When Heather Berg arrived at the University of Virginia in the fall of 2011, she was struck by the seemingly posh lifestyle many of her fellow students enjoyed. Now finishing her second year, she has friends who also felt that culture shock at first. But it's been hard to find them, and to speak candidly with anyone about the impact of money--or…

Tensions between the military and the university are hardly new or surprising; after all, the two institutions embrace different cultures, procedures, and purposes. But they managed to coexist in a dynamic tension until the antiwar movement of the 1960s severed the relationship at many colleges, opening a gap that persists to this day. Consider…

An Egyptian court ruled this month that the American University in Cairo could not bar a woman who wears the traditional niqab headdress from entering its library--the latest episode in the struggle between religion and secularism on Egypt's university campuses. The American University has outlawed the niqab--which covers the entire head except…

This article describes the successful "reverse brain drain" scheme offered by the Chinese government for their scholars who study abroad. The program is a significant about-face from early Chinese policy on overseas study. Government programs and individual academic departments now offer competitive benefits and salaries to candidates…

When Oleg Viro and Burglind Joricke resigned in February from their tenured positions at Sweden's Uppsala University, administrators hoped that their departure would restore tranquility to the strife-riven mathematics department. Instead the manner in which the highly regarded university brought about the professors' departure, for reasons that…

Living with the Kaluli of Papua New Guinea and completing his anthropology dissertation, Steven Feld saw ceremonial life begin to die and the sounds of helicopters and drill rigs compete with birds and waterfalls. Feld's sophisticated recordings preserve some ways in which the people act and blend with their environment. (MSE)

Explores how the Army's distance education program is attracting strong interest from soldiers at the same time that it is causing clashes between the military and academic cultures. (EV)

Long Island University (New York), a commuter campus easily accessible to New York City, has attracted many immigrants, including a large number of Russians. Many participate in a variety of campus and off-campus activities, including activist politics and cultural heritage organizations. Some behaviors and group characteristics have caused…

Foreign students say that because university representatives rarely reach out to them, they rely on each other for advice on everything from academic schedules to American culture. But administrators say foreign students do not always take advantage of the resources, and stick together rather than mix with Americans. (MLW)

The situation in Florida's higher education community following the influx of Cuban refugees is discussed, including cultural and behavioral differences, financial needs, lack of English language skills, academic standards, and special refugee needs. (MSE)