Events in 2016 that your University should not miss
Over recent years we have covered topics about how to network in academia, the possibilities for networking at a conference and different tips to make the most of your conference trip. In this post we want to provide you with a list of international networking events that will contribute to the development of your institution. The level and nature of participation of course depends on your recruitment goals and budget. Participation in events represents a significant investment for your institution, so before planning your conference remember to budget your participation, define objectives and align the opportunities that each conference provides to your goals. The following conferences are listed chronologically: APAIE Conference 2016 Dates of the Conference: 29 February – 3 March 2016 Location: Melbourne, Australia APAIE is a non-profit organization whose goal is to reinforce the internationalization of higher education around the world and especially in the Asia-Pacific region. The annual conference is one of the most well-known forums in the Asia-Pacific region that bring together policy-makers and education experts from all over the world. The conference will help participants improve their professional skills and learn about new developments in the area of international education. The theme of the conference is “Asia Pacific – A Global Education and Research Powerhouse” and the aim is to encourage the development of new models for cooperation in research engagement and education mobility. AACRAO 2016 Dates of the Conference: 20 – 23 March 2016 Location: Phoenix, United States The mission of the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admission Officers (AACRAO) is to provide standards to be used by higher education officials in terms of best practices in records management, admissions, enrollment management, etc. This meeting gives the opportunity to learn best practices and new techniques first hand from colleagues involved in recruitment and enrollment activities, as well as the opportunity to stay updated with policy matters affecting higher education. NAGAP 2016 Dates of the Conference: 13 April – 16 April 2016 Location: Nashville, United States The mission of the National Association for Graduate Enrollment Management is to engage and advance graduate enrollment management professionals by promoting excellence and collaboration through education, research and professional development. The 2016 conference theme is “Embracing collaboration in the student lifecycle: instrumental to success”. The educational sessions will provide new approaches and creative strategies related to admissions, policies and processes, career and staff development, marketing and recruitment, scholarships and financial aid and student services. NAFSA 2016 Dates of the Conference: 29 May– 3 June 2016 Location: Denver, United States The NAFSA Association of International Educators is the world’s largest nonprofit association dedicated to international education and exchange. The association is committed to the growth of international education and works to increase the professional effectiveness at all career stages by giving access to some of the best resources and unrivaled opportunities for partnership and networking. The NAFSA 2016 theme is “Building Capacity for Global Learning” and participants can look forward to training, workshops and a wealth of opportunities to connect with international education professionals. EduWeb Digital Summit Dates of the Conference: 1 – 4 August 2016 Location: Denver, United States EduWeb works to deliver knowledge and experience to improve the digital marketing presence of institutions and universities. The EduWeb Digital Summit is focused on bringing higher education professionals together to showcase examples and best practices that can be easily applicable to their institutions. The topics of this year’s conference are focused on social media and digital strategy. CASE Europe Annual Conference Dates of the Conference: 30 August – 2 September 2016 Location: Brussels, Belgium The Council for Advancement and Support of Education serves educational institutions and professionals who work on behalf of alumni relations, communications, development, marketing and allied areas. CASE helps members to build stronger relationships with alumni and donors, raise funds for campus projects, marketing of universities and recruitment materials. The 2016 CASE Meeting focuses on successful strategies for fund raising, techniques to bring researchers and academics in touch with alumni, rebranding issues for universities, etc. THE EUPRIO CONFERENCE 2016 Dates of the Conference: 1 – 3 September 2016 Location: Antwerp, Belgium The Association “European Universities Public Relations and Information Officers” aims to promote PR ideas, techniques and experiences in higher education and to enhance cooperation between information, public relations and marketing at universities. The 2016 EUPRIO Conference theme is “Living the Brand” and focuses on the strength of a university’s brand as key to success. The conference wants to explore how communications and marketing professionals can develop the university brand and how they can work with academics, students and colleagues to maximize perceptions of their institutions. The ICEF Higher Education Forum 2016 Dates of the Conference: 13 September 2016 Location: Liverpool, United Kingdom ICEF connects educators, education agents, work & travel professionals and education industry service providers to key markets and networks worldwide, supporting the growth and development of international education and global student mobility. ICEF workshops bring together international educators and high quality recruitment agents at a unique networking event devoted to growing international student enrollments. The Higher Education Partnership forum enables participants to connect with partners and get informed about models of collaboration such as dual/double degrees, joint degree programs, articulation agreements, course to course transfers, third party contracts, research collaboration, study abroad, exchange, etc. EAIE 2016 Dates of the Conference: 13 – 16 September 2016 Location: Liverpool, United Kingdom EAIE is a non-profit, member-led organization serving individuals actively involved in the internationalization of their institutions through training, conferences and knowledge acquisition and sharing. EAIE delivers training, shares knowledge and best practices and provides solutions for internationalization challenges and strategic change. The 2016 edition of the EAIE Annual Conference has as its theme “Imagine…” based on John Lennon’s dream of a world at peace. The conference will focus on the dream of higher education that transcends national borders, nurtures global citizens and moves us closer to freedom, quality and peace around the world. HighEdWeb 2016 Dates of the Conference: 16-19 October 2016 Location: Memphis, United States This is the annual conference of the Higher Education Web Professionals Association that brings together programmers, marketers, designers and all the team members in-between who are involved in web issues facing colleges and universities. The conference provides enriching sessions to improve the web performance and presence of universities, as well as opportunities for networking and engaging with peers and the HighEdWeb community. AIEC Conference 2016 Dates of the Conference: 18 – 21 October 2016 Location: Melbourne, Australia The Australian International Education Conference is a major opportunity to reach international education professionals, teaching staff, researchers, policy makers and other stakeholders to learn about trends and to enable networking with the Australian and international education sector. The theme of the 2016 conference is “Connectivity” and it aims to explore the concept of connection, its disruptions and opportunities across three broad contexts: technology, people and partnerships. ASSA / AEA 2017 Dates of the Conference: 6 – 8 January 2017 Location: Chicago, United States For those interested in academic and student recruitment in the area of economics and related disciplines, the American Economics Association and Allied Social Science Associations organize an annual conference offering opportunities related to a career in economics and access to top-notch professionals in the field. The AEA mission focuses on the encouragement of economic research, freedom of economic discussion. If you are a professor in economics or if you are looking for talent in the area of economics for your institution, this event should be high on your list of priorities for the coming year. Between now and January 2017 INOMICS will attend the annual conferences of NAFSA, EAIE and ASSA. So feel free to write to us at info@inomics.com if you are interested in discussing cooperation between your institution and INOMICS or if you want to share your experiences and knowledge about recruitment events with colleagues all over the world. If you are not working in the recruitment, admissions or enrollment fields, please feel free to share this information with your colleagues.
As a human resources or student recruitment officer you are probably well aware of the power that networking offers for your professional life and your organization. Trade shows and conferences provide an ideal space for you to develop the activities of your institution, whether to build beneficial research-focused relationships, to gather ideas for new recruitment strategies, to find new partners for your institution, or actually to recruit students, academics and professionals.
If you want to hear these podcasts, you can usually listen to them directly on their respective websites. But one of the best features of this format is the ability to automatically download episodes when they come out, which you can then listen to later whenever you have time. You can you take advantage of this feature by subscribing using a service like iTunes or another podcast manager. <11an>limit:2;categories:jobs|courses|conferences|Professor;disciplines:Financial Economics (JEL G)|General Economics (JEL A)</11an> Personal Finance: These podcasts are suitable for a general audience and cover topics like savings, budgeting, and the basics of investing for newbies. They are accessible and informative on money management matters, and full of practical advice for people who aren't trained in finance, accounting, or economics, but who want to make the most of their money. The Dave Ramsey Show Entrepreneur On Fire Rich Dad Radio Show Money For the Rest of Us Stacking Benjamins For Finance Professionals: For those people working in finance and looking to keep up with trends in their field, the following are podcasts for a special audience who are knowledgeable about finance, and interested in mergers and acquisitions and other finance topics. PWC Deal Radio Mergercast Tech M&A podcast The Color of Money AdvisorToday.com's Building a More Successful Practice Financial News / Global Economy: Finally, for those wanting to stay in the know about finance news and the global economy, these podcasts discuss recent developments in the field. They are suited to informed members of the public with an interest in finance, but will also be of relevance to finance professionals who want to stay broadly informed. Marketplace Freakonomics Radio Guardian business podcast Planet Money Bloomberg Taking Stock These podcasts should help you keep on top of all the latest developments in the field of finance! Find lots more helpful information about economics and finance on our website.
