University news home and abroad

The Royal Agriculture University launches £100 million site

THE Royal Agricultural University has launched plans for a carbon-neutral campus which will be home to innovative developments in sustainable land management, food production, and climate change research.

It will sit on 29-acres within the University of Cirencester’s campus, consisting of several hubs to accommodate researchers, policy-makers and entrepreneurs. The RAU’s Vice-Chancellor

Peter McCaffery has affirmed that this will positively impact not only those directly involved, but also surrounding areas, noting, “We plan to engage with the local community and local businesses throughout the whole process.”

South Australian universities to allow use of artificial intelligence

STUDENTS at South Australia’s three main universities — Flinders University, the University of Adelaide and the University of South Australia — will be allowed to use artificial intelligence if they disclose it. Universities fear that students could use ChatGPT software, released in November, to write essays. However, there is a growing recognition that the only option is to embrace the technology’s potential rather than resist it.

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This will be economically beneficial, as they aim to double their current contribution to the local economy, as well as environmental, with the planned project protecting and promoting the immediate surrounding landscape.

The project has gained the support of parties such GFirst Local Enterprise Partnership and the Department for International Trade and will apply for planning permission from the Cotswold District council in the proceeding months.

Image, Rexness, Wikimedia Commons

The Group of Eight — Australia’s eight leading universities — said they would make “greater use of pen and paper exams and tests” this year, before redesigning assessments to integrate AI.

Vitomir Kovanovic, the senior lecturer in education futures at the University of SA, said universities “should be teaching them how to use it [AI] — they’re going to use it in the workplace anyway. It’s like having a driving school but teaching people how to ride horses.”

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Inquiry finds antisemitic bullying within NUS

AN independent investigation has found that the National Union of Students (NUS) failed to protect Jewish members from antisemitic bullying. Multiple instances were found of the NUS ignoring or failing to respond appropriately to the harassment of Jewish students because of their faith or views on Israel. Examples of antisemitism in the report included stereotypes such as blood libel, and holding Jewish students responsible for the actions of the Israeli government.

In May 2022, the UK government cut all ties with the NUS due to allegations of institutional antisemitism, while in November Shaima Dallali was dismissed from her role as NUS President due to gross misconduct after an investigation over allegations of antisemitism.

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Texas

universities block access to Tiktok on campus networks

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Jeff Neyland, a technology advisor at UT-Austin, wrote in the email: “The university is taking these important steps to eliminate risks to information contained in the university’s network and to our critical infrastructure. As outlined in the governor’s directive, TikTok harvests vast amounts of data from its users’ devices — including when, where and how they conduct internet activity — and offers this trove of potentially sensitive information to the Chinese government.”Numerous Texas universities, including those at the University of Texas at Dallas and Texas A&M University System, have said they are blocking the use of the app on their campus networks after UT-Austin’s declaration.