Current Awareness
4th July 2012: The Westminster Higher Education Forum presents "The future of regulation and finance in the Higher Education
sector".
For more details, please follow the link http://www.westminsterforumprojects.co.uk/forums/event.php?eid=413
23rd February 2012: The Westminster Higher Education Forum presents "The next steps for UK research and innovation".
For more details, please follow the link http://www.westminsterforumprojects.co.uk/forums/event.php?eid=367
21st February 2012: The Westminster Education Forum presents "Reviewing the Maths Curriculum - part of the Westminster Education Forum National Curriculum Seminar Series".
For more details, please follow the link http://www.westminsterforumprojects.co.uk/forums/event.php?eid=351
2nd February 2012: The Westminster Higher Education Forum presents "UK universities in a global Higher Education market".
For more details, please follow the link http://www.westminsterforumprojects.co.uk/forums/event.php?eid=310
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Dr Paul Lewis from King's College London has recently produced a report based on his study of skills and training of university laboratory and engineering workshop technicians. To download the report, please click here.
The International Working Group have published a note summarising the key points on the Bologna Process. To download it, follow the link Bologna Process summary note Nov 2009
The Europe unit have published their long awaited document on ECTS. To download it, follow the link http://ec.europa.eu/education/lifelong-learning-policy/doc/ects/guide_en.pdf
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The ETB have produced a briefing paper entitled 'Top of the Class: The UKs University Engineering Research Base'. To download it, follow the link http://www.etechb.co.uk/search.cfm?widCall1=theme2.contentItem_show_1&cit_id=2817
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The Europe Unit and the UK HE International Unit have published a joint report examining the UK’s European competitors for international students.
For more information and to view a copy of the report, visit www.europeunit.ac.uk/sites/europe_unit2/news_and_information/latest_news.cfm
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ECUK has developed a framework for workbased degrees that integrate learning with development of competence, offering a pathway to professional registration. Guides to the MSc Professional Engineering and the bachelors level qualification are published on the engineering gateways website at www.engineeringgateways.co.uk The development work was a part of the DIUS funded ‘Gateways to the Professions’ programme. Several universities are offering the MSc and others have progammes in development. Further information is available on the engineering gateways website or from Deborah Seddon at ECUK dseddon@engc.org.uk
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Hefce have published a report on Evaluation of life long learning networks on their website.
http://www.hefce.ac.uk/news/hefce/2008/lln.htm
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Students better prepared for world of work
QAA has published Outcomes from institutional audit: Work-based and placement learning, and employability, which reveals that an increasing focus is being placed on ensuring that students have the opportunity to acquire, as part of their programmes of study, a large range of skills relevant to employers.
www.qaa.ac.uk/news/media/pressReleases/24_Apr_2008.asp
QAA publishes draft second edition of the FHEQ for consultation
The framework for higher education qualifcations in England Wales and Northern Ireland (FHEQ) draft second editon has been published for consultation. The closing date for responses from higher education providers and other interested parties is Friday 6 June 2008.
www.qaa.ac.uk/academicinfrastructure/FHEQ/EWNI08/
QAA approaches to student engagement
Our invitation for feedback to the draft paper on our approaches to student engagement closes on 30 April 2008. It sets out broad aims for QAA in providing information about academic standards and quality for potential students, students and their representatives.
www.qaa.ac.uk/students
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Please Note: 7-16th March 2008 is to be National Science and Engineering Week. For more information, please see The British Association for the Advancement of Science (BA) website www.the-ba.net/nsew
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To view EPC's statement on HEFCE's Research Excellence Framework, please follow the link
http://www.epc.ac.uk/publications/meetings/REFJan08final1.htm
To view EPC's Consultation Response form on the Research Excellence Framework, please follow the link
http://www.epc.ac.uk/publications/meetings/REFJan08final2.htm
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To view the report on the Cost of Engineering Degrees, please follow the link
http://www.epc.ac.uk/publications/meetings/presentations.php?id=26.
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If you have any comments on the announcement below, please email office@epc.ac.uk by Friday 22nd February so the EPC committee will have time to format evidence, taking into account your opinions, before the March deadline.
INNOVATION, UNIVERSITIES & SKILLS:
Select Committee Announcement
Committee Office, House of Commons, 7 Millbank, London SW1P 3JA
Tel. No. 020 7219 2794 Fax. No. 020 7219 0896 Email: iuscomm@parliament.uk
6 February 2008
No. 25 (07-08)
TERMS OF REFERENCE
ENGINEERING
The Innovation, Universities and Skills Committee announced on 29 January 2008 that they would be holding a major inquiry into engineering.
The following terms of reference have now been agreed for this inquiry:
· the role of engineering and engineers in UK society;
· the role of engineering and engineers in UK's innovation drive;
· the state of the engineering skills base in the UK, including the supply of engineers and issues of diversity (for example, gender and age profile);
· the importance of engineering to R&D and the contribution of R&D to engineering; and
· the roles of industry, universities, professional bodies, Government, unions and others in promoting engineering skills and the formation and development of careers in engineering.
The Committee has also agreed on the subjects of the first two case studies within this inquiry. These are nuclear engineering and plastic electronics engineering. Terms of reference for the case studies will be issued separately.
The deadline for written submissions to the general inquiry and for the two case studies is Friday 15 March 2008 .
Guidelines for the submission of evidence
Evidence should be submitted in Word format (no later than 2002) , and should be sent via e-mail to iuscomm@parliament.uk . The body of the e-mail must include a contact name, telephone number and postal address. The e-mail should also make clear who the submission is from.
Submissions should be as brief as possible, and certainly no more than 3,000 words. Paragraphs should be numbered for ease of reference, and the document should include a brief executive summary. Those submitting evidence are reminded that evidence should be original work, not previously published or circulated elsewhere. Once submitted no public use should be made of it, but those wishing to publish their evidence before it is published by the Committee are invited to contact the Clerk of the Committee to obtain permission to do so. Guidance on the submission of evidence can be found at: http://www.parliament.uk/parliamentary_committees/witness.cfm
For media inquiries please call Laura Kibby on 020 7219 0718 . For any other information please call Ana Ferreira, on 020 7219 2793 . Previous press notices and publications are available on our websit e: www.parliament.uk/ius
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There is an interesting publication from HESA on the HEFCE website about the careers graduates are in three years after graduation. For more details, please click
http://www.hefce.ac.uk/news/hefce/2007/leavers.asp
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Professor Bill Banks, a member of the EPC committee and a previous president, is about to receive a most prestigious award.
He has been awarded The 2007 James Alfred Ewing Medal for "special meritorious contributions to the science of engineering in the field of research". The award is made on the joint recommendation of the Presidents of the Royal Society and the Institution of Civil engineers.
The list of past recipients includes some very eminent people including Professor Stephen P Timoshenko.
Sir James Alfred Ewing was a Scot, born in Dundee, a son of the Manse (1855-1935). He studied at Edinburgh, became a Professor of Engineering at Tokyo University in 1878 for five years, returned to Dundee, then professor of Engineering at Cambridge and latterly Principal of Edinburgh University from 1916.
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HEFCE has published a guide to sustainable development for universities. For more details, please click
http://www.hefce.ac.uk/news/hefce/2007/sustain.htm
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HEFCE has just published the latest version of the Higher Education Student Satisfaction Survey. For more details, please click
http://www.hefce.ac.uk/news/hefce/2007/nss.htm