Opinion

On International Women’s Day, Jocalyn Clark and Imogen Coe ask why universities have been so slow to adopt meaningful change to improve gender representation

Male voices are over-represented in our pages. We know that we have more to do to better reflect all those in the sector, but we need women’s help

Universities’ vocal opposition to government plans for vastly increased international fees has yielded only minor concessions, says Juliette Torabian 

A student’s mysterious accusation of racism saw P. K. Newby removed from her course – and another woman lost from the leaky pipeline

Marketisation, precarity and global competition have combined to create a vast market for academic ghostwriting, says an anonymous scholar

This growing but still unacknowledged phenomenon in higher education is badly in need of ethical oversight, says an anonymous academic

Ahead of International Women’s Day on 8 March, Selina Sutton explains what universities are doing wrong (and right) when supporting PhD candidates during pregnancy and beyond

Robert Zimmer explains why the US president’s threat to deny federal funds to colleges that fail to protect free speech is a bad idea

Any reduction in university fees will hurt students from under-represented backgrounds the most, argues Colin Bailey 

The progress of science will not be impeded if the number of flights academics take is reduced, argues Jürgen Gerhards

Universities’ openness, broad research remit and long-term local commitments are at risk when they align too closely with ever-changing industry, says Jason Owen-Smith

Higher education is constantly evolving – and so is THE, says Trevor Barratt 

The hidden costs of application fees could dissuade low-income students from applying to postgraduate courses, says James Muldoon

Cutting-edge scientific research requires freedom from political constraint. To maximise progress, both Asia and the West should reflect on their priorities

Efforts to improve work-life balance must address the significant amounts of time that many scholars spend travelling, says Rachel Moss

The difficulties even of obtaining a scholarship to study in the West amount to systemic exclusion, says Rudrani Dasgupta

US universities must think harder about how to make the poorer students they admit feel like full community members, says Anthony Abraham Jack

As the cost of higher education rises, the onus is on universities to show their community that they are using public and private investments effectively, says Liz Bromley 

In the wake Sally Hunt’s resignation and pay ballot turnout, the UK’s University and College Union needs to come together to discuss its long-term strategy, says Matt Waddup 

Record turnouts and consistent support for industrial action in the past two pay ballots is something to celebrate, says Jo McNeill 

So far the negotiations have had minimal impact on cross-border research opportunities, but any dismantling of education links would be detrimental to both countries, says Denis Simon 

Openly discussing academic successes and failures is the first step to alleviating impostor syndrome among women in academia, says Ashley Vaughn 

Bradley Moon says that without access to a higher education diploma course, he wouldn’t now be considering a career in research 

Philip Rodenbough sets out a rule to help those writing up research dial in a balance that can pique public interest without boring scholarly peers

The increased scrutiny of university finances and governance is proof that universities continue to play a critical role in society and economic growth, argues Robert Van de Noort

All campus life is here

The recent exodus of vice-chancellors from UK universities raises questions over what is going on in the sector. Is inadequate governance the root cause?

The government’s new ‘national interest’ test for research proposals is another damaging symptom of short-termism, says Margaret Sheil

Some awards are unfortunate, but abolishing this time-honoured practice would throw out the baby with the bathwater, says Richard Willis

Regions’ struggles to provide appropriate land and resources is undermining quality, says Debananda Misra

Multilateral efforts can leverage the resources and capabilities of individual institutions into world-changing collaborations, says Christopher Tremewan

Despite talk about Australia’s international education boom, the country’s sector has reason to be wary, as Phil Honeywood explains

On many fronts – research, international collaborations, entrepreneurship, student learning and more – HKUST is active and eager to advance, says Wei Shyy

If UK universities are serious about improving the diversity of their staff, they must begin by assessing their recruitment strategies and interviewing processes, says Roshan Doug 

Trans people deserve visibility that recognises them as unique individuals, not whether they fit society’s expectations of them, says Pippa Catterall 

If history has taught us anything, it is that out of conflict comes collaboration, says Carel Stolker

Universities should take more action to highlight and nurture talent in young women, says Jane Turner

The new technology is further evidence of the consumer model of higher education and will result in lecturers adapting how they teach, says Jim Butcher 

Paul James Cardwell considers the alternatives to staying outside the Erasmus+ programme if the UK has no national student mobility strategy 

To earn the hashtag, universities must include a pledge to give due attention to curriculum design and the student experience, argues Rafe Hallett

The hostility pervading online platforms is stifling provocative opinion and reasoned debate, and eroding the foundations of higher education

The credentialism that the late Ron Dore analysed in his seminal 1976 book has gone global, say Keith Lewin, Angela Little and Alison Wolf

Whatever you think of the likes of Jordan Peterson, their use of alternative media to reach huge audiences offers many lessons, says Michael Marinetto 

Evidence from Canada highlights the scale of the challenge in preparing 21st-century workers and citizens, say Ross Finnie, Arthur Sweetman and Richard Mueller 

Using the teaching excellence framework to drive up teaching standards is fundamentally misconceived, says Matt Waddup

The 21st-century labour market will increasingly want well-rounded freethinkers – the very thing that courses such as Western civilisation develop, says Daniel Hutto

Self-organising academics who are still passionate about their jobs will diverge from depressing, neoliberal institutions to create new, democratic ones, predicts Monika Kostera 

They can break down the financial and geographical barriers to higher education, advancing universities’ purpose to serve the common good, says Joanna Newman 

Chris Husbands explains how his institution's strategic partnership with La Trobe University in Australia will address a global future while remaining firmly rooted in its community 

Universities in the UK are legally obliged to report clinical trial results and a number of bodies and campaigns are now monitoring their activity to ensure they do, says Síle Lane

Encouraging the use of inclusive language and implementing policies against gender-based violence on campus can lead to wider societal change, say Amparo Galbis and Cristiana Oliveira 

Librarians create catalogues, add metadata and teach people how to think critically about what they find on the internet. The world has changed and so have they, says Beth Montague-Hellen

Higher Education Policy Institute director Nick Hillman assesses the history of UK academia’s main pension scheme to ask whether it needs fundamental reform

England’s fledgling university regulator is in too much of a hurry to make an impact and curry favour with ministers, says Gill Evans

The rise of electronic publishing has left many academic librarians underemployed and overpaid, says Jeffrey Beall

England’s post-18 education review will hopefully improve collaborations between universities and colleges to benefit students from all backgrounds, writes Sam Parrett 

Seeking special status will further antagonise non-members faced with curtailed access to EU research funding, says Jan Palmowski

Narratives of decline fail to take account of the recent revival of the liberal arts in India, says Saikat Majumdar

As Brexit reaches fever pitch, who knows what damage the 2028 research excellence framework might reveal

No-deal plans for the Erasmus+ programme reveal that the UK has no intention of creating a replacement scheme. This is bad news for students, employers and ‘global Britain’, says Vivienne Stern