Opinion

Refugee student Naweed Zafary recalls harrowing scenes as the Taliban took power and thousands fought for places on the last flights out of Afghanistan

Universities of all types are embracing the earn-while-you-learn qualifications but government can do more too, says Exeter’s vice-chancellor Lisa Roberts

Speculation over imagined backstabbings and betrayals is rife but the joining of two of Australia’s universities is more of a meeting of minds than clash of clans, insist vice-chancellors Peter Høj and David Lloyd

Degrees taught in Hindi might play well with Modi fans but this shift risks IITs’ global reputation for producing outstanding graduates, says Eldho Mathews

Research, innovation and education are recognised in the European Commission president’s manifesto, but let’s assert their wider relevance, says Jan Palmowski

The OfS’ approach is evolving, partly reflecting the fact that a course’s long-term value is not always immediately obvious, says John Blake

A-level results day celebrations belie a vicious spiral of demand for degrees that damages students and society, says Paul Wiltshire 

As a loss-maker, research is under pressure as fears of insolvency rise. But universities must do all they can to shore up a key element of their impact 

We need a mechanism whereby academics can build a public reputation as referees and receive career benefits for doing so, says Randy Robertson

Rather than lament student attitudes, we should ask if meaningful exchanges of ideas in class are still possible, say Mikael Andéhn and Alan Bradshaw

Labour’s planned decentralisation of power will strengthen universities’ standing and ability to contribute to local prosperity, says Diana Beech

Continued prioritisation is essential to maintain gains in student health and wellness, as well as to feed into elite sport, says Amanda Broderick

The exascale computer’s cancellation underlines the need for a long-term vision that transcends political whim, say Peter Coveney and Roger Highfield

It is heartening to have an education secretary who values universities as a public good, but public goods require public funding, says Jo Grady

Successive governments have a long history of suppressing freedom of speech, thought and association on campus, says C. Rashaad Shabab

Pension scheme members are entitled to ask why so much was lost and why the raw sewage continues to flow into rivers, says Bernard Casey

The OfS needs only to tweak its guidance in light of the considerable free-speech duties by which universities are already bound, says James Murray

The OfS’ stronger than expected registration condition on sexual harassment and misconduct comes not a moment too soon, says Anna Bull 

My role in the National Trust’s slavery report led to so many threats that I couldn’t walk anywhere unaccompanied, says Corinne Fowler

Our experiences on a remote Massachusetts island showed us how liberal arts education could be, say Nathan Badger and Maya Rosen

Museums have enormous amounts of material to study and they are wide open to collaboration with university researchers, says Mark Walport

Bridget Phillpson’s decision to reconsider implementation will only hamper wider recognition of universities as a public good, says Abhishek Saha

Donald Trump’s idea is unnecessary and could denude international students’ native countries of their talents, warns Allan Goodman

Educators need to do more to help students reassess the meaning they attach to labels such as “female engineer”, says Elena Liquete

Providing skills, creating opportunity and training the teachers and nurses the UK needs: modern universities stand ready to deliver, says Rachel Hewitt

Off-campus trips have manifold benefits, especially for poorer students. We mustn’t lose them to technology or cost-cutting, says Robert Phillips

Instead of viewing GenAI only as a threat, we should embrace it as an opportunity to reform our outdated approaches, says Dorottya Sallai

We should not deprive numerous hard-pressed students of valuable flexibility merely to ensure that the ‘undeserving’ don’t skip classes, say five experts

While there are ethnic, class and gender penalties, Sean Brophy found no evidence of an extra penalty for falling into more than one category

Modern universities make up over half of the UK sector, yet their vital work flies under journalists’ and politicians’ radars, says Amanda Broderick

A new government interested in solutions not dogma should be fertile ground for those with ideas to sow – but there will be limits on blue-sky thinking

Those who take on vital academic housekeeping should be acknowledged as champions of good practice and rewarded accordingly, says Eleanor Baker

I concentrate on the joy I get from working with the students who do show up, rather than feeling slighted by those who don’t, says Anna Meier

Persistent earning gaps by gender, ethnicity and socio-economic background are unfair to individuals and a drag on the economy, says Omar Khan

The government must recognise that lower international revenues will make research costs unsustainable, says John Carroll

One of the advantages of a large majority is that there is more generous political cover for experts brought into ministerial roles, says David Willetts

The sea change in ministers’ educational backgrounds should prompt more action to get poorer students into selective universities, says Jon Datta

Without increased support, many RAs may choose to leave for other opportunities that provide more job security and benefits, says Bre-Anne Fifield

Ease of entry encourages access, and most universities have enough places to guarantee entry without requiring personal statements, says Tim Leunig

Ministry support will be vital, but a lack of political imperative could limit motivation, say Hyejin Kim, Erik Mobrand and Sylvia Schwaag Serger 

The instinct to err on the side of non-transparency is understandable, but the accused get more protection than the victims, say five experts

Institute of Physics Publishing is making innovative efforts to broaden the referee pool beyond the usual suspects, says Laura Feetham-Walker

Successful university twinning arrangements were set up remarkably quickly. They must not be allowed to peter out slowly, says Anthony Manning

The likes of Cambridge can and should open up more permanent positions without resorting to age discrimination, says Wyn Evans

As the UK votes in a general election, universities hope for a change of approach. In return, they must deliver for a country facing a host of problems

It makes zero difference to reviewers if someone else gets a paper in a high-impact journal, so why are they so pernickety, asks Stephen Cochrane 

There are many ways we can assist students’ learning; teaching is only one of them, and it is not the most important, says John Cookson

A ‘jobbified’ university teaching ‘transferable skills’ and marketable degrees neglects so much that is crucial to vocational formation, says Chris Higgins

But Cambridge must reform procedures that have evidently left many colleagues traumatised, says Thomas Roulet

If the best books aren’t REFable, UK research will appear artificially weak, say Heather Widdows, Fiona Macpherson and Simon Kirchin 

Evidence suggests that the benefits of lecture capture are coming at the cost of broader student and staff well-being, say Treasa Kearney and Liz Crolley

Students’ aspirations to succeed in the high-tech job market are reshaping Indian higher education, says Eldho Mathews

Anonymisation or even quotas could level the playing field, but fragmentation of college processes threatens a reversal in decades of gains, says Alan Baker

Current over-regulation is stifling innovation in a sector that has the potential to become just as renowned as UK higher education, says Alex Proudfoot

Rigorously and open-mindedly exploring ‘what if’ questions is more necessary than ever in a troubled world, say Brian Ball and Patrycja Kaszynska

The challenges facing the planet can seem overwhelming, but a landmark THE event in Bangkok heard reasons for optimism amid the maelstrom

Expanding the pool of candidates for an unpaid but significant commitment is hard, but there are rich rewards for both sides, says Kim Frost

UK universities’ image is better than many in the sector suppose, but we should be wary of being seen as profit-obsessed, says Bobby Duffy

Too many academics who have lost their motivation mid-career abuse a system that is often unable or unwilling to confront them, says Brian Bloch

We need, instead, to develop structures that allow everyone to flourish, both academically and as parents, says Eleanor Palser