Ministers interfered to give regulator role to Toby Young Appointments watchdog also explains how Downing Street advisers vetoed proposed Office for Students student board member By Jack Grove 27 February
Question mark over Office for Students in English funding review Achieving the prime minister’s goal of reshaping post-18 education will require another shake-up of sector regulation, warn experts By Jack Grove 26 February
Will local or global win in French higher education? Sciences Po’s dean of research reflects on the currents of change within her country’s university sector By Matthew Reisz 25 February
Vice-chancellors ‘prepared to rethink’ USS pension reforms Universities UK concedes that it might ‘have not considered every possible angle’, as strike action continues By Rachael Pells 23 February
Gyimah: UK wants to be in EU research ‘but not at any price’ Minister says he will ‘fight’ to ensure scientists can move freely post-Brexit By Holly Else 22 February
‘Very strong’ turnout on day one of UK university pensions strike Staff at 65 universities walk out over changes to Universities Superannuation Scheme By Sophie Inge 22 February
Students ‘deeply sceptical’ of variable fees, polling reveals Survey results emerge amid mounting criticism of government’s hopes of delivering greater price competition By Holly Else 22 February
Vice-chancellors pocket almost £1 million in exit payments First sector-wide analysis of UK vice-chancellors’ pay in 2016-17 reveals more six-figure pay-offs to departing heads By Jack Grove 22 February
Number of women with engineering PhDs on the up in UK But growth in those completing postgraduate research degrees in physics appears have stalled, according to latest Hesa data By Simon Baker 22 February
Research power shifting to Germany after Brexit vote, says report European universities, despite public dismay about Brexit, also privately see it as an opportunity to poach UK-based academics By David Matthews 22 February
Sam Beale: the academic bringing Palestinian comedy to the UK The Middlesex University expert in stand-up comedy discusses working in the West Bank, collaborating with Mark Thomas, and falling into academia By Matthew Reisz 22 February
EU ‘should forge wider research community after Brexit’ Wellcome Trust says that UK should be prepared to pay more to ensure continued participation in framework programmes By Rachael Pells 21 February