Opinion

Big datasets linking higher education participation to a range of socio-economic factors are useful and fascinating, but their translation into policy remains fraught 

A Labor victory in May’s election could still see funding conditional on universities’ employability, diversity or research records, says Andrew Norton

The three people vying to be the next leader of the UK’s University and College Union explain in their own words what they’ll do if elected

The time and financial costs of attending academic conferences discredits higher education’s desire for greater equity, says Race MoChridhe 

Katherine Firth breaks down the different meanings of ‘hard’ and gives tips for how students can persevere 

Timetabling should be at the heart of curriculum development and business strategising, argues Gill Sinclair

Zeireen Fuzurally interviewed students from Oxford and Cambridge and found that the nuance in their experiences is often overlooked in the national conversation about mental health

The combined practical and theoretical knowledge students will gain in the UK’s newest qualification make them a realistic alternative to A levels, says Andrew Kaye 

Karan Khemka weighs up the economic and moral returns on paying for a place at a top-ranked institution 

A lack of accountability can permit a toxic culture to linger unchecked, says one former employee, who was the victim of antisemitism

More independent research centres would mean more jobs for researchers and more scientific progress, says Thomas Fink 

Many institutions’ missions mean they do work that changes lives but never wins wide attention. Our new University Impact Rankings aim to recognise them

Bias would be reduced if grant applicants’ capabilities were considered only after assessment of their anonymised proposals, says David Sanders

Tough stances on grade inflation, unconditional offers and senior pay will help maintain global excellence, says Michael Barber 

Agreement that EU research funding should continue to be distributed according to quality is an important step forward, writes Jan Palmowski

The advance of the ‘business model’ of university governance has disempowered academics, diminished their decision-making authority and weakened their ability to innovate, says Michael Shattock

Universities have a duty to act swiftly and decisively to protect their staff when student bullying occurs, says Dirk Lindebaum 

They’re not all selfish and corrupt Gordon Gekkos, say Riina Koris and Anders Örtenblad

Solutions to the funding crisis will depend on universities’ abilities to build new business partnership models supported by new ways of working, says Mike Boxall  

Researchers Masha Krylova, Rodney Clifton and Gabor Csepregi argue for greater awareness around the negative academic impacts of students’ overusing mobile phones 

New THE metrics challenge universities to think about their societal contributions and encourage them to be responsible employers, says Jonathan Grant

This year’s ERA identified another rise in the amount of world-class research being done, but it ultimately damages the country’s long-term competitiveness, argues Frank Larkins

It would be easy for universities to cede the frontiers of research in AI to industry. But history – and the experts – tell us that would be a mistake

Institutions must retain neutrality and academic freedom while working with businesses, says Max Lu

The impact of artificial intelligence on future societies will be shaped by the decisions that we make today, says Toby Walsh

If Americans lose faith in alternative routes to success, entry to top universities could become as cut-throat as it is in South Korea, says Stephanie K. Kim

In these days of virtual learning environments, face-to-face classes promote the endangered art of meaningful human interaction, says Joe Moran

Republicans in Congress are far less ideologically driven to avoid deficits and increase military spending this time, writes THE’s North America editor Paul Basken

China’s investments in talent circulation and innovation hubs hold many lessons for the UK’s international education ambitions, says Catherine Montgomery 

Prejudice against working-class academics threatens the academic integrity of universities, argues Jack Adams 

A consultation of UK universities shows they are committed to protecting the value of degree qualifications, says Janet Beer

Despite thin pickings this time around, Trudeau’s Liberals have probably done enough to win the science vote in October’s election, says Creso Sá

Danny Ward describes how a three-month internship in Kenya taught him employable skills that he never would have acquired in the lab 

Impostor syndrome, feeling misunderstood and pressure to stay on top can plague many academics. Magdalena Bak-Maier advises how to prevent them derailing your efficiency  

Elite US universities’ history of acknowledging hereditary advantage at least came with a sense of social obligation, says Amanda Louise Johnson

A large world-class university may eclipse a less renowned neighbour, but an education ecosystem rich in diversity can benefit all in the area

All campus life is here

The interdisciplinary advisory panel spent 18 months debating the best way to define and assess interdisciplinary research in the REF. Now it’s up to the research community to decide if we are right, says Athene Donald 

And it’s time for government policy on post-study work to change, says Nick Hillman 

Market-like mechanisms within higher education are unpopular with academics but can have positive effects, say Rebecca Natow and Kevin Dougherty

A greater willingness from facilitators to listen to feedback could transform collective decision-making, say Liana Kreamer and Steven Rogelberg 

For those reliant on EU funding, seeking appointments at continental universities is the only sensible course, says Peter Coveney

Deep political division suggests that post-Brexit negotiations around research collaboration and talent mobility with the EU will drag on, says Chris Husbands 

Sal Jarvis identifies the catch-22 universities can find themselves in as they aim to widen participation and tackle grade inflation

The advice offered to PhD students by career diversity programmes often isn’t picked up by faculty members. Here Alfredo Cumerma proposes three tools faculty can use to make their students more visible to employers

Regional networks and corporate collaborations built up over decades will help universities weather the Brexit storm, say Alex de Ruyter and Vangelis Tsiligiris

Higher salaries enjoyed by many graduates are offset by sky-high living costs in many cities, but this quality of life metric is entirely absent from policy debate, says Charlie Ball

Upholding the ideal of free speech on campus knowing that conservative politicians hold the keys to the safe puts college presidents in a difficult position

Subsidising accommodation and providing bursaries for student essentials can go a long way in helping care leavers realise their potential, says UK universities and science minister Chris Skidmore

Academic autonomy is too often used as an excuse to ignore suggestions from students that could improve their education, says Janadari Wijesinghe 

Complaints about depictions of contentious historical figures should be met with sensitivity and a firm grasp of the facts, says Felipe Fernández-Armesto 

Cutting the number of people who benefit from a university education will do nothing to improve the lot of those who do not, says Graham Galbraith

Recruiting a five-year, full-time president could transform the umbrella body’s ability to defend the sector, says Sir Anthony Seldon

Too often, the life-changing work of less prestigious universities goes overlooked. THE’s University Impact Rankings aim to change that, says Phil Baty

Louis Theroux’s interviews with those accused of sexual assault at US campuses should be a wake-up call to UK universities who have ducked this issue for years, says Graham Towl

Ministers love talking about grand government-directed projects, but Philip Hammond must reaffirm tomorrow the UK’s support for open-ended research using quality-related funding, says Stephanie Smith

Royal Statistical Society vice-president Guy Nason explains why it has taken the unusual step of reporting the Teaching Excellence Framework to the UK’s statistics watchdog

Cage Boons explains why he and other University of Hertfordshire students decided to run their own careers fair for ethnic minority undergraduates

Degree apprenticeships are helping to alter perceptions of earn-as-you-learn courses, but universities must demonstrate their value to students and employers, says Jane Turner

Ministers are right to question student recruitment practices in some universities, but restricting loan access to those who fail to hit three Ds at A level would be a retrograde step, says Tom Richmond