One great way to keep up to date with the latest news in your field is to listen to podcasts. These are regularly broadcast audio programs which address specific topics, and often include interviews, discussions, and news. We've previously covered some of the best podcasts in economics, but today we're looking at podcasts in the field of finance.
Unique alternatives to PowerPoint for your presentations
Prezi If you're bored of typical slides and are looking for a more interactive way to present visual information, then you could use Prezi. Prezi dispenses with slides and instead lays out all your information in one large map. When you are presenting, you can select a particular area of the map to focus on, like a traditional slide, but moving between topics you can also see how this information fits into the map of other concepts. It's perfect for information which is not too text-heavy, and emphasises the relationships between content rather than giving a lot of detailed text. This means it forces you into good habits – no one wants to read a wall of text while you're presenting! So it's best to work with a few keywords or visual symbols to remind your audience of the main points of your argument, while you give the detailed information orally. If you can get out of your bad PowerPoint habits, then using a tool like Prezi can make you a better presenter – especially if you work in a highly conceptual field like philosophy. However, a note of warning: Prezi includes the ability to zoom in and out of sections and to pan quickly across your presentation. Use this feature with caution! If the movement is too fast or you use it to much, it can be disorientating for your audience or even make them feel nauseous. When it comes to special effects like zooming and panning, remember that less is more. Google Slides If you want to stick with a familiar PowerPoint-like interface, but are in need of better collaboration features than are available for Microsoft Office, then you should consider Google Slides. It's idea for when you have a presentation that you're giving together with a colleague, and you need to collaborate on the slides. As it works together with Google Docs and Google Drive, you can easily share the presentation as you are working on it, and it'll be easy for your co-workers to access and edit. You can even use the chat feature within the slides interface while you're editing, allowing you to discuss changes as you make them in real-time. Slide Rocket If you're including very new data in your presentation and you're looking to stay up-to-date, then you should consider Slide Rocket. Whilst most presentations are designed to be static and unchanging – and therefore quickly out of date – Slide Rocket makes dynamic presentations. You can embed live data in your slides, from Google spreadsheets, Twitter feeds, or Yahoo! Finance stock quotes, meaning that your information will atomically be up to date whenever someone views your presentation. This makes it ideal for a presentation which you're sharing via email, rather than giving in person. With recent scandals in science about fabricated data, it's become increasingly important for researchers to be transparent about the state of their raw data, and the data analysis which was performed on it. Slide Rocket can help with this by giving your audience live access to your data, which they can view but not edit. If your presentations are data-heavy, and you may not be giving them in person, then Slide Rocket can meet your needs. Beamer If you use LaTeX for your word processing, then you may be interested in Beamer for your presentations. Like LaTeX, Beamer differentiates content from styling using a custom markup language. That means that it doesn't have a graphical user interface (GUI), instead, you use markup to set the styling which you would like to use. If you don't have experience with this kind of markup, it can feel complicated and overly technical, but if you understand the principle and you're already familiar with LaTeX then it's easy to use. The advantage of this method is that it allows you to tweak every single aspect of how your slides are presented, to your personal requirements. It's ideal for scientists, mathematicians, or other technical folks. With these unique alternatives to PowerPoint your presentation can really stand out from the croud. For more tips on presenting and other advice for academics, see our website.
When you're presenting your work to an academic audience, you want to make sure that your talk is as exciting and engaging as possible. One way to do this is to work on your slides; using something more interesting and original than standard PowerPoint. Today we're recommending some of the best alternatives to PowerPoint to make your presentation truly unique.
Work visas for the US (for academic & highly qualified professionals)
However, there can be some practical issues to consider regarding working in the US, in addition to finding a position. If you are not from that country yourself, then there can be some challenging legal and administrative requirements that you must meet in order to be eligible for a “green card” - the colloquial term for a permanent residency permit. The US is notoriously stringent about visa requirements, and the process of applying for and being awarded a visa can take months or even longer, so it's important to plan in advance and consider your visa status if you want to work in the US. Today we're covering the basics of knowledge that you'll need for applying for a visa as an academic or highly qualified professional. EB-2 visas If you have completed an “advanced degree” - that is, a master's degree or PhD in the sciences, arts, or business – then you are eligible to apply for an EB-2 visa. This is an application for permanent residency (the right to live and work in the US permanently) which is contingent on a job offer. If you new institution can extend to you a definite offer of work, then you can apply for this visa. However, there is a quota for the number of these visas which can be issued each year, so the application process can be competitive and is not guaranteed to be successful. EB-1 visas If you are a more senior academic, you may qualify for application for an EB-1 visa. To be eligible to apply for this visa, you must be an “outstanding professor or researcher” - which is defined as someone who is internationally recognised for work in their field and has outstanding academic achievements, as well as having at least three years of teaching experience. To prove yourself as an outstanding professor or researcher, you must submit evidence such as major prizes which you have won, membership of senior academic associations which require achievements for entry, or published materials in journals or books. In addition, you must have a job offer for a tenured or tenure-track position, or the equivalent research position. This is an extremely competitive and difficult to obtain visa, and as such is suited only to the most ambitious and outstanding of candidates. The Application Process In order to apply for an EB-2 visa, you will need a Labor Certification – that is, an assurance that you as an immigrant will not be displacing an equally qualified US worker. This is a step that is typically undertaken by your employer, who must demonstrate that there is not a suitable US candidate for the position offered to you. There is extensive documentation which your employer must provide in order to be successful in applying for the labor certification. However, most universities or institutions which employ senior academics have experience with visa applications and will support you in the application process. For EB-1 visa application, you do not need a labour certification. <11an>limit:2;categories:jobs|courses|conferences;countries:United States;disciplines:General Economics (JEL A)</11an> Retaining your Green Card If you are successful in obtaining a visa to work in the US, it's important to remember that you must meet certain requirements to retain it. If you move to another country to live permanently; if you remain outside of the US for more than one year at a time; or fail to file the correct tax returns, then your visa can be rescinded. So bear this in mind when you make travel plans or consider future career options. The visa process can be cumbersome, but the good news is that most institution will have experience with academic visa applications and will be able to support you in this.
If you're an academic looking to extend your career and find the right next position for you, many opportunities are available in Northern America. For postdocs and junior lecturers especially, it's important to be able to relocate to the best lab or department that you can for your work. For many disciplines, some of the world-leading institutions and researchers are based in the US, so many academics choose to spend some time working there in order to gain the best experience possible.
