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Opinion. Comments on the White Paper report on the performance of universities in Great Britain. Shift of emphasis in the education system towards greater engagement in wealth generation; Focus on further education and the Training and Enterprise Councils; Need for iterative process between researchers and other personnel; Social, cultural and environmental interactions.

The article presents information on conference papers on students' university experience in Great Britain. Dilly Fung found that students view their university experience as a journey with elements of both risk and comfort. Rosalyn George and Anna Traianou said that British students and universities may fail to seize opportunities for cultural interchange being offered by globalized higher education. Ron Best cited the prevalence of self-harming students in certain subject areas.

Reports on the criticism to the government's white paper for higher education in Great Britain. Changes in research funding; Corporate structure of learning institutions; Need for universities to remain internationally competitive.

Reports that due to the transport white paper, users of university and college car parks could be charged for using the premises. Comments from Tony Ridley, head of civil engineering at Imperial College, London, England; Prediction that academics at urban universities will also be charged; Plans of Imperial College to implement charges for parking.

Reveals that universities in Norway are encourage to use English when publishing their research. Information on the language policy developed at the University of Oslo; Reason behind the initiative; Remarks from Professor Birgit Brock-Utne.

Reports on the dismissal of Rhetta Moran as senior research fellow at Salford University in Lancashire, England. Decision of the university to close the Revans Centre for Action Learning Research; Supervisory support offered to students at Salford University.

Points out that college freshmen in Great Britain with ordinary diligence can expect a decent 2.1, and that will be enough to ensure that they secure the graduate premium appropriate to the sort of degree they have done and where they have done it. Tendency of college teachers to conform with the general expectation; Side effects of the usual course delivery.

Reports that Tobias Hübinette, a doctoral student at Stockholm University's department of Oriental languages, claims to have been barred from a conference because of his research on interracial marriages and adoption. Investigation of his research; Schedule of defense for his doctoral thesis.

Reports that students from China and other Asian countries are using fake English-language certificates to try to enroll in overseas universities. Issuance of forged English competency certificates through the British Council's International English Language Testing System (IELTS); Cost of fake certificates.

Reports on the criticism on the student newspaper "Cherwell," of the Oxford University in Oxford, England. Allegation on the newspaper of errors, misjudgments, and misdemeanors; Effort of some students to de-subscribe from the newspaper; Negative coverage of the newspaper of the Oxford University Students' Union.

Reports on the expansion program of higher education in Great Britain. Regional collaboration between universities; Disadvantages of adopting American regional models; Development of strategic partnerships between regional organizations; Application of the multiversity model.

Encourages British universities and colleges to reward digital work in the arts. Overview on the contributions made by digital technology to the arts; Evidence that universities that measure and monitor what academics do are lagging behind in the digital revolution; Efforts of the British government in raising a new Internet generation of scholars.

Reports on the decision of the Irish government to abolish university tuition fees in 1996. Details on the clash between the ministries of education and finance; Source of funds for the abolition of fees.

Reports on the approval by academics on the plans to commercialize university research. Remarks of Rodney Eastwood, director of planning at Imperial College, London, England on the initiative; Partnerships between the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council and the Department of Trade and Industry.

Ministers in Great Britain are reconsidering white-paper plans to create "teaching-only universities," after the proposals were rejected by existing universities on the grounds that they threaten the link between teaching and research. Higher education minister Alan Johnson confirmed this week that he would carefully consider responses froth a consultation on teaching-only institutions before making a final decision on how to proceed. At present, the "university" title is used only by institutions with the power to award both taught degrees and higher research degrees. But in its January 2003 white paper, the Department for Education and Skills in Great Britain, said it was not necessary to be active in cutting-edge research to be an excellent teacher.

Discusses "Top of the Class: Benchmarking Scottish Higher Education," a report released by the Universities Scotland about the quality of research programs of Scottish universities. Costs of Scottish research papers; Number of times academic papers by Scottish researchers are cited by other researchers; Comparison with research programs from other countries.

Analyzes the impact of the white paper educational plan on British higher education. Aims of the white paper; Values gap between the white paper and the Bologna agreement; Basic principles of academic life that should be focused on by government officials in drafting plans for higher education.

Reports that Ivor Crewe, president of Universities UK, has warned labor rebels that if the higher education white paper fails, universities will be forced to cut jobs and close departments. Analysis of a Higher Education Policy Institute report; Crewe's criticism of the degree of research concentration proposed in the white paper.

Reports the policy paper of the students outlining their vision for the reform of post-Milosovic universities in Serbia. Efforts to prevent corruption; Demands of the students; Contribution of the paper to the ongoing process of higher education reform.

