Policy watch

Even in tourism studies, reality often belies the bold, sunny pictures painted in the impact case study brochure, says Rhodri Thomas 

Changes to the way the UK accounts for the cost of student loans should trigger a rethink about the sources of university funding, says Ryan Shorthouse

Australia’s move to performance-based funding must be better thought through than England’s TEF, say Gwilym Croucher and Kenneth Moore

Academics should not sneer at Simon Birmingham’s appeal to what ‘most Australians’ would think about projects, says Hannah Forsyth

Overseas programmes are rarely money-spinners, but as power shifts east they will be crucial for Western universities’ continued relevance, says Matt Durnin

Take-up of research by business is difficult to catalyse and record. Far better to focus on the impact central to universities’ missions, say Vince Mitchell and William Harvey

If access to European research funding is to be maintained, more UK research universities need to forge formal links with EU institutions, says Peter Coveney

If businesses regard upskilling their middle managers as a high priority, universities should not be criticised for meeting that need, says Alec Cameron

The University of South Australia’s merger with its prestigious Adelaide neighbour may be off, but the fact that it was even considered illustrates how much can change in 30 years, says Adam Graycar

Seeking a greater share of imagined profits from commercialisation would undermine technology transfer, says David Secher

A landmark analysis of several government data sets will help policymakers make more effective interventions, says Roger Smyth

The research excellence framework’s reliance on hasty peer review by generalists limits sample size and accuracy, three academics argue

For most young Australians, a bachelor’s degree remains a wise investment, says Andrew Norton

Science blooms when colleagues’ ideas cross-pollinate. Impediments to free movement will lead to a disastrous withering, says Sir Keith Burnett

European funders’ beefed-up open access mandate sounds the death knell for subscription publishing, but academic Armageddon is no closer, says Lenny Teytelman

Universities must look beyond a narrow conception of impact to communicate the true value of higher education to society, say Ulrike Felt, Maximilian Fochler, Andreas Richter, Renée Schroeder and Lisa Sigl

With the cost of UK participation in EU research no longer hidden post-Brexit, a robust case for Horizon Europe membership must be made, says Graeme Reid

Focusing on the mature student market can offer short-term relief from market pressure, but it is not a sustainable approach, says Nora Ann Colton

Partisan social media posts typically get more attention, but dispassionate analyses are what academics are valued for, says Stuart Brown 

The EU’s proposal for its next research and innovation funding framework focuses too narrowly on technology, say Gabi Lombardo and Jon Deer

Some commentators have urged the UK to replicate German universities of applied science. It’s not that simple, says Neil Shirtcliffe

If the Australian government wants to link university funding to student satisfaction, it must ensure that scores reflect more than students’ gender, wealth or ease of passage, says Julie Hare

Concerns about whether internationalisation and English usage has gone too far should be addressed from the perspective of quality assurance, says Michèle Wera

Widely varying tuition fees and financial aid programmes prevent students from making fully informed decisions, and policymakers from understanding the effects of interventions, say Ross Finnie, Richard Mueller and Arthur Sweetman

The initial botched attempt to draw up a shortlist of institutions eligible for extra funding does not augur well, writes Pushkar

For all the criticism it gets, the Australian Tertiary Admission Rank remains a cheap and efficient selection system that plausibly links entry criteria to academic outcomes, says Andrew Norton

With the consultation now closed, Philip Augar’s review of English post-18 education must begin the hard work of devising substantial but cost-effective proposals, says Andy Westwood 

The new remit for the Higher Education Standards Panel flags up various regulatory issues that the minister wants to see addressed, says Gavin Moodie

Whichever parties form the new Italian government, higher education and research are unlikely to be priorities, says Davide Donina

Politicians’ disparagement of historian’s research signals that alternative interpretations of the city state’s past will not be tolerated, says Linda Lim

Ten years into the programme, German universities remain focused on traditional markers of success, say Andreas Knie and Dagmar Simon

The Cambridge Analytica controversy flags up the ethical perils of research with Big Data – especially when it has commercial potential, says John Holmwood 

Following individuals’ paths in and out of different institutions shows that most students eventually graduate, say Ross Finnie, Richard E. Mueller and Arthur Sweetman

As the National Union of Students conference in Glasgow begins on 27 March, Nick Hillman ponders if the student voice is becoming too powerful in universities

New South African president Cyril Ramaphosa’s first budget confirmed funding for hundreds of thousands of students to be exempted from tuition fees, writes Martin Hall 

The Republic of Ireland’s embrace of differentiated national missions for institutions offers international lessons, says Ellen Hazelkorn

Funding rises for fundamental science with be welcomed even if they fall short of some scholars’ expectations, says Creso Sá

Making arts and humanities degrees cheaper than science courses would be 'cultural heresy' and 'economic barbarism', argues the University of Hertfordshire's vice-chancellor Quintin McKellar

Sarah Stevens looks at how universities are endeavouring to deliver the skills and learning the UK needs

Analysis of government data reveals that Australian universities’ surpluses have effectively halved over the past six years, says Conor King

The former Soviet state’s National Academy of Sciences is too focused on its own survival to improve its research performance, says Ararat Osipian

But sophisticated New Zealand analysis also belies assumption that highly educated international students are most likely to find local employment, says Roger Smyth

Dorothy Bishop wishes people would stop reinforcing the idea that universities are places of privilege where the staff sit idly around thinking ‘great thoughts’

Canadian scientists’ impressive campaign for increased basic science funding risks splintering as victory looms, says Jim Woodgett

With student numbers falling as fees rise, drastic action is needed to widen participation, says Claire Callender

Almost 2,350 academics from non-UK European countries have resigned from UK universities in the past year, and Layla Moran fears that could be just the tip of the iceberg

The government’s unilateral move to rein in costs is the inevitable result of a volatile and emotive political climate, says Warren Bebbington

Ongoing ministerial education reviews risk treating technical and academic education as separate pathways, says Quintin McKellar, and this could be to the detriment of both

Dorothy Bishop will not miss Jo Johnson, but is under no illusions that new minister Sam Gyimah will overturn any of his reforms

Sir Anthony Seldon explains why he was pleased to see Toby Young resign from the Office for Students, despite initially applauding the appointment  

Nick Hillman reflects on Jo Johnson's eventful two-and-a-half years as minister for universities and science 

UUK chief executive Alistair Jarvis outlines how he hopes the HE sector will work with the new OfS

Jana Bacevic takes a look through the history books to assess how the government’s recent announcement on two-year degrees could pan out

Without QR funding, the UK research base would be like a Lego set with only one type of brick, write Sarah Chaytor and Graeme Reid

Longer courses could mean bigger loans, which would eat into the government’s trumpeted savings, says Nick Hillman

Pam Tatlow looks at the ‘heroes’ and ‘villains’ of the v-c salary row, and finds some unfortunate trends

Wales will become the first system in Europe to offer equivalent maintenance support to full-time and part-time undergraduates, as well as postgraduates, explains Kirsty Williams  

The government is working hard to secure the rights of the 33,000 academics from other EU countries who are working in the UK, says immigration minister Brandon Lewis

As a report suggests social mobility in the UK is getting worse, Chris Husbands outlines how Sheffield Hallam is attempting to tackle the problem

The Industrial White Paper is welcome, says Andy Westwood, but does it also represent an opportunity missed?