Category Archives: Universities

An innovative educational framework to help to effectively and permanently increase the creative competence of individuals and organizations

PRAGUE, 26-Aug-2022 — /EPR EDUCATION NEWS/ — In the 21st century, creativity is a key skill that people need in business, education and to develop companies. It helps to solve complex societal, social and environmental challenges – and to date, it has not been used enough. Therefore, an international team of experts from six European countries, led by the Czech team, has created a new, innovative method that changes existing procedures in problem-solving, education and teamwork. Called the Kinetic Method, it can be used by non-governmental organizations in youth work and adult education, or to explore solutions to social problems, such as racism or social exclusion. But it can also be used by companies for team building, or by universities.

The authors presented the results of their work in a new book: The Kinetic Method – A Playbook for Solving Problems. Developing this method took them 10 years of work, and the European Union Erasmus + programme financed the publication of their results.

The Kinetic Method can be used, for example, by the managers of social or educational organizations, social and youth workers, learning facilitators or coaches working in team building – anyone dealing with developing team performance, personal and professional development, and creativity for problem solving, innovation and resilience.

The Kinetic Method aims to become a well-used and sustainable tool. The authors state that this innovative framework will help to effectively and permanently increase the creative competence of individuals and organizations – and that this creativity can be learned. They view creativity as a learning outcome rather than a characteristic or personal trait.

“The Kinetic Method allows youth workers to support not only young people to develop their creativity so that they can more easily find a life path and a job. It boosts the development of creative skills and self-confidence, offers educators a way of reaching socially excluded young people, contributes to the preventing intolerance and fights against the radicalization current in Europe,” says co-author and senior trainer, consultant Zora Csalagovits from Hungary.

What makes the Kinetic Method and the book unique?
The Kinetic Method uses functional creativity to enable groups of people to work together while pursuing their goals and progress at work. It demonstrates how to increase the value of contributions in groups and boosts the ability to solve complex tasks. It consists of a set of practices related to skills, mindset and environment. It is not merely creativity itself, but creativity that is directed towards a common purpose or goal that is meaningful to society.

Whenever you are working on something that is important to you, you need to think creatively. “We have divided the approach to learning how to be creative into skills (the basic competencies that people use in creative tasks), mindsets (attitudes that are necessary for developing persistence and good habits in creative practice) and environment (the context of creativity), which can make or break our creative endeavours and our ability to collaborate creatively). In this way, we talk about embedding creativity in how we approach new things, how we think about ourselves and how we collaborate with others,” Karolina Iwa from Poland, social innovator, intercultural psychologist and co-author, describes the method.

The book The Kinetic Method – A Playbook for Solving Problems summarizes the history of this methodology, a collection of methods and activities, and provides a description of methods in each of the nine chapters, with easy-to-follow instructions. This variety also reflects the different life experiences of the co-authors. One of the most difficult tasks was learning to ask good questions, which surprised the authors during their research. Often individuals are so driven by the search for answers that they forget the whole journey of the question itself, they say.

“This methodology supports creative action by building basic competencies in how to think and approach a problem right from the start, how to develop the necessary internal characteristics for building these skills and co-create an environment in which all participating members of the community can be creative,” confirms Mariana Marques, director of YUPI and trainer from Portugal.

Why is the method called Kinetic?
Kinetic means ‘relating to or resulting from motion’. “The word kinetic, for us, was about transforming people’s potential into a real action. Taking the creativity that is inside each of us, and finding a way to activate it. We wanted to think of creativity as something you can learn and also learn to direct or control when you need to,” explains American social scientist working in the UK, consultant and co-author Tracie Farrell. The authors, she says, wanted to demystify the idea of creativity as something that you are either born with or not, a talent you have or don’t have, and show people how it is really a collection of skills, mindsets and environmental features that make up creative action. “In a world full of very complex problems, we need everyone to contribute useful and interesting ideas. We wanted to help people gain the confidence to be able to do that,” says Tracie Farrell.

To develop the Kinetic Method, the authors collaborated with 100 users, one of whom was lecturer and manager Aneta Bednářová, director of the non-profit organization Genesis from the Czech Republic. “I have been training people who work with children and youth and management in the non-profit and private sector all over the world for many years. Their projects have a social impact. But they are often a group of enthusiasts who have not, however, mastered management or leadership skills. The Kinetic Method is an interactive form of informal education, which can be applied when working with children, team building, strengthening working relationships and solving personal problems. It binds the team together and clearly defines roles – and as a result, the team works more efficiently,” concludes Aneta Bednářová, who coordinated the entire project.

The project partners:
Genesis Czech Republic, YUPI Portugal, TE-IS Hungary, Youth Garage e. V., Associazione Interculturale NUR and MODE, move & develop foundation

About the authors:

Karolina Iwa is a social innovator, large group facilitator, intercultural psychologist and Theory U practitioner who supports systems and individuals to transform society and to face complex challenges. She is a member of many global OD communities driving positive change in the world, and the co-founder of Leadership Festival, a collective effort committed to co-emerging new paradigm(s) of leadership. She is a member of the Advisory Board of the Global Learning & Exchange Network and a researcher and author in the field of functional creativity. In her free time, she is an avid mountaineer both in summer and winter, a sailor and an explorer of intergenerational narratives.

Tracie Farrell PhD is a research fellow at the Knowledge Media Institute of the Open University. Her areas of study include online social harm (such as hate speech and misinformation) and technology-enhanced learning. In 2022, she was awarded a UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship, for research on queering AI and its subfields in relation to social justice. In her free time, she plays boardgames and video games, and enjoys the seaside with her dog.

Zora Csalagovits is a senior trainer and consultant with a rich history of working in learning and development, especially in the field of international youth work. A Gestalt therapist, she is skilled in individual coaching and working with groups, non-formal educational methodology, diversity & inclusion management, and graphic recording. She is passionate about creativity and visualization as supporting tools in learning; when free, she enjoys fun (board)games and outdoor gatherings with friends and family.

