JMI to simplify admission process, introduce new courses

New Delhi: In what comes as good news for students that wish to apply to several undergraduate courses atJamia Millia Islamia (JMI), the university has decided to simplify its admission procedure by bringing down the number of entrance tests.

The university has announced that instead of students having to sit in multiple entrance tests for each course, they would now be required to sit in only one commonentrance test in each discipline.

The university last year had around 50 entrance tests but would now have only eight entrance tests for undergraduate as well as postgraduate courses. In the Social Sciences group students interested in BBS, B.Com, economics, BA with computer application and hotel management will have to appear for only oneexamination. 

Similarly in group II, there will be only one entrance testfor subjects such as BA (Hons) Sociology, Political Science, Social Work and Bachelor of Arts. 

JMI Vice Chancellor Najeeb Jung said that theuniversity receives a large number of outstation candidates who have to appear and wait for several entrance tests. "For this reason, we decided to opt for common entrance tests which will save not only the time but also efforts by students," he said. 

As the new academic session is all set to begin at the varsity, it has also planned to introduce new courses. The BA programme that had been canceled last year is being reintroduced and the course structure has been revamped according to the Tripos Programme at the Oxford and Cambridge Universities. 

Najeeb Jung said that the course had been recast and the syllabus has been made better and relevant to the present times. The number of seats for the course has also been reduced. Earlier, the course could admit 190 students but now the number of seats has been reduced to 50.

Students who would wish to apply for the programme will have to choose three subjects out of history, geography, economics, public administration and political science and one subject from the professional courses. 

The university is also introducing other new courses such as M.Phil in Latin, American studies, European studies, MA in early childhood development, M.Tech. in earthquake engineering and M.Arch. in urban regeneration.

source:http://indiaedunews.net/Delhi/JMI_to_simplify_admission_process,_introduce_new_courses_13747/

Book now for Cambridge Teachers' Conference

Come and join us at our annual Teachers' Conference at Robinson College, Cambridge from 11-13 September 2011.

Building on the success of last year’s event, the conference package is more extensive than ever before and offers delegates a fantastic opportunity to discover different approaches to teaching, interact with each other and forge links with teachers from around the world. Last year’s conference brought together over 170 teachers from 44 countries.

This year’s theme is Learning, Teaching and the Brain and we will focus on current research in the developing field of brain research and education. Keynote speakers will look at this increasingly important subject, offering an insight into the latest research and its implications for education. In particular, we will examine what this tells us about learning, thinking, memory, attention and assessment.

Delegates will also take part in interactive workshops, giving you an opportunity to reflect upon your own teaching methods and share ideas. You can tailor the conference to your own specific needs.

Booking is now open, and a discounted rate applies if you register by 15 April 2011.

We look forward to seeing you in Cambridge!

source:http://www.cie.org.uk/news/features/detail?feature_id=37459

Top in Sri Lanka winner collects award in Cambridge

We recently had an opportunity to meet a former Cambridge student from Stafford International School, Sri Lanka who is now studying at the University of Cambridge.

In November last year, Ayushka Nugaliyadda won an Outstanding Cambridge Learner Award for her exceptional performance in her Cambridge International A Level Psychology exam. She was unable to attend the ceremony in Sri Lanka, and so we presented the award to her in Cambridge instead!

Our photograph shows Ayushka receiving her Top in Sri Lanka award from former member of the University of Cambridge International Examinations Syndicate, Dr John Guy OBE (left) and Warden of Robinson College, David Yeates (right).

Ayushka, who is studying Economics at Robinson College, says she chose to study Cambridge International A Level Psychology in order to broaden her outlook. She also took exams in Accounting, Economics, and Maths with Statistics – achieving A and A* grades in all subjects – and so wanted to study a subject that did not have a business focus. She said the University found her subject combination unusual, but she had no problem applying and they recognised her qualifications.

So how did she find her Cambridge International A Level studies? ‘I liked the syllabus’, she said, ‘it was diverse at International AS Level and became even broader in the second year.’

Ayushka only applied to UK universities, however she would like to return to Sri Lanka to pursue a career in developmental economics. On the day we met, she had had her first lecture in developmental economics and found that her psychology studies were relevant to the topic. She said: ‘The lecturer explained that psychological factors – such as happiness – are a consideration in developmental economics. It is surprising to find how my psychology studies will help me with my economics degree.’