Get started early It's important to get started early. The best internships get snapped up quickly, and generally speaking, the larger and higher-profile the company, the earlier they start looking for interns. So start looking out for companies where you could do your internship as soon as possible. Where to find an internship: at your university Credit: COD Newsroom Your university will almost certainly have resources to help you find an internship which you should take advantage of. Start at your university's careers office, and see if they have a job listing website that you can check. Often, university careers departments will be in touch with local employers and have listings for internship possibilities before anyone else. Another great resource is the network of alumni from your university. See if you can find an alumni network or mailing list, and look for anyone working in your field. If you contact an alumni and mention that you are attending their former university, they can be more inclined to help you find an opportunity. Also, find out if your university is running a careers fair or internship fair. These events give you the chance to speak to representatives of large numbers of companies who are looking for students to recruit, for internships and/or jobs. Be prepared for these events to be busy and somewhat overwhelming, so make sure you're organised in order to make the most of them. Take notes about everyone you speak to, and remember to get business cards or contact information from the representatives so that you can get in touch with them later. Where to find an internship: online Of course, there are many companies who advertise for internship positions online, and there are a number of websites which have listings of internships which you can peruse. Here at INOMICS.com we share the latest internship opportunities on our job listings pages. You can also look on sites which specialise in internship listings, such as internships.com or internmatch.com, or on general job sites like indeed.com. Or if you are looking for an internship in a non-profit organisation specifically, you can try idealist.org, which connects those looking to volunteer or work in the non-profit sector with the companies that suit their profile. Also, don't forget to look on other business networking sites if you use them, such as LinkedIn or Glassdoor. Contacting employers directly Finally, don't forget that you aren't limited to only those internships which are listed in adverts. If there is a business or organisation which you are really keen on interning at, you can always contact them directly. Try to find the contact details of their hiring manager, or personnel manager if they have one. Then email them with a brief bit of information about yourself and let them know you're interested in interning. Make sure you tell them what skills you have to offer, what kind of work you'd be able to do, and what time frame you'd be working in, and attach your CV. You might just be able to land your ideal internship! Good luck with your search for an internship for 2016! Header photo credit: Juhan Sonin
An internship can be a great opportunity for you to get experience in the working world and to learn the skills you'll need in order to find a job once you graduate. But with so many students looking for internship opportunities, there can be fierce competition for the best internships and it can be hard to find the right setting for you. You want to make sure that the internship you choose gives you useful real-world training and the chance to get to know people working in your field and to network with prospective employers. A good internship can go a long way to selling your CV to employers once you have graduated and started job hunting. Internships are clearly important, but how can you find the one which is right for you? Today we're discussing how to find the internship you want for 2016.
Postgraduate loans for taught Masters courses in the UK
The new funding system involves maintenance loans of up to £10,000 a year for taught masters degrees in all subject areas and disciplines. This does include MBAs, but does not include PGCert (postgraduate certificate), PGDip (postgraduate diploma), or PGCE (Postgraduate Certificate in Education) certifications. The maximum amount of time which a course can take to be eligible is 2 years full time or 4 years part time. These loans will be for students who have been residing in England for at least three years before beginning their studies, and who will be studying at any degree-awarding university within the UK (which includes England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland). Students who are from the EU may be eligible for the same loans as domestic students under this scheme too, providing they meet certain criteria. The loans will be available for both part time and full time masters degrees, as well as distance learning courses. This is good news for part time students, who have traditionally not received much in the way of funding or support in the UK. This new system recognises the increasing number of students who wish to both work and study simultaneously, or those who have caring responsibilities in addition to their studies. Part time students will receive support for both fees and maintenance for the first time under this new scheme – they will receive the same amount of money as full time students, but it will be divided across the longer time frame of the part time masters. Previously, when they were announced in Autumn 2014, the government's proposals for postgraduate loans had specified that the recipients must be under 30 to qualify for maintenance grants. However, a report from a group of top UK universities [pdf link] found that those who chose to return to academia over the age of 30 were often from disadvantaged groups, such as those with a disability, those who had formerly been carers, or those who currently had caring responsibilities or young children. These students take longer to progress through the educational system, and so they are on average older than other students when they reach the postgraduate level. Capping the age requirement at 30 would have excluded these individuals who were most in need of support in returning to education. The government therefore agreed to raise the age requirement for maintaince loans to 60, in the hope of widening access to higher eduction. One further issue of concern with the previous postgraduate funding structure in the UK was that students who already had an advanced degree were not eligible for support if they wanted to return to studying at a level which was equal to or lower than the qualifications which they already had. So, for example, if a student already had a masters degree in history, they would not be eligible for funding if they wishes to peruse a bachelors or masters degree in biology. This has been changed under the new system, so that students will have funding available to them to study a second degree, providing that the new degree is in a STEM subject (science, technology, engineering, or mathematics). The UK government projects that it will spend a total of £1 billion on the new scheme by 2020, covering around 250,000 students. The repayments will be income-contingent, so students pay back at a rate set by their current income, at a a rate of 6% on income above £21,000 per year, with interest at a rate of RPI+3%. However, the scheme has received significant criticism from student groups for placing so many future students into debt. The general secretary of the University and College Union, Sally Hunt, said that the scheme “appears to be extending loans and loading more debt onto students... This approach will lead to the poorest paying most for their education.”
The UK government has recently announced its plans to change the way in which postgraduate study is funded. The new system, which will come into effect in the 2016-2017 academic year, involves a system of loans for those wanting to take a taught masters degree. There is a separate proposed scheme for students embarking on a research masters or PhD, which we are covering in another post. Here, we'll describe the new scheme for the funding of taught masters degrees and how it will effect students who are planning to study at a postgraduate level in the future.
Funding Postgraduate Study: new UK loans scheme for PhDs and Research-based Masters
The new loan scheme will make loans of up to £25,000 available to postgraduate research students, in addition to the existing forms of PhD funding which are currently available. There may be variations in how much money is available for PhD courses versus research-based masters courses, and variations due to the length of the study period. These details will be forthcoming in the future. Also still to be revealed is whether there are subject criteria specifying whether the new loans are available for all subjects, or just for specific targets subjects such as STEM areas (science, technology, engineering, or mathematics). The government has specified its interest in increasing science funding in particular, so it has been speculated that the loans may be targeted towards science subjects, to encourage students to take up science PhD positions. Other factors are yet to be revealed about the scheme: for example, whether the loans are available to all students studying within the UK, or only to UK residents. Also, whether the loans will have an age limit or other eligibility criteria. This is a pertinent question as the taught masters loan scheme only covers students who live in England permanently, and previously it had only applied to those students who were under age 30, so it may be that the PhD/research masters scheme will follow similar requirements. One fact that has been revealed is that repayment of the loans will be on an income-contingent basis, meaning that the amount to be paid back per month will be based upon the amount of income which the former student is currently receiving. However, the time after which studies are completed and payment must commence, as well as the interest rates to be paid on the loans, have not yet been announced. As these plans are slated to take place over the next several years, they are still in development and are lacking in concrete details of how the scheme will operate. A review will be launched into how to best implement funding changes in postgraduate research positions, and the exact details of the loan system will likely be determined by the review's findings. The government has stated that it will be working with research councils, universities, and industry to examine how the loans scheme should be designed in order to complement existing funding possibilities while minimising public subsidy of PhD studies. Previously, in March this year, the government had promised loans of £25,000 for UK students studying for PhDs. It was influenced to do so by a report from the UK Commission for Employment and Skills which estimated that one in seven jobs in Britain will require postgraduate qualifications by 2022. This demonstrates the clear need for postgraduate study to be available and affordable to the public, for Britain to be successful in economic aims. But the government has received widespread criticism for its educational finance policies, as university tuition fees have shot up in recent years. The then-leader of the opposition, Ed Miliband, said it was unsurprising to him that the UK had seen a much slower growth of postgraduate students than other countries like the US or Australia, as “the next generation has seen wages plummet and tuition fees treble”. Whether the new loans scheme will be successful in encouraging more British students into postgraduate studies will depend in large part on the findings of the review and the exact details of the scheme, which are yet to be announced.
This week, the UK government has introduced its new scheme for funding postgraduate study, through a loans program for PhDs and research-based masters degrees. The government hopes that this new system will simplify and streamline the process of applying for, receiving, and paying back loans which are taken out in order to fund postgraduate research. This will have major changes on that finances of postgraduate students in the UK, from the time at which the new system is introduced in the 2018-2019 academic year. Here we will review the changes and how they will affect students who are hoping to study at a postgraduate level. There is also another scheme for the funding of taught masters programs which will be covering separately.
