Opinion

Weekly transmissions from the blogosphere

Years after Thatcher, says Simon Marginson, commerce is marginal to the sector. True competition would destroy its essence

Vice-chancellors and those who select them might learn from the successes – and notable failures – of politics

A course from the UK can’t simply be transplanted overseas even if the language used is the same, says Rebecca Hughes

The minister hopes to sink his teeth into higher education but his political stock is falling, argues Christopher Prendergast

Libya’s education system requires reform, but effective change can come incrementally, says Darren L. Linvill

Malcolm Gillies celebrates a watershed moment on the long road to equality

Many lecturers will not even consider the ‘nuclear option’ of boycotting marking in the pay dispute, says Bill Ashraf

As vice-chancellors’ salaries creep up, do university heads risk the same fate as bankers in the court of public opinion?

Good communication is vital when dealing with allegations of harassment, says Luke Brunning

Universities won’t be sustainable or fulfil their missions if they manage academics using research metrics alone, says a senior manager

Weekly transmissions from the blogosphere

If Labour does adopt a graduate tax policy it will be making a grave mistake, says Emran Mian

Weekly transmissions from the blogosphere

Hiranya Peiris rebuts the Daily Mail’s impoverished worldview of scientists

Johnny Rich on a simple change that could erase student debt, fund universities and boost employability - without costing taxpayers more

How do you prepare students for the impossible? asks Kevin Fong

An inspirational supervisor can nurture a career, while a poor one slows its growth. Either way, mentors have a lasting impact

South Africa’s energy is built on frustration, anger, fear and cheerful fatalism, finds Robert Appelbaum

By joining forces, scientists and politicians can pack a policy punch, argues Keith Humphreys

Ice cores from 11,700 years ago aid the climate change debate, but the recent past has its own share of lessons, says Howard P. Segal

Weekly transmissions from the blogosphere

Its study is not frivolous, and it deserves academic recognition, says Sally Feldman

A shrinking unit of resource will make it harder for institutions to turn around perceptions of ‘value for money’

There’s an abundance of serious material outside the academy so why not use it, says Karen Harris

Nathaniel Adam Tobias Coleman on the subject’s colour line

More freedom to select students has not been an unalloyed good in China, says Hong Bing

The resignation of a rector is an opportunity to tackle corruption in Kosovo’s academy, says Peter Geoghegan

Zero-hours contracts make staff feel anxious and ill-used; they must be tackled as the sector seeks a sustainable future

There are talents in everyone, and it is the teacher’s role to develop them, says Will Buckingham

How much political folly can we stomach? asks Christopher Bigsby

Negative assumptions about undergraduates distract from the debate over the responsibilities of educators, says Sarah Moore

Weekly transmissions from the blogosphere

Universities are making prize-worthy efforts to give students what they want and need, but they can’t control for all factors

Claire Chambers relishes the exciting flavour of Pakistan at the Karachi Literature Festival

Weekly transmissions from the blogosphere

Students should not be expected to ‘perform’ their emotional commitment to trendy political orthodoxies, says Bruce Macfarlane

In the midst of a desert, Shahidha Bari finds a wellspring of scholarly inspiration

We must press politicians to show how a future government will support the sector, says Christopher Snowden

Editor’s Note: In some weeks, changes in higher education are of sufficient moment to warrant extended treatment. We are happy to devote this entire edition of The Poppletonian to just such a development

Declared cases are multiplying, but the diagnosis still lacks scientific rigour, argues Julian Elliott

With the Treasury stepping out of its traditional role as panto villain, human capital is back atop the political agenda