The TopUniversities.com guide to the latest higher education news from around the world, on 3 December 2012.
Danger of ‘downward mobility’ in US
With only one in five young adults in the US reaching a higher level of education than their parents, experts have warned ‘downward mobility’ – where a generation is less well educated than the previous one – is a real possibility in the near future in the US. Were this to occur, the US would be the only major economy in the world where this would be the case, putting its economy which relies of high-skill professions at risk. President Barack Obama has pledged to rectify this and make the US a world leader in terms of graduation rates by 2020, reports the BBC.
Stanford alumni’s startups pull in US$4.1 billion between 2007 and 2011
A study of six of the most prestigious universities in the US by CB Insights has found that Stanford educated entrepreneurs are the most successful in attracting funding for their startup companies, pulling in US$4.1 billion between 2007 and 2011. The study also looked at Harvard, the University of California, Berkeley, New York University, the University of Pennsylvania and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Collectively the universities attracted US$12.6 billion in 559 deals over the time period covered.
California’s public universities spared US$1 billion in cuts
After four years of savage cuts amounting to US$2.5 billion, the passage of Proposition 30 in California means that universities in the University of California, California State and California Community College systems have been collectively spared a further US$1 billion of cuts. Among other things, this means that students studying at these universities will be spared from further tuition fee increases, deemed necessary in order to make up for the budgets shortfalls caused by the cuts. Proposition 30 is a tax measure, which will see sales tax rise incrementally between 2013 and 2017, and taxes for high earners rise between 2013 and 2020, reports University World News.
Chinese medical education to include more on-the-job training
Chinese doctors, particularly those who will be serving in rural areas, are to be given more on-the-job training before being allowed to practice, reports University World News. The current system has drawn criticism for being too theoretical, and with graduates tending to go straight into work following graduation, leaving the quality of their practical training largely in the hands of their employers. Poor student faculty ratios, declining entry scores and poor salaries have also been identified as areas for concern.
Casio calculators win University Business magazine reader’s award
Three Casio calculators – the fx-115ES PLUS, fx-9860GII and PRIZM – have been awarded the accolade of University Business2012 Readers' Choice Top Product, reports The Sacramento Bee. This is the first time the award, which seeks to recognize products which university administrators have deemed invaluable, has been given. A full list of nominated products is available on University Business’ website.