Elwen Evans: ex-lawyer on turning around Wales’ oldest university Facing a £12 million deficit and a beloved but underutilised rural campus, former barrister who led murder cases says she took lessons from legal career when attempting to modernise an institution with Victorian-age origins By Helen Packer 17 December
England’s free speech rules need a complaints scheme The UK government must commit to a prompt timetable for implementing the promised mechanism for flagging breaches, says Abhishek Saha By Abhishek Saha 17 December
UK set to rejoin EU’s Erasmus+ student exchange scheme Westminster government reportedly agrees reassociation to Europe’s flagship student exchange programme five years after departing under Brexit By Helen Packer 16 December
Coventry ‘on path to recovery’ despite £59 million deficit Newcastle and Bradford also in the red as UK universities continue to publish their annual accounts By Patrick Jack 16 December
Search data shows interest in studying in Western Europe surging Spain, Italy, Germany and France rivalling traditional destinations such as Australia and Canada as recruitment patterns shift By Patrick Jack 16 December
Exam board fined over issues with online English language tests More than 9,000 results revoked after Pearson found students had been getting others to pass tests for them By Patrick Jack 16 December
Vice-chancellor bonuses growing despite sector funding crisis Universities defend decision to award some vice-chancellors larger bonuses than last year, with one private institution giving boss over £100K By Patrick Jack 16 December
Brexit led UK scholars to seek funding from China, study finds Collaboration between British and Chinese scholars has increased over the past decade in the wake of the UK’s departure from the European Union By Patrick Jack 16 December
Southampton Solent staff vote to strike over pensions dispute Union members back industrial action in early 2026 as row over pensions continues while Essex employees also launch ballot By Juliette Rowsell 15 December
OfS refers more institutions to watchdog over strike response English regulator warns multiple unnamed universities may have breached consumer protection legislation By Juliette Rowsell 15 December
Trans scholars being ‘pushed out of academia’, researchers warn Universities ‘afraid to be trans inclusive’ after Supreme Court ruling and OfS Sussex fine, leaving staff fearing ‘hostile environment’ By Emily Dixon 15 December
Colleges in limbo amid ‘two-year wait’ for degree-awarding powers Institutions warn delays after reopening of English sector registrations are jeopardising their financial sustainability By Helen Packer 15 December