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The social sciences appeal to 24 per cent and the humanities to 27 per cent

The social sciences appeal to 24 per cent and the humanities to 27 per cent. Economics is currently the most popular major at Harvard.The third reason for four-year degrees in Britain is practical Students need a broader range of skills than years ago. Machines have become adept at making things without humans around them to hear the chugging and clicking. Almost everyone now makes their way in the world by thinking and communicating. Balanced human beings are likely to prosper in the future.Finally, those who want to save our universities’ chemistry and German departments should do so by supporting the idea of four-year liberal arts degrees. I think that most people are against the closure of these small departments because, deep down, they intuitively sense that there is more to university education than knowing a vast amount about rather little.The case for four, with a general liberal arts year at the outset, is powerful.The writer is Professor of Economics at Warwick University and Jacob Wertheim Fellow at Harvard Universityeducation independent.co.uk.

Oxford University’s decision to appoint an academic from the University of Auckland to the key post of registrar is another sign of the changes taking place at the ancient institution. Dr John Hood, Oxford’s new vice-chancellor, came from Auckland, too, so his critics will see Dr Julie Maxton’s appointment as proof that Hood means business in his drive to modernise Oxford. Dr Maxton is Oxford’s first ever female registrar – head of the university’s administration – and as such will be an important ally in Dr Hood’s plan to make Oxford able to compete internationally We wish her well Will the dons do the same?. o boycott this university among all the universities in Israel is so bizarre and so distorted that I simply can’t understand it,” said Aaron Ben-Ze’ev, the president of Haifa University, one of two Israeli academic institutions blacklisted last week by Britain’s Association of University Teachers (AUT).

“We are the most pluralistic and most tolerant university in Israel.” He could hardly be expected to say less, but he made out a strong case, which he said the AUT never let him present. Under the rule it must hold the meeting after 21 days and not later than 35 days hence.The rebels have formed a group called Engage, with its own website – liberoblog – which seeks to pursue projects that link British academics with Israeli Jews, Israeli Arabs and Palestinians. An earlier attempt by the University of Paris VI to boycott Israeli universities was criticised by the UN.The signs are that her views are shared by some AUT members. Under a union rule, a group of rebel academics has collected 25 signatures calling for a special council meeting to vote down the decision The AUT received the plea on Tuesday this week. The rebellion beginsThe Association of University Teachers is under intense pressure to drop its boycott of two Israeli universities.