The newsroom blog

Why do smart scholars fall for dodgy conferences, asks Jack Grove

Academics find information and inspiration in myriad places and forms, and what they do with it can transform and even save lives

In our rapidly changing world focused on science and progress, the liberal arts are sometimes considered irrelevant; but they offer unique insight into who we are and where we are going

Despite fears of saturation, an ever-growing army of graduates could just counter – rather than heighten – the threat of machines taking all our jobs

John Morgan looks at how an old argument may become pressing in future funding debates

Theresa May’s tweaks to tuition fees may not be enough to quell the disquiet over the current system, says John Gill

John Morgan asks whether laments for the polytechnics may have policy impact

Fringe events debate funding, Brexit and the social capital of knowing Jo Johnson, John Morgan reports

John Morgan looks at Theresa May’s plans for reforms to England's system

Labour still fixed on pledge as political gold dust, but may score policy impact nevertheless, writes John Morgan

Despite their scientific achievements, women account for only 5% of Nobel prize-winners. It diminishes them – and the award, says John Gill

Countries worldwide are grappling with the challenge of expanding higher education with limited resources while maintaining quality 

Chris Parr picks through some of the highlights from the tuition fees debate between David Willetts and Andrew Adonis

A disastrous loss of goodwill during negotiations with Brussels may mean the days of Britain’s being a net beneficiary of EU research funding are over

Britain has a remarkably strong higher education system that makes it a world-leading player, and it requires tending, not trashing

Matthew Reisz reflects on the radio programme that proves many people still have a passion for seemingly obscure academic knowledge

A survey of 50 laureates is full of insight, warnings and the can-do attitudes powering ‘beautiful minds’

Creeping political interference in universities, from the UK to Hungary and the US, is part of a worrying shift in attitudes towards higher education

Hungary is making ‘dubious history’ by reversing the expansion of universities, writes David Matthews

Threats over content available in China reveal difficult line academic community must tread

Universities used to be thought unsinkable, but the unthinkable – an institution going to the wall – is now a genuine, if yet remote, prospect

UK needs an antidote to London dominance and toxic deindustrialisation, says John Morgan

Think carefully about treating students differently because of their backgrounds

Institutions are feeling under attack; they need to counter their critics by showing proudly and publicly the immense good work they do

Universities claim to bestow on graduates the key to open the door to any job: critical thinking. But even if they do, are employers interested?

There are several stumbling blocks on the way to negotiating access to European research funding, writes Holly Else

Amid fresh criticism of executive remuneration, perhaps universities need to rethink the issue of vice-chancellors’ salaries

As the row over fees reignites and mutates into a debate over the very purpose of universities, silence reigns on the issue of hyper-selectivity

Academics may see their work as a calling, which makes it hard for them to switch off. But vacations are essential for well-being – and a bit of fun

Chris Parr visits a university aiming to be the best in the world at both Western and traditional Chinese medicine

Wherever you are, populism and its effect on universities is never far from conversation, finds Chris Parr

Few in academia will have celebrated Brexit’s first anniversary but the unpredictable year since the vote has shown the power of a united voice

The stamp of government approval means TEF ratings will carry significant weight, writes Chris Havergal

Matthew Reisz enjoys an evening in the company of a Nobel Laureate and academic superstar

John Morgan looks at how the PM’s woes may have beneficial side-effects

Duncan Ross looks back at Times Higher Education’s predictions of how students could swing the general election

Jeremy Corbyn records stunning results in university seats on back of £11.2bn policy, writes John Morgan

John Morgan looks at the ‘culture wars’ approach to universities emerging on the Right, and the counter-arguments

Striking visual display in King’s College London corridor symbolises how higher education is taking professorial problem seriously

John Morgan looks at the Tory manifesto pledge to keep students in net migration target and to hold ‘major review’ of tertiary funding

Giving employee rights to doctoral candidates seen as key step to make life in academia more attractive, Holly Else writes

Higher education might not be a central issue in the UK’s general election campaign, but it certainly has much riding on the outcome

As universities rely on multiple income streams to stay afloat, private money comes with caveats and portfolios must balance profit and principle

Despite the economic downturn following the last recession, a real-terms fall in pay at UK universities since 2010-11 was still surprising, writes Simon Baker

Women’s pay still lags behind men’s, and a lack of transparency around salaries makes it all the harder to address

In an age of political civil war, the question of why the Right is so under-represented in academia is important

The Duke of York’s support for London Met shows how the Royal Family can make a difference in higher education, says Jack Grove

Carnival atmosphere at the London March for Science as events take place across the world

John Morgan looks at reports PM may ‘soften’ stance on students and net migration figures 

While some fear a dystopian outcome in which private innovators bypass the university, others are more sanguine about the potential threats to the sector

John Morgan looks at how the HE Bill's future, the impact of Brexit and Labour's fee plans are all election issues for universities

Supervisors should be trained to spot the first sign of a problem, says Chris Havergal

Massive investment in campus infrastructure gives Australia an advantage in the battle to recruit international students, writes Jack Grove from the Young Universities Summit in Brisbane

New institutions across the world believe that they can compete with big-name universities that are stuck in the past, explains Jack Grove

Matthew Reisz discusses the preliminary results of the National Senior Management Survey

John Morgan finds sector statements on ‘momentous day’ taste a little bland

Institutions that succeed in helping regional growth deserve being included in measures of performance, says Simon Baker

The Excellence Initiative in Germany and the UK’s TEF may bring only bad news for universities’ reputations, says David Matthews

Increasing the number of fast-track degrees may devalue the currency of UK undergraduate courses in Europe, warns Jack Grove

Matthew Reisz considers gravitational waves, scientific authority and sexual differences