Today's news

Lecturers' dispute brings nationwide disruption
Thousands of students could be unable to graduate this summer as a result of a nationwide lecturers' boycott of exams, marking and assessment, according to findings from a new survey of British universities published today. The survey, based on responses from 63 institutions in England, Wales and Scotland, reveals widespread disruption to final degree and other exams across the country, with many institutions forced to draw up contingency plans "on the hoof". The exam season is now well under way, but employers and lecturers' unions have failed to resolve a long-running pay dispute.
The Guardian

Sussex votes to save chemistry
The University of Sussex has abandoned its controversial plans to axe its chemistry department following intense criticism from scientists across the country. At an extraordinary university council meeting yesterday, members voted to adopt a recommendation from the vice-chancellor, Alasdair Smith, which will see the respected chemistry department retained and expanded to include biochemistry. Professor Smith had wanted to scrap chemistry and merge it with biology, but his proposal was widely condemned by academics, the Royal Society and the House of Commons science and technology select committee.
The Guardian

UK institute to help train elite Chinese accountants
China is tackling an acute shortage of professional accountants by hiring a UK institute to give international training to elite students. A deal signed yesterday by the Chinese Institute of Chartered Public Accountants underlined the priority China is attaching to the development of its accountancy profession. Policymakers at the ministry of finance have said more rigorous and credible accounting and auditing is vital to promote market stability, attract continued investment and foster economic development.
The Financial Times

Mystery of the long-lost letter to Cambridge don
The mystery of a billet doux that arrived at a Cambridge college 56 years too late was solved last night. Or at least half of it was. The letter, a note from a lady to a young Cambridge history don, reads: "George, will meet at Monty's next weekend. Is 2pm acceptable? Love Gwen." It was sent from London on March 3, 1950 but did not arrive at Trinity College until last Friday, more than half a century after its intended recipient had moved on to a loftier post in London. Its extremely late arrival coincided ironically with the Royal Mail announcing that it had exceeded its target for delivering first and second class letters on time.
The Daily Telegraph

Third student charged with rape
A captain of the lacrosse team at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, yesterday became the third player to be indicted on charges of raping an African-American stripper. David Evans, from Maryland, who graduated in economics this year, was also the first to speak out about the case, branding the charges "fantastic lies". "I look forward to watching them unravel in the weeks to come," said Mr Evans, 23, one of four team captains.
The Guardian

Global warming turns pristine coral into rubble
A study into the extensive bleaching of the Seychelles corals in 1998 has found that these Indian Ocean reefs failed to recover, with many of them crumbling to broken fragments. Scientists said the findings showed that rising global sea temperatures could have a more devastating impact on the world's tropical corals than previously thought. "Some of the reefs have collapsed to almost mobile beds of rubble. They are no longer solid structures and some have been overgrown with fleshy green mats of algae," said Nicholas Graham, a coral ecologist at the University of Newcastle.
The Independent, The Daily Telegraph, The Scotsman

Countdown to the big sneeze for sufferers of hay fever
Hay fever sufferers will experience an enormous collective sneeze at exactly 6:02pm on Monday, 29 May. Allergy experts have used a bank of statistics and a formula to pinpoint the worst time of the year for the 12 million people in Britain who suffer from hay fever. The symptoms of the allergy, which include sneezing and a constantly running nose and itchy eyes, are expected to be much worse than usual this year. Boots Health Club created the formula in association with the National Pollen and Aerobiology Research Unit at the University of Worcester.
The Scotsman

Letters
Lecturers’ pay must reflect their worth.
The Times