SOURCE: EuropaWire

El Liceo Europeo ha ganado el Premio Zayed de Sustentabilidad 2022 en la categoría de Colegios Globales para la región de Europa y Asia Central

MADRID, España, 18-Jan-2021 — /EPR EDUCATION NEWS/ — El Liceo Europeo ha ganado el Premio Zayed de Sustentabilidad 2022 en la categoría de Colegios Globales para la región de Europa y Asia Central. El centro educativo fue declarado vencedor entre tres finalistas en la 13ª ceremonia de entrega de premios celebrada durante la Semana de la Sustentabilidad de Abu Dhabi (ADSW en inglés).

A la ceremonia de entrega de premios asistieron líderes mundiales, ministros y otros altos dignatarios de los Emiratos Árabes Unidos y extranjeros, además de los finalistas de la edición 2022.

El Liceo Europeo, un colegio privado español situado en Alcobendas (Madrid), recibió la distinción por su proyecto que implementa una tecnología transformadora a base de residuos orgánicos y microorganismos (como la levadura), para generar electricidad a un coste asequible. Paralelamente, el proyecto ayuda a mitigar y afrontar el reto de la escasez de electricidad, la dependencia excesiva de recursos energéticos no renovables y la acumulación de residuos.

Para ello, la escuela utilizará la tecnología de las Pilas de Combustible Microbianas para generar energía a partir de las mascarillas de protección facial, que se han convertido en un equipo de protección personal (EPP) muy utilizado en Madrid y en todo el mundo durante la actual pandemia de COVID-19. De este modo, la escuela también aborda la gran presencia de mascarillas usadas y desechadas que contaminan las calles y el entorno de la escuela. En cuanto a la energía, toda la demanda de electricidad de la escuela podría sostenerse con sólo 13 biorreactores, transformando la escuela en un campus que funcione totalmente con energía limpia al generar 507 kWh de energía eléctrica al año.

La Dra. Lamya Fawwaz, directora del Premio Zayed a la Sustentabilidad, declaró: “El Premio Zayed a la Sustentabilidad reconoce que los jóvenes son la fuerza motriz del desarrollo sostenible y los capacita para alcanzar todo su potencial. Los jóvenes del mundo son el futuro, y su continua capacidad para introducir, impulsar e inspirar un cambio positivo originado en la comunidad será vital para permitir un desarrollo que sea sostenible e inclusivo, especialmente en vista de la aceleración de la acción a favor del clima, en la que los jóvenes son actores clave”.

“El Premio Zayed a la Sustentabilidad quiere felicitar al Liceo Europeo por su victoria y elogia a la escuela por su proyecto altamente creativo y pragmático, que aborda el problema actual de las máscaras faciales desechadas para hacer frente a la acumulación de residuos, al tiempo que apoya la acción climática a través de fuentes renovables para satisfacer las necesidades energéticas de su campus. También reconocemos su ambición de ampliar su foco a la protección de los océanos, los ríos y la biodiversidad para reforzar aún más su impacto y su huella de sostenibilidad”, continuó la Dra. Fawwaz.

Sobre la consecución del premio, Marcos Rois, Director del Liceo, manifestó: “El Liceo Europeo siempre ha tratado de inculcar a nuestros alumnos valores y cualidades que les permitan contribuir a forjar un futuro mejor para todos. Estimulando la curiosidad intelectual desde una edad temprana y proporcionando a nuestros alumnos una perspectiva internacional que les permita entender cómo los problemas globales requieren soluciones innovadoras, pretendemos dotarlos de los conocimientos y las herramientas necesarias para aplicar en la práctica lo que aprenden y así marcar diferencias de verdad”.

Dado que la acumulación de residuos plásticos en océanos y ríos también supone un reto para la comunidad cercana a la escuela, el Liceo Europeo tiene previsto ampliar su modelo de diseño en el futuro para extrapolar sus prototipos del proyecto del Premio Zayed de Sustentabilidad para tratar también otros residuos plásticos y ampliar su impacto. Como parte de su crecimiento, se espera que la solución degrade 19 kg de mascarillas de aguas contaminadas cada año y reutilice cerca del 91% de ellas. Para incentivar el intercambio de conocimientos y una mayor concienciación de los jóvenes y la sociedad, se ha hecho hincapié en los talleres dirigidos por estudiantes para enseñar a los más jóvenes y a los miembros de la comunidad los beneficios de las energías renovables.

Bajo la premisa de que todo el mundo debería tener las mismas oportunidades para construir un futuro mejor, el Liceo Europeo, que cuenta con 1.273 alumnos y ofrece cursos tanto en español como en inglés, involucrará a 150 niños en el proyecto y prevé beneficiar a los estudiantes y a la comunidad local durante los próximos 15 años, impactando a 1.000 estudiantes sólo en los primeros cinco años.

El Premio Zayed a la Sustentabilidad, dotado con 3 millones de dólares, reconoce a las pequeñas y medianas empresas (PYMES), a las entidades sin ánimo de lucro y a las escuelas secundarias de todo el mundo por sus soluciones en materia de sostenibilidad, en consonancia con los principales Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible (ODS) de las Naciones Unidas y, hasta la fecha, ha influido en la vida de más de 370 millones de personas en 150 países. La categoría de Escuelas Secundarias Globales, por sí sola, ha alcanzado e impactado a aproximadamente 45.144 estudiantes y a más de 425.170 personas en comunidades más amplias, y este número sigue aumentando año tras año.

El premio, que abarca las categorías de Salud, Alimentación, Energía, Agua y Escuelas Secundarias Globales, se inspira en el legado humanitario y de sustentabilidad del fundador y primer presidente de los Emiratos Árabes Unidos, el difunto jeque Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, y sirve para rendirle homenaje.

En la categoría de Escuelas Secundarias Globales, seis colegios, cada uno de los cuales representa a una región del mundo, reciben hasta 100.000 dólares para llevar a cabo un proyecto dirigido por los estudiantes. A diferencia de las categorías para organizaciones, las escuelas secundarias presentan propuestas de proyectos para construir o mejorar una solución que han desarrollado para su escuela o comunidad local. El objetivo de esta categoría, introducida en el Premio en 2012, es inspirar a los jóvenes para que se conviertan en pioneros, innovadores y defensores de la sustentabilidad y que de esta manera contribuyan a un futuro más sostenible.

