Nearly half of young men of colour age 15 to 24 who graduate from high school will end up unemployed, incarcerated or dead. This jarring statistic is just one of many highlighted in two new reports that were released this week by the College Board Advocacy & Policy Center at an event held in collaboration with the Harvard University’s W. E. B. Du Bois Institute for African and African American Research in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The reports, The Educational Experience of Young Men of Colour: A Review of Research, Pathways and Progress and Capturing the Student Voice, are especially relevant given the need for these young men to attain postsecondary degrees if the nation’s economy is to thrive and compete globally.

The reports provide the most comprehensive data, research findings and recommendations to date to improve the educational experiences and pathways of young men of colour. The qualitative research study, conducted in collaboration with the Business Innovation Factory (BIF), provides findings from 92 in-depth personal student interviews that are captured through video storytelling.

The reports seek to give a balanced view of the educational issues that exist for young men of colour across four minority groups — African Americans, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, Hispanics/Latinos and Native Americans — throughout the K-20 pipeline. According to the findings, just 26 percent of African Americans, 18 percent of Hispanic Americans, and 24 percent of Native Americans and Pacific Islanders have at least an associate degree. The reports also provide an analysis of the postsecondary pathways for young men of colour and identify the barriers and catalysts to college.

“At a time when our nation is committed to reclaiming its place as the world leader in higher education, we can no longer afford to ignore the plight of our young men of colour,” said Gaston Caperton, College Board President.

“As long as educational opportunities are limited for some, we all suffer. We rise as one nation and we fall as one nation. But if we keep working hard — if we keep listening to each other and to our students — we can soften our landings and reach historic new heights.”

“These reports cast into stark view what all Americans, unfortunately, have known for a long time: that access to education in this country is a right that not all of our children enjoy in equal measure,” said Henry Louis Gates, Jr., Alphonse Fletcher University Professor and Director of the W. E. B. Du Bois Institute for African and African American Research. “But the devastating numbers and the sobering statistics are a call to action through the recommendations outlined in this innovative report. Only with genuine and profound educational reform can we create equal opportunities for young men of colour and indeed for all Americans.”

Key recommendations outlined in the studies include encouraging policymakers to make improving outcomes for young men of colour a national priority, increasing community, business and school partnerships to provide mentoring and support for these young men, and improving teacher education programmes and providing professional development training that includes cultural and gender-responsive training.

To view the full College Board press release, please click here.

The QS rankings, which are scored out of 100 and based on research, internationalism, teaching and graduate employability, have been running since 2004.

Scoring over 90 out of 100, Harvard University easily came out on top for each of the three categories and both the University of Cambridge and the University of Oxford feature in the top 5 on each list.  Yale University, Stanford University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) also feature heavily in each of the top tens.

The University of Melbourne is the only Australian institution to have made the top ten, featuring at number 8 in the Psychology list. Other high listing entries from Australia, Canada and Singapore also mark a slight shift in the heavily US dominated list.

Talking of the new subject specific rankings, Ben Sowter, Head of QS Intelligence Unit says, “The new QS World University Rankings by Subject respond to a need for comparative data at a more granular level.

“In many countries students are being charged more than ever before for their degrees. So assessing the potential career outcomes of one’s study choice is becoming increasingly important”, he continued.

So a new study that says staying longer in education benefits blood pressure is surely a piece of much needed good news for those considering their higher education options.

A study by BMC Public Health has shown that despite some of the associated stresses of being a student, such as passing exams and affording tuition and accommodation, staying longer in education is good for your health. High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is also linked to heart attacks, kidney failure and strokes.

The study was carried out over 30 years using data from nearly four thousand people being followed as part of the Framingham Offspring Survey. By dividing the people into three groups depending on their education, the study was able to show that longer education was reflected by lower blood pressure. With the links being especially strong in women.

These results may explain the already recorded link between higher levels of education and lower levels of heart disease.

Natasha Stewart, senior cardiac nurse for the British Heart Foundation, said: “These findings support existing evidence about the link between socio-economic deprivation and heart disease risk.”

So, despite all the anxiety the higher education process can cause, it will be good for your health in the long run.

The report, carried out by the National Foundation for Educational Research on behalf of the government, was a five-year study tracking 8,000 A-level students. It found that a state-educated student with the grades BBB is likely to perform as well in their university degree as an independent or grammar school pupil with AAB.

This research, however, is not the first to show that students from state schools fare better at university. In July of this year another study compared the degree results of privately and state-educated UK students with similar backgrounds  and also found that those from state schools were more likely to get a higher degree.

