Scientists at Oxford have developed a way of making solar panels from metal oxides found in toothpaste. The discovery offers a much more cost-effective way of harnessing solar power, estimated to be 50% cheaper to produce than the current cheapest technology.

The group, led by Henry Snaith of  Jesus College, have produced solar cells that use organic materials and metal oxides. These are a lot less volatile than electrolyte dye cells and so can be produced very easily and cheaply over large areas.

Conversion efficiencies are  5-6% in the lab but are predicted to have the potential to reach 10%.

Ollie Bennett from solar power company MiPower said the discovery could be a “forerunner” in the solar panel market.

Oxford University’s Islamic Society has issued a statement declaring their support for Egyptian protestors and demanding the immediate removal of President Mubarak.

The Society states that Mubarak has been ruthlessly undermining the rights of the Egyptian people under the guise of a “three-decade state of emergency”, establishing “corruption, mistrust and enmity” within Egyptian society.

Believing the protest movement to reflect the broad divergences of Egyptian society, they praise the protesters’ courage in the face of growing hostility. 

The statement comes among growing scepticism towards Mubarak’s desire to remain in office until elections in September to ensure a “peaceful and organised” transfer of power. 

Two Hungarian drug-smugglers received prison sentences last week after attempting to use bookshelves headed for the Cambridge University Library to smuggle amphetamines into the country.

The illegal cargo never made it to the ‘Other Place’ as the pair were stopped by the UK Border Agency while trying to enter Britain at Ramsgate in September 2009. Police found £1.3 million worth of speed hidden inside a set of roller-shelves when they searched the lorry.

Although the University has been quick to emphasise that the drugs did not make it as far as the library, some students have expressed disappointment at the interception of what could have been a welcome distraction during a day’s work.

Sandor Szabo, 45, and Csaba Hollo, 36, each now face six years in prison.

An Oxford student was threatened by a man with a hammer in the town centre in the early hours of Friday morning.

The Brasenose finalist, who wished to remain anonymous, was intimidated by a man with a hammer and forced to hand over a phone before the man ran away.

The attack took place at 2am just outside the Oxford Union, a short distance away from the relatively busy Cornmarket Street.

The female student was alone and had been speaking on the phone when the man approached and demanded it was handed over.

He then ran away when a passer-by appeared on the scene.

The student declined to comment but stressed that the incident had taken place on a short route which would not normally be considered dangerous.

She had been walking back to Frewin Hall on New Inn Hall Street, an accommodation annex used by Brasenose College, and had followed a simple route along the High Street and Cornmarket, before turning onto St Michael’s Street.

The subsequent encounter on St Michael’s was described as unexpected and unpleasant.

The student emphasised that similar incidents can be avoided as long as students be aware of the risks of walking by themselves late at night. It is suggested that adequate safety measures were taken.

Francesca Golding, a second year Engineer at Brasenose, said, ‘”Oxford’s a big city so it’s to be expected that there will be crimes. 

“As students I think we often assume it’s going to be safe and this just goes to show that we should take more care. Also it’s probably worth noting that even though St Michael’s Street is in the centre of town, at night there aren’t that many people going down there so it can be quite intimidating.”

The incident has been reported to police and college authorities. The student involved said the police investigation was looking optimistic. 

Oxford City Council is asking Oxford and Oxford Brookes Universities to increase local residents’ access to their sporting facilities.

An Independent Working Class Association motion asking the universities to explore ways of increasing community access was carried at an Oxford City Council meeting on 24th January.

The motion stated, “The current economic crisis is likely to have an adverse impact on the availability of affordable sports, recreational and educational facilities to Oxford residents – especially those from working class backgrounds.”

“A lot of our children will never get to go to these universities,” said Stuart Craft, the Independent Working Class Association councillor for Northfield Brook.

“A mark of an institution’s commitment to social justice isn’t sending a few students to do a bit of charity work; it’s opening up their resources to locals.

 “What’s more, students don’t pay council tax fees – we do.”