Reports on the proposals from the Training & Enterprise Council's white paper `Developing a Learning Society: A Lifetime of Learning, a Lifetime of Work,' to improve universities in Great Britain. Legislation resulting from the paper; Changes in the future roles of universities proposed in the paper.

The article reports on the concealment of cases of misconduct of researchers by British universities in order to protect their reputation, according to editor-in-chief Philip Campbell of the periodical "Nature." He stated that some scientists respond to increasing accountability demands by taking fraudulent act. He added that journals have a responsibility to detect flaws in published research. The periodical retracted papers by physicist Jan Hendrik Schón due to falsified data.

Criticizes Anthony Glees and Chris Pope's paper on the role of universities in promoting extremism in Great Britain. Commentary on their propositions that extremist groups are active and recruiting on campus and that higher education authorities are doing nothing about it; Weakness of their arguments; Claim that the authors' proposals undermine the work of the universities and are counterproductive since they destroy trust and the cultural values that are to be defended.

Reports on the surge of complaints about erroneous exam papers, inadequate facilities and cancelled classes at colleges and universities in Great Britain. Figures representing the rise of school complaints and charges; Concerns regarding tuition fee increase; Implications for the education system in the country.

Reports on the call for the availability of published research papers of colleges free of charge in Great Britain. Inquiry into the state of scientific publishing; Cost of subscriptions to academic journals; Establishment of digital repositories by higher education institutions.

According to a European Commission (EC) report on the continuing transatlantic brain-drain reveals that U.S. universities and research jobs are attracting growing numbers of European Union researchers. The EC paper voiced concern that 75 percent of European Union countries-born U.S. doctorate recipients have no specific plans to return to the European Union (EU), and more and more are choosing to stay in the U.S. The most important reason keeping EU-born scientists and engineers abroad has been quality of work. Better prospects and projects and easier access to leading technologies were most often cited as reasons behind plans to work abroad.

Discusses the risk Scotland is facing of losing research teams and overseas students if English universities end up with proportionally better funding after the white paper proposals. Evidence given by Cubie to the Scottish Parliament's enterprise and culture committee which is investigating the potential impact of English top-up fees on Scotland; Criticism of the Scottish Executive's decision to set a specific earnings threshold for graduate-endowment contributions.

This section offers news briefs related to higher education. The AllMediaScotland Web site is advertising Glasgow Metropolitan University's lectureship in photography and digital imagery. Dundee University in Tayside, Scotland offers a Web site featuring communication and entertainment media of the 20th century. Coventry University blamed operational problems for posting an online module test similar to a practice paper that had been posted on its Web site.

The article reports on the poor control over the marking practices of academic examiners by British universities and colleges according to the Quality Assurance Agency. A briefing paper has concluded that universities and colleges have poor control over the marking practices of examiners. It also revealed that there are inconsistencies in the assessment and classification of degree classes among universities. The reasons behind the inconsistencies in degree classification are mentioned.

The article offers insights for colleges and universities on adopting guidelines on giving failing grades to students. It warns staff against adopting an overly essentialist view of failure. It recommends that staff should exercise special leniency in marking examination papers in medicine, politics and management. It cites the disadvantages of hiring external examiners.

The article emphasizes the author's call for the need to stop pointless extracurricular activities that academics engage in for the sake of their curriculum vitae. Unsolicited call for papers disturb academics. The author says that meaningless activities and pointless initiatives have perpetuated in higher education. These, according to the author, are waste of energy.

The article reflects on the proliferation of presidential libraries in the U.S. Presidential libraries could serve variety of purposes such as memorials of presidents' papers, exhibition area and shops to sell presidents' memorabilia. In 1974, the Congress ceased to fund presidential libraries from taxpayers. No universities are willing to house a President George W. Bush library due to the mismanagement and controversies in his administration.

The article discusses the findings of an investigation into research misconduct in universities in Great Britain. The increase in the number of cases suggested that a U.S.-style culture of whistleblowing and zero-tolerance has arrived in the region. The trend was first highlighted when Leeds University lecturer Neil Winn was found guilty of plagiarism in a research paper in 2005. Glasgow University in Scotland has the highest number of academic fraud in the region.

The authors, an academic and his undergraduate son, relate their experiences of presenting and listening to lectures at a university. After class, the academic found a piece of paper used by a student to calculate his salary per hour. The son cites that the lecturers failed to mention the essays to be submitted before Christmas. The undergraduate asserts that the lecturers seem to occupy some form of parallel universe.

Highlights the way universities and colleges deal with pay dispute between academics and their employers in Great Britain. Decision of Northumbria University administration in England to dock 100 percent of the wages of academics who were involved in the dispute if they would not mark examination papers of their students; Efforts of the Loughborough University in England to assure that no lasting damage to the institution can be left by the dispute according to vice-chancellor Shirley Pearce; Expectation of a reallocation of roles to prevent the occurrence of union related activities.