Las regiones mundiales para el premio a las Escuelas Secundarias Globales son: América, Europa y Asia Central, Oriente Medio y Norte de África (MENA), África Subsahariana, Asia Meridional y Asia Oriental y Pacífico.

Para más información, visite www.ZayedSustainabilityPrize.com.

-Fin-

Sobre el Premio Zayed a la Sustentabilidad

Creado por los dirigentes de los EAU en 2008 para honrar el legado de su padre fundador, el difunto jeque Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, el Premio Zayed a la Sustentabilidad es un galardón pionero de los EAU para la sustentabilidad y las soluciones humanitarias en todo el mundo.

El Premio Zayed a la Sustentabilidad reconoce y premia a las pequeñas y medianas empresas (PYMES), a las organizaciones sin ánimo de lucro y a los centros de enseñanza superior de todo el mundo que se comprometen a acelerar soluciones sostenibles de impacto.

En los últimos 14 años, el Premio ha reconocido a 96 ganadores que, en total, han tenido un impacto positivo en la vida de más de 370 millones de personas en todo el mundo. Las categorías del Premio Zayed a la Sostenibilidad son Salud, Alimentación, Energía, Agua y Escuelas Secundarias Globales.

Para obtener más información, visite www.ZayedSustainabilityPrize.com o visite nuestras redes sociales: TwitterFacebookInstagramYouTube.

Consultas de los medios de comunicación:

ruth@fourcountries.co.uk
ruth@sherlockcomms.com

Spain wipes out the competition and is named as the ideal country to study abroad

The first ranking of this type reveals what international students seek as a destination to study abroad

STOCKHOLM, Sweden, 19-Mar-2019 – / EPR EDUCATION NEWS / – Spain gets the first position as the best destination to study in Europe, in a ranking recently published by the higher education search portal, educations.com.

In the first created ranking of this type, educations.com used the results of its survey based on different parameters and criteria that highlight the journey of a future international student in the search of the country as the preferred destination. More than 20,000 students worldwide, revealed what is the most important parameter to choose a university: The location. These factors included being able to experience a new culture, access to a higher quality education and being able to live an adventure among other criteria. The correlation of the data used showed that selecting a country is the most important step in the student’s decision-making process.

Demonstrating its power of international student attraction, Spain achieved the first place in the European ranking and the second place in the world ranking. With a relatively low cost of living, with more than 70 universities to choose from, a rich historical artistic heritage together with an unparalleled cultural and tourist offer, Spain is a great option for any potential international student.

“International students have different considerations when it comes to choosing a university and program for their international studies. We believe that Spanish universities offer an exceptional environment for students from all over the world to obtain a high quality education in a country that offers so many cultural opportunities “, says the CIO of educations.com, Fredrik Högemark.

European ranking link: https://www.educations.com/top-10-lists/top-10-study-abroad-countries-europe-2019-14342

World ranking link: https://www.educations.com/top-10-lists/top-10-study-abroad-countries-global-2019-14340

About educations.com: educations.com is part of the digital media group EMG – Educations Media Group, a leader in educational marketing in Northern Europe. Headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, EMG reaches students from all over the world through its online platforms and marketing services for companies, public and private schools and universities around the world.

SOURCE: EuropaWire

Four-year qualitative study addressing the social impacts of hate speech, racism and bigotry on social media platforms

 

SOUTHAMPTON, 20-Sep-2018 — /EPR Education News/ — As social media has experienced considerable exponential growth-rate over the past decade, sadly the same has occurred with online hate speech. Clear evidence of this picture is the fact that different international organisations, including the United Nations Human Rights Council, the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance, and national governments across Europe; namely the UK, Germany, France and Italy, have demanded that the large corporations behind the major social media platforms do more to address this issue. In fact, recent sociological research reveals that, while more needs to be done at the corporate level, there is also other actions that could be taken by national governments and educational bodies towards changing this picture in the near future.

To this end, Dr Luiz Valerio P. Trindade, has undertaken a four-year qualitative study addressing the social impacts of hate speech, racism and bigotry on social media platforms. Based on that, he has developed key recommendations that could stem the practice and help to prevent this phenomenon taking place and laying the foundations for reducing their occurrence in the years to come. With research revealing that even individual Facebook posts with racist and hate content can continue to engage users for up to 3 years after the initial publication, far from being just one moment of instant communication, hateful posts have a life spam that surprisingly extends over a long period. Perhaps more worryingly, the research evidences that social media is held to be a ‘No Man’s Land’ by the proponents of hate and bigotry, suggesting that these people feel at ease to convey their ideologies believing that authorities cannot reach them.

Dr Trindade has developed clear public policy recommendations that could make a difference towards promoting change in users’ behaviour on social media, such as:

  • Discussing the consequences of online hate speech with secondary school pupils and helping them to develop a clear understanding of the real life’s impacts and consequences of this practice. This is critical because social media is widely used by the 13-17 years-old age group, with over 1.8 million users of this age in the UK alone and 172 million globally.
  • Educational campaigns at national level to highlight the fact that online life is not detached from offline and that, in fact, they are intertwined.
  • Working to ensure that the large corporations behind the major social media platforms have effective and faster processes to remove inappropriate content that’s been flagged up by their users or spotted by their powerful algorithms.
  • Calling for these corporations to clearly highlight to their users that their platforms are not a safe paradise for them to convey racist views or promote bigotry exempt of consequences. Instead, these corporations need to set out clearly that identification data could be disclosed to the authorities, who could then hold them to accountable for their online attitudes.

Dr Trindade, PhD in Sociology by the University of Southampton says, “The increasing trend of construction and dissemination of hate speech, bigotry, misogyny and racism are apparently becoming the ‘new normal’ in the digital landscape across several European countries and also in the UK. Moreover, rather than fading away soon after publication, derogatory posts oftentimes become powerful magnets attracting several new users for the same conversation for up to three years, what can potentially increase the initial harm caused to the victim of the verbal abuse”.

