Blog

A university closure would provoke a ‘run on the university’, which will be much more expensive than the bailout the sector is currently seeking, says Adrian Bell

When suicide prevention plans aren’t enough, postvention can help minimise the impact on students, faculty and staff write Susanna Harris and Robert Cramer 

They can teach the practical essentials needed for emerging from lockdown and localising the supply chain, says Zahir Irani

The pandemic has worsened longstanding sexist and racist inequalities in science pushing many of us to say ‘I’m done’, write 35 female scientists 

Sir Keith Burnett is relieved to find that through online platforms, teachers can still connect with students and can give ideas life

With public trust in science and innovation renewed, now is the time for higher education to improve, argue Karan Khemka and Parag Khanna

The traditional methods of measuring student ability in college admissions aren’t fit for the unconventional study environments students are now in, says Ben Faulkner 

Working with Indigenous communities in New Zealand will help the country rebuild and refocus on the SDGs, write Cate Gribble and Jim Metson 

The Race Equality Charter must be part of universities’ recovery plans, argues Dave Thomas 

Academics are collaborating better and doing work that won’t directly advance their careers – this is what academia should be about, says Mona Nasrallah

Without government support, the country risks losing thousands of jobs and one of its biggest industries, writes Julian Hill

Requiring universities to report on their impact on climate change and society will remind a sceptical public of their value, says Jaci Eisenberg

Universities have shown that they can come to the rescue of our country in a crisis. We must protect them as vital local and national resources, says Emma Hardy

Universities have proved that we can change quickly, but we must be ready to do it again if we are to adapt to the new realities that lie ahead, says Chris Husbands

As we emerge from the Covid-19 crisis, government should require universities to provide community learning strategies, says Jonathan Michie

With Covid-19 radically reshaping higher education, what impact will it have on the US’ flagship international exchange organisation? Bruce Savre and Kevin Quigley ask

With campuses closed and finances weakening, these are the broad strategic points university leaders are considering right now, according to Alan Ruby

The policy to shift the cost of higher education on to students who now won’t be able to get jobs or travel to study is the real crisis here, says Kanishka Jayasuriya 

Impact and engagement should be built into the design of academic work, says Matthew Davies

Katie Metzler would like to see the different disciplines become more than the sum of their parts

The approach to monetary penalties proposed by the UK’s Office for Students risks penalising well-run universities disproportionately, argues Martin Vincent 

Being trapped in Peru as countries went into lockdown showed us just how little support is available to researchers working abroad, a group of biologists writes

Providing hardship funding to buy laptops and being flexible with evaluations are among the best practices the QAA has observed, writes Vicki Stott

Skills learned in arts and humanities degrees will be vital in understanding the effects of the coronavirus crisis, says Katy Shaw

Starting terms in January to avoid second-wave coronavirus outbreaks will be too costly for universities and damage students’ educational progress, says Anthony Seldon

You might not be in a lab searching for a vaccine, but take the long view and remember your research is still valuable to humanity, says Andy Miah

Poster sessions, networking and holding panels across time zones are all possible online, say Celia Popovic and Erika Kustra

Higher education can give them the knowledge and skills needed to protect themselves against the coronavirus, say Paul O’Keffe and Djemila Carron

On the third anniversary of the UK’s national apprenticeship scheme, Simon Hunt calls for more buy-in from universities

Two weeks of working from home and academic couple Theresa Mercer and Andrew Kythreotis are developing their online teaching skills. Potty training their youngest, however, remains a challenge

Post-qualification applications will greatly improve access to UK universities, says Robin Hardman 

Without the structure of campus routine, a student with autism says it’s impossible to complete assignments and he’s worried about finishing his degree

Online learning content is being shared across universities and accessed by record numbers of users, say Valentina Reda and Ruth Kerr

Our students will be burdened with paying back current emergency spending and they deserve a fighting chance, says Sir Keith Burnett 

Universities are facing immediate challenges, but they’d be short-sighted to not prioritise civic activity, says Richard Calvert 

To stop economic destruction, we need to refocus vast resources from other productive activity – a truly grand prize might do the trick, says Chris Callaghan

A solution that works for some might not work for others. Each student’s circumstances must be considered, argues Simon Hunt

Universities will have to rethink online provision, while the social and economic factors of the pandemic will affect demand, writes Simon Marginson 

It’s this element of higher education that will help universities make a quick recovery after this unprecedented crisis, says Steve Smith 

David LeFevre outlines a three-stage planning process needed to enhance online learning for all students – the new normal after Covid-19

Communication must improve and students should be consulted on finding new assessment methods, says Brian Wong

Both are too resource-intensive to be sustainable during this crisis, and their objectives can be achieved through other measures, argues Dorothy Bishop

Now is the time for the higher education sector to get ahead of questionable government policy, say Chik Collins, Peter Jones and Marjorie McCrory 

Universities are scrambling to streamline online learning and temporarily removing barriers to scholarly content will be a huge help, says Anna Vernon 

The arrival of many Chinese international students has stoked prejudices that were, unfortunately, already growing, says Justin Fendos

Identifying high-risk students early and communicating what support is available will be essential, says Toby Chelms

Having actionable plans already in place can help universities ride out the storm of global emergencies, says Cormac Bryce 

Taking all large classes online quickly required clear communication and a whole university approach, says May Lim

Having a colleague in the house is good to bounce ideas off of, but who will stay on top of the potty training? Theresa Mercer and Andrew Kythreotis share their experience of working from home during a pandemic

Having to work from home might mean your kids have a bit more screen time – and that’s OK. Pragya Agarwal offers her tips on mixing home-working and childcare

Analysing how Hong Kong Polytechnic University’s community dealt with the disruption of mass protests and now the coronavirus lockdown can aid in its recovery, say five health communication researchers 

The sudden move to accommodate studying away from campus will come as a surprise to many disabled students who were previously told it wasn’t possible, says Stephen Campbell 

Universities have a duty to speak up during a crisis and provide evidence-based commentary, says Dawn Freshwater 

Recommendations set out in Labour’s lifelong learning report aim to make learning a universal right, explains Graeme Atherton 

The costs of the UCU’s pay and pensions demands make the fights for lighter workloads, greater gender and ethnic pay equality, and less workforce casualisation impossible, says Alexander Douglas

How future governments view R&D investment will be impacted by this fresh injection of funding, writes Athene Donald 

There’s a great opportunity for Wales to show the world how an education centred on public service and community can be delivered, says Kirsty Williams 

H. A. Hellyer shares his top principles for being a good academic – and a good person

The UK’s requirement that dyslexia tutors have specialist qualifications is a strain on hourly paid tutors and limits universities’ pool of workers, says Stephen Campbell 

The UK government's increasingly proscriptive policies on teacher education could start encroaching on universities’ autonomy, say Viv Ellis and Keith Turvey