Report on citizenship education published

European students are getting more involved in school politics – and learning about civic engagement – according to a report published by Eurydice earlier this month. The study, entitled “Citizenship Education in Europe”, analyses the regulations on the promotion of student participation in school governance which are now in effect in all European Countries.

The document – an update on a previous Eurydice study from 2005 – contains information on progress…

Young Minds: connecting to the next gen

European Physical Society [EPS] Young Minds connects working scientists, divisions and groups with young, proactive scientists from across the globe. In this way, the scientific, outreach and networking activities of EPS members and member societies can be energised and expanded. The EPS Young Minds encourages individuals and organisations to reach out to the next generation and to talk to us – just as the International Association of Physics Students and the junge DPG have already done…

Particle physics outreach database launched by IPPOG

A database of resources and tools for particle physics education and outreach has been published by the International Particle Physics Outreach Group. The collection aims to help and inspire physicists, communicators and teachers with useful and imaginative ways of teaching students and the public about particle physics.

“The idea behind the database was to create a basket of tools where people can go and dip in and use them for their own needs,” says Lisa Mc Carthy, the IPPOG staff member who helped to set up the database.

Submissions to the resource library can be made by anyone – after registering – extending the IPPOG tradition of sharing outreach tools, practices and successes.

The database can be searched by a number of parameters, including the learning topic, nature, intended audience and language. The site also features a rating system – similar to those seen on sites such as amazon and youtube – through which submissions may be reviewed by the community, with popular items earning featured status.

The database is still in its early stages, and the creators are inviting users to provide feedback, and make suggestions as to how it could be improved. Comments should be sent to IPPOG by email ippog [dot] outreach [at] cern [dot] ch.

For more information on IPPOG, please see our article “International Particle Physics Outreach Group meeting”.

Bologna Process Report

“The European Higher Education Area in 2012: Bologna Process Implementation Report” was published at the end of last month. The report both details how the higher education landscape in 2012 has been affected by the Bologna Process and the current state of process implementation from various perspectives.

Topics covered in the document include: the demographic and funding context for higher education; degree structures and qualifications; quality assurance; the social dimension of higher education; outcomes and employability…

International Particle Physics Outreach Group meeting

The European Particle Physics Outreach Group [EPPOG] was established 15 years ago, under the joint auspices of the European Committee for Future Accelerators and the European Physical Society’s High Energy Particle Physics Board. In 2011 it evolved into the International Particle Physics Outreach Group [IPPOG], reflecting the international nature of the group. IPPOG’s principle aim is to maximise the impact of education and outreach efforts relating to particle physics, through information exchange and the sharing of expertise…

STEPS TWO results published on new website

The Stakeholders Tune European Physics Studies Two [STEPS TWO] programme has launches a new “dissemination” website. The site contains information on the STEPS TWO outcomes, results and recommendations, for public consumption.

The project, which ran from 2008-11, acted to gather input from stakeholders in European physics education, with the aim of increasing the number and quality of European physics graduates…

Physics Students in UK Higher Education report

The Institute of Physics has published a new statistical report, ‘Physics Students in UK Higher Education Institutions’. The document provides an overview of students in undergraduate, masters and doctoral programmes, in physics and a select number of other subjects, in the United Kingdom.

The report – the third in a series aiming to provide comprehensive data on all higher education and research matters – is based on data from the Higher Education Statistics Agency, the central source for the statistics on publicly funded…

Eurypedia: the education encyclopedia

A new initiative detailing the European education systems – Eurypedia – has been launched by the Eurydice Network. Eurypedia aims to present the most accurate picture of the 38 national and regional secondary and tertiary education systems across Europe.

Eurypedia, a wiki-based tool powered by MediaWiki, will be a regularly updated resource, maintained by education experts and the national ministries responsible for European education. It will cover all 27 European Union Member…

2012 Bologna/EHEA Ministerial Conference

The next summit of the Ministers of Higher Education of the ‘Bologna’ or European Higher Education Area [EHEA] countries will take place on 26-27 April this year, in the Palace of the Parliament in Bucharest, Romania.

Last year, the European Commission announced a substantial increase – 68 per cent – of investment in education for the next Framework 2014/20 budget. It is of prime importance, therefore, to determine the role of European institutions in the consolidation and progress of the Bologna Process, especially given that the EHEA summits will only be held…

Record number UK physics teachers in training

The number of physics teachers in training in the United Kingdom has reached a record high, according to census data published at the end of last month. The statistics from the Training and Development Agency for Schools [TDA] – which have been taken since 1979 – report that 864 people are in training to become physics specialists this year, and increase of 30 per cent from 2010.

“We hope that these very impressive numbers represent the beginning of the much-needed sea change in recruitment to physics teaching,” said Peter Main, the Director of Education and Science at the Institute of Physics…

1st EPS Young Minds Leadership Meeting

The 1st EPS Young Minds Leadership Meeting took place at CERN, Geneva, Switzerland on 29-30 April.

The Young Minds Project was launched by the European Physical Society early in 2010, to promote the next generation of physicists in Europe by creating an environment where young physicists can assume an active role.

These young scientists – from undergraduates up to postdoctoral researchers – are encouraged to organize EPS Young Minds Sections that collaborate to develop scientific, networking and outreach activities…

Passion for Light

Passion for Light, an international workshop being jointly organised by the European and Italian Physical Societies, is to be held on 16 September 2011 at the Villa Monastero, in Varenna, Lake Como, Italy.

The workshop will provide a framework in which to announce a new initiative of the EPS Quantum Electronics and Optics Division – which aims for a declaration of an International Year of Light, to be held…