Academic freedom: justified privilege, or overreach of expertise? Academic lawyer and conservative thinktank leader go head-to-head By John Ross 28 July
Predatory publishers probe snares prominent academics Investigation discovers 400,000 researchers worldwide have used ‘pseudoscientific’ journals By David Matthews 25 July
Romanian universities cry foul over ‘political’ new ranking Institutions set to be rated on metrics including the number of classrooms and dormitories that they have By David Matthews 25 July
Brain drain takes worst academics as well as the best, study says Analysis of Italian PhD graduates finds that the ‘milk’ as well as the ‘cream’ leave By David Matthews 24 July
Free trade talks put Australia at front of Horizon Europe queue Negotiations set to boost access to €100 billion research and innovation scheme, scholar says By John Ross 23 July
Suffragette heritage inspires ‘First Baby’ lullaby competition New Zealand university library vault delivers blast from the past as history and politics come full circle By John Ross 23 July
Dutch artificial intelligence programmes overwhelmed by demand Stampede to study AI has led to warnings that the number of lecturers cannot keep up with demand By David Matthews 18 July
British Academy issues warning over Hungary research funding UK social science body attacks plans to exert more state control over research topics By Jack Grove 17 July
Peer review ‘works against’ early career researchers Australian group asks whether costs of ‘gold standard’ assessment are always warranted By John Ross 16 July
Three years for PhDs ‘not long enough’ Extended PhDs would be money well spent in the quest for international competitiveness, says leading physicist By John Ross 11 July
Japan ‘supporting champions’ as route to global prestige Experts see shift towards international approach in granting of greater autonomy to handful of leading universities By John Ross 10 July
California scheme to get ex-prisoners into HE ripe for imitation Shaking off ‘impostor syndrome’ and stereotypes seen as essential by ex-prisoners recruited to spearhead programme By Matthew Reisz 10 July
Nobel winner: turn down edited interview requests Peter Doherty warns scientists about being ‘used’ by journalists with a predetermined story to tell By David Matthews 9 July
Australian sector told to train more science and maths teachers Government may harness funding agreements to influence mix of teacher specialties By John Ross 9 July
Think Chinese to protect enrolments, Australian universities told China’s internal policies, such as Belt and Road initiative, may hold the key to protecting a critical revenue stream By John Ross 6 July
Australia gives cold shoulder to Chinese PhD students, report suggests Visa data, contradicted by Home Affairs figures, raise questions over treatment of Chinese doctoral applicants By John Ross 5 July
Government R&D spending down in Australia Basic research bears the brunt of a general decline in spending By John Ross 5 July
Tips for Horizon 2020 grant success ‘Verbose’ language, bad English and unexplained abbreviations all figure highly in reasons for rejection By David Matthews 3 July
Ireland considers Dublin bid for first ‘technological university’ Minister will decide whether to give go ahead to Dublin consortium in ‘engine of the economy’ plan By Matthew Reisz 3 July
Earlier debt repayment for Australian graduates Last week’s legislative delay has not stopped the government tightening the screws on student debt By John Ross 2 July
Universities ‘must read applicants’ work to defeat impact factor’ Nobel laureates call for early career researchers to be freed from ‘publish or perish’ mentality By David Matthews 29 June
'Intense peer pressure' part of Nobel formula Chemistry laureate Michael Levitt also warns younger scientists are now far less likely to be awarded grants By David Matthews 28 June
Student protests in Poland delay ‘authoritarian’ law Biggest campus protests since 1989 have disrupted legislation that many fear will lead to more state control of universities By Jack Grove 27 June
New Zealand university subsidies rise after enrolments fall short Fee-free policy cheaper than expected, as enrolments remain subdued By John Ross 27 June
University of Tasmania criticised over sexual misconduct response Australian regulator confirms it is investigating institution By John Ross 26 June
Australian university details autonomy ‘threats’ in donation row Australian National University outlines why it refused multimillion-dollar humanities gift By John Ross 26 June
Australian numbers cap ‘ends higher education growth in the bush’ New analysis shows regions were benefiting directly from uncapping of places By John Ross 25 June
Western civilisation course talks continue after ANU row Ramsay Centre insists that negotiations with other institutions are under way By John Ross 20 June
Norway passes ban on burkas in universities Parliamentary moves to outlaw Islamic face veils from classrooms have been strongly criticised by universities By Jack Grove 20 June
Australia debates requiring mathematics for university entry Admissions overhaul could trigger wider insistence on mathematics prerequisites By John Ross 18 June
How can universities compete with tech giants for AI talent? National strategies also debate merits of basic versus applied research in rapidly expanding field By David Matthews 16 June
