UK, Australia, US: University News

The TopUniversities.com guide to the latest university news from around the world, on 15 August 2013.

UK: Record number of students accepted to university on A-level results day

The Universities & Colleges Admission Service (UCAS) has reported 385,910 admissions, a record number, as of midnight on the day that school-leavers get their final results, reports the BBC. The figure is 9% higher than last year, when A-level results dropped for the first time in 20 years. The government has allowed universities to take on as many students with an A and two B grades (or higher) as they like. The change is part of a move to allow universities to expand. Universities Minister David Willets said that the government hopes the lower grade threshold will allow more students to go to their chosen university.

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Australia: Report finds Australia most expensive place to study abroad

A study by HSBC bank has found that foreign students in Australia are paying more than anyone else in the world, reports The Guardian. They pay AUD$42,300 (almost US$39k) per year. This is almost the same as foreign students in the US, but the cost of living in Australia is higher, with yearly costs averaging above AUD$14,400 (US$13k). Germany, on the other hand, averages an annual living cost of AUD$6,900 (US$4,700). Australia has seen a 12% decline in foreign student numbers between 2009 and 2012, but this could be counterbalanced by the falling Australian dollar and plans to streamline visa processing.

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US: University researchers develop wireless, battery-free communications system

Engineers from the University of Washington have developed a communication system called Ambient Backscatter that harnesses existing radio waves without producing any of its own, reports Wired.co.uk. The battery-free device absorbs and reflects radio signals. The authors of the study said that it “avoids the expensive process of generating radio waves; backscatter communication is orders of magnitude more power-efficient than traditional radio communication. Further, since it leverages the ambient RF signals that are already around us, it does not require a dedicated power infrastructure as in traditional backscatter communication."

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India: University launches international science and technology journal

Bharath University in Chennai, India, has launched a journal called ‘Indian Journal of Applied Sciences and Innovative Technology’, reports the Times of India. Its aim is to promote research activities at universities. The vice chancellor of B S Abdur Rahman University, J A K Tareen, said: "India is emerging as a knowledge hub and hosts many research activities globally. This journal will be a great platform for research scholars to leverage their research pursuits to attain academic excellence."

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