Ayushka said it felt good to win her Outstanding Cambridge Learner Award. We wish her all the best for her future studies and career.

source:http://www.cie.org.uk/news/features/detail?feature_id=37411

Exciting new developments in Cambridge Pre-U for September 2011

Exciting new Cambridge Pre-U developments for September 2011: Cambridge Pre-U Biology, Drama and Theatre, Mathematics Short Course.

We are investing in the development of many aspects of Cambridge Pre-U as demand from schools grows.

One strand is syllabus development. Schools want to extend the Cambridge Pre-U approach to more subjects, and we are integrating feedback from teachers into our range of syllabuses.

We have three new Cambridge Pre-U syllabuses for first teaching in September 2011:

Cambridge Pre-U Drama and Theatre

A new subject for Cambridge Pre-U - as schools requested.

Cambridge Pre-U Drama and Theatre provides an excellent foundation for studying drama and theatre at university level - combining academic rigour with significant credit for practical work.

It helps students to make a strong application for university study in other subjects, because of the combination of academic rigour and creative work.

Students can explore their interests in depth, with a free choice of dissertation.

It helps students develop a wide perspective on world theatre.

Cambridge Pre-U Biology

Cambridge Pre-U Biology offers learners an ideal foundation for university-level studies. We have developed and revised the course with schools ad universities.

We have refocused the content and approach after feedback from schools that wanted to be confident their students had time to cover all the course material in two years.

Cambridge Pre-U Biology now combines four underlying themes for studying biology.

Teachers can use all four underlying themes to unify their teaching or select from the four: cell biology, Evolution and the fundamentals of life, whole organisms biology, environmental biology.

Encourages learners to develop their problem solving, handling information, practical, experimental and investigative skills.

Cambridge Pre-U Biology helps teachers create a motivating and engaging mosaic of different learning experiences and teaching approaches --- context-based and learner-centred, or content-based, teacher-led approach; or a combination of the two approaches.

Cambridge Pre-U Mathematics (Pure Mathematics and Statistics) Short course

Understanding mathematical concepts is vital for success on many degree courses as well as mathematics, physics ad engineering.

That's why we have consulted closely with teachers and universities about a new mathematics course --- to support students studying other subjects, such as biology, chemistry, economics, geography and business.

It will help students applying for university --- by showing they can deal confidently with the mathematical concepts that complement their chosen degree course.

The qualification is designed for one year's study and Ofqaul has just accredited it. We will publish the syllabus very soon.

source:http://www.cie.org.uk/news/features/detail?feature_id=37396

World's top 100 universities 2011: their reputations ranked by Times Higher Education

Harvard University ranks highest in the world according to the Times Higher Education for reputation in teaching and research.

The US has topped a reputation ranking of worldwide universities taking nearly half of the top 100 places, but how do other countries compare?

The US boasts the most reputable universities in the world according to a new global reputation ranking out today.

The list published today by the Times Higher Education, is the first of its kind looking solely at the reputations of institutions for teaching and research. Harvard comes top closely followed by Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) beating both Oxford and Cambridge universities.

The US dominates with seven universities in the top ten and a massive 45 in the total rankings. Taking 12 of the places in the top 100, the UK is second to the US with Cambridge university beating Oxford. Imperial College, University College London (UCL), London School of Economicsand Edinburgh University also make the top 50.

The rankings based on a survey of 13,388 academics over 131 countries is the largest evaluation of academic reputation and is used partly used in indicators for compiling the well-known Times Higher Education World University Rankings.

The rankings also show Japan beating Canada, Australia and Germany with the flagship, University of Tokyo, at eighth place making it the only other nation apart from the US and UK to feature in the top ten.

With university fees rocketing and more applicants fighting for places, university reputation is set to be an even bigger focus for prospective students.

Phil Baty, editor of the Times Higher Education World University Rankings, said: "In an ever more competitive global market for students, academics and university administrators a university's reputation for academic excellence is crucial."

The full Times Higher education World Reputation Rankings 2011 with data supplied by Thomson Reuters, can be found in our table below. To see how the university reputations compare with their world rankings can be found in our spreadsheet.

What can you do with it?

