- The London School of Economics and the BBC have locked horns once again after former English Defence League leader Tommy Robinson turned up unannounced at a lecture with a聽cameraman making a documentary for the corporation, The Independent reported on 28 October. Mr Robinson鈥檚 attendance at a lecture on human rights in the Muslim world was criticised by the director of the LSE鈥檚 human rights centre, Chetan Bhatt, who said it 鈥渞isked causing public disruption around a highly controversial figure at an event aimed at opposing violence and extremism鈥. Permission to film was given on the understanding that it was for a documentary on Maajid Nawaz, head of the Quilliam Foundation, a counter-extremism thinktank, the LSE said. The LSE 鈥 which also criticised the BBC earlier this year for putting students in danger by filming undercover during a student trip to North Korea 鈥 was not always so squeamish about who attended or gave lectures. In May 2010, the son of the Libyan dictator Colonel Gaddafi, Saif, delivered the Ralph Miliband memorial lecture following a 拢1.5聽million donation.
- Pole dancing fitness classes have been banned by Swansea University Students鈥 Union because the activity is 鈥渋nextricably linked to the multi-million pound sex industry,鈥 The Daily Telegraph reported on 23 October. In a letter to the pole fitness club, the union said the classes were linked to the rise of 鈥淩aunch Culture鈥 in society and the 鈥渙bjectification of women and girls鈥, who had been 鈥渄eceived into thinking this is a way of taking charge of their sexuality鈥. However, Bethan Morris, president of the university鈥檚 pole fitness society, said the ban and the link to the sex industry was 鈥渉ighly, highly offensive鈥. Seemingly mystified by any connection to the clothes-light version practised in strip clubs, she added: 鈥淢ales and females come to class to keep fit and gain strength, flexibility and coordination.鈥
- A 鈥渦niversity鈥 apparently based in London awarded an MBA to a dog as part of a BBC Newsnight sting. Pete 鈥 a hound living at Battersea Dogs and Cats Home 鈥 picked up the qualification from the American University of London after reporters sent off a fake CV in his name. Despite failing to provide a picture of 鈥淧ete鈥 or copies of his prior qualifications, AUOL informed him that his application had been successful and the degree would be presented once a聽拢4,500 fee had been received. Hundreds of senior executives list AUOL qualifications on their CVs, Newsnight said on 23聽October. AUOL, a distance learning specialist, said it was 鈥渘ot a bogus university鈥, but admitted that it did not hold any accreditation with US or UK bodies.
- Seldom does a higher education story make the front page of a Sunday tabloid, but it can happen, especially when it involves a 鈥Strictly Come Dancing sexbomb鈥. So it was that The聽Sun on Sunday splashed on October with the revelation that BBC presenter Susanna Reid 鈥 one of the favourites for this year鈥檚 Strictly title 鈥 鈥渟hared a secret fling with a university politics lecturer鈥. The 42-year-old had a聽three-year romance with a tutor while studying at the University of Bristol, which is said to have 鈥渟candalised鈥 the campus, according to a source cited by the newspaper. With no off-screen scandals to report this year, it seems the red-tops are having to dig up a 20-year-old university romance to keep their readers titillated.
- David Cameron has hit out at the 鈥渟nobbery鈥 directed at so-called 鈥淢ickey Mouse鈥 degrees, The Daily Telegraph reported on 29聽October. The Prime Minister said it has long been assumed that there is 鈥渟omething wrong鈥 with courses in 鈥渕usic studies鈥 and 鈥済olf course management鈥, despite their helping to 鈥渞eally benefit people鈥 and get them well-paid jobs, the paper reported. Providing more information about how different types of graduates fared in the job market would 鈥済et rid of that snobbery鈥, Mr Cameron told an event in Oxfordshire celebrating apprenticeships. Might the PM鈥檚 vehement defence of non-traditional subjects relate to his rarely mentioned A聽level in art history, which some Eton contemporaries might suggest, no doubt unfairly, was a 鈥渟oft鈥 subject enabling him to gain the right grades for entry into Oxford?
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