SOURCE: EuropaWire

Selectec Support Foldr at Bett 2018

Selectec Support Foldr at Bett 2018

Basingstoke, United Kingdom, 26-Jan-2018 — /EPR EDUCATION NEWS/ — Selectec are delighted to announce that they will be supporting Foldr at Bett 2018, in their new role as Foldr’s worldwide master distributor.

This increased level of partnership has been established to recognise the close relationship that Selectec and Foldr have developed while working together through 2017, one that has delivered a number of very successful Foldr implementations for customers in both education and commercial sectors.

Bett 2018 will provide Selectec and Foldr the opportunity to demonstrate how Foldr can simplify the increasingly complicated process of document management in schools, colleges and universities.

Selectec bring a wealth of expertise in optimising processes throughout the document lifecycle, so Foldr is a natural component of their portfolio, and will enable their resellers to provide an extended document management solution to their customers.

By centralising access to multiple cloud, on-premise and home storage solutions, students, teachers and the wider school community, can manage homework, projects and admin documents, in a much easier way, while maintaining the same high levels of security.

“ We are looking forward to supporting Foldr at Bett 2018, and sharing how our solutions can help bring greater efficiencies and ease of use to all stages of the document lifecycle. The show has an exciting line-up and it is the perfect place to showcase the unique technology that Foldr has to offer.” Stephen Hart, Sales Director, Selectec.

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Une équipe de l’ISA Lille en France le lauréat du 3ème Prix Farming by Satellite

BERLIN, 2017-Jan-25 — /EPR EDUCATION NEWS/ — Le lauréat du 3ème Prix Farming by Satellite visant à promouvoir le recours aux technologies satellitaires dans le domaine de l’agriculture, a été désigné le lundi 23 janvier à l’occasion de l’International Green Week de Berlin. La gagnante toutes catégories confondues des 5 000 € est une équipe de l’ISA Lille, en France. Son idée consiste à utiliser les données satellitaires, pour associer la gestion des niveaux d’azote à la résolution du problème du compactage des terres. Elle suggère également de recourir aux cultures de couverture pour traiter la question de manière respectueuse de l’environnement. Le Prix Spécial Afrique de 4 000 € a été décerné à l’équipe « Shamballite » du Kenya, pour son idée innovante et parfaitement documentée de Système d’informations agricoles par satellite.

Les gagnants ont eu affaire à l’âpre concurrence de 76 autres jeunes candidats de 13 pays d’Europe et 8 pays d’Afrique. Les membres du jury ont sélectionné 7 équipes d’Europe pour la finale en « live », ainsi que 3 équipes d’Afrique dont les présentations ont été transmises par liaison vidéo. Le Portugal a pu faire passer deux équipes en finale, aux côtés de finalistes de Belgique, République Tchèque, France, d’Allemagne et d’Italie. Avec deux des trois finalistes, la participation du Kenya au prix Spécial Afrique a été tout particulièrement remarquée. Le troisième était du Maroc.

Le deuxième prix de 3 000 € et le troisième prix de 1 000 € ont été remis à la République Tchèque et à l’Italie respectivement.

Le Prix Farming by Satellite est une initiative de l’Agence du GNSS européen (GSA) et de l’Agence européenne pour l’environnement (AEE). Elle est parrainée par CLAAS, fabricant de référence d’équipements de génie agricole et les experts de la protection des cultures, Bayer CropScience.

Invité à évaluer les lauréats, Reinhard Blasi, membre du jury de cette année a déclaré :
« Les membres du jury ont été particulièrement impressionnés par l’évolution de la qualité et du professionnalisme des candidats depuis le début, surtout de la part des participants africains. Associée à leur approche holistique tournée vers un vrai défi pour les agriculteurs du Kenya, elle a contribué à la décision d’attribuer la première place à « Shamballite ». L’idée consiste à envoyer de simples messages pour aider les agriculteurs à prendre leurs décisions, en comblant des manques d’informations spécifiques.

Interrogé sur l’aspect environnemental des candidatures, Hans Dufourmont de l’AEE a ajouté : C’est clair, la politique de données publiques de l’Union européenne exprimée à travers le programme Copernicus change réellement la donne, en multipliant l’adoption de l’imagerie satellitaire pour améliorer les aspects environnementaux des pratiques agricoles : nous l’avons constaté, un tas de propositions tirent parti de l’accès libre aux données des satellites Sentinel.

Et pour Christian Radons, CLAAS : « Au fur et à mesure que l’agriculture renforce sa place parmi les activités à forte intensité de connaissances, notre rôle dépasse la conception et la fabrication de machines et s’oriente également vers le recours à la science, à l’innovation et à la technologie, pour faire une vraie différence sur l’ensemble de la chaîne de valeur. Nous tenons vraiment à encourager les innovateurs de demain à puiser dans leurs talents, au profit de l’agriculture. C’est la raison pour laquelle nous soutenons le Prix Farming by Satellite depuis sa première édition, en 2012. À chaque nouvelle édition de ce Prix, nous constatons combien les candidatures s’améliorent non seulement en termes de qualité, mais d’applicabilité également. C’est bon signe pour l’avenir de l’agriculture et de la production alimentaire. »

Comme le dit Alex Melnitchouck, Bayer CropScience : « Suite à l’expansion des moyens de communication, l’agriculteur moderne a de vastes connaissances au bout des doigts. Associez ces vastes connaissances aux toutes dernières variétés de semences, à des données météorologiques détaillées et à des outils d’analyse des cultures et vous leur donnez une meilleure chance d’augmenter la production, tout en faisant face au changement climatique. Des moyens réels existent pour aider les agriculteurs à prendre leurs décisions et à recourir simplement aux technologies de pointe, pour mieux gérer leur activité et diminuer leurs coûts. Le Prix Farming by Satellite est une plate-forme de sensibilisation à ces moyens. C’est un tremplin d’accès aux talents des jeunes, pour concrétiser les projets dans ce domaine.

