ENGINEERING BULLETIN

A good command of English is no doubt advantageous when looking for a job, but not all employers consider it a decisive factor when hiring an applicant.But many companies have begun to expect more from their workers as they now see English proficiency as a means for them to compete in an increasingly globalized business environment.According to Jun Nakagawa from Berlitz Japan, Inc., a major English language school, the number of applications from companies wanting their workers to learn English, and individual company employees wanting to improve their English ability on their own, has risen since last spring.

Since April this year, universities and colleges in Japan have been required by law to disclose information about their facilities, employees and subjects taught. Even though the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) has asked only for the bare minimum of information — such as number of professors and instructors, tuition and school fees, and a basic outline of facilities — many universities are still reluctant to expose themselves.

Universities can accept increased numbers of students following Senate agreement today to the Gillard Government's higher education expansion plan. The bill empowers the government to provide a place for every prospective student who is accepted by any university.According to Tertiary Education Minister Chris Evans, the legislation will end bureaucratic control over university enrollments by empowering institutions to accept as many students as they choose, rather than negotiating annual enrollments with Canberra.

Two Irish universities have said tens of thousands of euro paid to receive their recent top international ratings was worthwhile for the potential to attract more overseas students, writes Niall Murray for the Irish Examiner.University College Cork and the University of Limerick were the only two Irish colleges to undergo the QS Stars evaluation, a new international benchmarking tool by the same firm that undertakes one of the world's most prestigious university rankings.

The plagiarism scandals that rocked the political world in Germany this year have led to a period of soul-searching among academics and researchers around the country. They have also prompted calls for stricter controls at German universities. At issue is the prestigious title of doctor, which is widely used in Germany, even outside academics circles. Many politicians campaign with the title prominently displayed as part of their name. After several cases in which doctoral theses were described as using unattributed material from earlier works — the most prominent of which pushed Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg to resign as defense minister — German universities have questioned the way doctoral candidates are tested.

Increasing the number of Aboriginal academic staff is a "pragmatic" way to boost knowledge of indigenous culture and knowledge in the sector, says Larissa Behrendt, the chairwoman of the federal government's review of indigenous access and participation in higher education. Professor Behrendt said the review would not get distracted by academic debates on the content and methodologies of indigenous knowledge."The terms of reference for this review has a clear focus on closing the gap, while the [one] that focuses on indigenous knowledge allows for an approach which is comprehensive," Professor Behrendt said."It avoids any complaints that we have only focused on the improvement of numbers and not other issues that are raised by the academy."She said key questions for the review are how to increase indigenous staff numbers and better track the quality and quantity of research on indigenous matters.

Collaborations between business and academia have risen sharply in the past year, according to new research.Interface, which acts as a broker between firms and universities and research institutes, reported a 47% growth in figures in 2010-11.The Scottish Funding Council-backed organisation brokered 144 contracts between research teams and Scottish businesses in the last academic year.It estimated that the deals were worth £2m.Interface said the contracts would lead to "significant economic benefits", including the development of new products, processes and services, expansion into new markets, the safeguarding of existing posts and the creation of new jobs.

A majority of the Swedish population, approximately 56 percent, prefer a nationalized school system, according to a recent survey by research company Novus."There's a clear desire in the public opinion to change the school's control. That a majority want to nationalize the whole school, not just the financing system, is a sign of deep discontent with the current state," said the National Teachers' Association, Lärarnas Riksförbund, Chairperson Metta Fjelkner. However, according to the association the only party to respond to public demand is the Liberals.

Learning Chinese at any elementary school in the country could become reality for children in Sweden within the next decade, if education minister and Liberal Party head Jan Björklund gets his way. "Chinese will become more important, from an economic perspective, than French or Spanish," he said to newspaper Dagens Industri.  French, Spanish and German are today the languages commonly offered in all elementary and high school language classes.  Björklund wants Sweden to be the first European country to introduce Chinese language classes in all schools, in a bid to strengthen the country's competitiveness.

India's Minister of External Affairs Shri SM Krishna and US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton met in New Delhi last week for the second annual meeting of the US-India Strategic Dialogue, reports the Asian Scientist. The two countries plan to host a higher education summit in Washington DC on 13 October to find ways for their higher education communities to collaborate.Topics covered at last week's the bilateral ranged from education, science and technology to defence, security and counter-terrorism, trade and women's empowerment. Both sides also plan to expand their higher education dialogue, to be co-chaired by the US secretary of state and Indian minister of human resource development.

