Opinion

The UK’s strong higher education reputation has not been achieved by current policies, says Toby Miller

Chris Parr reports as the philosopher talks of big plans for his fledgling institution

Policy Exchange’s report shows that damaging stereotypes of HE and FE persist, writes Joy Carter

It is no surprise that universities and science are high on the agenda for Chinese president Xi Jinping’s state visit to the UK this week, says Alice Gast

Chris Parr writes from the Reinventing Higher Education conference in Madrid

The Chinese president is visiting several of the UK’s top universities. But would they thrive in China? 

Why is the world still prioritising male interpretation of women over womankind? asks Victoria Bateman

Do the socially conservative societies of Asia stifle creativity, or is this a myth created by a complacent West? asks Jack Grove

Times are changing – and university boards need to understand what their executive are doing about it, writes Nick Hillman

Mental health in universities continues to be a growing problem, says University of Buckingham vice-chancellor, who also has tips for university staff

Celebration of education takes over the social networking site for the day

This week's edition discussed by the Times Higher Education team

‘Something must be done’: deep dismay at the human toll of the ongoing Syrian refugee crisis is spurring the academy to act

They think I’m a rising star, says a postdoctoral researcher at Stanford, but my hopes of a real career in science are sinking

Academics have to affirm reading’s value and help undergraduates develop this high-level skill by setting them whole books, argues Frank Furedi

Matthew Reisz reflects on the issues raised by Linsey McGoey’s new book on ‘philanthrocapitalism’

In his second blog, John Tregoning offers some more advice on coping with scholarly stress

In advance of a conference on ‘education without borders’, Anthony Redmond considers the ethical issues around sending medical students on elective courses in low-income countries

Prevent: institutions must not let platitudes about freedom of expression create an ‘illusion of debate’, says Rupert Sutton

This week's edition discussed by the Times Higher Education team

Hanging too many measures on a bill can cause it to topple over, argues Nick Hillman

There’s no rest for the lifelong learning brigade, says Shahidha Bari

The definition of teaching quality may be tangled up, but it’s in everyone’s interest to find a satisfactory measure

June Purvis, historical adviser on the film Suffragette, delivers her verdict

Cooperation at all levels of the higher education system is needed to address a ‘systematic bias’, says Gary Loke

China’s long wait for a home-grown Nobel prize in science is now over, but concerns over its university culture remain, says David Matthews

The ‘naming and shaming’ of universities that have hosted extremist speakers has raised more questions about the intentions of the Prevent agenda, says Jack Grove

John Morgan blogs from the Conservative Party conference in Manchester

Campus universities seem to have happier students. Mark Smith and Adam Child think they know why

The Labour Party’s lack of a higher education policy could leave the sector at the mercy of perils far greater than the teaching excellence framework, argues Martin McQuillan

The changing higher education landscape is making a mockery of Ucas, says Zahir Irani

Most REF case studies related simple, short-term impacts, missing a host of wider, longer-term effects, argues Trisha Greenhalgh

Declassified after 50 years, the papers aren’t always reliable sources of information, but they help historians fill in the blanks, says Geoff Andrews

The UK has performed well in our expanded World University Rankings, but intangible assets are a vital source of strength

Kenn Nakata Steffensen takes an in-depth look at the challenges facing Japan’s public universities

The results of the 2015-2016 Times Higher Education World University Rankings, discussed by the THE editorial team.

As Plymouth University announces that its next vice-chancellor is a woman, are we witnessing a shift in the sector?

Ben Neville and Tom Swann set out why they wish some universities made more ethical investment decisions

Jess Patterson on why she fears the teaching excellence framework will be bad news for early career academics

John Morgan looks at the latest spending review developments

Effective engagement and social interaction are key, says Stefan Rennick-Egglestone

This week's edition discussed by the Times Higher Education team

It seems unlikely that charity donors will want to pay for university research overheads – but someone will have to eventually

A Russell Group tagline rap is further proof that we need to reform the academy’s approach, argues Philip Moriarty

Naomi Weir urges caution in the face of plans to reform an efficient research funding system

In an age of extroverts, a scholar’s paean to shyness and Jeremy Corbyn’s ‘radio phone-in’ PMQs tack against the prevailing winds

Matthew Reisz finds everything from pencilled moustaches to stick-on lizards affixed to the doors of academics

Sir Keith Burnett, vice-chancellor of the University of Sheffield, takes a sideways look at the power of university brands

John Morgan looks at the differences between Cambridge and Oxford on the £9,000 tuition cap – and the idea of ‘going private’

Failing is part of being an academic, says John Tregoning, so we should be ready for it

Studies on urine, pain thresholds and unboiled eggs honoured in annual awards for improbable research. John Elmes takes a look

The Prevent programme will cause real problems for universities, say Phil Lindan and Meriel Schindler

Jack Grove surveys the exhibition hall in Glasgow, and finds institutions keen to impress

This week's issue discussed by the Times Higher Education team

David Price argues that axeing staff selection would remove the temptation to manipulate data and protect careers

Did a huge research replication exercise do a power of good? ask Wolfgang Stroebe and Miles Hewstone

Jo Johnson’s debut UUK speech offered variations on a Willettsian theme, but with a few chords to make his audience shift uneasily

Hefce chief Madeleine Atkins on what a simpler, less burdensome QA system might look like

Matthew Reisz celebrates the joys of profiling scholars

BIS aims to step up competition for universities from new providers – but questions remain about impact on UK higher education