News

The UK higher education sector has concluded that an insurance scheme to guarantee international students a fees refund or alternative places should their course or university close down is “essential”.

University efforts to make it easier to remove fixed-term staff anger unions. Jack Grove writes

Selective universities could be granted extra student numbers to allow them to admit disadvantaged applicants with potential but without the highest grades.

A sociology lecturer at the University of Birmingham is at the centre of a redundancy row that could lead to industrial action among the institution’s 1,000 University and College Union members.

University professors have the least stressful career in the US - narrowly beating tailors and seamstresses into second place, a job listing website has found

NAO and PAC study of student loans should look at public oversight, experts argue. John Morgan writes

Edinburgh’s chief information officer offers advice for Futurelearn platform. Chris Parr reports

The private equity firm that owns the UK’s first for-profit university will have a say in controlling the institution’s academic authority.

To many in the West, Central Asia is a bewildering array of indistinguishable nations. But if you take the time to get to know them, argues David Mould, the ‘stans’ are fascinating individuals

Three-tier teaching bursaries for certain subjects may not work, says educator. John Elmes reports

Elizabeth Gibney on the Wellcome Trust’s top job, one of the most powerful roles in UK research

A sideways look at the week’s big stories

New v-c of Wales’ research powerhouse is keen to sharpen focus on China, writes David Matthews

Academy’s use of financial instruments worries politicians. Martin Mevius reports

Third of sector expects staff to hold qualification, FoI request shows. Elizabeth Gibney reports

The Quality Assurance Agency will be bailed out by the taxpayer if it is sued by a private college that fails an inspection, it has emerged.

Universities hope California’s referendum on state funding may set a precedent. Jon Marcus writes

‘Probably the most significant medieval historian’ rounds on absentee students. Paul Jump writes

An interview with former foreign secretary David Miliband is among the first podcasts now available on Times Higher Education's own podcast channel.

Academics’ pay and stress levels featured prominently in the ten most popular Times Higher Education news stories of 2012.

The number of students embarking on pharmacy programmes in England will be restricted to match the number of NHS-funded training placements.

One of the men who predicted the existence of the Higgs boson particle has been given the highest possible accolade in the New Year Honours list, released today.

An outsourcing company has announced that it will buy i-graduate, a firm that surveys international students and agents, for up to £7.5 million.

George Osborne, the chancellor, has announced the allocation of £21.5 million for projects to unlock practical applications for the “miracle material” graphene.

The Home Office has released more details of the controversial extra 100,000 interviews to be introduced for international students planning to study in the UK, which will cover applicants' educational history and chosen institution.

Universities are increasingly paying for student field trips after this year's hike in student fees, a new report suggests.

Chinese students who study in Britain return to their home country more open-minded and tolerant, according to a new study.

The government has announced changes to copyright that it hopes will bring existing exceptions for education, research and archiving up to date.

Universities that failed to fill undergraduate places this year will not generally be hit with cuts to their student number allocation next year, unless their shortfalls were "extreme", England's funding council has announced.

Jack Grove reports from the SRHE annual conference on efforts to clarify an ‘unclearly defined’ role

Part-time teachers are not getting the support they require from university departments, despite their growing importance within the academy.

Cambridge tech to boost students’ computer skills captures imagination of British public. Chris Parr reports

David Willetts points to the price paid by Ivy League for donor cash. David Matthews writes

MPs told that universities can’t always take their IP straight to the bank. Elizabeth Gibney reports

Principal investigators on large research projects do not have the necessary skills to foster strong relationships between the academy and business, according to a council member of the Arts and Humanities Research Council.

Male-dominated headhunting firms paid to identify potential university leaders are hampering efforts to recruit more female vice-chancellors.

Sandy Hook shootings likely to fuel debate over carrying weapons on campus. Jon Marcus reports

Behind closed doors, elite institutions were highly critical of White Paper reforms, finds John Morgan

‘Mixed economy’ for initiatives makes a difference but national ambit is missing. Jack Grove reports

Traditional values for OU-led Mooc platform that aims to rival US providers. Chris Parr reports

Theresa May, the home secretary, has been accused by a vice-chancellor of acting “like a Dalek” and of “casting a dark cloud over British higher education” in her refusal to change course on student visas.

Eschatology knocks and hysteria grows as true believers see fate in the diary. Chris Parr reports

More than 150 posts to go as London Met is forced to tighten its belt. David Matthews reports

Eleven journal papers have been retracted after it was discovered that they were accepted on the basis of fake reviews.

History publications press funders to rethink ‘gold’ licence and ‘green’ embargo. Paul Jump writes

These are among the items in The Cabinet of Things used by Falmouth University's Academy for Innovation and Research as tools for stimulating creativity, particularly during "sandpit" problem-solving workshops for businesses.

The University of Reading is to leave the 1994 Group, becoming the eighth institution this year to depart from the group of small research-intensive universities.

The leader of Scottish Labour has attacked the free university tuition north of the border as being "essentially regressive".

A fifth Parliamentary committee has urged the government to remove international students from its net migration target, warning that failure to do so will damage UK universities.

By Scott Jaschik for Inside Higher Ed

Race is higher education’s “dirty little secret” and more should be done to tackle the issue, a debate has heard.

International students make up 12 per cent of the total student population at UK universities, a sharp rise from 8 per cent eight years earlier.

A London university has announced it is to set up a specialist school for gifted young mathematicians as part of the government's plans to improve mathematics education in the state sector.