Today's news

Graduates 'more downbeat' on jobs
Graduates from British universities are more confident of finding a job than their peers in other countries but less optimistic about whether it will be the right one, and less confident than a year ago about getting hired quickly, a survey has found. Of 1,600 recent or soon-to-be graduates from the UK, the US, France, Germany and Spain, 69 per cent of those in Britain were hopeful they would find a full-time job within six months of leaving university.
The Financial Times

Durham prepares for RAE with new appointment
As preparations for the 2008 research assessment exercise intensify, the University of Durham yesterday announced that the director of its centre for the study of particle physics, James Stirling, has been put in charge of the university's research effort. As pro-vice-chancellor with special responsibility for research he will hope to improve Durham's 2001 performance, when 20 departments gained ratings for international excellence.
The Guardian

Family to see Prince graduate
The Queen and the Duchess of Cornwall will join the Prince of Wales at Prince William’s graduation ceremony at St Andrews University next Thursday, Clarence House has confirmed. Prince William will also carry out a joint private engagement with his father and stepmother, thanking the Fife Constabulary for their work and support over the past four years. Prince William achieved a 2:1 in geography.
The Times, The Daily Telegraph

Honorary degree for Geldof
A Live 8 organiser, an award-winning film-maker and a scientist who co-discovered the HIV virus are among the renowned figures to be honoured by an Irish university today. Bob Geldof, Neil Jordan and Robert Gallo are to receive honorary degrees as part of University College Dublin’s 150th anniversary celebrations. Carole Pateman, professor of political science at University California, Los Angeles, will also be honoured at a special ceremony at the college’s Belfield Campus in south Dublin.
The Scotsman

Student union discount cards for sale on eBay
The National Union of Students has launched a hunt to find out which of its student unions is selling NUS membership cards on the auction website eBay. The cards are worth hundreds of pounds in discounts from high street shops, but are being advertised for between 99p and £8 on eBay. The NUS has condemned the people behind the illegal sales, but it is believed that the cards were most likely being leaked from NUS unions on university campuses.
The Guardian

Antifungal drug could improve asthma treatment
Antifungal drugs could be the key to improving the lives of thousands of asthmatics, scientists claimed yesterday. Previously, severe asthma attacks had been blamed on air pollutants such as dust mites, pollen or animal hair. But researchers at Manchester University have discovered that the condition can be triggered by an allergic reaction to types of fungi - such as mould, damp and dead leaves. They are testing a drug that could cut sufferers' reliance on steroids and prevent the sort of serious attacks that lead to hospital treatment or even death.
The Scotsman

Dusky cockroach could unlock secrets of women's fertility
Cockroaches could hold the answer to why women who delay having children are less fertile than women who give birth in their teens, scientists said today. Earlier research by biologists at the Manchester University found that when female dusky roaches were prevented from mating they lost fertility in later life. The roaches also became less choosy about who they mated with once they were finally let loose with the males.
The Daily Mail, The Guardian, The Scotsman