| | | Higher education news New report by Scholars At Risk on attacks on academic freedom Last month in Geneva, Scholars At Risk International Network unveiled the findings of a report on attacks on higher education staff and students around the world in the last four years (2011-2015). The report identified 333 separate attacks in 65 countries, with 485 "killings involving members of higher education communities". Other attacks included disappearances, threats of violence, wrongful persecution and imprisonment, loss of position, and improper travel restrictions. The report highlights how undemocratic states fear higher education's power of "allowing people 'to ask questions'". Recommendations for improvements range from providing more security to academic institutions, to emphasising a "culture of respect for principles of academic freedom and institutional autonomy". For more information, click here [THE]. Young immigrants denied university loans take their cases to the Supreme Court In the UK, between 500 and 2,400 young immigrants a year face a common problem when applying to university: even though they attended school on British soil, they are denied student loans due to their immigration status as a result of regulations brought in by the coalition government in 2011. Charities Just for Kids Law and the Let Us Learn Campaign say that many of these young people consider themselves British and are not aware of their legal status, having spent "more than half of their life" in the UK. The Supreme Court is yet to rule on the cases. For more information, click here [Guardian] and here [The Telegraph]. 14 students arrested in Thailand for protesting against the ruling junta On the 26th of June, police arrested 14 students at their homes after they participated in three day-long demonstrations in Bangkok. The protests were in reaction to a "ban on public gatherings", part of the military junta's ongoing repression of dissent and free speech. The National Council for Peace and Order, as the junta is known, overthrew former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra's democratic government last year. Police affirmed the students will be jailed and subjected to trial. In May 2015, the same fate occurred to 40 student activists that were rallying against the junta on the occasion of the coup's one year anniversary. 11 were charged. For more information, click here [Reuters]. Egypt and Ethiopia face serious challenges in their higher education systems Problems plague Egypt and Ethiopia's higher education systems, according to Al-Fanar Media. Plagiarism and corruption are rife in Egypt's universities, with many students forced to bribe their professors or buy research papers. In Ethiopia, rapid expansion has led to quality control issues. 29 institutions have been built in the last 15 years, often staffed by inexperienced lecturers. For more information, click here [Al Fanar] and here [Guardian]. | |
Events | 
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The Race Relations Act @50 – British Academy Where: The British Academy, 10-11 Carlton House Terrace, London SW1Y 5AH When: Thursday 9th of July to Friday 10th of July, 2015 9.30 AM – 5 PM It is now 50 years since the introduction of the first Race Relations Act in 1965. Race relations in Britain have come a very long way since cases like the Scala Ballroom and the Smethwick by-election of 1964. There is much room for celebration – Britain is arguably the EU member state to have made the greatest strides towards racial equality in many professions – from the police to politics. Yet there is also plenty upon which to reflect: the last 50 years have included the racist murder of Stephen Lawrence. Police are 28 times more likely to stop and search black men: yet less than 3% of stops lead to an arrest. Employment agencies no longer accept 'discriminatory vacancies' but unemployment levels for Black Britons are much higher than their white peers – in 2011, 39.1% of black women aged 16-24 were unemployed. 2015 offers a unique moment to reflect upon legal action to prevent and remedy racial discrimination, as well as think forward and consider what may need to be done to continue this work successfully until 2065. Please note a registration fee is required to participate: £20 for unemployed or retired participants and for undergraduate or postgraduate students; £50 for everybody else. For more information, click here. What does the 2015 election mean for migration in the UK? – COMPAS Briefing (Centre on Migration, Policy and Society, University of Oxford) Where: London (venue TBC) When: Friday 10th of July, 2015 8.45 AM – 9.45 AM (breakfast available from 8.30 AM) This briefing will discuss key policy issues for migration to the UK in the aftermath of the 2015 general election. The topics to be analysed by the Migration Observatory team include: the changing role of the Government's net migration target; the future of the Tier 2 migrant cap (i.e. non-EU skilled worker cap); changes in settlement trends and policies, including the role of new income requirements; the EU referendum and the UK Government planned EU renegotiation; the changing shape of the UK media debate on migration. To participate, email communications@compas.ox.ac.uk. For more information, click here. Workshop on Dyslexia – Refugee Council Where: 3rd Floor, Gredley House, 1-11 Broadway, Stratford, E15 4BQ London When: Thursday 9th of July, 2015 11 AM – 3 PM Irene Kyffin has a speech and language background, has taught in Primary, Secondary and Further Education