Livemocha Livemocha is a site which specialises in connecting native speakers of different languages, so that you can learn directly from someone who has a native understanding of the language you wish to learn. If you enjoy a more personal and friendly approach to learning than a standardised list of terms to learn, then Livemocha might be for you. The structured program includes elements of reading, writing, speaking, and listening, which you practise alone first and then with others. You can even book a private tutor if you need extra support. Although some services are paid, you can earn credits for the site by tutoring others in your native language. This can bring an unexpected advantage – there's no better way to understand your own learning needs than to experience teaching others. BBC Languages The languages website offered by the BBC (the public-service broadcaster of the United Kingdom) offers a huge amount of free information on over 40 languages, including English. The site focuses on helpful factual information rather than flashy imagery, with a no-frills approach to sharing the basics. The strength of the site is in the lessons offered on learning a specific language – choosing from French, Spanish, Italian, German, Chinese, Portuguese, or Greek – which are comprehensive and easy to follow. The site also offers pages aimed at children who are learning a language for fun or for a school test, which is great if you have a family and would like to learn together with them. Duolingo & Memrise We already discussed Duolingo and Memrise in our Top Apps for Learning a Language post, but it's worth noting that both companies have a free to use website as well as their mobile apps. You can practise your reading, writing and listening, and if you have a microphone plugged into your computer you can even practise your speaking and pronunciation too. Duolingo is great for those learners who like to pick up a little bit of information at a time, fitting their learning in around other commitments. Memrise is perfect for visual learners, who find images and visual representations to be helpful in remembering difficult foreign words. Google Translate Whilst many people use Google Translate for quick translations of online texts, not everyone realises how many features it offers which can be helpful for learning a language. One such feature is that you can click any word to see not only the word which it is translated to, but also to see alternative translations, which is helpful when you're trying to understand the nuances of an unfamiliar word. There is a also a listen function which will read the translation out loud to you, so you can get used to the sound of the words. You can also offer your own suggestions for how to improve specific translations; so if you disagree with the translation given you can put forward your own improvements. Busuu Busuu is another website which specialises in connecting learners with native speakers. With over 40 million registered users, it is one of the largest online language-learning communities, so you are sure to find someone who has extensive knowledge of the language which you want to learn. Basic learning takes the form of flashcard exercises to get you familiar with the essential vocabulary of a language. But the more advanced learning is based on assistance from other users, who generate and review the teaching content. The advantage of this approach is that you learn the language as it is used by real-world people in real situations, and you can gain confidence for using the language for your everyday needs.
When you're looking to learn a new language, there are all sorts of websites which can help support your learning. Some have lists of vocabulary, interactive games, or practise scenarios which you can work on. Others can use your computer's speakers and microphone to help you with your listening and speaking. Below we're listing some of the most useful websites for learning a language.
Top Apps for Students for iPhone & Android
Pushbullet If you're constantly juggling between your phone, your computer, and/or your tablet during your studying or revising, then Pushbullet is enormously helpful. It allows you to link up all your devices, so that you can send files, links, images or text between devices with one click. It's especially useful for sending short notes for class, map locations for lectures in unfamiliar locations, or quickly backing up important essays or presentations. You can even link up with friends and share files with them too if you need to for a group project. Todoist / Wunderlist When you've got lots of classes and projects running simultaneously, it can be hard to keep track of all your deadlines and important tasks. What you need in this situation in a To Do list, and there are many apps to help you with this. You want an app that lets you organise your lists into projects, can send you reminders for important deadlines, and uses colour-coding to make it easier to see your tasks at a glance. Todist and Wunderlist are two of the most popular to do apps, offering all of these features for free. Google Translate Everyone knows how useful Google Translate is on a computer, but it's even more useful as an app on your phone. The app can use your phone's camera to detect text on a sign or on paper in front of you, and to display real-time translations into another language on your screen, which is stunningly useful when you're travelling abroad for a conference or have a foreign language document you need some help with. The translations aren't 100% reliable, and you should always check with a translator or native speaker before using Google's translations in your academic work, but for casual use this app is invaluable. If This Then That If you're a digital native and are looking for ways to streamline repetitive computer tasks, If This Then That can be used in for a broad range of purposes. It allows you to automate trigger events and action events. These events can be sending or receiving emails, a new item published to an RSS feed, uploading or favouriting a Youtube video, receiving a call on your phone, or many more. So, for example, every time you receive an email containing the keyword “assignment due”, it will be starred in your email and a note added to your calendar. Or when a journal publishes a new article to its RSS feed, it's automatically downloaded and sent to your phone. Once you've wrapped your head around the system, it's incredibly useful for all sorts of tasks. Polaris Office / iWork While you'll be doing the majority of word processing or spreadsheet work on a computer, it's useful to be able to read and make small edits to your documents from your phone. For this, most people use Polaris Office for Android or iWork for iOS, both of which are full office suite programs. When you spot a typo on the slides for a presentation you're giving shortly, or you need to make some notes whilst on the train and without your laptop, or you need to check some numbers from a spreadsheet whilst in a meeting, it's helpful to be able to perform these tasks on your phone, and these apps allow you to do that. Dropbox It's always important to back up your work files, and it's helpful to be able to access them from the internet when needed. Dropbox is a file sync service which keeps all your files up to date between your different machines. So if you make a change to a file on your work PC, this change will be automatically made to the file on your mobile phone and home PC too. Plus, your files are also accessible through the web interface if you're using someone else's computer. This great for keeping all your notes, essays, contact lists, and other personal documents up to date at all times.
Technology is changing the way we work, especially for students who are learning in an increasingly technology-rich environment. There are a ton of smartphone apps which can help make your life easier as a student, so here we're recommending some of the best.
Work visas for Australia (for academic & highly qualified professionals)
There are opportunities for academics or researchers to work in exciting departments, and to appreciate the strength of Australian teaching in topics such as philosophy. But if you have graduated and are looking for a postdoc or other position, then you will need a visa to work. There are a variety of types of visa which are available to people who wish to move to Australia for work. For highly-skilled people like academics, choosing the correct category of visa to apply for can make acceptance of entry into Australia more likely. Below we offer a guide to some of the most relevant visa types for academics and researchers: SkillSelect Skillselect refers to an online program through which you can apply for recognition as a skilled worker. It is not a visa application, but a first step to acquiring a skilled worker visa. The advantage of this system is that it can be completed online, and will provide faster information than traditional pen and paper forms. You can also see online what skilled work is being sought in Australia (currently, there is a particular need for psychiatrists, midwives, and special education teachers, for example). You can also indicate whether you would be willing to live and work in regional Australia, which would improve the chances of your visa application being successful. You can also find a list of occupations which are considered skilled here. Sponsored or Nominated Work Visas If you have found a position in an Australian university or research institution which you wish to apply for, your potential employer may be able to secure a sponsored or nominated work visa for you. The employer must already by approved as a sponsor by the Australian government, but most universities and institutions should have this approval already. Sponsored visas can even be used to apply for permanent residence within Australia. However, it is important to note that only those who are under 50 years of age, and meet various requirements including English language skills and holding some qualifications, are eligible to apply for these sponsored visas. Skilled - Recognised Graduate Visa (for engineers) An alternative option if you do not yet have an offer of employment in Australia is a skilled recognised graduate visa. The idea is to allow the entrance of skilled graduates from fields which are in demand into Australia so that they may gain work experience in their fields. Currently, the focus is on attracting engineers into the country. So if you are a recent engineering graduate, then you can apply for this visa to spend up to 18 months in Australia gaining work experience. While using this visa, you can also apply for permanent residence in the country. Distinguished Talent Visas For those who have made exceptional strides in academia or research, they can apply for a distinguished talent visa. This is a permanent visa, allowing you to stay in Australia for as long as you wish. You must be nominated for this by a distinguished person or organisation in your field (they must have a national reputation), and the nominating body must be located in Australia or New Zealand. You must also submit a record of your achievements in your field, such as qualifications or awards, as well as references from other academics or researchers, and media items which cover your work. The expectation is that applicants should have an international standing; demonstrating extraordinary and remarkable abilities and showing a record of achievement which is likely to continue into the future. Thus this kind of visa is most suitable for professors or other senior academics. We hope that this helps you in your consideration of Australia as a potential location for you to work. For the information on UK visas for academics check our last article.
