In response to funding constraints, tighter student visa requirements and a rapidly globalising marketplace for higher education UK universities are increasingly looking overseas for expansion. 

When the UK Border Agency last year tightened controls on international students coming into Britain it prompted an increase in the number of UK institutions looking to establish overseas. The restriction on overseas students coming to the UK, particularly from India, has had a major impact on university revenues. In response universities are taking the approach that if the students cannot come to them; they must go to the students.

In research carried out by Pinsent Masons, 67% of surveyed universities said that Government policy on immigration and fees made them more likely to establish an overseas presence.

The internationalisation of higher education is not, of course, a new phenomenon – 80% of universities surveyed already have an international presence – but the pace of internationalisation is accelerating, driven in most cases by the change in Government policy.

The most popular method of international collaboration is currently the use of joint or dual degrees, with 57% of those surveyed already providing these and 52% considering collaborating to reach overseas markets.

But of growing popularity and importance is the use of joint ventures to operate overseas branches or campuses. Only 14% of universities surveyed currently are party to a joint venture but 48% are considering establishing one.

Joint ventures can offer a good balance for those seeking to take advantage of the opportunities international markets present. They avoid the major costs and regulatory burdens associated with a new, independently established campus whilst sending out a very clear signal that the university is serious about a particular market and its student population and offering those students access to a highly prized UK university experience.

UK immigration policies do not offer the only explanation for this growing trend. Another major reason why universities are investing so much time and energy in international expansion is because the market for higher education teaching and research is becoming increasingly international and increasingly competitive. If a university cannot offer the same geographical scale, scope and opportunity as leading UK and international rivals then it may not attract and retain the best people and funding.

If done right, internationalisation can increase student numbers, improve the student experience and the quality of education, and can help organisations to expand their size and the range of learning opportunities they offer. But done badly, the same process can tarnish a university’s reputation both abroad and at home and can leave it with major problems and sizeable bills. Indeed, Pinsent Masons’ survey revealed that reputational damage is the risk that universities worry most about. The wrong tie-up can have terrible consequences for an institution’s name, something which is clearly disastrous in a sector where brand is so important.

Universities are as worried about quality assurance as they are about reputation, and of course the two are linked. However, only a quarter of universities are worried about risks to intellectual property although our experience is that universities should be alive to the protections needed before making their information available in other jurisdictions.

When choosing where to expand to, the Pinsent Masons survey revealed that, unsurprisingly, universities are focussing on where the greatest demand is – namely countries with an expanding middle class and a relative shortage of higher education places.

This is why universities are focusing on China, India, Malaysia, Singapore, Brazil and the Middle East. Of those surveyed, 80% of universities told us that they were targeting China.

More surprising is the presence of the USA, an already mature higher education market, on the priority lists of over half of universities.

While the most important factor in choosing a destination by far was expanding demand for higher education, the next biggest influencing factor was personal relationships. The importance of these traditional drivers for university action cannot be overestimated and universities should work hard to encourage the development of these relationships in growth markets.

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UK international student restrictions behind universities’ international expansion, survey finds, 10.0 out of 10 based on 1 rating

A pilot program to improve life for residential students at Monash University’s Gippsland campus will start this month.

The 335 students who live at the Churchill campus are now eligible to receive a $100 Cabcharge gift card to help address long-standing issues with public transport outside business hours and at weekends.

Monash Gippsland’s Pro Vice Chancellor, Professor Robin Pollard, said the University recognised students living on campus were constrained in undertaking activities off campus if they did not have a car. He said the initiative aimed to fill some of the gaps in the public transport services and provide a quick and safe journey.

“Transport is often raised as an issue for many residential students – particularly our international students – and this program aims to not only address that, but also ensure life on campus is a more enjoyable experience,” Professor Pollard said.

“In the past other schemes had been trialed but we think this pilot program is an investment in our residential students. It enhances their independence by providing them with the maximum amount of flexibility and enables them to use it when and where they choose.”

Amy Cameron, a Churchill-based third-year primary education student and Residential Adviser, said transport was often a major bugbear for those living on campus.

“Getting to-and-from Churchill has often been difficult for residential students if they don’t own a car –especially out-of-hours – and this program will be well received,” Ms Cameron said.

