Opinion

With funding crunch time looming, some UK policymakers seem set on limiting education opportunities while advocating their benefits to society

The spending review must confirm the substance beneath the government’s froth about becoming a science superpower, says James Wilsdon

Universities must give credit for the broadened skill sets that the pandemic has prompted academics to acquire, says John Tregoning

Manipulating assessment to generate equal outcomes sabotages an engine of fairness in a meritocratic society, says Glenn Fulcher

When observance of university rules is subservient to internal political considerations, standards and fairness suffer, says Afroz Shah

Questioning and rethinking how and where we live will determine whether we go on living at all, says Ulrich Loening

In the absence of an express prohibition of class discrimination, a new code offers a beginning for dialogue, says Geraldine Van Bueren

The tactful approach can be effective but it risks obscuring the necessity and urgency of improvements, says Chris Moore

Lotteries for viable funding applications may be one way forward, say Lisette Jong, Thomas Franssen, Stephen Pinfield and James Wilsdon

The Covid-enforced pause to in-person visits has been a relief to BAME academics, says Aymen Idris

In a digital era, academics’ time would be far better spent on assessment, curation and mentoring, says Terry Young

An enlightened university should offer all accused students expert representation, advice and support, says Daniel Sokol

Schools should be hubs of interdisciplinarity, co-producing research and solutions with key stakeholder groups, says Ansgar Richter

Institutions need to do all they can to stay visible and be ready to welcome students back when borders reopen, says Stephen Connelly

New Cambridge guidance will help academics avoid collaborations that pose a threat to security or academic freedom, says Stephen Toope

Some would argue that there are too many international students but it’s a problem many universities would like to have, for financial and other reasons

Addressing the very real problem of global epistemic exclusion is inclusive and democratic, says Simon Marginson

The ‘dark academia’ fashion trend underlines the stereotype of the slim, pale, serious woman dressed in black, says Rachel Moss

The pandemic is still demanding accurate and rapid communication at every twist and turn. Johanna Lowe lists four lessons learned from 18 months of unrelenting pressure

Google Translate’s limitations spell out why we must revisit old questions about artificial intelligence, says Lionel Tarassenko

A pan-European document could also boost institutional autonomy, budgets, policy visibility and common problem-solving ability, says Jan Palmowski

One university’s strenuous efforts to eradicate cheating by students and academics point the way for the whole sector, says Július Kravjar

Increased digital literacy will also help boost employability and finally end the crisis narrative, says Jo Fox

The UK archaeology programme, which is being revived on YouTube, represents an ideal to which other disciplines can aspire, says Keith Frankish

A new consortium will embody the spread of liberal arts beyond the West, say Bryan Penprase and Thomas Schneider 

Vaccines notwithstandiing, mitigations are needed to avoid a repeat of last year’s campus Covid wave, say Simon Williams and Gavin Yamey

Universities typically generate much more income from industry contracts than from spinning out companies, says Calum Drummond

All students, regardless of subject, need meaningful opportunities to engage with the democratic process, say Meg Little Reilly and Richard Watts

If it all goes wrong, universities will not be able to avert truly disastrous consequences, says Rama Thirunamachandran 

Writing, speaking and advising offer the rewards of scholarly life without the constraints and contradictions of universities, says Harvey Graff

Academics have acclaimed the Netflix series. But how many have noticed the absence of non-tenure-track faculty, asks Tian An Wong

Online teaching, freedom of speech and minimum entry requirements are all caught in the strange disconnect between government and universities

Bullies and snakes can only wreak havoc via the support – conscious or otherwise – of those around them, says Irina Dumitrescu

As freshers make up for forgone alcohol experiments during lockdown, George Bass won’t be surprised to see more hair ransoms on Instagram 

This article does not require your immediate attention, says Emily Kane

Covid’s creation of an environment in which lessons can be debated will improve public understanding, say Deenan Pillay and David King

Amid languishing quality, introducing what could be a more expensive curriculum to deliver may not boost employability, says Pushkar

Australia and New Zealand’s isolation continues, but global collaboration is ever more crucial, says Dawn Freshwater

Headlines about whether the liberal arts can work in Asia only probe part of the story, says Scott Anthony

The EU’s massive cash injection with double Italy’s languishing higher education budget, says Ferruccio Resta

For all the talk about the digital revolution, the demand for in-person education is stronger than ever, says Nick Hillman

Uncritical and misinformed imitation of physics or biology is a misconception of collaboration, says Harvey J. Graff

Following the military coup, Burmese faculty and students fear annihilation of a budding modern higher education system, says Kyaw Moe Tun

A deeply flawed government consultation on ITT risks precipitating teacher shortages and undermining university research, says Ems Lord

Awareness campaigns and reconfigured assessments are key to reining in cheating, says Ashley Norris

Only unrestricted access to journal articles’ version of record will fulfil the aims of the open access movement, says Carrie Webster

Block grants need to be divided up, but UK research quality does not depend on a regular national audit

Students’ task is never to read authors uncritically but to fully grasp all sides of every argument, says Eric Heinze

We should build education and research on an embrace of others and a regard for diversity that does not stop at the campus gate, says Teruo Fujii

A commitment to truth based on scientific evidence and academic freedom is more necessary than ever, say Philip Altbach and Jamil Salmi

Twenty years of progress hangs in the balance, says Rahmatullah Katawazai

Researchers in developing countries could be frozen out by high article charges unless wider publishing reform is undertaken, say four Brazilian researchers

EU-wide law could curb the influence of big tech while enabling the free flow of knowledge throughout the bloc, says Karen Maex

Even with automated translation technology, perfecting course materials in multiple languages will take time, says Mukhtar Ahmad

UK universities will need all the assistance they can get to help incoming students catch up, find accommodation and stay safe, says Matt Western

Academic hiring and promotion are still overwhelmingly based on the quantity and quality of research, says Oriol Amat

An Office for Institutional Equity, sitting outside human resources, will help establish a fairer, inclusive environment, says Charles Egbu

A major new study reveals that, across the world, work-life balance issues hold women back, say Elaine Howard Ecklund and Di Di

Revamping delivery modes and partnerships will give Australia a more resilient, student-centred sector with regional appeal, says Deborah Terry

Vaccine inequality and over-reliance on remote data collection threaten to diminish marginal voices, say Nicole Stremlau and Gianluca Iazzolino