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Switzerland’s higher education system has been ranked second in the 2015 Universitas 21 global ratings, standing out on the criterion of ‘international outlook’. However, this is the area under threat after an anti-immigration vote last year.The ranking differs from more conventional university rankings such as those from the Times Higher Education and Shanghai – in which Swiss universities typically make the top 20 or 40 – in that it considers the higher education system as a whole. Universitas 21, or U21, project leader Ross Williams, who is based at the University of Melbourne, said: “The secret to Swiss success seems to be that its universities are very outward looking: they have strong links with industry and business and with other international researchers.”

The rector of Maastricht University, the second youngest university in the Netherlands, claims that universities in Europe are being choked by the laws that compel them to use their native language as the medium of instruction instead of English.Professor Luc Soete said that international conventions emphasise that it is the human right of undergraduates to be taught in their native language. This means that educational institutions can only offer courses taught in English if the same courses are offered in the country’s native language.

Recent changes to the Education Act have resulted in lower requirements for educational institutions to be recognised as universities.The changes in the country's education legislation were introduced in a Legal Notice published just three days after the Heads of Agreement was signed between the government and the Jordanian Sadeen Group, which is investing in the American University of Malta.Among those changes, a new proviso allows an accredited higher educational institute to apply for university status if the National Commission for Further and Higher Education "considers that such application is in the national interest and in fulfilment of national policies"."Changes in legislation reflect government policy, which promotes the pluralistic provision of further and higher education in Malta," the Education Ministry stated in reply to this newspaper's questions on the new legislation. 

Eurostat figures have revealed that the European Union is edging closer to its Europe 2020 target in education, writes Peter Taberner for Prague Post.The share of people who have attended a tertiary education college or equivalent, has risen from 23.6% in 2002, when the series started, to 37.9% in 2014, for those between the ages of 30 and 34. Women have benefited the most from this increasing trend, as 42.3% have now been university educated or completed a course at a higher technical education institution, up to last year. The latest figures have confirmed a 17.8% rise in learning achievement for women compared to 2002, as back then 23.6% had completed tertiary education courses.

Europe’s leading quality monitoring organisation in language education, EAQUALS, has seen growing interest from universities keen to accredit courses in foreign languages as they aim to internationalise campuses, writes Sara Custer for The PIE News.EAQUALS, or Evaluation and Accreditation of Quality in Language Services, Executive Director Sarah Aitken said that universities now make up about a quarter of total enquiries to the organisation which has traditionally served private language education providers. Currently just three universities are part of EAQUALS’ 25 accredited members and 26 associate members.

Indian universities and higher education institutions which are facing acute shortages of teachers can now fill up to 25% of sanctioned posts with adjunct faculty drawn from industry, non-resident Indians, public sector undertakings, working and retired officers of central and state civil services and even from non-governmental organisations, writes Kanchan Srivastava for Daily News & Analysis.These professionals need not even meet the educational qualification criteria as prescribed by the University Grants Commission, or UGC, for the post of professor. Their special skills and domain knowledge will be enough to qualify them to become adjunct faculty in universities and colleges, say recent guidelines issued by the UGC for employment of adjunct faculty. 

Turkish students who study abroad must do so at a top-500 ranked university or take the domestic higher education entrance exam in order for their qualifications to be recognised by the government, under new regulations put in place by the Higher Education Council of Turkey, known as YÖK, writes Beckie Smith for The PIE News.The new regulations, which apply only to undergraduates, have been sparked by a large number of complaints to YÖK that students had been accepted onto substandard courses abroad that were being taught by unqualified staff, it said in a statement. “Students who could not gain a place at a Turkish university have easily received offers abroad without much effort. This has damaged public morale.”

A brief overview of the life and work of state councilor A.S. Popov,  a prominent Russian physicist and electrical engineer, inventor of the radio. The information about the parents and surname Mr. Popov tree, interesting facts from his life and work, details of education at St. Petersburg University, Teaching in a Mine officer class Kronstadt, family life, participation in the Nizhny Novgorod Fair, creative work and career. Particular attention is paid to chronicle achievements A.S. Popov from the creation of storm indicator to the first models electronic equipment manufactured in the workshop E.V. Kolbasiev, its manufacturing  joint venture "Popov-Ducretet" and the tests during a rescue operation in the Gulf led by Vice-Admiral S.O. Makarov and warships of the Russian Navy, in conjunction with P.N. Rybkin and the D.S. Troitsky. The basic signs of attention devoted to memory A.C. Popova, including plaque IEEE Miltstone. The application provides information about the French engineer and entrepreneur Eugene Ducretet and the Paris World Ex-hibition of 1900, Awards A.S.  Popov Gold Medal.