikh Aiman Al Dakkak, who advocated the need for Muslims to destroy the infidel Christian America and Europe.
More on the University World News site
Source: University World News, Issue No: 0114, 07 March 2010
Higher Education Budgets and The Recession
John Aubrey Douglass
In the midst of the global recession, how have national governments around the world viewed the role of higher education in their evolving strategies for economic recovery? Demand for higher education generally goes up during economic downturns. Which nations have proactively protected funding for universities and colleges to help maintain access, to help retrain workers and to mitigate unemployment rates? And which nations have simply made large funding cuts for higher education in light of the severe downturn in tax revenues?
This essay, part of Research and Occasional Papers series published by the Center for Studies in Higher Education at the University of California - Berkeley, provides a moment-in-time review of the fate of higher education among a number of OECD nations and other countries, with a particular focus on the United States and on California - the largest state in terms of population and in the size of its economy.
Preliminary indicators show that most nations are not resorting to uncoordinated and reactionary cutting of funding and reductions in access, such as we see in the US. Their political leaders see higher education as a key to both short-term economic recovery and long-term competitiveness.
Further, although this is speculative, it appears that many nations are using the economic downturn to actually accelerate reform policies, some intended to promote efficiencies, but most focused on improving the quality of their university sector and promoting innovation in their economies.
More on the University World News site
Paper from the Center for Studies in Higher Education, Berkeley
Source: University World News, Issue No: 0114, 07 March 2010
In the midst of the global recession, how have national governments around the world viewed the role of higher education in their evolving strategies for economic recovery? Demand for higher education generally goes up during economic downturns. Which nations have proactively protected funding for universities and colleges to help maintain access, to help retrain workers and to mitigate unemployment rates? And which nations have simply made large funding cuts for higher education in light of the severe downturn in tax revenues?
This essay, part of Research and Occasional Papers series published by the Center for Studies in Higher Education at the University of California - Berkeley, provides a moment-in-time review of the fate of higher education among a number of OECD nations and other countries, with a particular focus on the United States and on California - the largest state in terms of population and in the size of its economy.
Preliminary indicators show that most nations are not resorting to uncoordinated and reactionary cutting of funding and reductions in access, such as we see in the US. Their political leaders see higher education as a key to both short-term economic recovery and long-term competitiveness.
Further, although this is speculative, it appears that many nations are using the economic downturn to actually accelerate reform policies, some intended to promote efficiencies, but most focused on improving the quality of their university sector and promoting innovation in their economies.
More on the University World News site
Paper from the Center for Studies in Higher Education, Berkeley
Source: University World News, Issue No: 0114, 07 March 2010
02 Maret 2010
Indonesia: Level University Entrance Playing Field
David Jardine
Confusion over higher education entrance requirements continues across Indonesia.In response, the Ministry of National Education plans to review this year’s arrangements for conducting entrance examinations.
The ministry is particularly keen to have state universities operating a transparent system which is at the same time 'friendly'. The review, due to be completed next year, is to address admissions policies at 84 state universities and technical institutes.
Deputy Minister Fasli Jalal, former Director-General of Higher Education at the ministry and an energetic advocate of reform in that sector, said: "People are getting confused by the whole process."
The confusion derives, Jalal said, from lack of transparency about the number of places available at the various universities and how many were allocated for certain tests. He said the ministry was annually inundated with public complaints from parents and students regarding the vast range of entrance tests and admissions procedures across the country.
More on the University World News site
Source: University World News, Issue No: 0113, 28 February 2010
Confusion over higher education entrance requirements continues across Indonesia.In response, the Ministry of National Education plans to review this year’s arrangements for conducting entrance examinations.
The ministry is particularly keen to have state universities operating a transparent system which is at the same time 'friendly'. The review, due to be completed next year, is to address admissions policies at 84 state universities and technical institutes.
Deputy Minister Fasli Jalal, former Director-General of Higher Education at the ministry and an energetic advocate of reform in that sector, said: "People are getting confused by the whole process."
The confusion derives, Jalal said, from lack of transparency about the number of places available at the various universities and how many were allocated for certain tests. He said the ministry was annually inundated with public complaints from parents and students regarding the vast range of entrance tests and admissions procedures across the country.
More on the University World News site
Source: University World News, Issue No: 0113, 28 February 2010
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