Australia is growing a reputation as a centre of academic excellence, with increasingly prominent universities both teaching and contributing to international research.
Economic Sciences: Angus Deaton Economist Angus Deaton was recognised by the Nobel committee for his work on health, poverty and welfare, which linked individual choices to higher-level outcomes, and has had huge effects on the fields of microeconomics, macroeconomics and development economics. His work considered what the effect of policy reforms, such as changes to tax rates, would be on people's spending and saving patterns. He also performed important work on the methods used in economics: In order to best understand the cycles of poverty and inequality, he analysed how these concepts can be measured reliably by economists, and influenced the entire field to use more accurate measures of poverty. Peace Prize: Tunisian National Dialogue Quartet During the extreme unrest in Tunisia in 2013, the Tunisian National Dialogue Quartet was formed from a group of lawyers, unionists, employers, and activists to promote democracy and human rights in the country. Credited with helping to bring the country back from the brink of civil war, the group was recognised with the Nobel Peace Prize for their work in brokering talks between different political and social groups to create positive compromises regarding the country's constitution and governance. The Nobel committee stated that it “hopes that this year’s prize will contribute towards safeguarding democracy in Tunisia and be an inspiration to all those who seek to promote peace and democracy”. Literature: Svetlana Alexievich Belarusian author Svetlana Alexievich, who worked extensively with oral histories, was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature. Focusing on the collapse of the Soviet Union as seen through the eyes of thousands of ordinary people, her work was praised for its “polyphonic” qualities and its engagement with a broad variety of voices and opinions. Her methods are unusual in a field which is mostly commonly seen as a matter of facts – her writings are much more emotional and personal. She covered topics such the Chernobyl disaster and the Soviet war in Afghanistan, using as her source interviews with children and both men and women, and including the perspectives of family members, doctors, soldiers and others. Physiology/Medicine: William C. Campbell & Satoshi Ōmura; Tu Youyou This year's Nobel Prize for physiology or medicine was shared: one half was for William C. Campbell and Satoshi Ōmura for their discovery of avermectin, a compound which is an effective treatment for roundworm parasites. The other half went to Tu Youyou, a Chinese pharmacologist who discovered artemisinin, a drug which is a more effective treatment for malaria than other current drugs. Both of these topics are of particular importance in the developing world, where parasitic diseases pose a major threat to people's lives and health. The committee praised both of the research projects for their potential to combat diseases and benefit millions of people: “The consequences in terms of improved human health and reduced suffering are immeasurable.” Chemistry: Tomas Lindahl, Paul L. Modrich & Aziz Sancar Three different chemists who each performed their research separability, but on similar topics related to how cells repair damaged DNA, were awarded the Nobel Prize for Chemistry. The work of Tomas Lindahl, Paul L. Modrich, and Aziz Sancar describes how DNA decays and can be subsequently repaired: Lindhal was responsible for the discovery of “base excision repair”, which is the method through which proteins can repair corrupt DNA. Sancar examined the process of “nucleotide excision repair” which is particularly important for correcting damage caused to DNA by UV light rays. Modrich investigated “mismatch repair”, which refers to how errors in DNA are corrected following cell division. The three research projects in combination will guide the development of new cancer drugs. Physics: Takaaki Kajita & Arthur B. McDonald Two physicists working in Canada, Takaaki Kajita and Arthur B. McDonald, were awarded the Nobel Prize for their work on neutrinos. The pair discovered that neutrinos, the subatomic particles produced by the decay of radioactive elements, do in fact have mass. Previous thinking had been that neutrinos were massless, and hence the particles were extremely difficult or even impossible to detect. It was known that neutrinos come in different types (or “flavours” as they are called). But Kajita and McDonald were able to show that these different types have different masses, and that the neutrinos can change from one type to another, changing our understanding of the fundamental particles of our universe.
It's the time of year when the winners of the 2015 Nobel Prizes are announced, to recognise extraordinary achievements in the sciences and humanities. We're introducing the winners below and sharing some information about their incredible work.
Inside INOMICS - New Feature: Edit your Announcements
To edit your content, simply visit the Announcement page while you are logged in to INOMICS, and click the Edit tab. Alternatively you can find your Announcement listed in your Dashboard, which is accessible from the user menu, and click directly on the Edit link there. And another tip: if you would like to check and edit your Announcement before it goes online, simply change the “Appearance Date” in the posting form to the following day. That way your Announcement will be held offline until the date is reached, and you have time to come back and make changes before it goes live. All updated posts are regularly reviewed by our team, so that we can continue to maintain the high quality that visitors and subscribers to INOMICS are used to. We also request that if you need to make a change to the title of your Announcement, or if you wish to edit the Appearance Date after the initial posting, please contact us at info@inomics.com - our team will be happy to help you. Editing Announcements is a long-requested feature from many customers, and we hope that the extra control you now have over your posts on INOMICS will help save you time and enable you to keep your Announcements updated. To learn more about how to edit your Announcement, please visit the "Step by Step Guide" here
Starting this month, customers posting jobs, courses, conferences, programs or scholarships on INOMICS can now edit and correct their Announcements any time after publication. Whether to correct a typo, update a date, or adjust a link, you can now easily access and update your INOMICS posts.