So why do state school students do better? Researchers have suggested that privately-educated students have much more preparation and help during A-levels and university applications and are being pushed to their limits, in comparison to those at state schools who might not be achieving their full potential.  Therefore, those who get good grades without such help and coaching are likely to have more ability in the first place.

Lee Elliot Major, research director at the Sutton Trust, told The Guardian:  “Independent and grammar school pupils are getting lots of support – they’re being pushed to their limits, whereas with comprehensive pupils they aren’t fulfilling their full potential, and this shows up at degree, where they fly”.

Another possible reason is that pupils in state schools are used to having to work on their own and having less individual attention due to larger class sizes, which are also often part of university life.  When they transfer to university, they are used to the large amount of independent learning and self-discipline required, whereas those who have been continually helped and focused-on in a private education might struggle with having to do it alone.

What do you think about the results of these reports? Do you agree? Let us know your thoughts.

Published last week, the list is topped by Harvard University for the eighth time in a row. The University of California, Berkeley was second and Stanford University in third. Occupying the top three spots shows a clear dominance for US institutions in a list based solely on scientific research strength.

The Shanghai Jiao Tong University list works differently to the Times Higher Education World University Rankings which has previously been largely based on the subjective views of faculty and students. The THE is this year conducting an overhaul of the way it ranks universities to fall into line with this more objective approach, in an effort to provide the most accurate and factual information.

The new ranking system is being developed in partnership with Thomson Reuters and is set to be more “sophisticated, transparent and rigorous”, according to the THE. One of the key changes is the introduction of a 30% weighting for ‘teaching and learning environment’, the first inclusion of a teaching reputation score in a global list.

UK universities will be hoping to fair slightly better in the new THE ranking system than they did in the Shanghai Jiao Tong University list. The University of Cambridge came in fifth, the University of Oxford tenth, with University College London and Imperial College London coming twenty-first and twenty-sixth respectively.

For more details about the new Times Higher Education rankings system click here.

The results were released by the Higher Education Authority (HEA) in an analysis of higher education applications.

The new trend marks the re-emergence of scientific subjects after a lengthy period of relative unpopularity during the economic boom, as major employers in key industries have indicated that such skills will be in high demand in the coming years.

The CAO, Ireland’s centralised college admissions service, is currently handling a record high number of 77,126 higher education applications, an increase of more than 17% when compared to figures from 2007.

Science subjects are currently the first preference for 7% of applicants, up from 5.4% in 2007.  Also in 2007, only 1,835 students listed computing as their first preference; this year, however, that figure has jumped to 4.7%.

Other subjects, however, have seen a decline in interest; in areas such as nursing, education, architecture and law there have been fewer first preference applications, though these remain popular subjects.

Commenting on the increased interest in the areas of science, engineering and computing a HEA spokesperson said: “These are the areas where we need more people. Career opportunities are and will be available in the future.”

For further information on studying science, engineering and computing subjects in Ireland read the latest i-SECT guide from i-studentadvisor, containing a special Irish supplement: http://www.i-studentadvisor.com/isa/2010/isect/isect-2010.html

During STAR 2010, a strong emphasis will be on applied and experimental research on stress and anxiety. Contributors will also focus on social, political, and policy-related aspects of major world events, such as terrorism, natural disasters, global warming and the worldwide economic recession.

The three-day event will incorporate a sequence of cutting-edge keynote addresses from leading figures in stress research.  Professor Michael Eysenck, University of London and Roehampton University, UK who is renowned for his research in memory and cognition, will give the distinguished Spielberger address, focusing on new theories on anxiety and cognition, and drawing on his many years of research experience and publication of over 40 books.

Professor Charles D. Spielberger, University of South Florida, will deliver another keynote address on the scientific study of emotions. Professor Spielberger is one of the world’s most prominent research psychologists who, across a 50-year career, has published over 400 scientific papers.  He has also served as president of both the American Psychological Association and the International Stress Management Association.

Dr Brian Hughes, Director of CROLS, NUI Galway says: “Stress and anxiety are universal experiences and the problems they create are extensive. This is why it is so important that they be researched extensively. We are delighted to be holding the World Conference on Stress and Anxiety Research in Galway this year. Leading figures from the behavioural, social, and health sciences will be coming to Galway to share the latest research findings in this important area.”

“As well as the stress of everyday life, it is important for us to understand more about how people are affected by extreme or traumatic stressors.  Researchers will be reporting findings about the human impact of the earthquake in Haiti, missile attacks in the Middle East, and stressful occupations such as firefighting, police work, and military aviation”, Dr Hughes added.