Jim Campbell, the Liberal Democrat councillor for St. Margaret’s, seconded Craft’s motion. 

He stated, “In these hard times, we wanted to encourage the authorities at both the university and the college level to extend the access they already offer.  

“I think it’s important to remember that there are a number of organisations, such as KEEN (Kids Enjoy Exercise Now), doing brilliant work for Oxford residents.”

KEEN is a charity run by Oxford and Brookes students along with other young people which provides sporting and recreational activities for children and young adults with special needs in Oxfordshire.

Many of the universities’ facilities, such as Oxford’s swimming pool and gym at Iffley Road, are already fully available for community use.

“The University maintains an excellent relationship with the local school sports coordinator, with whom we host many community sports events for children throughout the year,” said a spokesperson for Oxford University. 

According to a statement issued by the University, local students and residents should benefit from the planned redevelopment and expansion of the Iffley Road stadium and sports centre. Some University sports clubs may even become open for community members to join.

Oxford Brookes allows Oxford community members to join their gym and use their sports facilities, but charges locals higher fees than students.

Craft and the city councillors also hope that facilities such as boathouses, which are owned by individual colleges, could be made available to the public.

Jake Lancaster, who rows for Keble, disagrees. “The boats fall into disrepair often enough with just students using them,” he said.

“If sports teams and clubs would like to hire college facilities when students and members are not using them, they should contact the college sports clubs directly and some arrangement may well be possible,” an Oxford University spokesperson, told the Oxford Mail.

Finalised figures for national cuts to universities nationwide of £940m, including a 66% cut in the science capital budget, have been released. 

The figures, published by the Higher Education Funding Council for England, form part of what Universities Minister David Willetts has described as “a year of transition.”

The final budget shows that in 2011-12 universities will face a 9.5% cut compared with the current academic year, including a 6% cut to teaching budgets. Capital spending for buildings and equipment will fall by 55%, and the teaching budget will be cut by £830m the following year.

Willetts commented, “Under the new higher education reforms we are putting funding in the hands of students, instead of a centrally allocated grant.”

The University has stressed that its response will not be formed until the allocation is received in March.

A spokesperson said, “While HEFCE has announced funding levels for the sector as a whole, the institution-specific funding arrangements have not been made available yet. 

“Until those details become available we cannot speculate how the University will be affected. Whatever the updated arrangements, Oxford is committed to funding undergraduate teaching.” 

Law student Kat Shields commented, “These cuts to higher education will make it more difficult for the next generation of Britons to compete globally, particularly in areas like science.” 

Kevin Feeney, a member of the Oxford University Labour Club, told Cherwell, “This is a reckless and unnecessary proposal. The pretence of protecting the sciences while cutting funding to essential buildings and equipment is another example of the deceit of students.” 

Meanwhile, Henry Evans, President of the Oxford University Conservative Association, said, “This is just a transition period from one form of funding to another. It may be difficult at first, but ultimately these decisions will improve the system of higher education in this country.” 

Nationally, many universities have voiced fears over the future of research. Russell Group director general, Wendy Piatt, said, “These new cuts will make it even harder for our top universities and researchers to lead the economic recovery.” 

While a spokesperson for the Department of Business, Skills and Innovation has said that the changes will provide “stability and certainty,” Labour’s universities spokesman, Gareth Thomas, called the cuts “unfair, unnecessary and unsustainable.”  

A controversial gossip website used by students at universities and schools has closed down.

LittleGossip had a whole section dedicated to Oxford University, allowing anonymous users to spread rumours about people’s looks, sex lives and drug habits.

Exeter College had one of the most active message boards, with personal posts being written about several of its members.

One student was described as a “really lovely girl. Fucks with people’s heads though” while another was branded the “biggest virgin”.

Though not everyone was joining in, another member of the group posted the following, which got thirty-four likes before the website ceased operation:

“Hurt people hurt and it’s clear that people posting shite here have taken a punch to their fragile and insecure emotions. 

“Remember you’re the only version of you that will ever exist, don’t let the jealous and obsessed get you down.”