15 Must-Attend Conferences and Workshops 2015/2016: Social Sciences
If you have already chosen a great conference to attend, make sure you also take part in the INOMICS Conference Grant Contest. Just tell us why you want to participate in the event of your choice and why you should receive a €500 grant, with the help of which you can cover your registration, travel or accommodation costs. Here are some of our top picks for events taking place between November 2015 and April 2016 (in chronological order): November The 2nd International Conference on Forecasting Economic and Financial Systems Location: Beijing, China Organizer: Chinese Academy of Sciences Conference Dates: Oct 30, 2015 to Nov 1, 2015 This conference aims to provide an excellent forum for sharing new developments in theories, methodologies and applications of forecasting complex economic and financial systems. The organizers look for significant contributions to all major fields related to economic and financial forecasting. The event will provide both researchers and practitioners a platform to meet and share cutting-edge development in the field. December XIV “Brucchi Luchino” Labour Economics Workshop Location: Bergamo, Italy Organizer: University of Bergamo Conference Dates: Dec 14, 2015 to Dec 15, 2015 The workshop is an opportunity to bring together young and senior labour economists to present their ongoing research. The programme will include 10-12 presentations, two poster sessions and a keynote lecture. This year keynote speaker is Francis Kramarz (CREST, ENSAE and CEPR). VIII Italian Doctoral Workshop in Empirical Economics Location: Moncalieri, Italy Organizer: Carlo Alberto College Conference Dates: Dec 17, 2015 to Dec 18, 2015 The aim of the workshop is to offer a stimulating environment where PhD students can present their papers and receive feedback and useful comments. Each paper will be discussed by a professor from the Faculty of Collegio Carlo Alberto and University of Turin. The submissions of papers on the following areas of research are particularly encouraged: Labour Economics, Household Economics, Health Economics, Crime Economics, Political Economics, and Industrial Organization. Fourth Conference on Household Finance and Consumption Location: Frankfurt, Germany Organizer: European Central Bank Conference Dates: Dec 17, 2015 to Dec 18, 2015 The objective of the conference is to present research on household asset accumulation, debt, and consumption/saving behaviour over the life cycle. The focus of the conference is on research that makes use of household survey data, with some preference for cross-country comparative analysis and for papers making use of the HFCS data. Conference on “Financial Stability and Housing in China” Location: Shenzhen, China Organizer: International Monetary Fund Conference Dates: Dec 18, 2015 to Dec 19, 2015 This conference will feature sessions on the topics such as housing, municipal debt, shadow banking, or stock markets. The organizers welcome papers on any of these topics (or closely related ones) for inclusion in the program. In addition, they are looking for participants for roundtable discussions following each session. January ICCM 2016 Abu Dhabi Location: Abu Dhabi, UAE Conference Dates: Jan 12, 2016 to Jan 13, 2016 The International Conference on Commodity Markets aims to assess and communicate the latest work of economists in energy and commodity markets. As well as being relevant and interesting for academics, the conference also aims to share the fruits of this work with industry professionals, from both energy and finance related companies. It is hoped that meetings between academics and business people will prove particularly beneficial. Furthermore, communication of conference themes to the public is achieved through a panel discussion and the presence of the media. Business in a Dynamic World Location: Agios Tychonas, Cyprus Organizer: London South Bank University Conference Dates: Jan 15, 2016 to Jan 17, 2016 These are challenging times for those who need to understand and advise on business and economic processes within the international economy, post-recession. This conference is for distinguished researchers and academics to present their latest research findings and have their papers published in peer reviewed journals post-conference. With a line-up of internationally recognised guest speakers, the conference is an opportunity to explore in-depth the realities of business in a fast changing world. February EconWorld2016@Barcelona Location: Barcelona, Spain Organizer: World Economic Research Institute (WERI), Socio-Economic Research Institute of Piemonte (IRES) & Faculty of Economics of Ostrava Technical University Conference Dates: Feb 1, 2016 to Feb 3, 2016 The conference program includes plenary sessions, panels, and presentations of contributed papers. The event is open to all line of theoretical and empirical research in economics, finance and entrepreneurship. It aims at bringing together scholars from all over the world for exchange of ideas, discussion of recent results within theoretical and applied research, and creating a research network for future joint collaborations. IISES 21st International Academic Conference Location: Miami, United States Organizer: The International Institute of Social and Economic Sciences (IISES) Conference Dates: Feb 9, 2016 to Feb 12, 2016 The event welcomes scholars, researchers, as well as corporation and government executives. One can present your research work or just attend. The International Academic Conference is amultidisciplinary conference with the topics on Business and Economics, Quantitative Methods, Social Sciences and Humanities, Teaching and Education, and many more. Young Swiss Economists Meeting 2016 Location: Zürich, Switzerland Organizer: KOF Swiss Economic Institute at ETH Zurich Conference Dates: Feb 11, 2016 to Feb 12, 2016 The upcoming annual YSEM2016 invites PhD students and those who have recently received their PhD with a strong link to Switzerland to submit a paper to be presented at this workshop. Papers can be in any field of economics or related social sciences. The program com-mittee will consider both finished papers and promising work in progress (extended abstracts). March envecon 2016 - Call for Abstracts Location: London, United Kingdom Organizer: UK Network of Environmental Economists (UKNEE) Conference Date: Mar 18, 2016 This one-day conference, now in its 14th year, brings together environmental economists from public and private sectors, academia and consultancy to share results of recent research and to discuss issues relevant to the practical application of environmental economics in the UK, Europe and elsewhere. Papers that have policy relevance and have been used in decision-making by the public and/or private sectors will be of particular interest. International Conference on Occupations, Skills, and the Labor Market Location: Mannheim, Germany Organizer: Centre for European Economic Research (ZEW) Conference Dates: Mar 18, 2016 to Mar 19, 2016 The conference focuses on occupations and skills in industrialized countries and on the ways these interact with employment, wages, participation in the labor market, and social inequality. The organizers invite empirical and theoretical contributions on this topic from all areas of economics, personnel economics, and sociology. The 4th International Symposium on Energy and Finance Issues (ISEFI-2016) Location: Paris, France Organizers: IPAG Business School & Centre of Geopolitics of Energy and Raw Materials Conference Dates: Mar 24, 2016 to Mar 25, 2016 ISEFI-2016 aims to provide academics, policymakers, and practitioners with a valuable forum for discussion and critical analysis of the major issues and challenges that interrelate energy and financial markets. The general theme of the 2016 Symposium is “Energy Price Fluctuations in an Uncertain Global Economy”. The conference organizers invite the submission of both theoretical and empirical papers relating to all aspects of energy markets and their interactions with financial markets. 5th PhD Student Conference in International Macroeconomics and Financial Econometrics Location: Paris, France Organizers: EconomiX-CNRS and the Doctoral School EOS of the Université Paris Ouest - Nanterre La Défense, the CeReFiM from the University of Namur, the CESAM from the Université Catholique de Louvain-Louvain School of Management and the LEO from the Université d'Orléans Conference Date: Mar 25, 2016 The program of the conference will include several sessions covering the main areas of International Macroeconomics and Financial Econometrics. Anyone wishing to present a paper needs to submit it to a specific session. April Scottish Economic Society Annual Conference 2016 Location: Perth, United Kingdom Organizer: Scottish Economic Society Conference Dates: Apr 18, 2016 to Apr 20, 2016 The Society invites submissions of papers and proposals for organised sessions from all areas of Economics, Economic Policy, and Econometrics from academics, postgraduate students, and practitioners in government, local authorities, non-departmental public bodies, private sector and charitable organisations. The organizer places particular emphasis on the application of economics to policy. There will be invited sessions in separate policy and pedagogy streams and sessions specifically designed to support PhD students and young lecturers. The key note President’s Lecture will be given by Professor Sir Christopher Pissarides from London School of Economics. We hope this list will help you choose a great event. You can find more social sciences and economics related events on INOMICS here and don’t forget to take part in our Contest here to earn your chance to win a €500 Conference Grant to help cover your costs.
With the summer behind us (at least for those in the northern hemisphere), now is the best time to start planning your academic calendar for the coming year. However, the number of conferences and workshops taking place in the next twelve months is enormous and may be overwhelming when it comes to choosing the best one(s) for you. In order to help you with this endeavour, we have put together a selection of conferences and workshops organized by national and international organizations, covering a wide range of topics in social sciences.
For-profit universities: How to avoid "diploma mill" institutions
One of the most obvious changes to the industry is the growth of the for-profit university, and academics around the world are considering how this change affects both their jobs, and the future of the education sector. What are for-profit universities? Over the last few years, debate has intensified over the role of for-profit institutions in the higher education system. Even as tuition fees rise in the US and elsewhere, more and more people want to become students, especially in this time of economic instability. Investing in education has traditionally been considered a wise and prudent move; as a higher education degree marks out an individual as highly qualified and capable, it is greatly beneficial to their career prospects. However, with tuition fees becoming so expensive that students have to take out huge loans which they may never be able to pay back, some people argue that certain degrees are just not worth the money which students must spend in order to obtain them. This is particularly relevant in the case of for-profit institutions, which charge even higher tuition fees than non-profit institutions. Some for-profit universities also have a reputation for unsavoury recruiting practises, in which recruiters focus on military veterans, single mothers, and on individuals with low incomes and not much experience in education, then pursue them aggressively. There are also claims that recruiters deliberately mislead recruits by sharing inaccurate job-placement statistics, giving false information about loans and putting unreasonable pressure on potential students. What's the problem with for-profit universities? Aside from the issues of tuition fees and recruitment practises, it seems like universities could in theory be run like any other business; they provide a product which consumers want and are willing to pay for. However, a further issue arises with the issue of assessment of students. Students are paying large amounts of money to attend for-profit universities, and so it is in the interest of the universities to keep the students attending. Even if they perform poorly on tests, the universities still benefit from students attending, and some faculty report being put under pressure to pass all students. This has leads to a situation in which for-profit institutions rarely fail students, even if they perform poorly. Hence there is a lack of trust in for-profit universities among people doing hiring for many jobs: a student may have worked hard and been very successful at such an institution, but it is not possible to tell this candidate apart from a student who performed poorly but was passed anyway. Some HR professionals even advise that candidates who have attended such an institution should leave it off their CVS, arguing that a degree from such an ill-regarded university looks worse than no degree at all. There are problems for the faculty of such institutions too; among teachers and lecturers, some feel that they are taken advantage of and are not free to give honest feedback to their students. How can you avoid these institutions? Whether you are a student, a lecturer, or a full professor, you should be wary of for-profit universities and read up on them thoroughly before committing to attend or to work at such an institution. A quick search on Wikipedia should show whether the institution is for-profit or non-profit. You should then look for accurate information about the price of tuition, the pass/fail rate for students, and particularly important, the percentage of graduated students who have acquired a job in a relevant field after graduating. You can also check online reviews to see what comments students have about their experiences at the institution. We hope that this information helps you to consider your options should you come into contact with for-profit universities. For more news and opinions about developments in academia, check out our website.
