Although there were no large-scale new year’s eve parties and limited amount of fireworks, plenty of news about students and higher education was published the last two weeks.
(Photo: Pexels / Pixabay)
-
Pokémon pays for tuition fees
An American student decided to sell his collection of Pokémon cards so he could pay his tuition fees. It was reported that his sales have so far yielded 80,000 dollars but he has held on to his most valuable card.
(Photo: Federico Ghedini / Pixabay) -
Christmas presents for lonely students
One student in Wageningen felt so bad for all the international students unable to go home for Christmas, that he joined forces with various local entrepreneurs to lift spirits by sending 180 fellow students a box of goodies. From candles, to chocolates and fancy coffee… “it was pretty easy to organise, actually”, he told De Gelderlander newspaper. -
Shots fired in front of Saxion student housing
Sadly, there was some bad news too. In the early morning of December 31st in the small town of Schalkhaar, several blasts were heard that had nothing to do with fireworks. Shots were fired on the driveway of a house occupied by international students of Saxion University of Applied Sciences. Thankfully nobody was seriously injured, but bullet casings were found and someone reported an assault, as reported in newspaper De Stentor. Saxion is working with the police and students involved and an investigation is underway. -
Egypt holds nobody accountable for death of Italian PhD
Even worse news came out of Egypt, where the gruesome murder of a young Italian researcher continues to go unpunished. Almost five years ago, the body of Giulio Regeni was found. There were signs that he had been tortured for some time. The researcher had been in Egypt to conduct research into the country’s independent unions, making some enemies along the way. -
Pandemic rages on
The global pandemic is showing no signs of easing, not even after 1700 protestors descended on Haarlem last weekend. The government announced during the Christmas holidays that schools and day-care centres will remain closed and that higher education should expect to have to wait even longer before measures can be lifted. The current lockdown will be in place until at least 19 January but may be extended if necessary. If you need a quick reminder of how this decision affects matters such as exams and practicals, look here.
HOP, Bas Belleman and Evelien Flink
Translation: Taalcentrum-VU
Do you have a question or comment about this article?
redactie@hogeronderwijspersbureau.nl
Comments are closed.