Reports on the results of a paper written by Jude Carroll, a senior lecturer at Oxford Brookes University, and Ranald Macdonald of Sheffield Hallam University in England regarding the control of student plagiarism in 2006. Suggestion for universities and colleges to create a group of academics and senior managers to collect and discuss views on plagiarism; Need for the institutions to provide students with feedback and lesson on writing a bibliography and references; Citation to Oxford Brookes University in Oxfordshire, England as one of the best universities that deal with the plagiarism.

Reports on the first written record of the term "moonie" at Leicester University on November 13, 1987. Definition of the term "moonie" as described in the "Oxford English Dictionary"; Details of the November 1987 issue of the Leicester student newspaper "Ripple" which used the term "moonie"; Comments made by Aaron Porter, current editor of "Ripple" regarding the contribution of the paper.

Focuses on the responses to the decision of Plymouth University to close its campus in Exmouth, England. Reasons for relocating the Exmouth-based faculty of education to Plymouth; Potential resignation of staff if the move went ahead according to a paper submitted by academic unions; Opposition of student unions to the relocation.

The article explains "The Times Higher Education" magazine's 2005 World University Rankings. The rankings show the top universities for each of the principal areas of academic life. Top-ranking universities are listed as named by peer reviewers. Examples of data collected include number of staff, number of international students and citations per paper for each of institution in the respective subject areas. The peer review data were collected by QS Quacquarelli Symonds and the citations by Evidence Ltd.

The article criticizes the bracketing of universities with the churches and other charitable foundations in the Schools White Paper as potential sponsors of the proposed trust schools in Great Britain. However, there are examples of universities running successful schools such as Glasgow University's Jordanhill School and Brunel University's forthcoming city academy.

Presents news related to higher education. Decision of Albania's new government to close three universities; Information on the paper "Rethinking the White Australia Policy," by Andrew Fraser, a law lecturer at Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales; Strike of University teachers in Benin and in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Argues on the role of universities in promoting extremism in Great Britain. Definition of terrorism and its precondition subversion; Evidence proving that universities can be recruiting grounds for terrorism;View on the duty of higher education in containing and preventing extremism; Events showing that terrorists have been to a British college or university; Problems with the selection of overseas students; Groups of British Muslims who are most at risk of being drawn into terrorism and extremism according to a 2004 Cabinet paper; Implications of the London bombings in July 2005.

Reports that mounting pressure on young academics in Great Britain is a key concern raised in responses to the proposed ground rules for the 2008 research assessment exercise (RAE). Poll of subject associations and societies a week before the deadline for responses to the RAE criteria; Pressure due to expectations that academics submit four research papers.

Reports that a project to replace paper notes with digitally stored data about experiments has been awarded additional funding by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council in Great Britain. CombeChem project at Southampton University; Amount of the grant; Facility to have computes instead of lab books.

Reports that university qualifications have become the minimum requirement for getting a job in Great Britain. Expected earnings of graduates over their lifetime; Devaluation of arts degrees; Impact of credentialism, the expansion of paper qualifications, on university degrees.

Reports on responses to the "green paper" on the Oxford University in England's academic strategy. Plans by John Hood, vice-chancellor, to revitalize the university; Findings of an international benchmarking exercise by consultants, McKinsey.

Reports on the University Vocational Awards Council's re-launch of its Web site. Inclusion of the council's response to white papers and consultations, policy statements, publications to download and details of its annual conference.

Reports that lecturers' union Natfhe was planning to call its members out on strike during the London Metropolitan University's audit by the Quality Assurance Agency. Ballot papers sent by the union seeking a mandate for industrial action; Dispute declared by the union with the university over a plan to move former London Guildhall University staff on to the same contracts as staff at the former University of North London.

Reports developments related to higher education in Great Britain. Approval of the bids of several higher education colleges to become universities; Appointment of mathematician Sir Michael Atiyah as president of the Royal Society of Edinburgh; Revelation of a Skills White Paper by the government with an emphasis on improving college education.

Reports that the Australian Government has proposed to award the university title to institutions that neither undertake research nor award research degrees. Release of a discussion paper on diversity in the higher education sector; Set of protocols governing the establishment of universities in the country.

Comments on the excessive bureaucracy in the operations of the British Higher Education Funding Council. Background on the council's task of dispensing public funds to colleges and universities; Mechanisms employed by the council to ensure accountability and value for money, including a large amount of paper work and documentation; Recommendations for better regulation and reduced bureaucracy.