The conference will be attended by over 250 researchers in the social, behavioural, and health sciences from across the world.  Delegates will present research focusing on stress, anxiety, depression, coping, mental health, ergonomics, psychosomatics, therapeutics, education, and psychophysiology.

Across its 30 year history, the conference has traversed the globe, being held in Europe, Australia, Africa, and North America. STAR 2010 marks the first visit of the conference to Ireland.

The first multi-purpose nanofabrication centre in Australia has been officially opened by Victorian Premier John Brumby. The $57 million dollar purpose-built facility known as the Melbourne Centre for Nanofabrication (MCN) is located adjacent to Monash University’s Clayton campus, next door to the Australian Synchrotron.

The MCN is the Victorian node of the national network, Australian National Fabrication Facility, which aims to boost Australia’s presence in the rapidly growing nano and bio-nanotechnological markets.

The MCN is a collaborative initiative between the Victorian and Federal Government, CSIRO, Monash University, Deakin University, La Trobe University, Swinburne University, the University of Melbourne and RMIT. Monash is the lead agency for the project.

Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) Professor Edwina Cornish said the MCN would enhance the research and innovation precinct, located close to the Clayton campus.

“The effectiveness of the collaboration is a testament to the commitment and capabilities of all the parties involved and provides us with a fantastic opportunity to enhance our already strong capability in nanofabrication,” Professor Cornish said.

“It will cement Victoria’s position as a centre of excellence in nanotechnology.”

The centre is unique in that it offers a wide range of services for the development and manufacture of prototypes and products from a broad discipline base. These include: New bio-compatible materials for smarter medical implants; New water-recycling technologies to improve the re-use of urban water; Rapid and disposable diagnostics tests to improve the detection of, and response to, infectious disease outbreaks; and new energy storage and generation technologies to enable breakthroughs such as the use of roof tiles as cheap solar cells.

MCN Director and internationally renowned nanofabrication facility expert, Professor Ian Boyd said the centre will be open to national and international researchers and industry users who will be able to collaborate with other scientific disciplines and institutions including Monash.

“The goal is to maximise cross-disciplinary interaction on a national basis. Nanotechnology and research is at an incredibly exciting juncture and through this cutting edge facility we can leverage every opportunity for collaboration. For example, we can combine research in soft sciences like biomedicine with the hard science of engineering,” Professor Boyd said.

The facility will also act as a training ground for the next generation of researchers wanting to study advanced micro and nano manufacturing.

“This facility will be used by internationally renowned researchers, PhD and postgraduate students alike and will also provide an access point for undergraduate research for students throughout Melbourne. Combine this research potential with industry partnerships and we have a facility, to take us well into the future.”

Republished with permission of Monash University.

In a letter to The Daily Telegraph, senior executives from Network Rail, Shell, Centrica and GlaxoSmithKline spoke about the vital contribution made by universities to the long-term financial and economic stability of the country.

The government, which is planning to cut over £600 million from university funding budgets over the next couple of years, has been encouraged by the business community to recognise the important position of universities, especially when it comes to “science, innovation and knowledge”.

The links between the business and higher education worlds is worth roughly £30 billion a year and the business leaders said stronger links could “spur the economy on further”.

The business community has always looked to universities for graduate talent and innovative research and many believe a reduction in funding could damage these strong ties. Business also helps fund higher education which increases the investment potential in the UK and, if the relationship was damaged, the UK could be in danger of falling behind the rest of the world.

A similar claim has been made by the British Academy who claim that a reduction of funding for humanities subjects would decrease the nature of the UK’s standing in the world. Science and maths are obviously the most notable subjects in terms of international achievement but Sir Adam Roberts of the British Academy said humanities disciplines also contributed to the health and wealth of the UK.

Research from the Ministry of Higher Education and Research found that Morocco was the largest provider of foreign students to France, totalling around 30,000 individuals.

12% of France’s 1.4 million strong student population are foreign, more than a third of whom are based in Paris or the Ile-de-France region.

44% of those foreign students hailed from Africa, followed by 24% from Asia, 22.6% from Europe, and 8% from North and South America.

The research found that the largest foreign group, Moroccan students, were most likely to study science, engineering and technology subjects. Their 27,100 Chinese counterparts, a steadily increasing figure, are “well represented” in business, engineering and arts schools.

Almost 40% of foreign students in France are studying doctorates.

Look out for our i-studentadvisor Europe guide later this year, covering France and a variety of other European nations.