“For various reasons public transport doesn’t work for everyone as it can be inflexible and students don’t always feel safe traveling by themselves in the evening. This pilot program has the potential to really help out with some of those issues.”

Diona Chu, president of the International Students Association at Monash Gippsland, said the scheme would assist many students who lived at Churchill, particularly with access to and from local train stations.

“The ISA appreciates that Monash is acknowledging that transportation is a major problem in the area and welcomes this quickly implemented additional transport service,” Ms Chu said.

“This will definitely be a good way to ease the financial burden of traveling to-and-from the campus for students. For international students this is especially so, because many do not have cars and do not receive public transport student travel concessions and perhaps this scheme will encourage retention of international students at the Gippsland campus.

“We are concerned about the sustainability of this scheme and how long will Monash be committed to give out Cabcharge vouchers. Are there any better ongoing alternatives?”

Mr Alan Scarlett, campus manager, said the cards were valid for 12 months and the pilot program would be reviewed later in the year.
He said the campus would continue to investigate other transport options.

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Applications are invited for graduate fellowship for international students to pursue master program in Human Resources at an accredited university within or outside of the United States. The fellowship is sponsored jointly by SHRM, the SHRM Foundation and the HR Certification Institute. Each year one student is selected to a fellowship of up to $10,000.  Each fellowship is renewable for one additional year for a total of two years of graduate study and up to $20,000 total for the fellowship. 

About Scholarship: The Susan R. Meisinger Fellowship for Graduate Study in HR is a premier source of funding for first-time master’s degree students in Human Resources. The award honors former SHRM President & CEO, Susan R. Meisinger, SPHR.  The fellowship is designed to support master’s degree students who are either member of SHRM or certifed HR professionals through the HR Certification Institute. Sponsored jointly by SHRM, the SHRM Foundation and the HR Certification Institute, the fellowship supports those who want to leverage significant past contributions to the HR management field and who plan to continue contributing to the profession by earning a master’s degree in HR. 

Study: Human Resources

Course Level: Master degree at an accredited university with an equal commitment to both teaching and research

Scholarship By: Sponsored jointly by SHRM, the SHRM Foundation and the HR Certification Institute

Location: USA and Abroad 

Number of award: One winner is selected annually to receive a fellowship. Additional fellowships may be awarded, depending on funding available, quantity and quality of applicants, and the discretion of SHRM. 

Duration: Each fellowship is renewable for one additional year for a total of two years of graduate study. 

Value: One winner is selected annually to receive a fellowship of up to $10,000. Each fellowship is renewable for one additional year for a total of two years of graduate study and up to $20,000 total for the fellowship. Doctoral students, including DBAs and Ph.D.s, are not eligible for this award. 

Eligibility:

-The Fellowship is open to all eligible first-time masters’ students attending accredited universities all across the world; it is not limited to U.S.-based students.  To be eligible to apply, any HR professional must be a first-time master’s student seeking a degree in HR and must meet at least one of the following criteria: 1) be a member of SHRM or 2) hold a professional certification (e.g., PHR, SPHR or GPHR certification from the HR Certification Institute).

Note:  Individuals who already hold a masters degree, regardless of the field in which they earned a masters degree, are not eligible to apply for this fellowship. The fellowship is for individuals seeking their first master’s degree, in HR, who are starting studies this year, or who have at least two years of study left in the masters program.  Ph.D. candidates are not eligible to apply for the fellowship.

-Current SHRM, SHRM Foundation, HR Certification Institute staff and board members and current members of the Membership Advisory Council (MAC) are not eligible to apply for or receive the Meisinger Fellowship award. In addition, the candidate must meet all of the following eligibility requirements:

a. Earned a minimum GPA of 3.5 overall in his or her undergraduate major and current master’s program (if already enrolled) based on a 4-point grading scale or any scale analogous to a 4-point grading scale.

b. Has a minimum of five years of work experience in HR.

c. Has a minimum of 10 years of total professional work experience.

d. Has been accepted into a qualified masters program within or outside of the United States seeking HR-related masters for the first time or who is already enrolled but has a minimum of two years of study remaining in an HR master’s degree program. 

