Blogs

In university offices, staffrooms and newsrooms across the UK, there has been much discussion of the teaching excellence framework (TEF) outcomes. We followed the debates with interest. But now, the key question on our lips is: "what does this mean for our university?"

By the time I finished med-school in Mexico, I felt like I was supposed to follow the path that every potential doctor has to take: prepare for residence entry exams (similar to the United States Medical Licensing Examination). But I was keen to continue my studies abroad, and having spent a few months in Spain as an intern in a couple of hospitals, I chose to go and give it a try there.

Education. From the age of five until we become real adults, we spend most of our time in a place of learning. It’s arguably the most important time of our lives because it shapes who we are going to be. The things we learn, the subjects we study, our teachers, our friends – these are the factors that help to determine our future.

Although there is some momentum in trying to get more women into STEM, only 13 per cent of the overall STEM workforce in the UK is female – a clear indication of how we are under-represented. I often wonder what the reasons are for the under-representation of women among STEM degree holders?

The answer seems to be a of lack of exposure to prospective careers in STEM for girls. In addition, there are just a few female role models working in STEM roles in male-dominated workplaces, and some employers don’t actively seek female candidates. 

Sara Tabin is an English major at Yale University 

I decided I wanted to attend Yale while visiting my sister, who was an undergraduate there when I was five years old. As a child, Yale meant visits to the Peabody Museum, carrot cake from Claire’s Corner Copia and ivy-covered stone walls. In high school I went to see the campus again, and was impressed by the kindness of the students I met and the opportunities that Yale could provide.  

The top 50 universities by reputation 

The University of Toronto takes 24th place in the Times Higher Education World Reputation Rankings 2017. It was the highest-ranked Canadian university and one of three institutions in the country to feature in the top 100.  

The top 50 universities by reputation 

I was drawn to apply to the University of Cambridge because enough people at school and home seemed to think that I would have a decent chance of getting in. I never really thought that I would end up there. I had only ever heard of geniuses going to Cambridge and I did not think that I stood much of a chance competing with them. 

France has always been my first choice of country for study. This is due to the quality of education, culture and life in general. So when I was in my third year at Hanoi University of Sciences, Vietnam National University, I worked hard to pass École Polytechnique’s entrance exam.

I did not speak French at all in the beginning. With about 30 other students from all over the world (for example China, Cambodia, India and Russia), we went to stay with host families in the south west of France.

As a Filipino student pursuing an Erasmus Mundus master of arts in public policy, the Central European University (CEU) has provided a perfect balance of academic inquiry, career development and socialising.

I am consistently encouraged to ask about my fellow students’ life stories, as they have such different experiences to my own. And I find that this is helping me to make better decisions, both as a student and as a future policymaker.

Youth turnout in UK general elections has declined significantly in recent decades. More than 60 per cent of 18- to 24-year-olds voted in the 1992 election, compared with an average of about 40 per cent since 2002.

Youth turnout in the UK is among the lowest in Western Europe. For example, about double the proportion of young Swedes vote in national elections. The problem is particularly apparent among young people of low socio-economic status. Only a quarter of those who leave school with no qualifications vote, compared with three-quarters of university students.