Et comme le disent les gagnants en guise de dernier mot : « Nous sommes tous excités et fiers depuis cette décision. L’expérience a été sensationnelle et nous espérons pouvoir concrétiser notre idée. »
Les candidats doivent être âgés d’au moins 32 ans. La participation peut être à titre individuelle ou collective, en équipe. Ils peuvent soumettre leurs études de cas consécutifs à des essais, de nouvelles idées et innovations, surtout si elles sont basées sur le Système européen de navigation par recouvrement géostationnaire (EGNOS), le prochain système européen de navigation par satellite GALILEO et le programme de coopération COPERNICUS (Programme de l’Union pour l’observation et la surveillance de la Terre). Pour de plus amples détails, rendez-vous sur : www.farmingbysatellite.eu ou contactez Marie Menard à l’adresse marie.menard@gsa.europa.eu ou Koji Fukuhara à l’adresse koji.fukuhara@bayer.com

SOURCE: EuropaWire

New Service Targets Colleges And Universities In Offering Resume Assistance To Students

Tim Solinger of Stevens Point, Wis., has launched College Resume Services to offer a resource for higher education institutions that as a result of looming budgetary cutbacks, already implemented cuts or other factors are seeking outside assistance to help their students with resume preparation and related job search needs.

“College Resume Services is able to seamlessly augment the capabilities of career services departments or to assist institutions that have relatively few resources in this area,” Solinger says. “We are able to tailor our services to the needs of any higher education institution including community and two-year colleges, technical colleges, and trade schools.”

College Resume Services offers students personalized assistance through seminars, workshops and one-on-one critiques. It is also able to work with higher education institutions in developing online tools to support students with creating their own resumes.

Solinger adds that College Resume Services is experienced in working with both traditional and non-traditional students, including those who are making significant career changes or who are moving from long-standing industries to new and emerging fields.

College Resume Services is a division of Great Impressions Resume & Career Services, LLC, which Solinger also owns and operates.

Solinger is a certified professional resume writer and is a member of the Professional Association of Resume Writers & Career Coaches.

More information is available by contacting College Resume Services at (715) 570-2749 or at www.greatimpressionsresume.com/crs

Via EPR Network
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Covington Who’s Who Selects Marilynn E. Force as an Executive Member of the Executive and Professional Registry

Marilynn E. Force, Educational Consultant for the John J. Sullivan Chair Free Enterprise, has been selected as an Honored Member of the Covington Who’s Who Executive and Professional Registry. The selection recognizes Marilynn E. Force’s commitment to excellence in Higher Education.

Force, who holds a BS in Business Administration and an MBA in Finance and Accounting, both from Regis University, is currently pursuing her Doctorate in Business Education from Capella University. She spent numerous years in banking before getting into economic development for the Boulder Chamber of Commerce in Boulder, Colorado.

For the past twenty-three years, Force has been teaching at the university level as an affiliate faculty member. She’s taught at Metro State College of Denver, Webster University, and currently Regis University. Now an educational consultant for the John J. Sullivan Chair for Free Enterprise, Force develops entrepreneurship curriculum, using instructional design processes gained through her research. She supports the Sullivan Chair in continued faculty recruitment, development of programs, interaction with students for all three schools within the University, and community initiatives in which the Sullivan program helps entrepreneurs develop the improvement of businesses in their community with our faculty, students and staff.

“Growing up, I watched my dad be the consummate businessman, running a successful business for twenty-five years,” Force said, admiring his professionalism and inspired by his career. “Every day he reached out to his community for Boy Scout troops and other community causes. He always led by example, caring for things bigger than himself.”

Looking toward the future, Force will develop an entrepreneurship program with the faculty on the Regis campus in Denver. She plans to apply the research from her Doctorate on Learning Process Development and identification, combined with cessation of anxiety for critical thinking to occur for Instructional Design to support the Sullivan Program. She now consults on education matters nationally.

Force is a member of the Regis University Public Affairs Council, is a Habitat for Humanity Colorado Government Relations committee member, and a Micro Business Development Corporation Loan committee member. She’s served on numerous boards, including the Colorado Lending Source and Colorado Capital Alliance Angel Network. She’s authored numerous papers in her field, has conducted public speaking, and is the recipient of numerous awards, including a Legislative Tribute Award in recognition of service to Colorado, an Outstanding Instructor Award through Webster University, an SBA Financial Services Advocate of the Year Award, and a Legislative Tribute Award through the State of Colorado for work in the State Senate.

For more information, visit http://www.regis.edu or http://www.thelearningforce.net.

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Complete University Guide 2013 ranks Lancaster University ninth in the UK

The Complete University Guide for 2013 has finished its research into the best universities in the UK and on 24th April 2012 released the new University League Table, in which Lancaster University ranks in ninth place.

By coming in ninth position Lancaster University is now grouped with the top universities in the UK alongside many prestigious higher education institutions. This leading group has Cambridge University in first place, with the rest of the top 10 including, in order of rank, the London School of Economics, Oxford University, the Imperial College of London, Durham University, the University of St Andrews, the University of Warwick, University College London, Lancaster University and the University of Bath.

A total of nine attributes were used to measure the University League Table’s rankings, including student satisfaction, research funding, entry standards, the ratio of students to staff, academic services spending, overall quality of student facilities, degree results, graduate prospects, and levels of degree completion.

Apart from gaining high scores overall, Lancaster University also achieved exceptional results for its individual dress subjects. Social work came in first place, art and design in second, linguistics in third, drama, dance and cinema in fifth, biological science, geography and environmental science all ranked eighth, and accounting and finance, business studies, general engineering and social policy placed ninth.

All universities were judged on four attributes for degree subjects, which were – student satisfaction, research (including doctoral and postgraduate research), entry standards and graduate prospects.

