Recession Budget-busting brilliance

Chancellor Alistair Darling’s ‘Recession Budget’ has filled many in the media with wall-to-wall gloom and anger. Unemployment and national debt are soaring while the Chancellor predicted the economy will shrink a further 3.5% this year. However, the economic turmoil could give our personal budgets an unforeseen boost; student debts may begin to pay themselves back. Read more

Brown’s Green Days…

The Badger has uncovered an article written by Prime Minster Gordon Brown almost 40 years ago as a student at the University of Edinburgh. Originally published in Edinburgh University’s student newspaper, The Student, in 1971, the article entitled “The Empty Pipe-Dreams” is a striking critique of student politics, opening with the damning line “Pipes and promises mixed uneasily this week with the realities of Student power.” Read more

Imperial College to build campus abroad

Imperial College London is planning a new overseas campus in Qatar or Abu Dhabi, a region in the Persian Gulf. UK universities have a long-standing tradition of offering foreign students distance-learning options for pursuing UK qualifications while remaining in their home countries. Now Imperial College London is taking the initiative, a giant leap forward.  The university’s new rector, Sir Roy Anderson, is discussing plans to set up a campus overseas. Read more

The Chancellor at No. 42

The new University Chancellor was announced last week as Sanjeev Bhaskar OBE. A writer and actor, Bhaskar is famed for his roles in TV comedy Goodness Gracious Me and his leading role in comedy chat-show The Kumars at No. 42. Read more

Atheist movement looks to mobilise students

The AHS launched last week to activate students in resistance to what they view as “growing pandering” towards religious groups.  AHS is the abbreviated name of the National Federation of Atheist, Humanist and Secular Student Societies. In its manifesto the organisation states that it aims to “encourage and facilitate the creation of new atheist, Humanist and secular student societies and groups,” as well as supporting existing student societies that it feels have not had a platform to present their views on a national and international level. Read more

Obama & Brown: contrasting changes in Higher Education policies

Fresh higher education policies for Brown’s Britain and Obama’s America.
In a week of change in education policy on both sides of the Atlantic, Gordon Brown’s government appeared to be doing the opposite to Barack Obama in America. Whilst the new American premier is focusing on widening participation in education to combat the Credit Crunch, the British government appears to be scaling it back. Read more

Students and staff campaign against London Met job cuts

London Metropolitan University may be the first University to be hit by the credit crunch.
The University, formed in 2002 after a merger between London Guildhall University and the University of North London, is expected to cut about 400 jobs in the near future, one third of which are academic positions. Staff and students, worried about the future of their University, are calling for the resignation of the vice-chancellor who they think must take responsibility for the University’s devastating financial situation. Read more

NUS debate top up fees at UCL

A debate with the NUS over the future of top up fees occurred on Thursday 29 January at University Collage London. The event was organized by UCL Students for Free Education, and NUS president Wes Streeting took part in the discussion. He spoke about NUS policies of free education and urged UK universities to adopt a softly softly approach to negotiating with the government when campaigning for a reduction in higher education costs. Read more

Government plans internships for graduates

The government has announced an initiative to provide three-month paid internships to university leavers, in an attempt to reduce the impact of a worsening labour market on graduate employment prospects.
John Denham, universities secretary, offered details of the placements, which are intended to increase students’ employability by providing workplace skills. Interns will be paid a rate only slightly higher than the income received via loans and grants as an undergraduate. So far four firms are involved in the £140m scheme, including Barclays and Microsoft. Read more

Students campaign for cheaper graduation

As many students prepare for winter graduation at the end of this month, some graduates are dissatisfied with the cost of tickets to attend the event.

Graduation tickets for students at Sussex, which include a programme and after-ceremony drinks reception, are free of charge. Guest tickets, however, cost £25 per head. Moreover, compulsory gown, hood and mortarboard cap rental set students back, on average, a further £40.  Read more

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