The TopUniversities.com guide to the latest university news from around the world, on 31 May 2013.
China: Returned international students get graduation ceremonies back home
A growing number of universities outside of China are holding graduation ceremonies in the country, for Chinese students who’ve returned home, China Daily reports. As graduation ceremonies are typically held several months after the course ends, many international students are unable to attend, having already returned home to look for work. Australia’s University of Sydney has been holding ceremonies in China since 2005, while the UK’s University of Bristol hosted a graduation event in Beijing for the first time last month, which 230 Chinese graduates attended.
Canada: McGill announces new grants for Greek graduate students
Canada’s top-ranked university, McGill, has announced new fellowships to be awarded annually to graduate students from Greece, the university reports. Starting next year, the scheme will provide funding for two Greekapplicants to master’s and doctoral programs at McGill each year, covering up to two years of study. This has been made possible by a C$1.1 million gift from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation, a philanthropic organization.
McGill Vs University of Toronto >
UK: Study shows degree class makes difference to earnings
Research by PhD students at the London School of Economics suggests the level of degree class gained does have an impact on graduates’ earnings, Mail Online reports. In the UK, undergraduate degrees are rated in four classes: first, 2:1, 2:2 and third. The research found that graduates who just scraped a 2:1 earned 7% more in their first six months after graduation, compared to those who missed out on a 2:1 by just one mark. The study, which was based on LSE graduates, also identified a significant gender gap; men with a first-class degree were more likely to get higher salaries than women with a first.
US: Ten more university systems join Coursera
Ten more US public university systems have announced partnerships with online course provider Coursera, UPI reports. New members include the State University of New York, University of Colorado system, University of Houston system, University of Kentucky, University of Nebraska, University of New Mexico, University of Tennessee, Tennessee Board of Regents, University System of Georgia and West University System. It's been suggested that many will use Coursera to host online course materials aimed primarily at supporting existing students.