Act at the present for social inclusion in advanced education

The European Union (EU) so-called Social Dimension is one of the most important points of the Bologna process from the perspective of a student. But what does the term mean?

According to the Ministerial Conference held in London in 2007, the social dimension promotes social inclusion, reducing inequalities and raising aspirations and level of knowledge, skills and competences in society.

It also covers the social diversity in terms of participation in and completion of higher education at all levels.

This sounds not only ambitious plan, but very complex and perhaps rather an unfocused. Although it is easy to understand why it is called dimension. Almost all decisions in higher education have a social impact.

Graduate unemployment - Whose fault is that?

 Which pressure on budget cuts higher education institutions to do more with less, it has to justify the different purposes they serve.
Whether it is training people for active citizenship, facilitating social mobility, improving skills needed in the labor market or conduct high quality research, these activities are weighed against each other in competition for resources and create a more efficient system education.
The rising unemployment of young professionals in Europe has stressed the needs of the labor market in relation to reforms in higher education.
Unemployment is not caused by Education
Three arguments are used to explain the need for reform.

Foreigners in Canada - an international student diary

Including my home country of Pakistan, Canada is the fourth country in which I was educated. After obtaining basic home loan, they started my journey as an international student from pursuing a bachelor's degree in business in both the US and Dubai.

While there, I face enormous challenges on several levels.

These challenges ranged from culture shock and adapt to the new environment of racial discrimination. At one point I found myself laughing out loud when I heard a Canadian comedian Russell Peters said that the Middle East are today black people what they had to go through since 9/11.

Loans mobility Degree does not work

Only a few weeks ago, the highest authority for decisions of the European Students Union (ESU) - The Board, composed of 47 national student unions from 39 countries - adopted a resolution calling for scrapping the idea of ​​introducing a European Masters Guarantee Scheme Stage the loan.
Earlier on ESU had voiced serious concerns about this new tool included in the new Erasmus for All proposal as part of the multiannual financial framework (MFF) 2014-20. ESU detailed position on the scheme can be found here.
The ESU has a clear policy preferring grants as a means of helping students over loans. This is related to our firm belief that higher education is a social responsibility that should receive public financial support.
At the end of the day, the benefits of a highly educated population exceeds normal economic rationale for the training of skilled labor as the most generally more educated society is more equal society.

Faced cause of complaint in Turkey

Four or five trees, a park. The current crisis in Turkey began ostensibly because of them. Actually, this is not the case - issues beyond environment. This was not just one person or one party; It was about freedom of speech, lives alone and against the dictatorship, and restrictions on people's lives. Let me explain.

Justice and Development Party - Turkish AKP - in power since 2002 and has won three national general elections. In all elections thereafter, the government party has taken first place with a growing percentage of the vote.

Moreover, in the last election in 2011. The AKP won half the votes, which certainly looks impressive to many.

Tuition fee ramble out of contact with economic reality

Plans to raise tuition fees in Armenia to 30% can have devastating consequences for the Armenian community, as it will severely limit the chances of students to gain access to higher education.

Tuition fees have been increased by 15% on average in May of many public and private universities. This is disproportionate to the socio-economic development of the country, provided that the students have to pay US $ 1,048 in tuition per year, when nominal wages are only about $ 260 per month.

Armenian graduates are already severely affected by the economic crisis and high unemployment, with students facing a grim picture of their future.

European students are very concerned about recent events in Armenia and supported the struggle of the Armenian National Student Association, or ANSA against this policy. On 21 June, the European Students' Union sent a letter to support the ANSA all key stakeholders in the field of higher education in Armenia.

Calculate rotten employability and social welfare

Employability must be seen as a concept that is outside the bubble of economic growth. Higher education should be guided by the labor market and the needs of society. Higher education is a human right and as such, it must be accessible to all.

European Students' Union, or ESU, recommended our society come together on the development of higher education. There is not just one organization responsible for the global development of higher education. ESU sees the development of higher education as a puzzle to be completed only when everyone gives their best, impartial contributions.

Long walk to freedom - Instruction from the youthful Mandela

Who is Nelson Mandela: As a young South African, I have a little weird question? In the story I have been taught that he was the first black president of a democratic South Africa, as a martyr who was imprisoned for 27 years, the Nobel Peace Prize - among many other honors for his major political reform.

Often this knowledge was accompanied by the image of a gray-haired man with a colorful shirt waving admiration of the audience; withered man watched from his cell on Robin Island; or a young gentleman in boxing attire with raised fists.

But for 21-year-old student who never experienced apartheid and oppression that is Nelson Mandela to new dilemmas that 19-year-old democracy has brought about?

Intimidation will not support student learning

When it was announced that the Islamic civilization and Asian studies, or Titus, will of course be made mandatory for students in private universities in Malaysia, it caused a storm of controversy.
Public universities in Malaysia have already been authorized to teach Titus all its students. The move to extend this to private universities is controversial as private universities are believed to have greater autonomy.
Titus is a course that teaches about Islam, Malay, Indian, Chinese and Western civilizations - the ethnic configuration in Malaysia (except the western part). Content is historical, talk about "how we got here" - which should be covered in high school.
Surprisingly, some members of the opposition as mercury Raffia Ramble, not only accepted it, but obviously supported the move, citing the need for greater intercultural understanding in multiethnic Malaysia.

Tackling the crisis of students against austerity has just begun

At the beginning of the new school year is the perfect time to work out what is waiting for students and student movements in the field of higher education.

Nowadays, the European student movement must fight to defend its guiding principles and foundation - namely that higher education is and should be considered a public good and a public responsibility.

The reader who is familiar with the ideas and goals of higher education can be said, "but the principles you speak are common sense and what all governments seek to" I will have to answer that unfortunately this is not so - . And there are indications that the decision-makers who believe in these principles are disappearing.

Right to use to advanced education be supposed to be a global priority

Giants traffic access grow older and begin to retire. It is time for the next generation to take responsibility for the promotion and spread of higher education as a universal opportunity to take up the battle for education as a public good and a public responsibility and inalienable human right.

Evidence in two important events in the international educational recently showed that the student movement is ready and able to take up the challenge.

In recent decades, and higher education in Europe moved from an elite privilege to a mass phenomenon, institutions and governments to radically change strained statistics for enrollment. But access to higher education still remains largely a thing for low- and middle echelons of society.

Long walk to freedom - Education from the youthful Mandela

As a young South African, I asked myself a little strange question: Who was Nelson Mandela? In the story I have been taught that he was the first black president of a democratic South Africa, as a martyr who was imprisoned for 27 years, the Nobel Peace Prize - among many other honors for his major political reform.

[This article is reprinted as a tribute to Nelson Mandela, who died last Thursday. He first appeared in the University World News on July 18, 2013]

Often this knowledge was accompanied by the image of a gray-haired man with a colorful shirt waving admiration of the audience; withered man watched from his cell on Ruben Island; or a young gentleman in boxing attire with raised fists.