Scholarship Open for: The international students can apply 

Selection Criteria: The fellowship is geared toward HR professionals who have demonstrated leadership in human resources and have potential as future leaders in the field of HR. Therefore, selection criteria will include the applicant’s relevant work and leadership experience, clarity and efficacy of goals and needs, undergraduate achievements, community involvement, and the HR degree the applicant has selected to pursue. Criteria for selecting fellows mirror the eligibility and application requirements. 

Notification: All applicants will be notified of results via mail by October 31, 2013. 

Apply: All required materials must be submitted together in one package. Download and complete the application form, compile all required materials, then mail your completed application package by post. 

Deadline: Monday, August 19, 2013

Further Information: http://www.shrm.org/about/awards/Pages/meisinger.aspx

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The Higher Education Commission (HEC) has issued a list of private universities not recognised by HEC, warning students and their parents to ensure the status of the university or institute from the website of the commission before seeking admission. 

The press statement issued by Higher Education Commission says that it will not recognise any degree or certificates issued by these institutions. The list of the private universities or institutes, which have been granted charter by the respective authorities without fulfilling the cabinet criteria for the establishment of new university or degree awarding institute including no objections certificate (NOC) from Higher Education Commission is given below.

The HEC has advised these institutions to approach HEC for grant of NOC before initiating any academic activity including admission in any degree program. My University, Islamabad, the Dar-ul-Madina International University, Islamabad, South Asian Strategic Institute University, Islamabad, Capital University, Islamabad, Pakistan Institute of Management, Karachi, Habib University Foundation, Karachi, Nazeer Hussain University, Karachi and Lal Shahbaz University, Karachi.

The Higher Education Commission (HEC) recognises degrees of 146 universities or institutions from public and private sector in Pakistan. A complete list of approved universities or institutes is available at HEC website (www.hec.gov.pk).

In light of the judgment passed by the Supreme Court of Pakistan, the HEC has decided not recognise the degrees issued by the universities or institutes, which are operating without having the formal NOC from HEC. The students and their parents are requested to ensure the status of the university or institute from the website of the Higher Education Commission before seeking admission.

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Ewha Womans University

Indiana University President Michael A. McRobbie will kick off a 15-day visit to East Asia with meetings with South Korean higher education leaders and a reception for new students in Seoul, South Korea.

McRobbie will sign a renewal agreement between IU and Ewha Womans University, one of Korea’s top research universities as recognized by Leiden University’s prestigious evaluation index.

The agreement extends the relationship between the IU Maurer School of Law and Ewha Womans University, a collaboration that allows up to five Ewha law students each year to matriculate in the Maurer School’s two-semester LL.M. program.

The Maurer School has similar pacts with other Korean universities, including Chung-Ang University, Chungbuk National University, Hongik University, Sungkyunkwan University and Yonsei University.

IU Vice President for International Affairs David Zaret and IU first lady Laurie Burns McRobbie are joining McRobbie on the trip and also will be presenters at a special gathering for incoming IU students from Korea as well as alumni.

President McRobbie noted that 1,025 students from South Korea accounted for more than a 10th of IU’s international enrollment of 7,700 this past academic year. The Institute of International Education ranks IU 11th among all U.S. universities in the number of international students.

IU has an active alumni chapter in Seoul. With more than 1,000 active members, it is one of the university’s largest international alumni groups in the world.

“Korea is home to some of our strongest institutional partnerships, and I am excited about the prospects for further strengthening our ties there,” McRobbie said. “We live in an increasingly global society, where forces that originate beyond our borders affect virtually all aspects of our lives. If IU is to effectively prepare its students to succeed in such a society, we must continue to build bridges around the world.”

The Michael Maurer School of Law.
This is McRobbie’s third official visit to South Korea since becoming IU’s president in 2007. He also is traveling to China and Taiwan. The trip is one element of IU’s international engagement plan. The university has identified 30 countries as priorities and has plans in place to strengthen institutional ties, increase research opportunities and provide greater access to study abroad for IU students.

Beyond the Maurer School’s relationships with law schools at leading Korean universities, several schools at IU have also established ties with their counterparts at Jesus University, Pukyong National University, and Sungshin Women’s University.

In 2008, IU and SKKU joined together to sign a general agreement of friendship and cooperation. The agreement led to greater collaborations between SKKU and IU’s Kelley School of Business and Maurer School of Law.

