The newsroom blog

The government may be putting a new emphasis on universities and the role of research, but the attention may also bring new demands for delivery

International mobility defines many academics’ careers – but how should we weigh the costs and benefits to individuals, and their adopted homes?

Working to the exclusion of all else is unhealthy, but a one-size-fits-all limit is hard to set when careers and reputations are on the line

As China’s influence grows, UK scholars question how best to collaborate. A post-Brexit transition may offer change to more than our EU relationship

Letting go of acrimony is not easy after three years of trench warfare. But post-Brexit Britain needs academics and their evidence-led approach

Matthew Reisz talks to Grayson Perry and an academic expert on performance art about the limits of student artistic expression in higher education 

Mid-career learners, and some of the world’s biggest employers, are looking beyond the ‘graduate club’ for laser-targeted courses and skills

Matthew Reisz considers the researchers who keep on top of the issues we most want to avoid

Where scientists led, society is finally starting to follow. But higher education can and must do more to address the climate crisis

As Conservatives turn towards non-graduate voters, they may find universities a tempting target for economic and cultural hits, writes John Morgan

Chinese students’ economic contributions aren’t always matched by the support they get. More must be done to understand and integrate this group

A decade dominated first by austerity and then by Brexit has brought UK higher education to a tipping point as the election looms

Association to Horizon Europe would also be positive, but hostile mood music over immigration still reverberates 

Higher education is not unaffected by the chokehold on press freedom in Australia, says John Ross 

In a marketised system, student numbers are rising. Small universities offer a collegial approach and, for some, better, not bigger, is the key to excellence

Across the world, vice-chancellors’ statesmanship is being put to the test because no campus can escape the intrusion of politics, domestic and international

Political purity is a badge of honour in the hashtag age. But the real world is nuanced and messy, as universities should know better than most

Rejection can be felt more intensely in academia because of the level of personal investment – but it is a normal and necessary aspect of any career

Some are wary property development will detract from core missions. But it can provide helpful home improvements and boost community partnerships

The REF is a prime example of the sort of elaborate, burdensome process that potentially adds comparatively little value

As student numbers pass the 50 per cent mark, it is more important than ever to promote the value of HE, and counter perceptions that more means worse

Obama’s election supposedly heralded a ‘post-racial’ era, yet inequalities persist for the black community. Today, HBCUs have lessons for us all

Universities should be engines that drive social well-being and mobility, but this noble purpose can so easily be hampered by inappropriate incentives

Corbyn’s speech on setting ‘the people’ before ‘the privileged’ expressed a mood of anti-elitism already feeding through into education policy, writes John Morgan

A policy to recruit genuinely the brightest and best students would have to look beyond revenue maximisation

Underinvesting in universities in the face of international competition and political upheaval will be to countries’ social and economic detriment

Top universities demand the best in the world as leaders. But when does a fresh international outlook outweigh domestic knowledge and experience?

John Morgan looks at why the universities and science minister’s comeback was so short and what his exit means

Are today’s students really self-absorbed snowflakes or are lecturers merely experiencing the other side of the intergenerational perspective?

Betting the farm on international students is a gamble – but what’s the alternative? asks THE’s Asia-Pacific editor John Ross 

The prime minster’s speech offers a reminder of Vote Leave’s pledges on UK science, and misleading words about EU support, John Morgan writes

Technological advances mean an ever evolving workplace. While no one can predict the future, HE investment in lifelong learning will surely help us adapt

Conversations with students at the failed for-profit provider reveal much about its business model and the Department for Education’s judgement, writes John Morgan

Brexit will be a disaster for HE, but do the new prime minister’s past utterances offer clues on what else universities might expect?

Matthew Reisz considers the tools we need to explore the wilder shores of performance art

GSM London’s slide into administration leaves difficult questions for DfE on why it granted the college continued loan access last year, writes John Morgan

The fate of big alternative providers has implications for the future of English for-profit HE, writes John Morgan

Our Impact Rankings are global proof positive that universities do a power of good, writes Phil Baty

Quality versus quantity is key in discussing HE expansion, but if Britain wants to succeed on a growing global stage we will need more, not less, HE

Decades of investment in US collegiate athletic programmes have built global talent incubators for women’s football, says Sara Custer

Matthew Reisz considers the fascinating, painful and plain bizarre topics addressed by researchers exploring one of the last taboos

David Matthews asks if elevating individuals to near-deity status undermines modern science’s purpose of deposing authority figures such as priests and popes

Not all pupils see a clear path after leaving school. More must be done to light the way for students from non-traditional backgrounds in both HE and FE

In a perilous time of populist attacks and constant value critiques, universities should focus on rebuilding trust in their local communities

Higher education is often cast as politically insignificant, but look closer and it is frequently a chip in the highest-stakes game around

Post-18 review highlights the chaotic nature of Westminster policymaking, writes John Morgan

A different environment can do wonders for a person; might universities feel a similar refreshment when the UK’s political landscape settles down again?

PM’s plan to resign leaves post-18 education review on shakier ground than ever, while increasing the chances of student visa liberalisation

Disillusionment with the dramatically changed academic landscape has spawned a new literary genre – along with a host of problems for those struggling to adapt

Plenty on the Continent see a link between Brexit and English educational hierarchy, writes John Morgan

Female academics on Twitter have exposed the shocking abuse they endured at academic meet-ups, observes Sara Custer 

Matthew Reisz reflects on the advantages and disadvantages of detachment for those pursuing ghostly research

System expansion is not enough. Admission to higher-tariff institutions must somehow be opened up, says Paul Jump

When credible concerns emerge about research validity, universities and journals must move quickly, writes John Ross

Perspectives on the state of English studies around the world reveal how disciplines are vulnerable to changes in society, policy and technology

A spell of globetrotting shows that no matter their location, universities, and those they serve, face challenges that cannot be tackled alone

Matthew Reisz discovers what anthropologist Ruben Andersson learned behind bunkers in Bamako

Tips from THE’s editor on how universities can shift the negative perceptions of higher education to reassert their value to society

Good PhD supervision is life-changing – and not only for the few who succeed in making it as researchers

The Chinese tech giant’s challenge for universities will be far from an isolated case and universities are not prepared for the nuanced reaction required, says John Ross