Lancaster University has recently ranked highly in a number of publications. For instance, the university was ranked ninth in The Times Good University Guide 2012 and seventh out of 120 UK universities in The Guardian’s University Guide 2012. Also, the UK Government’s latest Assessment of Research in 2008 revealed that more than 90 per cent of Lancaster University’s research work can be classed as world leading and that the University has some of the best research subjects in the UK.

Of the University’s latest achievement in the University League Table Professor Mark E. Smith, the Vice-Chancellor of Lancaster University, said: “Lancaster University is consistently highly ranked in the UK league tables and is established as a world player in research and teaching, which is reflected in our rising global league table position.

“Students who come to Lancaster can be confident of receiving a first class education at an internationally diverse campus.”

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Student Accommodation At Lancaster University Ranks Second In The UK

Following the annual Times Higher Education Student Experience survey, Lancaster University’s student accommodation has been ranked second in the whole of the UK.

The Times Higher Education Student Experience survey was conducted by the University of Cambridge and a total of 105 different universities were ranked. All universities were scored on 21 attributes, such as the overall quality of lectures, social life, facilities, the student’s union and many others. For each attribute universities were scored out of seven by its own students, with the total for every university being calculated from these results.

191 students from Lancaster University participated the university’s scoring this year and the university ranked at number 19 for the second year running. The university has received its greatest accolade in recent years, now being set in joint second place for the best student accommodation in the UK, alongside the University of Dundee and the University of Oxford.

And it’s easy to see why the university’s students chose such a high score for its accommodation, as the students’ halls of residence is of a much higher quality than many others in the UK. Students living there can benefit from eco-friendly and energy-efficient technologies that encourage them to live more sustainably, which is a key skill they can then take into later life.

For example, students can refer to real-time energy monitors to keep energy wastage at a minimum. The halls have also been fitted with roof-mounted thermal solar panels that preheat hot water, Passive Infra-Red (PIR) units to control lighting in the halls, and high-end insulation.

“It’s not like a first-year halls of residence,” said Hilary Simmons, the Head of Colleges and Student Life at Lancaster University. “You have this huge vibrancy of second- and third-years organising lots of activities and social events. Keeping these smaller communities within the overall huge university community is really important to us.”

Lancaster University has pioneered an Eco-Residences model that has received much recognition and many awards since its creation. The university uses this model for around 12 per cent of its accommodation stock, which is one of the many reasons why its students are so pleased with their housing.

To find out more about Lancaster University, visit www.lancs.ac.uk now.

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Howard University Online Executive MBA Launches New Website

Howard University’s School of Business is excited to announce the launch of its new website for the Online Executive MBA: executivemba.howard.edu. The site features robust content about this distinguished degree, including information about admission requirements, online learning, frequently asked questions about earning an Executive MBA, Howard University’s legacy and tradition, and tuition and financial aid.

The Howard University Online Executive MBA combines Howard’s heritage with the prestige of the School of Business. The convenient online Howard Executive MBA is designed to provide accessible management education to those who work full-time but also have the desire and drive to obtain an executive graduate degree. The program provides a comprehensive understanding of the industry and prepares individuals to strategically think and act from the perspective of senior leadership.

Bookmark the website and check back for periodic updates on networking opportunities, current student profiles, informational videos and program
announcements.

Interested in speaking with an enrollment advisor now about this program? Contact us today at 1-877- 398-3053.

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FindAMasters Praises Inventive Fundraising Scheme

FindAMasters wants to spread the word about a Manchester man in his bid to raise money for a Masters degree in Business Administration.

Scott Clay needs £23,000 in order to complete the degree, which would improve his CV and is related to his career. Scott, who is from Didsbury, originally went to his employers to ask for funding but was turned down. He currently only has £5,000 to go towards the Masters degree, but has come up with an inventive fundraising plan to get the money he needs.

Scott says he plans to ask people to donate £200 to his degree fund in return for a full eight hours’ worth of volunteer work at their chosen charity.

Concerning the donation price, Scott said: “I worked out what the price of the course was, how much I could put in myself, made a realistic analysis of how much time I could devote to this – I work full time and am also a part-time lecturer – and I came to that figure.”

He also said that he is prepared to work in any kind of environment and for any charity, with the only exceptions being for jobs that he cannot complete due to health and safety or insurance restrictions.

He said: “I’m happy to stack shelves in Oxfam for a day or go along to an event or work for one of their call centres; I’m not precious about it.”

Scott will need to complete a total of 720 hours of volunteering in order to collect enough money for the degree and, following his fundraising; he hopes to set up a scheme that puts his charity idea into practice for other prospective students.

Andy Pritchard of FindAMasters said: “We at FindAMasters hope that Scott’s bid to raise enough money for a Business Administration degree and would encourage others to follow his lead.”

“In the current economic climate it is becoming increasingly difficult to fund higher education courses and degrees, but people should not let this put them off from achieving their goals. There are many alternative routes available, and this is just one of them.”

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Supporting Students With Our Masters Funding Awards

It’s no secret that the costs of post-graduate study are increasing all the time and that many students need a financial head start to set them on the right road. As such, FindAMasters.com are extremely proud to announce the launch of our brand new funding awards. The bursaries, which total £5,000, are available to students of any nationality and across a range of subject areas.

There are nine awards on offer including one general prize and a further eight that are subject- specific. In order to qualify for consideration people must be intending to start study at an institution within the EU in autumn 2012.

For nearly ten years FindAMasters.com has been helping students find their way into the world of post-graduate study. Its easily searchable database features over 17,500 courses from more than 400 universities worldwide, making it an unbeatable resource for those looking to find exactly the right course for them in exactly the right location. It also contains a wealth of help and advice on every aspect of post-graduate study.

Andy Pritchard, Managing Director at The Science Registry commented “These awards are a natural continuation of our commitment to helping students at every stage of their post-graduate journey.”

Registration for the awards is now open, with the formal application process beginning in June. More information is available at: http://www.findamasters.com/fundingawards/.

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iWonder Pro Enterprise Offers Device Surveillance and Management for Schools for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch

Schools and businesses that issue iPad, iPhone or other iOS devices to their students or staff now have a way to control where those devices can go on the internet, monitor where they have been, and lock them down to only appropriate sites.