As an academic, you may feel somewhat insulated from the profit-driven business world. Certainly, academia has traditionally been regarded as an enclave separated from corporate concerns over profits; one which is supported by governments and individuals and focuses on teaching and research rather than on making money. However, with the huge growth of the education industry over the last few decades, institutions have necessarily become more corporate.
Work visas for the UK (for academic & highly qualified professionals)
The UK is a popular choice for postdocs and junior professors, as it has a large number of well-regarded research and teaching institutions. Whilst bachelor's and master's students can acquire student visas to allow them to study in the UK with relative ease, getting a visa for a job in the UK is somewhat more complex. For this reason, today we're sharing a guide to UK work visas for academic and highly qualified professionals. Tier 1 (Exceptional Talent) visa This is a sub-category of visas for those who are known as leaders in their field; in science, the humanities, engineering, medicine, digital technology, or the arts. To apply for this visa, you first need to obtain endorsement from the UK Home Office as a leader or emerging leader in your field. In order to obtain endorsement, you must meet the following criteria: having been an active researcher in your field; holding a PhD or equivalent research experience; and supplying a letter of recommendation from an eminent person in your field who is a UK resident who is familiar with your work. To apply as a “potential” leader, you must be at an early stage in your career and have been awarded either a prestigious UK-based or international research fellowship. Your application can be further strengthened through membership of national academies, receiving prizes for your work, and supplying a written recommendation from a reputable UK research organisation. Once you have received this endorsement, you can proceed to applying for a Tier 1 visa. If awarded, such a visa allows you to stay in the UK for up to 5 years and 4 months, but this visa can be extended for another 5 years if you wish to stay in the same field for your work. The visa does allow you to travel aboard and then return to the UK, and to bring family members with you to the UK. However, you will be ineligible for public funds such as jobseeker's allowance, income support or child tax credit. It's unlikely that someone qualified for a Tier 1 visa would need to rely on such government benefits, but it's worth remembering that you will need to leave aside more money for things like council tax or pension credits than you might expect. Tier 2 (General) visa For most people working in academia, a Tier 2 visa would be the most appropriate to apply for. These visas are ones which you apply for once you have been offered a job. They are open to those who have a bachelor's or master's degree, or equivalent, and are valid for three years, plus the possibility of extension. If you are already in the UK on a student visa, once you have graduated and you have a job offer, you may apply for this visa straight away (i.e. you do not have to leave the country and then apply for the visa, so you can move straight from university to a job). The job which you are offered must be a skilled job from a licensed sponsor employer. However, this should not be a problem as most academic jobs will be at institutions which are licensed and already have experience with visa applications. It's worth noting that, unlike Tier 1 and other visas, there is no limit to the number of students who can gain a Tier 2 visa. So your chances are better with this than with other tiers. Also useful information: doctoral students who have completed their studies in Britain are entitled to stay in the country for 12 months to search for skilled employment or to start their own business. So if you have just completed your PhD, you have some time to job hunt before you must apply for another visa. If you're interested in working in the UK, check out our website for the latest job and study opportunities, both in Britain and abroad as well as for education and professional advice.
If you are from outside of the EU, then you will need a visas to work in EU countries such as Britain.
Dropbox When you have files that you need to access from your home computer, your work computer, and your laptop or smartphone, Dropbox is invaluable. It is a service which syncs your files between as many different machines as you like. One you have installed the program, any changes you make to a file in the specified folder will be reflected at all other locations. This means that your important files are always up to date and always accessible from anywhere. For professors, you can keep all your notes for a class safely and conveniently in one location. And if you need to share files with your class, you can set up a public folder and give your students a web link from which they can download the files they need. Available for Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iPhone, Blackberry, Kindle Fire and Windows Phone from www.dropbox.com Evernote If you have a chaotic note-taking system it can be difficult to find the notes you need when you come back to them at a later time. In order to keep all of your notes organised and categorised, you can use Evernote. This allows you to save text notes, to-do lists, photographs and more to a central scrapbook. You can then tag and organise these notes in a way that suits your working style. Most usefully, all notes are searchable. Even if you like to write your notes by hand, you can photograph the notes using your smartphone camera, and once you upload the photo the text will be searchable. This is greatly beneficial if you're always scribbling down important information and then struggling to find it later. Available for Windows, Mac, Android, iPhone, and Windows Phone from www.evernote.com Google Docs Google Docs allows you to create and edit word processing documents, spreadsheets, and presentations, through an online interface. Already this is useful if you need to create a document while you are on the go and don't have access to a computer with a full Office suite. Better still, it allows you to share your documents with other users, so that you can both make changes to the document. This makes it an ideal tool for collaboration. If you have a first draft of a paper or a lesson plan, you can share this with a collaborator, and they can add notes or comments and suggest changes. Available for Android, iPhone, and Chrome from www.google.com/docs/about/ Google Calendar Most people already use a calendar app to keep track of their own appointments, but Google Calendar can be useful to share calendars with others. For example, if you are teaching a class together with a colleague, you can share important dates and keep track of the times and locations of your classes together. You can both see the information you need and sync this to your own personal calendar too. Available for Android, iPhone and Chrome from www.google.com/calendar/about/ Kindle The Kindle app is best known as an e-book reader, and it can be useful for reading textbooks or new publications in your field when they are available electronically. But even more useful is another feature which many people are unaware of: you can also use Kindle to read and annotate PDF files. If you're reading a large number of journal articles, you can download them as PDFs from the publishers, then email these files to your Kindle account. From there, you can use the app to read these PDFs, search them, and add notes and comments. If you're travelling and you have papers to read, this is a great way to keep track of your thoughts and ideas as you read them. Available for Kindle, Windows, Mac, Android, and iPhone from www.amazon.com/gp/digital/fiona/kcp-landing-page/ For more tips and the latest news for academics, check out our website.
If you're working as a professor, you likely have a large number of projects on the go and a lot of demands on your time. It can be hard to keep track of everything, but there are tools out there which can help you. If you have a smartphone or tablet, there are some great apps available which can make your work life a little easier:
Inside INOMICS - How do we decide what to show on the INOMICS website?