and lectured in philosophy. She has specialised in in Dyslexia for about fifteen years leading support groups and workshops for FE tutors. She now gives public lectures and is developing a dyslexia network group. This could be of interest to anybody interested in Education, or that has experience of dyslexia, and staff and volunteers who may have clients that may struggle with some of the traits of dyslexia. For more information, email Anne.Morgan@refugeecouncil.org.uk Final Event of Migrant Men's Well-Being Research Project Where: Shuster Building, The University of Manchester, Brunswick Street, Manchester M13 9PL When: Wednesday 15th of July, 2015 9 AM – 5PM The Centre for Criminology and Criminal Justice is organising the final event of the cross-European project on Well-Being and Young Migrant Men from non-European countries. The event will discuss the key issues deemed relevant during the project. Refreshments and lunch will be provided. Attendance is free, but registration is required to organise the catering. To register, click here. In Conversation with Graça Machel Where: Brunei Gallery Lecture Theatre, SOAS, London When: Tuesday, 21st of July, 2015 5 PM – 6 PM The former Minister for Education and Culture of Mozambique and SOAS President will be in conversation with Professor Christopher Cramer (SOAS) to discuss issues of youth and education in Africa. Followed by reception. Contact cas@soas.ac.uk for more information or click here to register. Silence Makes Violence-Middle Eastern Women and Society Organisation Where: 86 Durham Road, London N7 7DT When: Friday July 24th, 2015 1 PM – 4 PM Workshop founded by Finsbury Park Ward of Islington to bring awareness of mental health issues and help women recognize the signs of emotional abuse. Mental health issues such as depression and anxiety are overlooked or go unnoticed. Domestic violence is commonly associated with visible physical abuse. But what about the silent violence? Mental and emotional abuse remains hidden. It's time to uncover the mask! For more information or to book a place, email: office@mewso.org or call 07958145666 | |
Funding Opportunities 
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Research Studentship: The effect of ground pressure on soil properties and crop development for 3 tillage systems - Harper Adams University, Newport Deadline: Friday 24th of July, 2015 at 5 PM Funding: £16,456 per year This research studentship in the Crop and Environmental Sciences and Engineering Departments is now open for applications. The Michelin Tyre Company Ltd funds this project for a period of 3.5 years. The Director of Studies is Dr Paula Misiewicz, in conjunction with David White, Dr Ed Dickin and Professor Richard Godwin (Harper Adams University) and Dr Tony Grift of the University of Illinois, USA, where (after initial 3 - 6 months training at Harper Adams University, UK) the field studies will be conducted. It is anticipated that the final thesis preparation stage will be conducted at Harper Adams University (3 - 6 months). For more information, click here. PhD for Science Graduates – Ubiquitin-signalling in Cell Death and Inflammation – Institute for Cancer Research, London Deadline: Tuesday 28th of July, 2015 Funding: £21,000 per year Applications are invited for a PhD studentship to join Prof. Pascal Meier's laboratory, and work on the complex relationship between Cell Death and Inflammation, and how this can be exploited to prevent tumour formation and treatment resistance. Applications for PhDs are invited from talented graduates or final year undergraduates who hold or expect to gain a first or upper second class honours degree or equivalent, or a Masters degree, in a relevant subject. Previous laboratory experience is essential. The candidate should possess a strong drive and creativity to tackle complex biological questions, enthusiasm to collaborate and learn new technologies, rigorous scientific aptitude and strong communication and organisation skills are essential qualities. For more information and to apply, click here. 4 PhD Scholarships in Synthetic Biology to Produce Novel Materials - University of Bristol, Defence Science Technology Laboratory (DSTL) Deadline: Monday 20th of July, 2015 Funding: £14,895 per year The University of Bristol and BrisSynBio are excited to offer 4 x four year PhD studentships supported by the DSTL. The successful candidates will form a new SynBio/Materials cohort and conduct interdisciplinary research across the Schools of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Biochemistry, Biological Sciences and Engineering. The following projects are available: Re-engineering the phase behaviour of enzymes: Synthetic supercharged enzyme-polymer surfactant constructs for organophosphate decontamination; De novo biosynthetic pathways for the production of furan based self-healing materials; Bioprinting for creating and growing ceramic armour on-demand; Meta-compliance and energy dissipation in cactus-based solids For more information, click here. PhD Studentship in Gaze Informatics: Eye Tracking for Pervasive Interaction, Games, and Health - Lancaster University, School of Computing and Communications Deadline: Wednesday 15th of July, 2015 Funding: £14,000 to £15,000 per year The Interactive Systems research group at Lancaster is developing gaze informatics as a novel research field, concerned with all facets of human eye movements and how they can be embraced for interaction and application in ubiquitous computing. You should have a master's degree in Computer Science