Blog

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

The sector needs to share its successes and its failures to make progress, says Janet Beer 

And opens up scholarly discourse to political tampering, says Linda Lim

Programmes that establish solid working relationships between students can help avoid their studying in isolation, argue Gareth Hughes, Brian Clegg, Dave Jarman and Philip Langton 

Explicit or not, misogyny is commonplace in academia, write Charmaine Willis and Nakissa Jahanbani, who offer advice on how men can become women’s allies

The president emeritus of Nanyang Technological University says be prepared to answer endless questions and learn to control your ego

What’s a progressive academic to do when standing up for non-Western values is at odds with their ideals, asks Constantine Sandis 

The keys to success include aligning it with academic missions and having an institution-wide approach, say Anna-Malin Sandström and Ross Hudson 

How will England’s post-18 education review approach the issues surrounding maintenance loans and university accommodation costs? Jon Wakeford considers the options

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

The academic persecution originally feared when Jair Bolsonaro was elected president of Brazil never materialised, but neither did his promised investment into science and research, says Justin Axel-Berg

The new rules of academia – where researchers are valued by the funding dollars that they generate – inhibit minority background scholars and threaten universities’ accountability, says Kahlil C. DuPerry 

Teaching students the skills that enable them to be change makers in their industries should be the real goal, says Natalie Brett 

Where you live should not limit your educational aspirations, says Ian Fribbance 

Scholars of feminism attract an overwhelming amount of intimidation; their right to explore controversial issues demands explicit protection, say Alice Sullivan, Judith Suissa, Holly Smith and Lesley Gourlay

Effective teaching requires lecturers to stay on top of their research. But this is labour that often goes unpaid, says Tom Cutterham

Universities normally resist being used by states to further an ideological goal. Why should it be any different when it comes to the EU? asks David Matthews 

Universities need to be honest to students about what academic level is required to take a course and, as a result, unconditional offers will come to an end, argues Tom Richmond 

Improving policymaking is a vital contribution to society, but academics need more time and funds to do so, says Tom Sasse

Are you a student, a candidate or something else? Whatever title you choose can have an impact on how academia views you and how you see yourself, argues Jenny Mak

Higher education must reconcile its commitment to open access information with good cybersecurity principles, argues Martin Vincent

David Green outlines how his institution has successfully worked to close the gender pay gap 

The three people vying to be the next leader of the UK’s University and College Union explain in their own words what they’ll do if elected

The time and financial costs of attending academic conferences discredits higher education’s desire for greater equity, says Race MoChridhe 

Katherine Firth breaks down the different meanings of ‘hard’ and gives tips for how students can persevere 

Timetabling should be at the heart of curriculum development and business strategising, argues Gill Sinclair

Zeireen Fuzurally interviewed students from Oxford and Cambridge and found that the nuance in their experiences is often overlooked in the national conversation about mental health

The combined practical and theoretical knowledge students will gain in the UK’s newest qualification make them a realistic alternative to A levels, says Andrew Kaye 

Karan Khemka weighs up the economic and moral returns on paying for a place at a top-ranked institution 

More independent research centres would mean more jobs for researchers and more scientific progress, says Thomas Fink 

The advance of the ‘business model’ of university governance has disempowered academics, diminished their decision-making authority and weakened their ability to innovate, says Michael Shattock

Universities have a duty to act swiftly and decisively to protect their staff when student bullying occurs, says Dirk Lindebaum 

They’re not all selfish and corrupt Gordon Gekkos, say Riina Koris and Anders Örtenblad

Solutions to the funding crisis will depend on universities’ abilities to build new business partnership models supported by new ways of working, says Mike Boxall  

Researchers Masha Krylova, Rodney Clifton and Gabor Csepregi argue for greater awareness around the negative academic impacts of students’ overusing mobile phones 

This year’s ERA identified another rise in the amount of world-class research being done, but it ultimately damages the country’s long-term competitiveness, argues Frank Larkins

Institutions must retain neutrality and academic freedom while working with businesses, says Max Lu

If Americans lose faith in alternative routes to success, entry to top universities could become as cut-throat as it is in South Korea, says Stephanie K. Kim

In these days of virtual learning environments, face-to-face classes promote the endangered art of meaningful human interaction, says Joe Moran

Republicans in Congress are far less ideologically driven to avoid deficits and increase military spending this time, writes THE’s North America editor Paul Basken

Prejudice against working-class academics threatens the academic integrity of universities, argues Jack Adams 

A consultation of UK universities shows they are committed to protecting the value of degree qualifications, says Janet Beer

Impostor syndrome, feeling misunderstood and pressure to stay on top can plague many academics. Magdalena Bak-Maier advises how to prevent them derailing your efficiency  

Elite US universities’ history of acknowledging hereditary advantage at least came with a sense of social obligation, says Amanda Louise Johnson

And it’s time for government policy on post-study work to change, says Nick Hillman 

The interdisciplinary advisory panel spent 18 months debating the best way to define and assess interdisciplinary research in the REF. Now it’s up to the research community to decide if we are right, says Athene Donald 

Matthew Reisz considers the work of researchers who have shed light on the ‘invisibility’ of social class in US universities

Deep political division suggests that post-Brexit negotiations around research collaboration and talent mobility with the EU will drag on, says Chris Husbands 

Sal Jarvis identifies the catch-22 universities can find themselves in as they aim to widen participation and tackle grade inflation

The advice offered to PhD students by career diversity programmes often isn’t picked up by faculty members. Here Alfredo Cumerma proposes three tools faculty can use to make their students more visible to employers

Regional networks and corporate collaborations built up over decades will help universities weather the Brexit storm, say Alex de Ruyter and Vangelis Tsiligiris

Matthew Reisz meets an expert on tracking the movements of animals which are sometimes fierce and virtually impossible to catch  

Subsidising accommodation and providing bursaries for student essentials can go a long way in helping care leavers realise their potential, says UK universities and science minister Chris Skidmore

Any reduction in university fees will hurt students from under-represented backgrounds the most, argues Colin Bailey 

The progress of science will not be impeded if the number of flights academics take is reduced, argues Jürgen Gerhards

Universities’ openness, broad research remit and long-term local commitments are at risk when they align too closely with ever-changing industry, says Jason Owen-Smith

Higher education is constantly evolving – and so is THE, says Trevor Barratt 

The hidden costs of application fees could dissuade low-income students from applying to postgraduate courses, says James Muldoon

As the cost of higher education rises, the onus is on universities to show their community that they are using public and private investments effectively, says Liz Bromley