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Higher education is increasingly recognised as being critical to social and economic prosperity. It is also a policy area where the Commonwealth could significantly increase its impact. This could be achieved without major cost, by working through activities already in place, and persuading member governments to make stronger use of these brands and mechanisms. This paper focuses on four key areas selected by the the 19th Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers (19CCEM) Steering Committee: (1) Costs and access; (2) Links with employment; (3) Securing the next generation of academics; and (4) Student and staff mobility. These were chosen because of their importance, relevance to conference themes, and synergy with existing Commonwealth-related initiatives. In each case, the brief summary of issues is intended to stimulate debate on whether, and how, the Commonwealth could play a greater role. [This paper was prepared for the Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers (19CCEM) (19th, Bahamas, Jun 22-26, 2015).]

The paper provides analytical insights into highly acute issues concerning preparation and adoption of Qualifications Frameworks being an adequate response to the growing interactions at the global labor market and flourishing of knowledge economy. Special attention is paid to the analyses of transnational Meta Qualifications Frameworks (A Framework for Qualifications of the European Higher Education Area, The European Qualifications Framework for Lifelong Learning and Towards a European Framework for Research Careers) and the UK National Qualifications Framework, separately for each of its constituent parts, as well as Russia. Doctoral Degree level is chosen as a core for the analytical overview as the authors believe that this qualification level deserves much attention and continuous improvement to provide highly qualified personnel for the sphere of science and education in the nearest future. Critical remarks on the real impacts of such Qualifications Frameworks policy from the international perspective are represented. [For the complete Volume 15 proceedings, see ED574185.]

Crossrail, the £14·8 billion project to deliver the Elizabeth line east-west railway across London, is the largest construction project in Europe. This paper focuses on the environmental management practices that were employed during delivery of the central tunnelled section of the line. The aim was to promote and achieve a high level of environmental performance during construction, which in turn would set a new benchmark for environmental performance when delivering major transport infrastructure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digital communications are at the centre of information society policy initiatives across Europe. Digital ICTs feature prominently in programmes to promote digital inclusion and to implement extensive reform in public service provision. The transition to an all-digital communications environment and the digital switchover of public services bring to the fore a need to rethink access as a public policy goal. When the switchover happens, use of public services that have been universally available, and/or accessible via universally available technologies will require a level of digital media literacy capacity. This paper probes patterns of internet access diffusion among disabled people in the UK to examine the role of communications policy in promoting media access capabilities. As a starting point for this line of inquiry, the paper draws on insights from the capabilities theory and resource-based models of media access in order to highlight: the multi-dimensional character of media access and literacy and its centrality in policy initiatives for 'digital inclusion'; the relational character of disability as a phenomenon of the interface between personal circumstances and structural disadvantage; a gap in policy commitment to promote universal access for disabled people and a requirement for policies sensitive to the need for additional resources to equalize their media access capabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In partnership with Educational Testing Service (ETS) and the Center for Minority Serving Institutions at the University of Pennsylvania's Graduate School of Education, Salzburg Global Seminar hosted an international strategic dialogue of 60 thought leaders, researchers, and practitioners from institutions serving marginalized populations to develop a platform for on-going dialogue, problem solving and solutions to common challenges. The program--"Students at the Margins and the Institutions that Serve Them: A Global Perspective"--was held October 11 to 16, 2014 at Schloss Leopoldskron in Salzburg, Austria and builds on Salzburg Global's track record of programs delivering on educational equity, quality and innovation. Program participants represented 19 countries and all regions of the world and engaged in five interactive days of issue framing, dialogue and strategic synthesis of global research, policy and expertise, and together assembled various frameworks for action. Issues debated include: national contexts and taxonomies of practitioners, intersections of identities and their effect of access, displaced students, legal frameworks for broadening access, and funding frameworks for institutions serving students at the margins. Participants also heard student voices; both at undergraduate and graduate levels. This report describes the program session discussions and outcomes. Appended are: (1) Session Participant and Staff List; (2) Session Agenda; and (3) Interviews and Op-eds. [Additional support for this work was provided by Capital Group Companies, the Mexican Business Council, and The Nippon Foundation.]