Life Record Technologies, creators of the consumer based iWonder Pro application to control and monitor children on iPhone, iPad and iPod touch devices, releases the first enterprise level surveillance and control software for schools, hospitals and businesses.

“With the release of iBooks 2 featuring text book support by Apple Inc. its inevitable that schools will now start issuing iPads to students and staff as regularly as they issue text books today.”, says Michael Pike, Chief Software Architect of Life Record Technologies. “We’ve also noticed a lot of healthcare facilities deploying iPads to their staff, and our software allows all of the devices to be managed, observed and secured with ease.”

iWonder Pro Enterprise allows schools and businesses with as little as one iOS device, with up to 10,000 devices to manage them all in one place, including profiles to let certain types of users go to certain types of sites while restricting the others while using any Wifi or cellular network. iWonder Pro Enterprise is the first and only enterprise level surveillance system designed specifically for iOS.

iWonder Pro Enterprise is available now in the Apple App Store starting at $99.99.

More information can be obtained from the iWonder Pro Enterprise website at http://www.iwonderpro.com.

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Inaugural Online Executive MBA Class Begins at Howard University

Howard University announces the start of the inaugural class for its new online degree – the online Executive MBA program. The inaugural class which includes executives and administrators started formal academic training this week after students completed an online orientation session in December. Students in the program will gain a comprehensive understanding of business, and learn to strategically think and act from the perspective of senior leadership.

Drawing upon the legacy of one of America’s top business schools and the nation’s preeminent historically black college, this distinguished program equips mid-career professionals and emerging leaders with the skills and perspective to lead in global business.

“Emerging business leaders from across the nation will attend their first class online as students of Howard University this week,” said Barron H. Harvey, Ph.D., Dean of the School of Business. “We are excited to be the catalyst for this historic milestone at the University.

Consisting of 42 credit hours, the online Executive MBA program is designed to be completed in about 18 months . The online format is designed to deliver a robust management education that is accessible to professionals who desire to work full-time while completing their degree.

The prestigious Howard School of Business is accredited by AACSB International and has been ranked among the top U.S. Business Schools by Bloomberg BusinessWeek. ThePrinceton Review has consistently ranked Howard’s MBA program as the top business program (#1) for the “Greatest Opportunity for Minority Students.” As a result, business professionals will receive instruction from the world-class Howard School of Business faculty, and join a distinguished, global network of the top emerging executives from around the world.

For more information about future academic terms and how to apply for this online MBA program, visit us at http://executivemba.howard.edu.

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Full Speed Ahead for Postgraduate Employment

According to a new study, Rising Wage Inequality and Postgraduate Education compiled by economist lecturers and researchers Joanne Lindley of The University of Surrey, and Stephen Machin of University College London, there are some interesting distinctions to be made between first degree graduate employment and postgraduate.

Students studying postgraduate programmes have more than doubled in the UK since 1996, from 4% to 11% in 2009. There has also been a steady increase in the share of postgraduate employment in the UK, rising from 30% in 1980 to 37% in 2009. Alongside the increase in postgraduate employability there has also been a remarkable increase in the wage gap between classic graduates and postgraduates, rising from 6% in 1996 to 13% in 2009.

The possible reason for growth is due to technological change and advancement across many industries in the UK. These are industries that are more likely to be involved in R&D, innovation, computer usage and investment in computers. This is good news for postgraduates, as their technical skills such as, advanced numeracy, high levels of analysing complex problems, and specialist knowledge or understanding are increasingly required in these areas.

According to the 2010 Labour Force Survey, the top occupations for Masters graduates are: Secondary Education Teachers, Software Professionals, Marketing and Sales Managers, Management Consultants, Actuaries, Economists and Statisticians and Information and Communications Technology Managers. All these roles require the advanced skills that Masters graduates learn at University.

Finding the right Masters degree can be extremely time consuming – FindAMasters holds a comprehensive database of postgraduate programmes from across the globe, in one place including courses such as. To search over 17,500 Masters degrees including masters in Education and Social Work, visit the FindAMasters.com website and sign up to the newsletter for the chance to win a Kindle.

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Manchester Postgraduate Study Fair goes down a Treat with FindaMasters.com

There was a 25% increase in the number of students flooding through the doors of Manchester Central for the annual Manchester Postgraduate Study Fair sponsored by FindAMasters.com.

Over 2200 students had the chance to talk one to one to representatives of over 90 universities from the UK and overseas. As well as individual universities there were organisations representing the university systems of Australia, Germany, New Zealand, Switzerland and the USA.

Manchester Careers Service laid on a busy and informative talks programme. Students gathered during the day to hear professionals talking on postgraduate life, studying overseas, teacher training masters and financing postgraduate study. The highlights included a talk on Studying for a PhD and very popular talks on Study in the USA (from the Fullbright Commission), and Australia & New Zealand (from Study Options).

A designated Careers Zone was set-up in the hall, where a dozen careers advisors were kept busy all day talking with students about their future study and career choices. The atmosphere was vibrant and buzzing with all the resources provided for students to learn more about their up-and-coming study years. There was also a lighter element to the day provided by FindAMasters.com, who delivered fresh popcorn on demand, chocolates and a competition to keep the exhibitors entertained.

The FindAMasters stand was chock-a-block all day with students asking for advice, running a quick search through their PhD & Masters courses databases and signing up to their weekly postgraduate study newsletters. The newsletters provide updates on relevant masters degree and postgraduate courses available from around the globe. FindAMasters.com is free to students and has an advanced search facility to help students filter through 17500 postgraduate courses from around the globe includingpostgraduate diplomas.

The next FindAMasters Postgraduate Study Fair will be held in the University of London’s Senate House on the 25th January 2012 – for information about this and other up-and-coming events visit: FindAMasters.com and register for our newsletter to be in the running to win a Kindle.