Kelley and SKKU’s business school are now partners on a dual Global Executive MBA Program and other educational initiatives. In 2009, IU and its Maurer School of Law signed an agreement with SKKU creating a joint J.D.-MBA program. It was the first agreement of its kind between a U.S. law school and an Asian business school.

The study of East Asia spans more than 20 departments and professional schools on the Bloomington campus, including the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures, which recently marked its 50th anniversary; the Title VI-supported East Asian Studies Center; and the IU-Australian National University Pan-Asia Institute.

IU’s teaching and research activities in Asia will be core efforts of the new School of Global and International Studies. Ground recently was broken on a new four-story, 165,000-square-foot structure that will house the school, starting with the 2015-16 academic school year.

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The Joint Admission Board recent selection of candidates qualified to join public universities could be its last because a new body will perform the task in the future.

The new Commission of University Education Act (2012) which replaced the Commission for Higher Education provides for the establishment of the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service Board.

The board will coordinate the placement of government-sponsored students to universities and colleges. On Monday, JAB’s chairman Mabel Imbuga announced a reduced cut-off point for joining public universities for candidates who sat for the KCSE 2012.

A minimum aggregate B of 61 points and above will be admitted to universities, while female candidates with an aggregate B of 60 and a B- of 59 points will be admitted under the gender affirmative action criteria.

A total of 53,010 students will join the 22 public universities and nine constituent colleges this year. “We all know about the new body, but we could not wait for its establishment because students will to report to their institutions in September,” Imbuga said.

JAB secretary Ben Waweru said the Cabinet Secretary for Education has the mandate to establish the new board. “There is need however for a policy and legal framework to guide how the new body will work,” Waweru said.

The policy and regulations will sort out issues to do with whether private universities will benefit from the placement by the new body.

Unlike JAB which comprise all the vicechancellors of public universities, the placement board shall have a chairperson, who is secretary to the Commission of University Education, Helb CEO, CEO Tivet funding board, CEO Tiveta, two vice chancellors from public universities, two vice chancellors from private and two representatives from technical institutions.

The board will uphold equity and balanced access to university and colleges education and develop suitable criteria to promote affirmative action, and other strategies as may be approved by the government.

Courses in universities will also be availed by the board including their costs and areas of study prioritized by the government. “This will include developing career guidance programmes for the benefit of students,” part of the Commission of University Education Act 2012 states.

JAB has in the past faced accusations that majority of students in public universities do not get to do their first-choice degree courses. There have been suggestions to reconstruct JAB to handle admissions at both public and private universities.

However, Imbuga said candidates are now allowed to revise their degree choices after the selection. “The revision dates will be announced in the local media,” Imbuga said.

Imbuga said this year’s cut-off points during revision will use subject performance index of a candidate in addition to the grade to calculate the weighted cluster points.

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Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship is a well known fellowship program for international students to study in USA.  It is a non-degree program. Participants may complete academic coursework at their host universities to update their academic and professional knowledge in their field, but they do not receive an academic degree as a result of their participation in the Program. The ten months fellowship is provided to cover many expenses. Application deadlines vary by country. 

About Scholarship: The Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program, which is a Fulbright program, brings accomplished young Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program and mid-level career professionals from developing countries to the United States for ten months of non-degree graduate study and related practical professional experiences.

The Humphrey program was initiated in 1978 to honor the memory and accomplishments of the late Senator and Vice-President of the United States, Hubert H. Humphrey. The program is designed to meet the requirements of policy makers, planners, administrators, and managers in the government, public and private sectors, and non-governmental organizations, who have a public service commitment, demonstrated leadership potential, and commitment to their own country’s development. 

Study: Agricultural and Rural Development; Communications/Journalism; Economic Development; Educational Administration, Planning and Policy; Finance and Banking; Higher Education Administration; HIV/AIDS Policy and Prevention; Human Resource Management; Law and Human Rights; Natural Resources, Environmental Policy, and Climate Change; Public Health Policy and Management; Public Policy Analysis and Public Administration; Substance Abuse Education, Treatment and Prevention; Teaching of English as a Foreign Language (Teacher Training or Curriculum Development); Technology Policy and Management; Trafficking in Persons, Policy and Prevention; Urban and Regional Planning.

Course Level: The Humphrey Program is a non-degree program. Participants may complete academic coursework at their host university to update their academic and professional knowledge in their field, but they do not receive an academic degree as a result of their participation in the Program.