or related field, and technical competence in human-computer interaction (HCI), sensors and data fusion, computer vision and machine learning, and in working across the hardware and software of pervasive devices. Please contact Prof. Gellersen if you consider an application, for an initial discussion of your interest in gaze informatics. For more information, click here. 14 studentships at the University of Bournemouth in various faculties Deadlines vary from Monday 20th of July to Thursday 3rd of September, 2015 Funding: from £14,000 to £16,557 per year The University of Bournemouth is offering the following studentships: 2 in Engineering, 1 within the Faculty of Media & Communication, 2 at the Faculty of Health & Social Sciences, 9 within the Faculty of Science & Technology and 1 at the Faculty of Management. For information on each studentship, follow this link to the university website or click here. | |
Employment Opportunities | 
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Research Assistant – School of Planning and Geography, Cardiff University Deadline: Monday 13th of July, 2015 Salary: £25,513 to £29,552 Cardiff University's School of Planning and Geography is one of the world's leading centres for research and teaching in human geography and spatial planning. We have an exciting and innovative agenda for our research and as such, are looking to recruit a Research Assistant to support the School with our aim to provide a vibrant and dynamic environment for world-class research. The role will be responsible for conducting research of farmers' and vets' understandings of risk from animal disease and their attitudes towards vaccination. You will be responsible for organising and conducting interviews and participant observation with farmers and vets, analysing data, producing reports and attending meetings. For more information, click here. Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Free Space Quantum Communications – University of Leeds, School of Physics and Astronomy Deadline: Friday 24th of July, 2015 Salary: £25, 513 to £37,394 The post is available immediately in the school's Experimental Quantum Information research group. The post is part of a quantum technologies hub funded by the EPSRC, and will seek to develop technologies for short range free-space communication implementing quantum security. The post is for 12 months fixed-term. For more information, click here. Research Assistant – School of Psychology, Politics and Sociology, Canterbury Christ Church University Deadline: Tuesday 14th of July, 2015 Salary: £25,513 to £27,864 per year The purpose of this post is to support the staff of the Salomons Centre for Applied Psychology in developing their research and the research infrastructure of the Centre. This post will suit someone wishing to develop a career in applied psychology as a practitioner or researcher within the field of mental health and/or social care. Good basic research skills including knowledge of statistics and SPSS are required and knowledge of qualitative methods desirable. Fixed Term until 31 July 2016. Interviews to be held on 29 July 2015. For more information, click here. Two Positions open as Young Refugee Project Worker (one full time, one part time) – The Children's Society, London Deadline: Monday 13th of July, 2015 Salary: £25,626 to £28,736 per year The position is fixed-term for 3 years, full time 37 hours a week. Supported by The Big Lottery Fund, Stand By Me project provides quality holistic advice and support for separated asylum seeking, refugee and migrant young people aged 16-21 in London. We support young people with areas such as immigration, social care, education, finance, health or other related issues, supporting them to build skills and confidence in this key period of transition leading to improved life chances. We achieve this via intensive one to one casework support, referrals to appropriate services, group work, social activities and professional awareness raising.
You will be a skilled practitioner with extensive experience of working with vulnerable children and young people from refugee and migrant backgrounds. You will have experience of complex and demanding casework and of working within a team. You will have knowledge of refugee and migrant issues and legislation, know how to manage boundaries, work under pressure and have emotional resilience. For more information, click here. Communications Worker – Migrant Voice, London Deadline: Wednesday 15th of July, 2015 Salary: £32,072 Migrant Voice is looking for a part time (3.5 days per week) Communications Worker to join their team in London from September. The post holder will develop and implement the Migrant Voice 'Meet a Migrant project' to bring migrants' authentic voices into the media and migration debates and to build greater understanding and solidarity between migrants and the host community.
The Communications worker will also help strengthen the communications capacity of the organisation and our members in London, Birmingham and Glasgow.
For more information, click here. Education Officer – Welsh Refugee Council, Cardiff Deadline: Monday 13th of July, 2015 Salary: £22,000 per annum (pro-rata) with 5% employer's pension contribution Welsh Refugee Council is recruiting for an Education Officer who will be responsible for the delivery of the Refugees Working in Wales Project, including teaching an ESOL programme to asylum seekers and refugees in Cardiff. For more information, click here. | |
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