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Asserts that Sir Roger Penrose, of Oxford, England, is suing Kimberly-Clark Ltd. in April 1997 over the design of toilet paper. Penrose's claim of copyright infringement over the use of the Penrose Pattern; The suit filed by Pentaplex Ltd.

Features the publication of a manuscript about the structure of DNA written by Bruce Fraser. Reason for delays in publication; Journal where the paper appeared; Seminal paper on DNA published by the colleagues of Fraser prior to his manuscript; Overview of the story on how a group of researchers in England uncovered facts about DNA.

The article deals with the reform of the administrative structure of Oxford University in England proposed by a party chaired by John Hood, vice chancellor of the university. The party of Hood proposes to bring a majority of outsiders onto the central body responsible for institutional governance. Many professors oppose a proposal to create a new Academic Board to be responsible for academic administration. He believes that the financial constraints restrict the number of graduate students it can admit.

Analyzes the term `Black Death,' which became popular in England during 1500s. Related studies on `Black Death'; Cause of pandemics during the days of early history; Details on the consequences attributed to `Black Death.'

The article reports on employees of the printing plant that serves England's Bradford University and Bradford College, who have been pooling their lottery resources for many years. It is explained that they decided in 2002 to develop their strategy. They wrote every number from one to 49 on separate slips of paper and had each person draw six, to correspond with the six numbers picked in each lottery draw. After the first 48 pieces of paper were drawn, they used the last one and began again with the previously selected numbers. In October 2006, the group shared a $10 million jackpot.

Reports on the methods of education used by the Open University in Milton Keynes, England. Success of methods; Statistics on people who have taken courses and earned degrees at the Open University; Effect of non-selective admissions; Details of the university's budget and operation; Plans to begin a sister institution in United States. INSET: Banking on Its Reputation, The Open University Starts....

The article discusses the preservation of the Saint Chad Gospels, a Latin manuscript from the eighth-century, by English professor William F. Endres and computer-science professor W. Brent Seales, both from the University of Kentucky. It focuses on the computer technologies, including multispectral imaging, used to scan and digitize the manuscript through the school's Center for Visualization and Virtual Environments. It also chronicles chemical preservation efforts regarding the document, describes grants from the U.S. National Science Foundation, and profiles the home of the manuscript which is the Lichfield Cathedral in Lichfield, England.

This article reports that the University of Oxford, Oxford, England, outlined proposed changes in May 2006 that would transform how the 900-year-old institution is run and, for the first time, give outsiders a leading role in its governance. Oxford is under increasing fiscal pressure. It is organized on a decentralized collegiate system, and its 39 colleges enjoy considerable autonomy. Ultimate decision-making responsibility at Oxford resides with Congregation, a body made up of faculty members, researchers and other administrative staff members. Practical policy-making responsibility resides with Oxford's much smaller Council. Another body, the Conference of Colleges, represents the common interests of the 39 colleges and seven other academic units, known as permanent private halls, in their relations with the central university. The white-paper proposals would leave the composition of Congregation unchanged but alter the size and composition of Council, reducing it from 26 to 15 members and specifying that eight of those individuals, including its chair, be from outside the university. The report also envisions the creation of a new Academic Board, which would have responsibility for the academic administration of the university. Oxford's Congregation is expected to debate the report's proposed reforms this fall.

Presents information on several books written by historian Stephen Greenblatt that link the life, beliefs and morality of English playwright William Shakespeare. "Will in the World: How Shakespeare Became Shakespeare"; "Renaissance Self-Fashioning: From More to Shakespeare"; "Shakespeare For All Time"; Criticism on the method used by Greenblatt in analyzing and interpreting the works of Shakespeare; Discussion on the influence of Shakespeare on the Western civilization.

The article discusses the collection of works by Irish writer Samuel Beckett at the Beckett International Foundation at the University of Reading, England and the Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center at the University of Texas. After 100 years, Ireland remains happy to claim him as its own. The web site created by Ransom Center, Fathoms From Anywhere: a Samuel Beckett Centenary Exhibition, features a collection his works. The Beckett Foundation also posted hundreds of manuscripts and other items, together with Julian A. Gartforth, a research fellow at the foundation who made the cataloging of Beckett's work.

