The TopUniversities.com guide to the latest higher education news from around the world, on 22 April 2013.
China: US tycoon pledges $300m for international scholarships
A US businessman has pledged $300 million for a scholarship scheme at Tsinghua University, Yahoo! reports. Stephen Schwarzman, founder of investment company Blackstone, say he will donate $100m himself, and raise a further $200m from private donors. The scheme will be used to provide financial support to students from around the world coming to study at Tsinghua, which is based in Beijing and is one of China leading universities – ranked 48th worldwide in the latest QS World University Rankings.
Guide to studying abroad in China >
UK: Government targeting students from Latin America
Universities minister David Willetts and business secretary Vince Cable are travelling to Brazil, Mexico and Colombia as part of a government plan to attract more students from these countries to study in the UK, BBC News reports. The UK has recently seen a decrease in students coming from countries like India, possible due to tighter visa restrictions. Nicola Dandridge, head of Universities UK, said she was very glad to see the government reaching out to promote UK higher education in other regions.
Canada: York University named one of country’s greenest employers
Canada’s York University has been rated one of the country’s top 55 environmentally friendly employers, Canada Newswire reports. The university has established a dedicated Green Office, President’s Sustainability Council and Sustainability Ambassador program. Investment in energy reduction schemes has led to energy usage decreasing by 25%.
Green universities around the world >
Malaysia: Student recruitment agency to focus on Asia & Gulf
Malaysia’s recently established education agency, Education Malaysia Global Services, says it will focus on recruiting more international students – especially from South East Asia and Gulf nations, University World News reports. The agency, which is run by a private company but overseen by the Higher Education Ministry, will attempt to help the country reach its targets of 150,000 foreign students by 2015 and 200,000 by 2020.
UK: Manchester on winning streak in university quiz show
The UK’s Manchester University is, once again, on a winning streak in the popular TV quiz show University Challenge, The Guardian reports. Since 2005, the university has won the contest three times, and come very close on a number of other occasions, prompting comparisons to the city’s equally successful football team, Manchester United. The team are currently preparing to appear in the semi-finals once again, led by their librarian coach Stephen Pearson – ‘the Alex Ferguson of the quiz world’.