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New York City PE And Health Professionals Support The Inclusion Of Physical Education And Health Education As ‘Core Academic Subjects’

Perhaps in response to a package of five Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) bills introduced on September 15 the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee (HELP) has scheduled a ‘mark up’ of ESEA reauthorization language for Tuesday, October 18. This means the full Committee will meet to offer and vote on amendments and then vote the bill out of Committee.

“The introduction of legislative language will certainly help to direct the discussion of what issues and language should be included in any ESEA reauthorization package and could fuel discussion during the Oct. HELP Committee‘mark up’. We expect our legislators to support the bill that will improve current status of physical education and health education. I want to mention that most New York City public schools administrators have very positive perceptions of physical education. Research paper ‘Principals’ Physical Education Perception in New York City Public Schools’ (Howard Z. Zeng, Brooklyn College) published in the Supplement to Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport (March 2011) reflects that principals truly view physical education as an academic discipline. They also agree that without PE, our students will not be fully developed. Parents’ perceptions of physical education are positive as well. According to a 2002 study by the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE), 84% of parents had a positive perception of physical education in general, and 81% of parents believed that daily PE should be mandatory. Additionally, research has shown that 79.3% of parents revealed that their child’s physical education grade was as important as grades earned in academics (James, Griffin and France, 2005),” said Srecko Mavrek, President of Exercise Science/Sports Medicine Section of the New York State Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (NYS AHPERD).

Many New York State PE and health professionals have contacted their federal legislators – to work to finalize the language. In their letters to Senators Kirsten Gillibrand and Charles E. Schumer, they urge them to support the inclusion of physical education and health education as ‘core academic subjects’ during the ESEA reauthorization process. A copy of the letter was sent to the U.S. Congressman Jose E. Serrano. This important recognition would have a significant impact on students’ educational outcomes and help them to develop healthy and active lifestyles.

Both quality physical education and health education are critical components of educating the whole child, helping students to become health literate, understand the benefits of a physically active lifestyle, model and practice healthful behaviors, and adopt a lifelong commitment to healthy living. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) 2006 School Health Policies and Programs Study (SHPPS), only 6.4% of elementary schools, 20.6% of middle schools and 35% of high schools required instruction in all 14 essential health topics. In fact, most students receive only about 4 hours per year of health education. At a time when one-third of our nation’s children are overweight or obese, we must take advantage of every strategy to encourage schools to provide quality physical education, which increases physical competence, physical activity participation and health-related fitness. Moreover, a recent CDC recent report provides evidence that physical education and physical activity can help improve academic achievement, including grades and standardized test scores. It also positively affects cognitive skills and behavior, and enhances concentration and memory.

“Accordingly, New York City PE and health professionals strongly urge their federal legislators to support the inclusion of physical education and health education as‘core subjects’ during the ESEA reauthorization process to improve both the health and academic achievement of our nation’s youth,” said Mavrek.

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FindAMasters.com Hits 17,000 Courses

Higher education course directory FindAMasters.com now lists more than 17,000 masters courses from all over the world, it has been revealed.

The website, which looks to match British students with domestic and overseas higher learning institutions, recently broke the milestone and managing director Andy Pritchard suggested its user-friendly design and wide variety of different choices had been central to its recent success, which has also seen scores of students sign up.

Mr Pritchard said he had been encouraged by the growing interest the website has attracted over the last few months and expressed upbeat sentiments about its future prospects, pointing out that the variety of courses listed on FindAMasters.com is continuing to increase all the time.

“We’re very pleased that more and more universities from the UK, Europe and beyond are listing their masters degrees on FindAMasters.com,” he explained. “As well as the 17,000 courses we now feature over 1,200 student profiles and hundreds of videos to help give students a full picture of what to expect from the courses on offer.”

Mr Pritchard added that with competition in the UK employment market having grown particularly intense in recent years, having a masters degree can make a world of difference to graduates’ career prospects and really make them stand out from the crowd when applying for jobs.

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Product Design Course Attracting Lots Of Student Enquiries Says Distance Learning Provider

The Interactive Design Institute, the UK’s leading provider of online qualifications in Art & Design is experiencing a high level of interest in their innovative online Product Design course. “Our admissions team is receiving a significant number of enquiries from students looking for an online degree course in Product Design and ultimately, a career in Product Design” reports Michael Stewart, a director with IDI.

“Our Product Design qualification has been specifically developed by the Institute and is accredited by the University of Hertfordshire, one of the UK’s leading universities. At IDI we are confident that our course suits the requirements of students who are aiming to become the Product Designers of the future”.

Throughout the world, the UK is recognised for its strong tradition of excellence in design education. UK Product design courses are based on a combination of sound educational methodology and industry practice that, in turn, generates highly sought after designers, hence the demand that is being experienced by IDI staff.

The Interactive Design Institute is a collaborative partner of the University of Hertfordshire and currently delivers their Product Design qualification to the level of Certificate in Education following one year’s online study, with the Product Design diploma being awarded after two years online study and finally, the degree after three years online study. Product Design students can opt to study all or part of the degree programme online as they also have the option to study any part of their course on an attendance basis at the University of Hertfordshire. In addition, students can choose to study product design on a full or part time basis.

Michael Stewart, director of IDI continues, “Our online Product Design course has been especially written by professional designers, industry practitioners and highly qualified academics for online delivery. Our course is specifically designed to prepare students for employment in a wide range of product design based professions”.

Essentially, IDI’s online Product Design course enables students to study towards a universally recognised degree and therefore entry to a competitive but often lucrative career. Throughout the course students are encouraged to adopt a professional attitude to their studies and the working environment is simulated through a sequence of practical projects which enables them to gain a range of technical skills and professional knowledge. As with all IDI courses, students are encouraged to be experimental and take risks in order to push the boundaries within their own practice. However, this innovative approach is underpinned by solid research work into historical and contemporary practices.

Michael Stewart concludes, “The Interactive Design Institute’s online Product Design degree programme emphasises professionalism and industry relevance. We have experienced a significant demand to provide such a course online and following extensive development work, are delighted to offer our Product Design course for students across the UK and internationally”.

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