Education Talking Points 01-03-2016

More effort needed from G20 Countries to Lift Australian Education While many had high hopes for Australian’s 2016 education sector, a new analysis by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development raises speculation as to whether G20 countries will meet their commitment to boost their combined GDP growth by an extra 2 per cent by …

Education Talking Points 23-02-2016

        Chemistry offering students a bright future, but students are still sceptical Australia’s chief scientist, Alan Finkel is calling for Australian students to be properly informed about the opportunities available in national science and research. Australian students are still sceptical that following science, and particularly chemistry, into university is a secure pathway. …

Education Talking Points 16/02/2016

  Is ATAR a failing system? Australian university vice-chancellors have called for ATAR admissions process to be scrapped, describing it as “inefficient” and “unfair” despite admitting a record number of students through the system. The Federal Education Minister Simon Birmingham has found the practice of admitting students with lower than the minimum ATAR into university courses …

Education Talking Points 02-02-2016

Literacy and numeracy below standard A new OECD comparison of adult literacy and numeracy, published in Britain yesterday, reveals 10 per cent of Australia’s 16 to 19-year-olds fall below the minimum standard for literacy. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development statistics, based on global testing in 2012, reveal alarmingly low literacy and numeracy levels …

Update: Research and Education Division, Australian Embassy Beijing

Message from the Minister Counsellor 2015 closed with the release of Australia’s National Innovation and Science Agenda which includes a Global Innovation Strategy to improve Australia’s international innovation and science collaboration.  We also had the release of the 2015 results of the Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA), which demonstrates the continued research excellence of …

Education Talking Points 26-01-2016

  Students demand loans written off More than 7500 Americans have applied to have student loans worth some $164 million written off in the past six months, using an obscure section of federal law which was recently rediscovered by student activists. In recent years, spiraling education costs have caused momentum in an anti-college revolt in …

Education Talking Points 19-01-2016

Australian breakthrough could turn regenerative medicine on its head Melbourne biologists have teamed up with British mathematicians to devise a computerized recipe for reprogramming adult cells. This new program eliminates the need to rewind cells to their embryonic stage before using them to fight disease. Senior author Jose Polo said the approach would massively accelerate …

Higher Education’s 30 Most Influential

The Australian has named the thirty most influential educators in Australia this year. Martin Riordan, CEO of AustCham Beijing member TAFE Directors Australia, has been included on the list at number 25. 25. MARTIN RIORDAN Not every lobby group boss takes the chance to get all scholarly, heading overseas for a month or three to …

Education Talking Points 12-01-2016

A blessing from the sky for Curtin researchers Curtin University researchers have recovered a meteorite from outback South Australia on New Year’s Eve. The meteorite was originally seen falling in late November by locals. A group of camera observatories stationed across remote Australia, known as the Desert Fireball Network, captured the meteorites decent, and from …

Education Talking Points 05-01-2016

Oxford University tackles cyber crime The University of Oxford has stepped up its fight against global cyber hackers after establishing its first foothold overseas in Melbourne. The research arm will work with the new Oceania Cyber Security Centre, which hopes to build a bridge between academic research and big businesses, including Australia’s largest banks and …