Another anonymous user on the Exeter College message board said of Adolf Hitler, the military and political leader who launched World War Two and bears responsibility for the deaths of millions, “Bit of a dick to be honest.”

LittleGossip, created by web developers in Belize, had been pressurised by schools to hide its most offensive content. Several leading private schools, including Tormead School in Guildford and James Allen Girls in London, were forced to ban the website back in December.

John Carr, member of the executive board of the UK Council for Internet Safety, told the BBC that though the site’s content was “very distressing”, there was nothing illegal about the site in general and thus they could not take legal action to close it down. “It’s essentially about the abuse of anonymity and allowing people to hide behind cloaks to say horrible things about people,” he commented. 

In a statement on their homepage, Little Gossip blamed a “minority of irresponsible people” for continuing to abuse the site.

Jesus College JCR has voted to spend £800 on a sunbed this week, in a move derided by some members of the college as “wasteful” and “decadent”.

The purchase was put forward in a last-minute JCR motion by Jesus Tanning Club and approved at the general meeting last Sunday. The JCR Committee is now awaiting college approval before plans for the sunbed’s installation can go ahead. 

However, concerns over electricity usage and the likelihood of installation in a college-owned building mean the plans are in doubt. A third year student said,  “I’m not averse to a slightly tongue-in-cheek motion being put through. 

“However, if the sunbed was actually bought I would be more concerned. I always thought people look better without having the skin tone of an American football.”

Other students were similarly sceptical. Kathryn Finch, a second year, said, “I was surprised at the news. 

“My first reaction was that I’m not really up for paying for institutionalised cancer. It just sounds like a bit of a waste of money.”

The sunbed purchase comes after the “death of fun” at Jesus last term. Students wore black armbands in protest at increased academic pressure from college authorities.

Declan Clowry, a second year student at Jesus, was more optimistic. “Decadent?” He said. “Maybe. But it’s probably cheaper and greener than flying off somewhere hot.”

Concerns have been raised that Oxford is loosing its competitive edge when in come to attracting quality researchers and lecturers.

Professors at Brown, an Ivy League University in the USA, are paid a base rate equivalent of £83,450, while their counterparts at Oxford  are paid only £62,621, excluding collegiate benefits.

A recently advertised post for a Tutorial Fellowship at Merton contained details of a combined University and College salary of between £42,563 and £57,201.

Annual salaries given out by the University of Cambridge for professorships are also greater than those given out by Oxford.

The minimal professorial salary for a Professor in Cambridge is £64,379.

There is, however, a degree of ambiguity when it comes to salaries in Oxford, as both the University and colleges can contribute towards the salaries of academics.

A spokesperson for the University said, “the salary range for lecturers, which is the main career grade at Oxford University, does not include college salary and benefits on top.

“Most academics draw a salary from the University plus a salary from their college, the level of which will vary between colleges.

“College membership also brings various benefits such as use of college facilities. Other benefits include responsibility allowances for the heads of departments.”

Allowances for books and entertainment are often included in academics’ salaries.

The book grant for the advertised post at Merton is worth £814 per annum alone, and the tax-free entertainment allowance on top of that is worth £450.

There is also a remarkable difference in the amount paid to the heads of institutions.  Oxford’s Vice Chancellor, Andrew Hamilton, is paid £382,000 per year, but his counterpart at Stanford in the USA is paid $702,000 in 2008, the equivalent of £435,500.

At Brown, the starting rate for a lecturer is the equivalent of £37,314, whereas in Oxford, faculty lecturers can be paid as little as £21,367.

Last term, several academics voiced their concern that Oxford was becoming a victim of the ‘brain drain’ as academics fled to other universities worldwide.

Brian Foster, Professor of Experimental Physics, noted that Oxford could suffer an exodus of academics as better funding became available elsewhere.

Despite the recent passing of legislation allowing universities to charge up to £9,000 a year, this is still a fraction of what students pay in the USA.

At Brown, the 2010-11 academic fee was £24,776 excluding accommodation and other costs.