Scholarship By: The Humphrey Program is funded primarily by a Congressional appropriation to the United States Department of State.

Location: USA 

Eligibility: -An undergraduate (first university or Bachelor’s) degree

-A minimum of five years of full-time, professional experience

-Limited or no prior experience in the United States

-Demonstrated leadership qualities

-A record of public service in the community

-English language ability. 

Scholarship Open for International Students:

Sub-Saharan Africa: Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Chad, Cote d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Republic of Guinea, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Congo, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, South Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Europe: Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Estonia, Georgia, Hungary, Kosovo, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovak Republic, Turkey and Ukraine.

Middle East and North Africa: Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, United Araba Emirates and Yemen.

East Asia and Pacific: Burma, Cambodia, China, Fiji, Indonesia, Korea, Laos, Malaysia, Mongolia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam.

South and Central Asia: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

Western Hemisphere: Argentina, Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Columbia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Trinidad & Tobago, Uruguay and Venezuela can apply for the fellowship. 

Duration: Humphrey Fellows start their program in the U.S. between April and September of the same year, depending on the amount of English language training required. The Program ends the following June. Fellows with inadequate TOEFL scores may be required to attend intensive English language training before the start of their Fellowship.

Value: The Fellowship provides for:

-Payment of tuition and fees at the assigned host university;

-Pre-academic English language training, if required;

-A maintenance (living) allowance, including a one-time settling-in allowance;

-Accident and sickness coverage;

-A book allowance;

-A one-time computer subsidy;

-Air travel (international travel to and from the U.S. for the Program and domestic travel to required program events);

-A Professional Development allowance for professional activities, such as field trips, professional visits and conferences. 

Selection Criteria: The Humphrey Program is facilitated overseas by Binational Fulbright Commissions/Foundations or the Public Affairs Sections of U.S. Embassies. Commissions and Embassies review applications submitted for the Humphrey Fellowship Program, invite selected applicants for interviews, and determine which applications are to be forwarded for further consideration to the Institute of International Education in Washington, D.C. Please contact the Embassy or Commission in your country to learn of its selection criteria. 

Notification: Fellowships are announced in March the following year. 

Apply: Completed applications (including enclosures, if any) must be submitted through the appropriate administrative authority within applicant’s region/country. 

Deadline: Application deadlines vary by country. The nominating U.S. Embassy or Binational Fulbright Commission will advise you of its internal deadline for receiving applications. Embassies and Commissions must submit their nominations to the Institute of International Education office in Washington, DC by October 1. 

Further Information: https://humphreyfellowship.org/

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New research from the University of Southampton has shown that blind and visually impaired people have the potential to use echolocation, similar to that used by bats and dolphins, to determine the location of an object.

The study, which is published in the journal Hearing Research, examined how hearing, and particularly the hearing of echoes, could help blind people with spatial awareness and navigation. The study also examined the possible effects of hearing impairment and how to optimise echolocation ability in order to help improve the independence and quality of life of people with visual impairments.

Researchers from the University of Southampton’s Institute of Sound and Vibration Research (ISVR) and University of Cyprus conducted a series of experiments with sighted and blind human listeners, using a ‘virtual auditory space’ technique, to investigate the effects of the distance and orientation of a reflective object on ability to identify the right-versus-left position of the object. They used sounds with different bandwidths and durations (from 10–400 milliseconds) as well as various audio manipulations to investigate which aspects of the sounds were important. The virtual auditory space, which was created in ISVR’s anechoic chamber, allowed researchers to remove positional clues unrelated to echoes, such as footsteps and the placement of an object, and to manipulate the sounds in ways that wouldn’t be possible otherwise (e.g. get rid of the emission and present the echo only).

Dr Daniel Rowan, Lecturer in Audiology in ISVR and lead author of the study, says: “We wanted to determine unambiguously whether blind people, and perhaps even sighted people, can use echoes from an object to determine roughly where the object is located. We also wanted to figure out what factors facilitate and restrict people’s abilities to use echoes for this purpose in order to know how to enhance ability in the real world.”

The results showed that both sighted and blind people with good hearing, even if completely inexperienced with echolocation, showed the potential to use echoes to tell where objects are. The researchers also found that hearing high-frequency sounds (above 2 kHz) is required for good performance, and so common forms of hearing impairment will probably cause major problems.