The paper explores the contradictory risks associated with UK small company financial reporting regulation and examines policy options in the light of the revised European Accounting Directive permitting Member States to relax publication regimes for microentities. Using data from preparers of small company abbreviated accounts and a wide range of accounts users, we elaborate the dilemma for UK policy-makers. The paradox for micro-companies, that financial confidentiality and disclosure both potentially serve their interests, means policy-makers face a trade-off between reducing the regulatory burden on micro-companies and supporting disclosure in order to reduce credit risk and improve credit allocation, both of which are argued to facilitate economic growth. The deregulatory thrust of the revised Directive, intended to 'free up enterprise' might produce the opposite consequences - to make the UK one of the best places in Europe to start, finance and grow a business [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 1850, the Bessemer converters were able to produce mass-production inexpensive steel. This technical advance was the key point that leaded to a suddenly extended use of steel in the bridge engineering field. Consequently, timber was pushed into the backstage as a structural material during many decades. In the other hand, timber has been fortunately recovered, especially from 1970's, as engineering material. This paper presents the part I of a first stage work concerning to the study of remarkable ancient timber bridges from 1650 to 1850. Part I consists of a general review. The comparison with the current state of art proves that the technical heritage is worth analyzing as a lesson for the present. Selected case studies would be used to explain the historical timber bridge breakthroughs in part II [1]. The geographical areas analysed were restrained to Europe and USA due to the limitations to the access to first-hand sources. Nowadays works following these principles are many (see e.g. [2]), but James's work [3] still continues being a basic guide for authors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the factors influencing the level of women's political representation at the national level in countries including Belgium, France, and Great Britain. Women are not able to represent themselves in higher politics, and gender inequality is rampant in politics. Due to their under-representation on the positions governing laws and regulations, women have little influence on issues concerning women's rights. One major reason for women's representation in politics is colonialism. Colonialism was rampant in Europe, and it lowered the status of women in politically active societies. Colonial government structure was biased, and had no place for women.

This article deals with British public debates over European integration by recourse to an original data-set on political claims-making. A media-based data on public claims-making is used and the sample covers a five-year period, from 1990 through 2002. Claims-making acts which link different levels of politics are important carriers of Europeanisation processes for national public spheres. There are five possible types of claims-making involving national actors. Each of the possible types of claims-making represents a relationship between actors that constitutes a specific form of Europeanised political communication. The French public sphere are generally more pro-European than those in the British, with the exception of horizontal claims-making by actors from foreign European Union states.

This collection was gathered from a seminar entitled "Education and Leisure in North European Urban Spaces," which was the result of cooperation between the Sports, Leisure, and Tourism Work Group of the International Union of Architects and the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Papers were given by experts on education, community architecture, and inner city projects, including the greening of redundant industrial areas and disused sites and designs for revitalization. Papers are: (1) "An Historical Perspective" (Geraint John); (2) "Rotterdam: Strategy for a City of the Future--'From Working City to Leisure City'" (S. Rijpma); (3) "The Role of Sport and Physical Recreation in Regenerating Part of Glasgow--The Glasgow GEAR Project" (Ivor Davies); (4) "Small Community Sports Centres" (Chris Harper); (5) "Greening the Community Landscape" (Dee Stamp); (6) "Children Design and Build for Play" (H. Meyer-Buck); (7) "Design and the Community: The Open Air Classroom" (Martin Madders and Chris Royffe); (8) "Good Practice in Inner City Leisure Provision" (Sue Glyptis); (9) "Recycling for Play" (David Stone); and (10) "Summary" (Geraint John). An appendix describes the Sunningdale (England) Community Development program. (SLD)

The article discusses the acceptability of the Society of Dyers and Colourists' Colour Measurement Committee (CMC) colour difference formula. In Great Britain, the formula has been examined and adopted by leading chain stores for quality control. In terms of industrial control, the CMC formula is the same with the JPC79 formula. The substitution of CMC (2:1) for JPC79 will rarely change the tolerance settings. The increasing popularity of the formula in Great Britain and Europe is helping in the establishment and development of practical wats of instrumental quality control of colour.