Catalan protests spark debate over role of universities Barcelona academic says universities should take more neutral stance, but exiled scholar says Spain’s actions ‘undermine’ European values By Ellie Bothwell 6 November
Brexit Party scholar: quite a few academics are secret Brexiteers Would-be Brexit Party MP Kevin Yuill says he is encouraged by support for Leave party among staff and students By Jack Grove 6 November
Turkish academics sound alarm over gender segregation plans Presidential push for women’s universities accompanied by scrapping of gender action plan by regulator By David Matthews 6 November
Widening participation should include those with a criminal record Politicians are culpable for restricting student loans for prisoners, but universities need to be less wary of released offenders, says Nick Hillman By Nick Hillman 6 November
UCU leader: strikes coming as staff are ‘burnt out and leaving sector’ V-c warns pension and pay strikes will damage whole sector but union members believe experience shows industrial action will force change By Anna McKie 5 November
UCU announces eight days of strikes, starting late November Staff will walk out at 60 universities starting from 25 November By Anna McKie 5 November
MPs call for action on ‘threats’ to UK academia from autocracies Foreign Affairs Committee hears report of academics in UK being bugged as they discussed Russia By John Morgan 5 November
Impact agenda ‘enables climate change scholar-activists’ Philosopher and Extinction Rebellion campaigner highlights ‘genuine synergies’ between academia and activism By Ellie Bothwell 5 November
Why shouldn’t the UK’s Darpa be within UKRI? Conservative mistrust of the existing research funding system demands a re-examination of its uneasy compromises, says John Womersley By John Womersley 5 November
Academic lost research contacts as Facebook deleted page Geographer Maddy Thompson warns scholars against relying on social network, as Facebook deletes then reinstates account By Anna McKie 4 November
Government trust in universities ‘diminished’, says EUA head Michael Murphy fears universities are now seen as being in ‘perpetual opposition’ by politicians By David Matthews 4 November
UK non-participation in Horizon Europe is becoming ever more possible As mistrust between the EU and UK deepens, politics could scupper British association to the next framework programme, says Jan Palmowksi By Jan Palmowski 4 November