The newsroom blog

Is Australia’s higher education export industry destined to become a victim of its own success?

THE's Asia-Pacific editor John Ross ponders the pluses of a slow-cooked doctorate

For all the good ascribed to Twitter and the rest, is this time-consuming activity improving things or distracting us from achieving transformative impact?

Positive public outreach is critical for universities to remain on the good side of public opinion, but the University of Reading has found that a little bit of sass can go a long way

There is no holding back the king tide that is the Asian country’s higher education ambition – yet while the torrent carries some riches, what will it sweep away?

At a gathering of young scientists and Nobel prizewinners, David Matthews detects a whiff of mutiny in the air stirred by the pressures of a modern research career

Phil Baty explains the motivation and methodology behind the inaugural Times Higher Education Europe Teaching Rankings 

Invisible hands are pumping up an era of inflation inflation. Is it possible to discern what’s behind the alleged crisis of ever more top marks?

Scholars keep feelings of inferiority well cloaked yet self-doubt can strike any of us and only disclosure alleviates the pain of this hidden epidemic

There are hints of a thaw in the Home Office’s icy hostility to immigrants, but universities could also do more to protect their own staff, says Paul Jump

The boom in international students and researchers on campus has obvious benefits, but Australian universities risk going financially bust if they stop coming, and maybe even if they don’t

Mismatch between the TEF and the Student Engagement Survey hints at whether a marketised system offers students good options or just branding bling

Understanding how and why a university achieved a particular rating has become a tougher job than ever, writes Simon Baker

As universities mull their partnerships with outsiders, all eyes study their power within national economic hierarchies

Cutting academics out of module creation poses risks, but it is a model that will be watched closely, says Chris Havergal

Universities whose names are bywords for quality will stand out amid market noise, writes Phil Baty

The stratospheric sums pocketed by university bosses make little sense, but nothing about salaries makes much sense

While it is important to reassess behaviour and power dynamics through a post-Weinstein lens, it is harder to make the case for deleting work from the academic record

A Twitter poll on whether or not lecturers should ever comment on students’ attire attracted almost 400 responses, but the replies quickly became more complex than just ‘yes’ or ‘no’

After tweeting an anecdote of an academic responding to her email the same day as their child was born, Rachael Pells was surprised by the response from other academics on Twitter

That the role of higher education is so often misunderstood or misportrayed, even in institutions, means much good work goes unremarked

Matthew Reisz considers the insights of the former LSE director who has a foothold in both the UK and France

Relatively liberal eras cannot restrain subsequent authoritarian regimes, but we can teach societies to see through propaganda, writes Paul Jump

Higher education institutions are vital not just to research and economic growth but also to ensuring the health of liberal democracy on the continent

Suspected spies posing as professors have hit the headlines in recent months. Matthew Reisz considers academia's long – and ongoing – entanglement with espionage

While their credentials are not in dispute, institutions could have their teaching and research undermined by a crisis in morale

Universities need to raise funds from potentially mercurial financial markets without losing sight of their long-term missions. It’s a delicate balance

Academics see the OfS, like the changes in USS pensions, as another attack on them and the cherished compensations of their profession

There must be greater permeability between universities and tech giants if we want to protect data from corporate interests and use it for the public good

In view of recent revelations of abuse in several industries, networks such as an academic sisterhood could offer vital support and solidarity

Universities need to confront, rather than ignore, uncomfortable questions about the worth of higher education to be in with a fighting chance

With state intervention back in vogue, and publishers’ profit margins still sky-high, journals could be the next monopoly to come under scrutiny

The crisis in student mental well-being is no secret, but academics too feel overwhelmed by the demands on them. Universities cannot ignore their plight

Market forces unleashed on the UK university sector have pushed up senior pay, fuelled the rows over it and posed questions about ‘value for money’ that are shaping the future of universities

Launching the post-18 education review in Derby tells you all you need to know about why yet another look at HE is vital for the prime minister’s political future

Ignore the politicians’ jibes: history is crucial to develop critical minds, make sense of the present and prepare people for the future

Universities’ demands are taking too great a toll on individuals’ health and happiness, as our first work-life balance survey shows

The plans for SUSTech capture the boldness of the country’s ambitions to create in years universities that can match century-old powers

Knowledge exchange sits low on academia’s menu, overshadowed by meatier mains, but could the assessment of universities’ third-stream activities tempt some to make it a signature dish?

Cabinet reshuffle offers universities the chance of a relationship reset before they are likely caught in the first swell of a global wave of funding reviews

Matthew Reisz meets the scholars for whom one discipline is not enough

Criticism of academic sisterhood survey gets to the crux of the matter that the resulting article will explore, says Holly Else

A precise breakdown of foreign learners’ contributions to all areas and sectors of British life could help finally move the group out of the net migration count

Chris Parr looks at the issues that THE's Twitter followers think the new universities minister should be tackling

Funding, Brexit and the growing power of China are among key issues to watch in 2018, say sector experts – but there is a glimmer of optimism, too

Chris Parr runs through 11 of the best 2017 Christmas videos from university leaders

The past year has seemed one of almost daily shocks and surprises for higher education, which THE has divulged, documented and dissected

Chris Parr reveals the 25 Times Higher Education stories that received the most views during the last 12 months

Outrage over vice-chancellors’ remuneration has focused on individuals – but the buck stops with governors

Phil Baty asked his Twitter followers what they thought of government plans for two-year undergraduate degrees, and they did not hold back

Inequality remains a pernicious problem at our elite universities. Failure to tackle it will have negative consequences for individuals and society at large

In the rivalry to make the next scientific breakthrough, collaboration is key. But the UK’s post-Brexit course only undermines its competitive standing

Faith in private-sector innovation has driven Conservative reforms under both Willetts and Johnson – but is that really what universities need?

Just like Hollywood and Parliament, academia has entrenched power hierarchies. It can’t pretend that sexual harassment doesn’t take place

Jisc has revealed its top social media superstars of the year, writes Chris Parr

UUK International wants every UK university to join its ‘Go International’ campaign, but institutions find it hard to get students to participate in overseas schemes, says Rachael Pells

Research is paid for by legerdemain, and we should be honest about it if we want to correct funding imbalances and treat students fairly

In the wake of the shooting at Sutherland Springs in Texas, university staff and students have been sharing their concerns, writes Chris Parr

Last week’s spats over universities’ supposed anti-Brexit bias and what to do about it highlight the contested nature of free speech

Matthew Reisz celebrates the scholars engaging with film, personal experience, the creative arts and even jokes