AUSTRALIA: Many foreigners but few PhDs. So difficult has life become for Australian PhD and masters by research students that the numbers starting the degrees are falling and completion rates are among the lowest in the developed world. At the same time, foreign student commencements in PhD degree courses have rocketed by 125% over the past six years.


Is this a sympton of lower levels of maths science competency of high school graduates, and career guidance during their teenage...

Australian News Migration Education and Skills



Regional centres to boom now the bust has settled. SOME are calling it "payback year", others "the year of the investor". I see it as "the year of the regional centre". It's clear 2010 will be a different year to the previous one, with those who worked hard for not much reward in 2009 expecting better returns. These are the people looking for payback.



Kylie, AC/DC miss out on Grammys....

Australia 2010 Economy, Skills, Workers, Population, Migration, Environment, Big Day Out



WA, ACT enjoy top economies WESTERN Australia and the ACT boast the best performing economies in Australia, a ranking compiled by broking firm CommSec, has found, while NSW ranks lastThe study ranks the states on eight indicators: economic growth, retail spending, business investment, construction, population growth, housing finance, housing starts and unemployment.

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NAB set to pounce on Northern Rock. National Australia Bank is gearing up for a takeover of nationalised British lender Northern Rock and has held a "beauty parade" of potential advisers on the deal, The Observer reports. NAB, which already owns Clydesdale and Yorkshire banks in the UK, has hosted presentations by Lazard, Citigroup, Credit Suisse and Morgan Stanley as it prepares for opportunities that will follow a radical shake-up of the British banking sector this year, the newspaper...

Australia, Wine, Population, Employment, Skill Shortages, Victoria, Household Wealth & Debt, NZ Uni, Foreign Students, Brand Australia & Larrikans

Constellation to end growers' contracts. Winery giant Constellation has told its remaining Murray Valley growers their contracts will be terminated in three years. The company has been progressively shedding growers over the past two seasons, giving them three years' notice their contracts will not be renewed.

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