Features

Nicholas Till on what it means to be moved by a piece of art after 30 years of critical practice

Can a research powerhouse retain access to EU funds after a referendum backing restrictions on free movement? John Morgan reports

Lincoln Allison takes a fond look back at the permissiveness prevalent at universities in the 1960s and 1970s, while a more ambivalent Susan Bassnett recalls a reality that didn’t quite live up to the nostalgic hype

Jack Grove learns how sites have been reinvented for the 24/7 digital age, while Donald Brown reflects on the role libraries played in his journey from the Mississippi Delta to Oxford

Despite many advances, online programmes suffer from technical faults and a dispiriting lack of interaction, as two scholars found

Post-Brexit, will EU students still see English HE as value for money, and what are the pros and cons of charging them international fees?

Matthew Reisz talks to academics about their summer habits, while two professors and an estates director explain how they use the time

They can cause confusion about qualifications and embarrassment for institutions, so why are they awarded? Malcolm Gillies investigates

Academia takes in some truly esoteric topics and tasks, but what are the strangest jobs? Here, five individuals with surprising roles describe their work

The discipline has promised big advances in many areas, but is it failing to live up to the hype? Three neuroscientists consider the state of their field

Six months after the PhD student’s murder in Egypt, John Elmes looks at the case and talks to those who were close to the promising young scholar

Do universities need to rethink what they do and how they do it now that artificial intelligence is beginning to take over graduate-level roles?

The report’s deep meditation on foreign policy makes it more than an inquest into the failings of individuals and institutions in the conduct of the Iraq War, argues Glen Rangwala

Whether or not Moocs live up to the hype, technology’s impact on universities is real and growing, Stanford University’s John Hennessy tells Ellie Bothwell

Randy Malamud examines the fascination in a fringe academic topic

A literature module developed at Brunel University London has moved away from the traditional essay format and embraced the digital age

Three professors give their views on the difficulties of taking on tasks that are necessary but undervalued

Universities have a European union far older than many nation states. We must not lose sight of that in the aftermath of Brexit, says Howard Hotson

David Mould had to navigate cartoon lemurs and other barriers in order to help local academics study factors hindering development

A survey suggests research misconduct in the UK is higher than previously feared. Joanna Williams and five other academics ponder the results

Our data team’s modelling of the potential teaching excellence framework results shows the Russell Group losing out to a new elite

The former head of the American University in Cairo, Lisa Anderson, tells Chris Havergal how it carried on and kept students and staff safe without limiting free speech

John Morgan reports on the differences between the countries in terms of the provision of education, governance and the quality of research

Myra Strober’s rejection in 1970 for a tenure-track position inspired a lifetime of struggle against sexism

Public debate in the UK over whether to remain in the EU has been criticised for casting little light. Here, seven academics probe the arguments

Which universities have dealt best with uncapped student numbers and uncertainty over international income? John Morgan reports

Friendships can blossom naturally between scholars and students, but are they always problematic? Nina Kelly navigates the boundaries

Being sick threatens employability, legacy and self-image. Two recent victims of stroke and cancer tell their tales

David Matthews considers a flurry of ‘threats’ to the conveyor belt of arrivals and what Western campuses can do to shockproof their systems

Vice-chancellors have again come in for flak over what they are paid. We look at how their compensation packages compare with those of their international peers. Jack Grove runs the numbers

An academic who takes students from the UK to Mumbai to lead a community theatre programme tells Chris Parr how the project affects all who take part

A recent paper claims that the quality of researchers declines with age. Five senior scientists consider the data and how they’ve contributed through the years

What do protests at the University of Hyderabad and Jawaharlal Nehru University tell us about India’s ‘messy democracy’?

By some measures, universities are wonderfully accommodating workplaces for gays and lesbians. Six academics give us their perspective

It’s time to use technology to detect potential threats and worry less about outdated ideas of privacy, says Ron Iphofen

There’s a tension between Germany’s desire to be in the global elite of higher education while remaining egalitarian. John Morgan reports

Amid all the events to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death, Peter J. Smith contemplates our appetite for everything – and anything – to do with the Bard

Ellie Bothwell reports on what both regions gain – and lose – from the Sino-African partnership

The international scholarly community must take meaningful steps to support Academics for Peace, says Mehmet Ugur

Scholars choose ‘essential’ texts to introduce sixth-formers to the academy

During a bout of severe depression, a professor in the US was admitted to a secure hospital unit. He writes here of his experiences

David Matthews examines the approach of ResearchGate, Academia.edu and Mendeley to profit, user data and open access publishing

Sometimes you need someone as controversial as psychologist Hans Eysenck to advance science, says Philip Corr

Youth is not a bar to excellence, despite older institutions’ rankings success. Jack Grove analyses how some youthful contenders have risen in the ranks

Ahead of the Oxford-Cambridge Boat Race, Lincoln Allison ponders the decline of sport at university, and the value of such pursuits

Is the subject’s amalgam of a wide range of subject matter and methodologies a strength or a weakness? Five scholars have their say

Did art schools such as Central Saint Martins ever have a golden age and, if they did, is it irrevocably lost? Anna Coatman writes

The University of California System remains a model blueprint despite Berkeley’s travails, and one the UK would do well to copy, says Alan Ryan

Ellie Bothwell examines strengths and weaknesses in different higher education systems across the Continent

Nigel Thrift, head of Schwarzman Scholars, a transnational scheme to develop movers and shakers, tells John Gill about China’s international role

Institutions have little evidence that their widening participation activities deliver, but they are working to change that, finds Chris Havergal

Few academics use the full potential of their voices, yet speaking well allows us to be alive and connected in the moment, says Joe Moran

Universities need a new funding model, say Andrei E. Ruckenstein, Mark E. Smith and Nicola C. Owen, who want academics to take the lead in tackling the problem

Matthew Reisz talks to creative writers and artists about what it is like to be the subject of commentaries and theories

Advice on how to cope with all the work and when to say no to opportunities

Scholars discuss their early adventures in the world of work – and what they learned from them

John Morgan examines current arrangements and suggested ratios at home and abroad

Two famous experiments have reached the silver screen. Antonio Melechi on the relationship between the academic discipline and Hollywood

Times Higher Education's poll shows that the bulk of staff find their work rewarding but there is a deep gulf between academics and professional and support staff

A high school dropout turned Harvard scholar tells Matthew Reisz why the academy’s one-size-fits-all mentality must go