News

Global index finds freedom of academic expression is declining, while experts warn overall autonomy may worsen post-pandemic

Continuing South African domination of higher education on continent could feed social instability, leading academic warns

Measure doubles previous support and sets stage for student loan cancellations

Unions continue to resist idea of expanding face-to-face tuition further this year

Last-minute changes, rigid assessments and ‘disempowerment’ frustrate foreigners in Asia, says study

Educational link ‘as bad as it has ever been’, with billions of dollars at stake for universities

New president sets ambitious financial and internationalisation goals

Sector leaders acknowledge ‘errors’ but deny deliberate withholding of pay

Forthcoming guidance will stop short of banning staff-student relationships, conference hears

Universities UK raises concern about influence of regulator on fund’s valuation, while indicating possible reforms to benefits

Time extensions on tenure may be among wrong cures, US National Academies assessment suggests

Two-thirds of UK students say well-being has worsened since start of term, ONS reports

Union claims new career framework could result in academics being dismissed if they do not make senior lecturer within five years, but university says sanctions will be used rarely

Law professor helping rule on moderation rows sees chance to ‘put my research into practice, after yelling at tech companies to do better’, but others aren’t convinced

Review of scheme finds concerns about workload, assessment and commitment of university leaders

Many university-owned periodicals are considering changing their business model, but report authors call for new funding strategy

We want commercial success but can’t build it on an empty research larder, university lobby tells Canberra

Institutions in emerging economies are seeing greatest progress in health subjects and citations, based on THE rankings data

White House targets rules boosting rights of the accused, but with no clear alternative ready

Leading black intellectual and activist returns to Columbia-affiliated seminary

Recession-driven domestic surge more than compensates for loss of international students at some institutions Down Under

Royal Statistical Society president Sylvia Richardson says pandemic has sparked huge interest in the discipline and highlighted body’s vital public role

Wayne State president calls major research institution inappropriate destination for Hispanic-focused funding

Female students face barriers in fields such as military studies and mining

Absence of sector-wide information regarding Sino-British research invites political attack from China hawks, warns study led by prime minister’s brother

Demise of ACICS, favoured by for-profits, still leaves larger problem of venue shopping

Observers detect message that caution on criticism is price of increased funding, but suspect balancing act will be difficult to sustain

Departures of Timnit Gebru and Margaret Mitchell has prompted academics to ask if they should reconsider links with the technology giant

SOAS scholar says free speech is not an on/off switch and speakers could be invited on certain terms

Charity helped Iraqi researcher to escape aftermath of Islamic State terror to fulfil his dream of studying for a PhD in safety

Debates around transgender rights illustrate why intellectual freedom rules must be in place before touchy topics arise, say authors

Committee praises commitment to ‘making a real and lasting difference’ as well as ‘unquestionable academic eminence’

Top scientists say Canada must provide more fulfilling careers for its science graduates

Number of female vice-chancellors at high-ranking institutions has reached new milestone based on THE World University Rankings data 

Historic in-house press at Massachusetts Institute of Technology asking libraries for participant fee to enable titles to become publicly available

University pledges to embed critical race theory and ‘decolonial discourse’ in all disciplines

Unlike Dutch universities, the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research cannot pay a ransom to attackers because it is a public body

Superficial thinking in Canberra is squandering transformative opportunity for higher education, Brisbane forum hears

Graduate route will allow international students to to stay in the country to work for two years, or three for doctoral students

Tributes paid to a Holocaust scholar who also produced an ‘immensely moving’ account of his traumatic childhood

Beijing follows Shenzhen and other cities in seeking to attract laureates, but experts question whether initiative will have trickle-down effect on basic science

The good, the bad and the offbeat: the academy through the lens of the world’s media

THE investigation shows that more than two-fifths of institutions use EU agents, with Brexit cited as both a factor and a hindrance

Controversy-hit author’s dissertation still not available six years after it was examined

One of the world’s leading experts on the carbon cycle discusses campaigning for Joe Biden as a teenager, the magic of the Amazon rainforest and why she will never give up fieldwork

‘Unaffordable’ contribution increases proposed by Universities Superannuation Scheme mean member benefits may be up for debate once more

‘I’m the first author, you’re just et al,’ raps Jakub Kubecka on his way to £2,000 prize

Plan for unsponsored, points-based route features in budget, alongside freeze in fees for 2022-23

Universities UK says increases are unaffordable for employers and risk pricing even more staff out of scheme

Researchers look at opinions about scholars expressed via metaphors – with results ranging from the thought-provoking to the baffling

Covid disruption highlights need to standardise ‘writing-up fees’ charged to those who submit thesis late, says scientist

As classes resume on Australian campuses, anxieties persist about the year ahead – domestically, and particularly internationally

Researcher argues that universities worldwide should adopt model after finding correlation between alumni governance and ranking position and endowment size

Advanced Research and Invention Agency bill confirms plan to place agency beyond reach of Freedom of Information Act

Students who ‘strategically’ jettison subjects early are among the least likely to complete courses, Australian research finds

Survey finds that country has become more attractive to prospective overseas students since presidential election

Ethics approval for survey shaping government policy should still stand, says university panel

Anna McKie reports on latest innovations in chatbots and how AI-based technology can be developed to improve teaching and learning in universities

Universities must develop their own cultures of academic freedom rather than borrowing them, according to Australian authors

Major study finds major differences in academic development across China, India, Russia and the US