The article presents information on two research reports by geneticists which have revealed that schizophrenia is not one disease, but many. These reports have confirmed the suspicions of some psychiatrists in this regard. One of the studies was conducted by a team of scientists led by Robin Sherrington, who is a researcher at the University of London, London, England. Another research was conducted by the researchers at Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut. According to Eric S. Lander, who is a fellow at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, these two papers together pave the way for a genetic approach to splitting schizophrenia into a collection of distinct diseases.

Reports on efforts by former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher to endow a professorship at the University of Cambridge focused on free enterprise. Negotiations and considerations by the university of its academic integrity; The University of Oxford's rejection of a proposal to give Thatcher, an alumnus, an honorary doctorate; Thatcher's donation of her personal and political papers to Cambridge's Churchill College.

Reviews the play "Measure for Measure," directed by Simon McBurney and performed at the Globe and National Theatres in London, England in 2004.

Features the reality-based television program `Rough Science,' produced by Open University in Milton Keynes, England. Focus of the program; Plans of the university for the program.

A personal narrative is presented that discusses the author's experience as an American scholar living in England, noting the fees and forms that have been required by Great Britain's Home Office for the permanent residence of the author and his family.

The article discusses the movement towards open access publishing of publicly-funded research in Great Britain, Europe, and Australia. Topics include comments by British Minister David Willetts in support of the findings of the Finch Group, a committee tasked with opening public access to research, comments by Michael B. Eisen of the Public Library of Science (PLoS) open-access publisher, as well as Great Britain's Wellcome Trust's endorsement of open access publishing initiatives.

The article focuses on the literary work and career of Terry Eagleton. Eagleton is probably the most well-known literary critic in Britain and the most frequently read expositor of literary theory in the world. An analysis of how his writings have changed from 1976-2003 is presented. A discussion of a conference which was held in the summer of 2006 at the University of Manchester, where Eagleton is a professor of cultural theory, that took stock of his prodigious work and career is offered.

The article provides news briefs concerning people in higher education. The article reports that Robert D. Putnam, a professor of public policy at Harvard University, has announced plans to create a new center for incubating trans-Atlantic policy debates. Beginning in 2007, Harvard and the University of Manchester, in England, will collaborate on a five-year program titled Social Change, which will bring together professors and graduate students from both institutions. Also, Elizabeth Hoffman, who resigned in 2005 as president of the University of Colorado System, has been named executive vice president and provost of Iowa State University.

This article reports on Paula Krebs, a professor of English at Wheaton College and editor of "Academe," the bimonthly magazine of the American Association of University Professors. Krebs had scheduled a research trip to London, which turned out to be just after British police announced they had foiled a new terrorist attack aimed at bringing down airplanes traveling to the United States. It wasn't until Krebs ended up canceling her trip that she realized just how much she had wanted to make the trip in the first place.

Reviews the theatrical productions of William Shakespeare's Henriad dramas in 2003. "Richard II" at Shakespeare's Globe in London, England; "Henry V"at the National Theatre in London, England; "Henry IV, Part I" at the Brooklyn Academy of Music.

Comments on the closure of the department of sociology and cultural studies at the University of Birmingham in England. Details on the establishment of the department; Symptoms of the crisis of higher education in Great Britain; Details on the sociology program of the department.

Reports on the online-writing project of Nottingham Trent University in England. Aim of the project; Benefits to the participants; Principal author of the story line.

Presents an update on higher education around the world as of April 5, 2002. Resignation of two professors from Oxford University in England due to a philanthropic donation scandal; Rankings of Canadian provincial governments in terms of their commitment to higher education; Educational credit transfer for postsecondary institutions proposed in Canada.

Provides news on some universities around the world as of November 17, 2000. Challenge posed by British Broadcasting Corp. to the Open University in Great Britain; Affirmative action issue among Swedish state universities; Goal of Robert Birgeneau, president of the University of Toronto in Canada, for a fund raising campaign.

Reports international news briefs related to education. Criticism of the recommendation of a guesthouse by the University of Edinburgh, in light of the fact that the owner is a World War II war criminal; Lawsuit brought by the University of Nottingham against Simon Fishel, a member of the team that helped create the first test-tube baby, for hiding profits; South Asia as lagging in efforts to eradicate illiteracy, according a delegates to a United Nations-organized congress in Bangkok, Thailand.

Focuses on University of Oxford's Bodleian Library. Description; Books; Problem of space; Lack of room to expand; Comments by Reg Carr, librarian and director of university library services; Cost of modernizing old buildings; Struggle to balance modernization with tradition.