Dr Daniel Rowan adds: “Some people are better at this than others, and being blind doesn’t automatically confer good echolocation ability, though we don’t yet know why. Nevertheless, ability probably gets even better with extensive experience and feedback.

“We also found that our ability to use echoes to locate an object gets rapidly worse with increasing distance from the object, especially when the object is not directly facing us. While our experiments purposely removed any influence of head movement, doing so might help extend ability to farther distances. Furthermore, some echo-producing sounds are better for determining where an object is than others, and the best sounds for locating an object probably aren’t the same as for detecting the object or determining what, and how far away, the object is.”

The knowledge gained from this study will help researchers to develop training programmes and assistive devices for blind people and sighted people in low-vision situations. The team is also extending their research to investigate finding of objects in three-dimensional space and why some blind people seem to be able to outperform others, including sighted people.

The research was partly funded by a Research Council UK Basic Technology Programme grant to the Bio-Inspired Acoustical Systems project and Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) Vacation Bursaries.

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RLC-Lab, an analytical and chemistry research company has teamed up with Loughborough University to launch a national initiative to support excellence in science education.  The service will enable state and private schools and colleges teaching A-level and BTEC science the opportunity to access industry-standard chemical analysis services, free of charge.

RLC provides consultancy and contract analytical and chemistry research to the pharmaceutical and fine chemical sectors as well as conducting its own novel research.  Based in Loughborough University Science and Enterprise Park, RLC is a keen supporter of science education as its director, Dr Mark Jones, explained:  “Techniques such as chromatography and infra-red spectroscopy are now an integral part of the syllabus, but with limited resources, the best that the majority of schools can hope for is a melting point measurement of their reaction products.  Our service enables students to use the same technology as large pharmaceutical organisations.”

The service is launched this week to 3,000 schools, following a highly successful pilot that was supported by the Royal Society of Chemistry.

Jacquie Hanmer, Robert Smyth Academy, said:  “I cannot emphasise how wonderful it was for students to be able to see real data on their products.  I used it as an example on open day and it generated huge amounts of interest.”

Dr Claire Badger, Haberdashers’ Aske’s School for Girls, said:  “This has been of real benefit to our students … these methods are on the syllabus but to see a method applied to their own samples helps make it more real.”

Loughborough University is supporting the initiative by ensuring that thousands of vials reach the schools and colleges which are then sent to RLC’s laboratories for free analysis.  Students can then see the results of their experiments online.

Professor Steve Rothberg, the University’s Pro Vice Chancellor (Enterprise) said:  “Loughborough University is committed to promotion of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) education in schools and is delighted to be supporting this excellent and innovative project.  Our aim is to support RLC in delivering this service to every A-level chemistry class in the country.”

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Bit additionally heralds a bigger shift in social media. Facebook arguably fictional trendy social networking, and continues to be the king. however more and {more} its approach is seen as passive and obsolete as individuals flock to sites like Tumblr wherever they’ll be more actively engaged in making personal, communicative content to share — and that may probably translate to advertising bucks.

“People love a stage or a soapbox from that they’ll broadcast,” S. Shyam Sundar, a director of the Media Effects science lab at Pennsylvania State University, explained. “The jinni is out of the bottle. everybody loves it and it’s terribly alluring for users to induce on-line and be a supply of content, instead of simply intense passively.”

This is behind the attractiveness of websites like Tumblr, wherever millions have created signature blogs; or Reddit, the news someone, that is encouraging users to form and transfer video content to share; or video sites like YouTube. Also, Vine, a Twitter app that permits individuals to simply create and post six-second videos has been wildly well-liked since its debut in Gregorian calendar month. One among Vine’s creators, Dom Hofmann, same its initial success was “rooted within thesimplicity of the tool.”

Snap chat, the electronic communication application, that lets individuals add text or draw cartoons on prime of photos and videos, is process upward of a hundred and fifty million pictures on a daily basis. And Instagram, that Facebook no heritable last year, has attracted quite one hundred million users in its short lifetime — holding individuals add vintage effects and different filters to their photos.

