Tag Archives: France

Ontario: Man wanted in France teaching at Carleton

Canadian Press: Man wanted in France teaching at Carleton

Hassan Diab, who denies involvement in a fatal Paris synagogue bombing, returns to job while awaiting extradition hearing

An Ottawa university professor accused of playing a role in a deadly Paris bombing nearly three decades ago and currently awaiting an extradition hearing is back teaching at Carleton University.

Hassan Diab, 55, is teaching a part-time introduction to sociology summer course every Tuesday and Thursday for a few weeks, according to the university.

France’s Professors Vow to Continue Fight Against Reform Efforts

The Chronicle: France’s Professors Vow to Continue Fight Against Reform Efforts

Spray-painted banners fluttering in the windows of a central Paris building proclaim that “universities are not an enterprise” and “knowledge is not merchandise.”

A shadowy figure on a Metro platform darts forward to affix rainbow-tinted stickers to a departing train, protesting against government higher-education reforms and warning that they will cost institutions their independence.

French academic detained on spy charges in Iran: ministry

AFP: French woman detained on spy charges in Iran: ministry

PARIS (AFP) — A French woman was detained in Iran last week on spying charges, France’s foreign ministry said Monday, demanding her release.

“France firmly condemns the July 1 arrest and detention by Iran of a French academic,” the ministry said in a statement, without revealing the name of the woman or the university she was linked to.

FRANCE: Sarkozy rejects retreat on university reforms

World University News: FRANCE: Sarkozy rejects retreat on university reforms

As France’s strike by lecturers and researchers passed its 15th week, it looked possible that students’ examinations could be postponed until September. But President Nicolas Sarkozy rejected any government retreat on the planned reforms, despite a call by university presidents for a moratorium; and the national coordination of universities reaffirmed its determination to continue the protests and reiterated that withdrawal of the reforms was “necessary to re-establish conditions for dialogue”.

Strikes cripple French universities

BBC: Strikes cripple French universities

_45746946_frenchstudentprotestafp466bStudent protest in Bordeaux (2 April 2009)

France’s public universities are overcrowded and under-funded

Staff and students at almost a quarter of France’s state-run universities remain on strike over government plans to overhaul the higher education system.

The protests are now in their 14th week and may mean that some pupils, who have missed out on months of teaching, will have to miss their exams and repeat an entire academic year, the BBC’s Emma Jane Kirby in Paris says.

Months-Long Strikes Close French Colleges, But Motive Is Unclear

Washington Post: Months-Long Strikes Close French Colleges, But Motive Is Unclear

MONTPELLIER, France — During months of campus protests here, the only serious violence erupted one evening when student activists got in a fight over which movie to show during the all-night occupation of a large classroom.

Turmoil at French universities could leave students facing missed year

The Guardian: Turmoil at French universities could leave students facing missed year

French universities, paralysed by three months of student blockades and staff strikes, were warned by the government to resume teaching yesterday or risk damaging France’s image on the world stage.

Since February, various universities have been thrown into chaos by the biggest higher education revolt in modern French history, surpassing the protests of May 1968 in terms of the numbers of academic staff who have gone on strike.

French students hold university president

Press Association: Students hold university president

Students protesting proposed reforms have stormed the offices of a university in the French city of Rennes and are holding its president.

Officials said dozens of people stormed the office of the president of Rennes 2 University on Monday afternoon.

French Student Protesters Disrupt Paris’s Academic Core and Seize Presidents’ Offices Elsewhere

The Chronicle News Blog: French Student Protesters Disrupt Paris’s Academic Core and Seize Presidents’ Offices Elsewhere

On the eve of the two-week Easter holiday, French university students and academic staff members staged another mass demonstration in Paris today, blocking a major boulevard in the Latin Quarter, the historic core of academic life in the city, and shouting slogans evoking the mass protests that convulsed the country in May 1968, the news agency Reuters reported. Elsewhere in France, protesters this week appeared to step up their tactics, occupying administrative offices at two universities and “sequestering” their presidents.

FRANCE: Strikes continue despite teacher-training concession

World University News: FRANCE: Strikes continue despite teacher-training concession

Striking lecturers and researchers are continuing their eight-week stoppage, despite a further concession by Education Minister Xavier Darcos over teacher-training reform. The biggest higher education union also rejected an amended decree modifying academics’ job status at a meeting with Higher Education and Research Minister Valérie Pécresse.

Up to 30,000 protesting lecturers, researchers and students – joined by two university presidents – demonstrated on Tuesday in Paris and other major towns, while during the week individual institutions continued organising protest actions such as holding lectures in public places, local demonstrations and boycotting administrative duties.

France: General strike shakes government

Green Left: France: General strike shakes government

21 March 2009

On March 19, record numbers of people took to the streets as part of a general strike against President Nicolas Sarkozy’s anti-worker economic policies, a British Guardian article said the following day.

The demonstrations, involving more than 3 million people, followed a general strike called by the union movement on January 29, which involved 2.4 million workers.

France shifts from striking to marching

International Herald Tribune: France shifts from striking to marching

PARIS: French strikes aren’t what they used to be.

In December 1995 and November 2007, unions brought all transportation to a standstill across the country for more than a week. Thursday, in a one-day strike by the same eight unions, metros in Paris and Marseille ran normally, most Air France-KLM Group flights took off on time, and fewer people struck at French schools and government offices than in previous actions.

FRANCE: Academic and student anger grows

World University News: FRANCE: Academic and student anger grows

The nation’s universities continued to be disrupted by strikes and protests against proposed teacher training reforms last week, while university presidents called for a year’s delay in introducing the changes to allow time for reflection and consultation.

Workers Protest Across France

The New York Times: Workers Protest Across France

PARIS — France’s airports, trains and utilities were hit by work stoppages on Thursday, as unions mobilized against President Nicolas Sarkozy’s economic policies and his government’s response to the global recession.

FRANCE: Concessions but strike continues

World University News: FRANCE: Concessions but strike continues

Government ministers have made a further concession to striking lecturers and researchers, postponing introduction of contentious teacher-training reforms by a year. But by the weekend, the six-week strike showed no sign of abating with ongoing university closures and protest actions, including nationwide demonstrations on Wednesday in the tens of thousands. Meanwhile, President Nicolas Sarkozy came under attack by education unions for “tackling the problem” during a lunch with senior academics and researchers.

French Government Backs Down Amid Protests Over Higher-Education Proposals

The Chronicle News Blog: French Government Backs Down Amid Protests Over Higher-Education Proposals

The French government has yielded to pressure following weeks of protests and disruptions at universities across the country and announced that a controversial decree governing the hiring and promotion of researchers engaged in teaching would be “entirely rewritten on the basis of discussions conducted by Valérie Pécresse [the higher-education minister] with the organizations in question.”

Strikes Disrupt French Universities

The Chronicle News Blog: Strikes Disrupt French Universities

Universities across France experienced widespread disruptions today, in response to calls from faculty unions and student groups to protest plans for reforming the higher-education system. The government’s proposals provoked opposition from the outset, which intensified recently over moves to modify a law governing the hiring and promotion of researchers engaged in teaching. The change would allow universities to dictate how those staff members allocated their time between teaching and other activities.

Huge crowds join French strikes

BBC: Huge crowds join French strikes

Huge crowds have taken to the streets in France to protest over the handling of the economic crisis, causing disruption to rail and air services.

Unions said 2.5m workers had rallied to demand action to protect wages and jobs. Police put the total at 1m.