The TopUniversities.com guide to the latest higher education news from around the world, on 13 March 2013.
US: Public ‘flagship’ universities with highest earning graduates revealed
Research conducted by PayScale.com has revealed the average starting salaries of attendees of public ‘flagship’ universities (the most prestigious state universities) in each of the country’s 50 states, reports CBS MoneyWatch. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the University of California – Berkeley (22 in the 2012/13 QS World University Rankings), came out on top, with average starting salaries of US$53,100. The University of Maryland (117), based near Washington DC’s wealth of high-paid opportunities and the highly ranked University of Michigan (17th in the rankings) are joint second (US$50,600).
Learn more about studying in each of the 50 US states >
Japan: University of Tokyo to move towards recommendation-based entrance system
The University of Toyko, Japan’s highest-ranking institution (30th), is to introduce a new entrance system based on recommendations and interviews in around five years’ team, reports The Japan Times. At present the university uses written examinations to decide who gets in, and even after the change, the first stage of the admissions process will still be taking a national admissions test. If the trial process is successful, however, the first stage may also be replaced by interviews and recommendations. The university is currently undergoing a period of reform, and is also considering changing its semester calendar to match the Western model.
Canada: Canadian university criticized by own professors for hosting anti-vaccine summit
Simon Fraser University in Canada has come under fire from its own faculty for agreeing to host a conference run by the Vaccine Resistance Movement – a group who argue that vaccines are unsafe and cause a range of dangerous conditions. The faculty of health science at the university has argued that the group, the stance of which is largely discredited, will be given legitimacy by being given space at the university, reports CTV news.
US: Controversial restaurant chain removed from Emory University Campus
A branch of a controversial restaurant chain has been removed from the food court at Emory University in Georgia, reports The Huffington Post. Chick-fil-A made headlines last year, when it was revealed that the chain’s president had made donations to homophobic organizations in the US. The university had previously released a statement saying that this did not tarry with its commitment to equality, but has claimed that the closure was to encourage students to explore their options and was not politically motivated. The move has drawn much attention, however, as Chick-fil-A is headquartered in the same city as the university.
US: Interest in zombies increases at times of unhappiness, says university professor
A Clemson University Professor has claimed that people’s interest in zombies increases during times of widespread unhappiness, reports The Huffington Post. Sarah Lauro, a professor in the university’s English department, has found that ‘zombie walks’ occur more frequently during periods of economic strife or cultural dissatisfaction – for example when the US went to war with Iraq in 2005. However, her research found that this is not a conscious decision on the part of participants, who as far as they’re concerned, just want to stumble around mumbling “braaaaaains”…