The first point to understand is which pages on INOMICS jobseekers typically visit. For most, the first port of call is https://inomics.com/top/jobs. This page is often indexed highly in Google, and a large percentage of jobseekers on INOMICS navigate through this page. The general principle is that jobseekers will see the newest Announcements first, with one important exception – Standard, Featured and Premium Announcements benefit from increasing levels of “boost” to appear for longer, and more often, near the top of this page. There are two important factors here. The first is called “stickiness”, which means that the higher-level Announcements are sticky at the top of such pages. While they will eventually drop down as new Announcements come in, they will do so more slowly than lower level, cheaper Announcements. As such, if a new Premium Announcement is booked, then it is guaranteed to be among the top one or two on any relevant page for a couple of days, at least until other Premium or Featured Announcements are booked in the days following! It will then drop gradually down the list, but less rapidly than a Basic Announcement, for example. The second factor in determining the time spent at the top is the frequency of “Reposts”. A Repost is when an Announcement is made to look new, which means the date of appearance is reset to today’s date. This sends it back up near the top of relevant listing pages, as well as sending it around our Email Alerts again. Premium Announcements include two Reposts by default, spread out over the weeks it is online, and Featured Announcements include one Repost. Extra Reposts can be booked for €75, also for Standard and Basic Announcements within the online duration. If you have any questions about where, when and how your Announcements will be displayed on the INOMICS website or in our Email Alert, do not hesitate to contact the INOMICS team at info@inomics.com and we will be happy to discuss options with you in person2. 1 - Please note: all details are correct at time of publication (21st August, 2015). We reserve the right to adjust the mechanics of the INOMICS website without notice, in order to give the best service to both customers and website visitors. 2 – Our office hours are Monday-Friday, 09:00-18:00 (Central European Time), excluding public holidays in Germany, where we are based.
One of the most common questions we receive from customers here at INOMICS is how to make sure their Announcement appears at the top of the page. In our never ending quest to please, this month we bring you some insight into how our listing pages (All Jobs, for example), are structured1.
The value created by universities is generated partially by consumers (students) and the community who find creative ways to make use of the knowledge shared by the institutions. Since most rankings measure the quality of tertiary education by the amount of research produced by the academic community, universities should focus efforts in building value for students. Nowadays the cost of tertiary education is high, so to delivering value for money to students is a good strategy to attract the best talent to your institution. With the current growth and increasing competition in the higher education industry, leaders are under pressure to fulfil students’ expectations, run successful recruitment campaigns, and attract the best talent to the institution. The key is to build value for students; first knowing what your prospective students expect, which factors they take into consideration when choosing their next program and finally reading the market and finding the best suitable strategy to deliver what students need. At INOMICS we decided to help you gain insight into the ideas and expectations that a student has when choosing an institution for their master’s studies. We grouped the factors into 4 main categories: academic opportunities, employment expectations, university facilities and expectations related to the location of studies. Highlighting the benefits for students is key to adding value to your institution, and therefore to being competitive. We found productivity, an energetic academic community, higher scores in national exams and quality tests, and more motivation to research and produce knowledge to be among the most important value-factors for students. If you are interested in reading more about the expectations of prospective students, especially the factors taken into account when choosing a master’s program, download the whole report here. 1http://susanaborras.com/2011/11/20/universities-that-create-value-through-research/ 2http://www.academia.edu/858027/How_does_a_university_create_value
How does a University create value? Can it be priced, monetized or measured by the products delivered by the University? For whom does the University create value? Susana Borras suggests that the main way to produce value is research1. Moreover Robert Thornton mentions2 that a university can be run as a market institution, but ultimately the aim of tertiary education is the production and sharing of knowledge.
International Student Numbers Continue to Grow – But where do master’s applicants want to study?
According to the OECD report, the number of students enrolled in education outside their country of origin has increased significantly in the period of 1990 to 2011. Having more than doubled over 20 years, the number of international students increases annually at a rate of approximately 6% per annum, unslowed despite the recession and dour economic forecasts that many have become used to in recent years. With the numbers of international students increasing at a steady rate, universities are looking for strategies to convince candidates to choose their institution as the best option to develop their career. So far, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States between them receive more than 50% of all foreign students worldwide. However the long-term growth in students who are enrolling outside their country of origin opens the market to new players and new trends. Here at INOMICS we decided to look into where international students want to pursue their master’s studies and what reasons are important in choosing those locations. The first finding that stood out was that only 23% of current bachelor students starting plan to start a master’s program at the institution where they did their bachelor’s. This (minority) group of students expressed their discomfort with change: having to look for new accommodation, funding opportunities and getting used to new learning methods and a new culture seemed to trigger their decision to stay in an already known environment. Additionally, budget restrictions and time availability for studies due to work commitments, contributed to their choice. On the other hand, more than 70% of current students want to undertake a new challenge at a new institution or by going abroad. The reputation of the university, the quality of teaching and the desire for change were among reasons given by students to enroll elsewhere. Additionally, factors such as lower cost of graduate education, scholarship opportunities and job opportunities during and after studies have left countries like Germany in a strong position to attract international talent. In addition to the top destination countries noted by the OECD in 2014 and mentioned above, new players like Netherlands, Italy, Chile, Ireland and Japan stood out in the INOMICS report as being up there among the preferred destination countries. Reasons given for their attractiveness included a relatively familiar culture, society and climate for applicants. The Scandinavian region also ranks among the new top priorities thanks to the high quality and reputation of education, promising career opportunities and scholarship support. If you are interested in more details about the factors that influence students’ decisions about where to apply for master’s studies, we invite you to download our report here. 1Education at a Glance 2014: OECD Indicators 2Contribution of Michelle Obama to the discussion about study abroad education held at Stanford University’s Stanford Center at Peking University in Chin, CNN Staff, 2014
According to a recent OECD report on studying abroad, in 2012 more than 4.5 million students were enrolled in tertiary education outside their country of citizenship1. Pursuing higher-level education in a foreign country represents a superb opportunity for students not only to expand their knowledge in their discipline of interest but also to gain insight into other cultures, societies and languages. An international graduate has higher prospects in the labor market than a domestic student; moreover, as Michelle Obama mentioned in March 2014, companies have begun to realize the benefit that a study abroad experience can give to their employees: they are able to speak different languages, they have a sensitivity for people and they are more compassionate2.
Do visuals work? Or: How to make your announcements more attractive.
They say that a picture speaks a thousand words, and this is especially true for online ads. Making your announcement stand out is of great importance in the modern world of heavy information streams. There are several ways of “personalizing” your announcement, either by adding a catchy title or by adding a visual description. INOMICS offers different options for different announcement levels. Here is a short summary to help you choose: Logo. Simple yet powerful. On the one hand it is a powerful branding tool, but more importantly it will do the job of grabbing the attention of a potential applicant looking through a long list of search results. - Available in announcements from Standard level - Available in the email alert for announcements from Featured level Header image. First impressions count - and the header image is the first thing people see in the search results and at the very top of the announcement page. - Available in announcements from Featured level Announcement images. Adds a personalized note to the ad, especially when several are displayed together in a carousel. This can be your team or students, campus facilities or the building, your slogan or motto. A good selection of images communicates the spirit of the event, program or a potential new workplace. - One image is available for Standard announcements - Unlimited images are available for announcements from Featured level Of course, this doesn’t mean that a simple text advert cannot also be effective – using visuals just makes it easier and increases your chances of reaching the right candidates. Above you can see some examples of well presented personalized ads. Try it for yourself next time and see the difference! We are offering a free Promotion Boost for bookings made until 15th August 2015, which means you could get a free Header Image for all of your Standard announcements, or extra inclusions with a logo for your Featured Announcement in our email alert. Use this special offer to pre-book for campaigns later in 2015 and 2016, and benefit from this boost for future job openings (or programs, courses, scholarships, conferences and workshops offered by your institution). If you want to know more about ways to make your ad more visible and attractive, don’t hesitate to contact us. Your INOMICS Team will be happy to help you!
Have you advertised an announcement recently and wondered how to make it even more attractive for potential candidates? While a detailed description, clear application requirements and interesting offer form the core of an announcement, it is a clever use of visuals that will make your advertisement really stand out.