Positive comments about Japan's system of English teaching are rare, but hope is on the horizon. This month, 96 Japanese high school and junior high teachers of English leave for a half-year training program in the United States. They will enroll this fall in courses on English-teaching methods, stay with local families and work as interns at secondary schools in America. The experience they bring back will be a great step toward genuinely improving Japan's woeful way of teaching English. The program, sponsored by the government, is an important initiative. The teachers, most in their 20s to 40s, will be able to acquire the kind of experience that will have an enormous impact on their students.

New tertiary education pathways data, released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, shows that while Australians are becoming more highly educated, they're also becoming more frequently educated. The new analysis has settled a decades-old question over which post-school sector is the main springboard for further study. But experts question the value of some of this articulation, with much-trodden pathways arguably achieving little more than VET sector ‘churn’.The report found that the proportion of Australian adults with at least one post-school qualification had increased by over a seventh in less than a decade, from 54 per cent in 2001 to 62 per cent in 2009. And the proportion with two or more qualifications had increased even more quickly, rising by a quarter from 20 to 25 per cent.

Canada, which has long promoted its eagerness to attract foreigners, is experiencing a surge in the number of Indian students heading there for higher education. Besides the country’s positive attitude toward outsiders, the chief attractions for Indian students are the lower costs for both tuition and living expenses, in addition to its lenient visa requirements, according to students and consultants who advise them about overseas study options. The number of Canadian student visas issued in India jumped to more than 12,000 in 2010, from 3,152 in 2008.

In addition to requiring university students to help in the construction of 100,000 houses in Pyongyang, the North Korean authorities have placed another heavy obligation on students - they must help collect medicinal herbs - writes Kang Mi Jin for the Daily NK.Students have to collect medicinal herbs for the purpose of "loyalty foreign currency earning"; that is, to help the government procure foreign currencies before the regular summer vacation, during a period known as the 'medicinal herb vacation' in late June and early July.

Universities are placing a new emphasis on recruiting students from overseas as the number of British youngsters who will miss out on places is poised to reach record levels. Research by The Sunday Telegraph has revealed that nearly a quarter of universities, including Cambridge, plan to recruit more international students for the academic year which begins in the autumn, while their number of home students will fall or remain static.  Out of 26 institutions which responded to a survey, six were budgeting for fewer British and EU students, or the same number as last year, while at the same time planning to offer places to more students from outside the EU.

Germany, the birthplace of kindergarten and the modern university, has long been admired for its commitment to education and for good reason: For generations its specialized schools produced more than their share of Nobel Prize winners, as well as the highest skilled tradesmen—high-octane fuel for Europe's economic powerhouse. Today, however, Germany is coming to grips with a much different report card—that of an academic underachiever. Almost one-fifth of Germany's 15-year-olds can't read proficiently, and just 29.8% of young adults have a higher-education degree, below the European Union average of 33.6%.

Swedish renowned plant biochemist Bertil Andersson became the third president of Singapore's Nanyang Technological University (NTU) on Friday, succeeding Su Guaning.Andersson has said he would lead the university to become a great global university by 2015 by pursuing five peaks of excellence such as new media, innovation, health care, sustainability as well as the blending of east and west.A pioneer in research related to artificial leaves and their creation, he has a long-standing association with the Nobel Foundation.

The Government is facing a massive financial headache because of a projected explosion in student numbers at schools and colleges.The number of enrolments over the coming years is estimated to be much higher than previously thought.The Department of Education's latest predictions, seen by the Irish Independent, show that there will be an extra 80,000 students across all levels of education by 2014.

The University of California ( UC) system is seeking to raise tuition again for the fall, on top of an eight-percent increase that had already been approved, it was reported on Sunday.Should UC regents approve the proposal, undergraduate tuition for California residents would rise to more than 12,200 U.S. dollars, not including room, board and other campus-based fees, amounting to an increase of about 1,920 over this year's tuition, The Los Angeles Times said.

Southeast Asian universities have been showing unique enthusiasm in this year's Beijing International Education Expo.The Malaysian embassy in China is represented by 12 universities, the largest group among all the international exhibitors, Saturday's China Daily reported.The Chinese and Malaysian governments reached agreements on frameworks to facilitate mutual recognition of higher education qualifications during Premier Wen Jiabao's visit to Malaysia in late April."The number of Chinese students in Malaysia reached a historic peak of 10,000 in 2010. And we are expecting more after the agreements," said Wong Chong Way, education attache at the embassy.