The lot of services like vascular plant and Tumblr will “come up with ways that to let individuals management and generate content and project identity,” Mr. Sundar expected, the a lot of productive they’re going to be.
Still, these newer sites haven’t nevertheless tested they’re moneymakers, that makes Yahoo’s move an enormous bet. And the maximum amount as Tumblr’s sale are often seen as a hit story for the tiny company, it additionally hints at the darker struggles of a social mediaservice that’s made in users and zilch else.

Plus, Facebook continues to be a force to be reckoned with. The corporate includes a billion-plus users and generated $5 billion in revenue last year. However aside from the Instagram acquisition, Facebook has been slow to introduce tools to let members create and make attention-grabbing content on the far side uploading photos and videos.

The result’s that it’s evolved a lot of into a social directory, a form of telephone book of the net, wherever individuals pay time tending to their public image and endlessly tweaking security settings to stay their party footage personal. And signs have begun to emerge that users are getting bored and disabused with the location.

A recent report by Piper Jaffray that surveyed five, 200 yank teenagers on their on-line use found that whereas Facebook was still the foremost vital media destination for teenagers, its quality slipped by nine p.c from spring of 2012.

Gene Munster, one among the lead analysts on the survey, same that if something, the results showed that the style and interest of net users, significantly younger ones, was fickle and momentary.

“It’s not a matter of whether or not or not Facebook can keep relevant,” Mr. Munster same. “On the margin, they’re going to still be relevant. It’s regarding the potential for declining engagement and what that impact is over the longer-term for creating cash.”

People have numerous news feeds, sites, apps and in-boxes competitor for his or her time, same Kim Celestre, associate degree analyst with Forrester analysis, that the sites and services wherever ar|they’re} active participants are a lot of probably to carry their attention for extended, attracting advertising bucks. Tumblr says its members pay twenty four billion minutes on the location every month.

“Big selling campaigns want to bring individuals into their complete and immerse them,” she said.

Tumblr, though, has not created abundant cash. It created its priority the sale of premium merchandise, like designer “themes” or formats for blogs, and sponsored content over advertising, neither of that were enough to push it into a profits. A similar seems to be true for a couple of equally well-liked social networking services, like Path, Foursquare and Quora.

It is not clear however any of those sites can create cash — unless maybe they’re additionally purchased by an enormous company hoping to revitalize its image and suck up with a hipper audience of web users.

The new social sites have all types of other ways of content creation. On Tumblr, users will simply and quickly produce a diary or journal of pictures, GIFs, links and concepts. They’ll even amendment their user names on a daily basis to evade nosey oldsters and lecturers — one thing that’s not possible on Facebook and turning into tougher on Twitter and even Instagram.

Some older sites are connection the creation bandwagon. LinkedIn, the business social network, has begun to encourage its users to contribute journal posts. Gawker is rolling out a comment system, Kinja, that lets readers produce and moderate their own conversations and reactions to posts and articles.

BuzzFeed, the hip young news website, is additionally encouraging its readers to submit their own posts to the location, and create and transfer their own GIFs to the service.

People like Kyle Williams, a 32-year-old designer World Health Organization lives on the higher side, have found themselves drifting removed from Facebook in favor of inventive tools that encourage them to form things, instead of share equally of minute detail regarding their lives.

“Facebook is dying in my social media calendar,” he said “I hardly faucet into that any longer. It’s with great care expected and simply what my friends do. There’s one thing regarding the creativeness of strangers on these different platforms that appears a lot of attention-grabbing and inventive, even quite the individuals I do know in real world.”

Mr. Williams said he preferred Vine, Twitter’s new video tool, over all other social media services, even Instagram.

David Karp, the 26-year-old founding father of Tumblr, same in associate degree interview that he didn’t read his microblogging service as a social networking service. “It’s therefore not my domain,” he said. Instead, he same he views it as an inspired technology, like Adobe, that makes Photoshop, among different things, or like hollow or Apple. Every time the corporate has additional an inspired practicality, just like the ability to transfer GIFs or bird’s-eye photos, usage has exploded, he said.

“There is associate degree obsession with social at once,” he said. “But most of the media we tend to get pleasure from is progressively oil-fired by a military of freelance creators.”

The three hundred million people that visit the location every month return “not as a result of their friend’s are here,” Mr. Karp said. “It’s as a result of the content they need to consume and create is here.”