Thousands of researchers hit by Mendeley update glitch Academics complain of losing work on reference management tool By Rachael Pells 15 June
Chile creates new ministry of science Dedicated department aims to accelerate move towards knowledge economy By Rachael Pells 15 June
China to create cultural heritage centres in universities Move aims to promote traditional Chinese culture through student courses and academic research By Ellie Bothwell 15 June
Baltic states strike deal on mutual degree recognition Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania agreement is part of Europe-wide shift towards mutual recognition By Matthew Reisz 15 June
Turkish academic jailed for 15 months after signing peace petition Istanbul scholar Büşra Ersanli is one of 241 scholars to face legal action for signing a 2016 peace declaration By Jack Grove 15 June
New German minister signals research budget restraint After more than a decade of inflation-busting growth, now could be time to ‘pause and consolidate’, says Anja Karliczek By David Matthews 15 June
Australian universities increase dependence on foreign fees Sector vulnerability highlighted as business model tips further towards international education By John Ross 13 June
Western civilisation fundraising row ‘endangers philanthropy’ Media storms risk closing off funding stream, Australian academic warns By John Ross 13 June
Academic freedom hopes in Malaysian change of guard Scholars want an end to stifling university legislation, but differ on proposed approach By John Ross 12 June
São Paulo rector sees no end in sight to Brazil’s turmoil Dramatic cuts to public funding and an exodus of talent in the midst of an economic crisis endanger country’s position as a leader in Latin American higher education By Rachael Pells 10 June
Regulation of academics ‘has undermined public trust’ Public suspect researchers are performing ‘impact’ and hitting targets for the benefit of government regulators, not them, European academies argue By David Matthews 9 June
‘Moonshot’ science trumps basic research in EU budget proposals University representatives disappointed by lower than expected budget increase for European Research Council By David Matthews 7 June
How global trade deals could impact universities Unions and universities worry that agreements could leave them vulnerable to for-profit competition and entrench privatisation By David Matthews 7 June
Uber funds chair in urban mobility at French grande école Parisian university to work with controversial cab company to develop ‘autonomous three-dimensional transport systems’ By Matthew Reisz 6 June
Seven in 10 Argentinian students fail to graduate on time Steady decline in undergraduate continuation blamed on unusually open admissions system By Rachael Pells 6 June
India lifts ban on online degrees Government allows fully online degree programmes in a bid to boost share of young people enrolling in higher education By Ellie Bothwell 6 June
Turkey aims to treble international student numbers President unveils new target of attracting 350,000 foreign students despite ongoing concern over human rights abuses By Jack Grove 6 June
Fifth of European Research Council grants lead to ‘breakthrough’ Interdisciplinary and risky projects in particular led to projects that made big strides in understanding, evaluators say By David Matthews 5 June
Australian vice-chancellors join the millionaires’ club Michael Spence maintains status as Australia’s highest-paid university leader despite cut in salary By John Ross 4 June
Call for hybrid approaches as unmet Chinese demand spikes Bums-on-seats model ‘failing millions of Chinese’, conference hears By John Ross 3 June
Tuition fees ‘not the answer’ for Argentina as budgets squeezed Buenos Aires rector says public universities remain committed to their social mission By Rachael Pells 2 June
New Zealand plans three-year work right for foreign graduates Proposals also curtail opportunities for dependants of international students in the country By John Ross 1 June
Scholarly societies ‘more diverse than universities’ World-first study suggests scientific societies may offer an underappreciated avenue for female academics to burst through the glass ceiling By John Ross 1 June
Commercial publishing system ‘may never deliver full open access’ Institutions themselves could create their own megajournals in response, report from European universities suggests By David Matthews 30 May
Australian campuses pressed on accommodation for rural students Government backs report proposals to increase regional people’s participation By John Ross 30 May
Australian university breaks ranks on admissions scores Australian National University introduces early applications and ‘whole-person’ tests in latest snub to ATAR By John Ross 29 May
‘Block teaching’ model rolled out as pass rates soar Melbourne university reports improved student achievement and retention By John Ross 29 May
Bologna Process still ‘treading water’, say critics Nearly two decades on, reports suggest the goal of a unified higher education area in Europe is still some distance away By David Matthews 29 May
Ousted vice-chancellor ‘may never return’ to Papua New Guinea Albert Schram may not return to Pacific nation to defend claims that he faked his PhD By John Ross 28 May