Opinion

Ucas is a monopoly that cares more about protecting universities than helping students, says Steve Edwards. It must be reorganised

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With the government poised to shelve its HE bill, opponents of pro-market plans have scored a victory, however partial or fleeting

Alan Ryan fears for the deserving if US-style admissions make it to the UK

Ryszard Piotrowicz argues that international law must once again become a core component of UK legal curricula

Peter Geoghegan discusses the Boston College-Belfast Project case and its ramifications for academic freedom and social inquiry

Linguists and revivalists worldwide have much to learn from Hebrew's remarkable, hybridic modern-day rebirth, says Ghil'ad Zuckermann

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US cuts and ‘impact’ demands recall the UK’s, says Felipe Fernández-Armesto

Les Ebdon tells the government to keep its hands off the widening participation funding - it's too important to lose

Anti-immigration policies, an Indian student's murder - the UK government needs to forge better foreign links, urges Keith Vaz

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Malcolm Gillies on the benefits of collaboration in the wake of VAT reform

Athene Donald warns referees about the unintended and potentially career-damaging effects of using certain words to describe women

A sales tax dividend could be just the ticket for a US sector hit by wave after wave of state cuts, opines Hamid Shirvani

Allowing universities to cherry-pick the scholars they submit for assessment is bad news for transparency, argues Miles Hewstone

Combining funding and regulatory roles is hard, says Roger King. To do it successfully, Hefce must adopt a more autonomous stance

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Students are suffering from survey fatigue - as are we all, says Sally Feldman

Occupy has won more minds than hearts among the public, and that includes scholars and students, says Sunil Manghani

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Like capitalism, science has flaws, but it’s the best we’ve got, says Kevin Fong

European universities should look to the US for a route back to excellence, argues Santiago Iñiguez de Onzoño

Richard Partington fears that the way in which comparative data are presented may deter disadvantaged prospective undergraduates

If you're sick of HR's endless, dubious employee surveys, says Adrian Furnham, there's a fiendishly simple way to fight back

Government policies that push universities to recruit only top achievers are bad for diversity and equality, warns Tessa Blackstone

A new generation of politically savvy scientists is needed to ensure that STEM delivers the benefits the UK needs, argues Ian Gibson

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Alan Ryan on how California’s famed system might work in the UK

The 'core-and-margin' policy will cost colleges dear - another unforeseen result of coalition plans, says Philip Davies

Wes Streeting argues that a truly independent watchdog would back upfront cash for low-income students, not 'fee waivers' for the state

Soul-crushing email causes stress and slows work. Oliver Double proposes some ways to cut the burden. Email-free Friday, anyone?

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In a reformed sector, marketers should play a role in the creation of degrees - but academics must remain in charge of the process

Felipe Fernández-Armesto finds little joy in Christmas hymns and carols

Academia must follow the Church’s lead in debating ethics, says Malcolm Gillies

Many state school pupils miss the chance to learn a foreign language. Universities must offer them the opportunity, insists Julia King

Journalism with academic analysis can create material with impact - but will the REF consider it? asks John Mair

The LSE made mistakes in its links with Libya, as Lord Woolf found. Judith Rees, its director, says it will learn from those failings

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Aaron Porter says that in a high-fees world, the sector must do more to involve an increasingly diverse student body in decision-making

Impact gives science a way to keep the public onside, says Stephen Curry

The EPSRC's new strategy intends to strengthen research to attract extra funding in future, explains David Delpy

Universities need to learn how to present themselves and their work to the public to ensure mutual understanding, says Paul Manners

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Why is it that when young people express frustration at the bleak future they see ahead, we respond with another kick in the shins?

The Netherlands has a workable system from which the UK could learn, says Paul Benneworth. But, be warned, it will involve compromise

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As a cancer survivor, Sally Feldman has been a research object and participant

Demonstrators are not the only ones with profound if unarticulated questions. Stefano Harney says we owe students more than teaching