Data summary

University reputation rankings

Click heading to sort - winners in bold. Download this data

Reputation ranking	University ▴	2010 Top 100 ranking	Country
SOURCE: TIMES HIGHER EDUCATION, THOMSON REUTERS
51-60	Australian National University	43	Australia
61-70	Boston University	59	US
10	California Institute of Technology	2	US
28	Carnegie Mellon University	20	US
81-90	Catholic University of Leuven		Belgium
23	Columbia University	18	US
16	Cornell University	14	US
49	Delft University of Technology		Netherlands
36	Duke University	24	US
39	Georgia Institute of Technology	27	US
1	Harvard University	1	US
91-100	Hong Kong University of Science and Technology	41	Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China
71-80	Humboldt University of Berlin		Germany
11	Imperial College London	9	UK
91-100	Indian Institute of Science		India
81-90	Indiana University		US
14	Johns Hopkins University	13	US
51-60	Karolinska Institute	43	Sweden
61-70	King's College London		UK
91-100	Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology	79	Republic of Korea (South Korea)
18	Kyoto University	57	Japan
81-90	Leiden University		Netherlands
33	Lomonosov Moscow State University		Russian Federation
37	London School of Economics and Political Science	87	UK
91-100	London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine		UK
71-80	Lund University	89	Sweden
2	Massachusetts Institute of Technology	3	US
29	McGill University	35	Canada
71-80	Michigan State University	15	US
91-100	Nanyang Technological University		Singapore
81-90	National Taiwan University		Taiwan
27	National University of Singapore	34	Singapore
51-60	New York University	60	US
40	Northwestern University	25	US
51-60	Ohio State University	67	US
50	Osaka University		Japan
43	Peking University	37	China
61-70	Pennsylvania State University	19	US
7	Princeton University	5	US
47	Purdue University		US
81-90	Ruprecht Karl University of Heidelberg	83	Germany
71-80	Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey		US
51-60	Seoul National University		Republic of Korea (South Korea)
5	Stanford University	4	US
24	Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zurich	15	Switzerland
61-70	Technical University of Munich	61	Germany
81-90	Texas A&M University		US
51-60	Tohoku University		Japan
51-60	Tokyo Institute of Technology		Japan
35	Tsinghua University	58	China
19	University College London	22	UK
81-90	University of Amsterdam		Netherlands
71-80	University of Arizona	95	US
81-90	University of Bristol	68	UK
31	University of British Columbia	30	Canada
4	University of California, Berkeley	8	US
38	University of California, Davis	54	US
12	University of California, Los Angeles	11	US
30	University of California, San Diego	32	US
34	University of California, San Francisco		US
51-60	University of California, Santa Barbara	29	US
3	University of Cambridge	7	UK
15	University of Chicago	12	US
71-80	University of Colorado	67	US
45	University of Edinburgh	40	UK
61-70	University of Florida		US
91-100	University of Helsinki		Finland
42	University of Hong Kong	21	Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China
21	University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign	33	US
81-90	University of Leeds		UK
61-70	University of Manchester	87	UK
61-70	University of Maryland College Park	98	US
19	University of Massachusetts	57	US
45	University of Melbourne	37	Australia
13	University of Michigan	15	US
43	University of Minnesota	52	US
48	University of Munich	61	Germany
41	University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill	30	US
6	University of Oxford	7	UK
91-100	University of Paris, Pantheon-Sorbonne		France
22	University of Pennsylvania	19	US
51-60	University of Pittsburgh	64	US
81-90	University of Queensland, Australia	81	Australia
91-100	University of Sheffield		UK
71-80	University of Southern California	73	US
51-60	University of Sydney	71	Australia
31	University of Texas at Austin		US
8	University of Tokyo	27	Japan
17	University of Toronto	17	Canada
91-100	University of Vienna		Austria
26	University of Washington	23	US
91-100	University of Waterloo		Canada
25	University of Wisconsin	43	US
61-70	University of Zurich	90	Switzerland
61-70	Uppsala University		Sweden
71-80	Utrecht University		Netherlands
71-80	Washington University Saint Louis		US
9	Yale University	10	US
61-70	École Polytechnique	39	France
71-80	École Polytechnique Federale of Lausanne	48	Switzerland

source:guardian.co.uk