Opinion

The cornerstone of the academy is the liberty to pursue ideas and knowledge without constraint. It needs vigilant defending

Interns deserve meaningful duties, not humiliating tasks, says Sally Feldman

A positive start at a new university makes the possibility of finding the dream job more believable

In the aftermath of J. D. Salinger’s death, Robert Segal looks again at the novel that made his reputation, and asks whether it is relevant today

Kevin Fong offers a few options for the sector in lieu of a realistic strategy

Cherish the humble professor whose focus is on knowledge - not the latest gimmick - while you can, says Jeffrey Ross

Intellectual as well as strategic arguments should lead scholars to welcome research impact assessment, says Robin Hambleton

Anna Fazackerley wonders why vice-chancellors are so quiet about the future of tuition fees - and what students should expect for their money

University support for the Teach First scheme will benefit everyone involved in education, asserts James Darley

Gary Day is moved by Julie Walters' superb portrayal of Mo Mowlam but finds Hamlet leaves him cold

The recession and a succession of government cuts and blunders have robbed young people of their future and of hope

As one contract ends, a fresh determination forms to become a departmental fixture in the future

In this guide, Tara Brabazon gives her top 10 tips for doctoral failure

A collaborative strategy shows that universities are ready to tackle climate change, argues Sir Alan Langlands

Geoff Lucas describes independent schools' concerns that some efforts to widen access are politicised, unclear and unfit for purpose

Just as universities are having to adjust funding models, so they must drop old assumptions about what they should offer and how to deliver it, argues Mike Boxall

This week's Holocaust Memorial Day serves as a timely rebuke against race-hate activism, says Dan Cohn-Sherbok

From the Enfield Poltergeist to the most haunted pub in England, Gary Day has still to see proof of ghosts

The financial crisis will force universities to make difficult choices not just about how they operate but to what end

Alan Ryan favours imagination over exaggeration when it comes to cutbacks

Failure to make the running exposes the problem of having an unconventional background

As the gateway to the professions, universities must do all they can, including considering context in admissions, to ensure fair access, says David Lammy

Constantine Sandis is disturbed by a claim that academics have the right to say what they want at all times, in all places

The downturn has prompted drastic university funding cuts in some nations, but increased investment in others, notes Simon Marginson

Michael Thorne is sceptical about media commentary that assumes that a wave of mergers and takeovers is the inevitable result of the recent funding cuts

To maintain the UK's position in distance learning, we have to focus on education, not technology, argues Helen Lentell

Gary Day finds poetry in the mathematics of the Universe as he sees the chaos in everything

The wellbeing of individuals matters, but what matters more is the wellbeing of a sector facing swingeing cuts

Less money and control, more stress - will anyone flourish? asks Tim Birkhead

Chris Higgins and Anthony Forster argue that we must stop expecting all universities to deliver on both research and teaching

Being given the opportunity to apply for jobs can make all the difference to one’s state of mind

Gary Day is bemused by nationwide reactions to the wintry weather. It is, after all, seasonal for January

English libel law allows all comers from across the globe to chill free speech and still scholarly inquiry. Reform is now essential

Let’s abolish it and nurture scepticism instead, says Felipe Fernández-Armesto

Thomson Reuters' institutional profiles will help create the most definitive global rankings yet, writes Jonathan Adams

Jon F. Baldwin says the sector can't afford to leave its fate in the hands of the party that happens to win the next general election

Tim Luckhurst says economic and legal problems are already threatening the journalism profession - any lack of integrity could be fatal for the business

Social science bodies must stop professional protectionism and draft a common research ethics code, says Ron Iphofen

Brian Eno’s post-musicianship is a dream for the new humanities, argues Tara Brabazon

Family responsibilities require complex arrangements to allow time for work – but when they break down, they become an acute source of anxiety for the temporary contractor

Let's learn from the Olympics and allow departments to pick the areas that feed into rankings, argues Richard Rose

Dumbing down threatens our culture, yet a managerialised academy can do nothing to arrest the decline, warns Kevin Sharpe

The academy promises to play a vital role in the UK's economic recovery this year and must demand more financial support, asserts Paul Wellings

Ian Searle argues that public funding for education focuses too heavily on the young and not enough on older learners

Gary Day remains unenlightened about the Turin Shroud, and finds Cupid's arrow wide of the mark

The liberal arts feel threatened by indifference and the impact agenda. Can we recognise their true worth before they are gone?

Tidiness and academic work just don't go together, believes Sally Feldman

The thought of becoming a public intellectual has many attractions but plenty of downsides, too

Post-Copenhagen, it's clear that logic alone won't save us, writes Kevin Fong

Reproductive technologies offer older women more choice, but who gains the most benefit, asks Rachel Bowlby

Financial discrimination against part-time students must end even if we can't say how it will affect gender imbalance, argues Tom Schuller

backwards on me Hostess trolley, writes Gary Day, who waxes lyrical about Victoria Wood and Botticelli

As we bid farewell to the old unit of resource and usher in a new reduced one, we anticipate a year of fear, uncertainty and pain