UK universities ‘increasingly reliant’ on agents for EU enrolment THE investigation shows that more than two-fifths of institutions use EU agents, with Brexit cited as both a factor and a hindrance By Ellie Bothwell 4 March
Oxford faces questions as Naomi Wolf PhD stays under wraps Controversy-hit author’s dissertation still not available six years after it was examined By Jack Grove 4 March
UK universities fear more strikes as USS pensions crisis deepens ‘Unaffordable’ contribution increases proposed by Universities Superannuation Scheme mean member benefits may be up for debate once more By Anna McKie 3 March
Trash-talking physicist wins ‘Dance Your PhD’ contest ‘I’m the first author, you’re just et al,’ raps Jakub Kubecka on his way to £2,000 prize By Matthew Reisz 3 March
UK budget: Sunak pledges new visa route and freezes fee cap Plan for unsponsored, points-based route features in budget, alongside freeze in fees for 2022-23 By John Morgan 3 March
USS says pension contributions set to hit 50 per cent of salaries Universities UK says increases are unaffordable for employers and risk pricing even more staff out of scheme By Anna McKie 3 March
Campuses urged to review ‘inexcusable’ PhD late-submission fees Covid disruption highlights need to standardise ‘writing-up fees’ charged to those who submit thesis late, says scientist By Jack Grove 3 March
Romanian universities are becoming increasingly homogeneous Higher education reforms promised differentiation, but a failure to implement bold changes and a lack of desire for innovation are resulting in the opposite trend, says Liviu Andreescu By Liviu Andreescu 3 March
Leaving lectures behind makes sense for our university – here’s why We know that employing learners as active co-creators of their learning builds opportunities for knowledge absorption, say Guy Daly and Andrew Turner By Guy Daly 3 March
Academics: ‘pretentious fox terriers’ or ‘bad dinner guests’? Researchers look at opinions about scholars expressed via metaphors – with results ranging from the thought-provoking to the baffling By John Morgan 3 March
The UK needs a German lesson in levelling up To coordinate research translation, a new organisation is needed that isn’t tied to one university but is linked to all, says Keith Ridgway By Keith Ridgway 3 March
Ministers give ‘high-risk’ science funder 10 years to prove worth Advanced Research and Invention Agency bill confirms plan to place agency beyond reach of Freedom of Information Act By Chris Havergal 2 March