- The University of Brighton has come under fire for funding an academic conference on the My Little Pony toys, The Daily Telegraph reported on 28 August. According to Jonathan Isaby, chief executive of the TaxPayers鈥 Alliance, the 拢400 spent by Brighton to organise the day-long event was unlikely to provide 鈥渁cademic value鈥 for students or the British economy, and that 鈥渆yebrows will be raised鈥. The conference, titled My Little Pony: A Transcultural Phenomenon, included talks on how queer theory, modern fandom and the politics of pink had played a role in the toy鈥檚 huge popularity over the past 30 years. However, given the billions of dollars of sales generated by the six-inch-tall figurines, maybe 拢400 is money well spent if it helps someone attending the conference to emulate Hasbro鈥檚 extraordinary success in flogging the bizarre plastic toys.
- Dozens of students at the University of Aberdeen are set to share twin hotel rooms because of an accommodation shortage, the Daily Record reported on 28 August. Aberdeen told the Record that it is to book 100 rooms at a hotel on the outskirts of the city for the first two weeks of term while it tries to place freshers in suitable housing. It is also talking to nearby hotels about putting up incoming students, and examining how to create 鈥渢emporary dorms鈥 on campus, it said. While the room shortage has affected only 280 of Aberdeen鈥檚 4,000 intake, the father of one student destined for a hotel stay was not happy, saying that his daughter had been promised a room in halls. But 鈥渢hey are charging us 拢100 per week, the same charge as halls, so obviously the university are taking a reasonably large hit鈥, he added.
- University leaders joined the likes of David Beckham, Benedict Cumberbatch and George W. Bush to take part in the summer鈥檚 鈥渋ce bucket challenge鈥. Sir Leszek Borysiewicz, vice-chancellor of the University of Cambridge, took his soaking while dressed in a shirt and tie after he was nominated for the stunt by cosmologist Stephen Hawking. Professor Hawking is possibly the world鈥檚 most famous sufferer of motor neurone disease, for which the social media drenching craze has raised tens of millions of pounds worldwide. Other institution heads to take the challenge include the University of Bedfordshire鈥檚 Bill Rammell, the University of the West of England鈥檚 Steve West and Stirling principal Gerry McCormac.
- Spending 拢25,000 on a private jet to arrive at university may seem an unlikely priority for most freshers. But a firm is now offering this service for students who are keen to make 鈥渁 great first impression鈥, The Guardian reported on 1 September. Run by luggage transporting firm UniBaggage.com, the service also lets people pay 拢20,000 to arrive by private helicopter or 拢18,000 to rock up to halls in a McLaren supercar, the paper says. Those wishing to slum it can pay 拢10,000 to turn up Downton Abbey-style in a horse and carriage. This option 鈥渃learly bellows: 鈥楪reetings, future debtors! I am not like you!鈥欌, which is sure to make a lasting impression, although not necessarily a good one, the paper observes.
- With the Conservative Party under pressure from the UK Independence Party, plans to limit student support payments to European Union students arrived at an optimum time. Under the proposals unveiled by universities minister Greg Clark, EU students would need to live in the UK for five years before they were able to access maintenance loans or grants compared with the three years currently required, according to a consultation paper published by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills on 1 September. Those from Romania, Hungary and Portugal are likely to be hardest hit by the plans, which aim to cut the 拢162 million annual bill for supporting EU students. Mr Clark鈥檚 plans will save about 拢14.6 million a year for every 1,000 students who are deterred from enrolling in UK universities, the paper reports. A lot of money, but a sum that will still not scratch the surface of the ballooning overall value of loans and grants, which is set to hit 拢12.2 billion next year, up from 拢9.3 billion in 2012-13.
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