Blog

Developing an open-access policy for long-form scholarly works that allows for flexibility and a wide range of exceptions will be a slow and steady process, says Helen Snaith

In their enthusiasm for faculty to engage on social networks and have online brands, universities need to prepare academics for the toxicity that can come with it, argues Philip Moriarty 

There’s no better way for the UK to show its collegial spirit to the EU than through a commitment to student mobility, similar to what Australia and New Zealand enjoy, says David Phoenix 

Promoting active learning is nothing close to ‘religious fervour’, but rather follows the findings of robust, evidence-based research, says Carl Wieman 

Educators accusing students of not working hard enough is simply a shirking of their responsibility to actually meet learners’ needs, says Katherine Gould

The accounting magic the UK government performs to handle outstanding student loans has once again been questioned, but the timing couldn’t be worse for universities, says Andy Westwood 

Don’t believe the hype; Finnish universities face just as many problems with professional mismanagement and staff morale as those in other countries, says Gareth Rice

Changing the language we use for student loans while increasing student maintenance will not improve access to higher education as the Money Saving Expert suggests, argues Amatey Doku

A plan outlining the zombie excellence framework was found on the laptop of estranged academic Jolliest Vendettas of the University of Neoliberalia, who believes it is 2044 and she now works for the Office for Zombies 

Free and open debate is alive and well on UK campuses, but new guidance on how universities can best encourage and protect free speech is welcome, says Peter Tatchell

Postgraduate enrolments in the UK are growing, but a Ucas study shows that almost a quarter of current postgrads aren’t satisfied with the university they chose, Helen Thorne says

Other industries have been disrupted by bold new approaches to funding models and higher education seems ripe for its own revolution, says Robert MacIntosh 

In response to Richard Arum’s charge that higher education research is failing to sufficiently investigate university teaching, Anne Tierney gives concrete examples of the contrary

Quick wins are important in the UK’s efforts to improve student mental health, says Richard Black, but paybacks from long-term projects will create the sea change needed, he argues

Communicating with students on platforms they’re comfortable with is convenient and more engaging during clearing, but universities must abandon marketing scripts to be truly effective, says David Seaton

Universities have a responsibility to introduce students to critical thinking and counter the rote learning that schools employ in preparation for the high-stakes university entrance exam, says Matthew D. Edward

Richard Joyner gives his ‘Description of Science’ scores for scientists’ biographies that are written by academics, which, he says, can often contain no details of the subject’s work at all

Holding scientific meetings in the US discriminates against scientists who are barred entrance to the country under the recently upheld travel ban, argues Bryan Ford 

As two new mothers living thousands of miles apart but juggling the same academic and childcare demands, we found solace in connections with other studying parents, say Nicola White and Rebekah Farrell

A critical and questioning intellectual community of social scientists is a core component of a confident and flourishing democracy, but can academic critique go too far? asks Matt Flinders

Professors should embrace the digital transformation of higher education but eschew the commercial interests that will inevitably come with it, argues Markus Giesler 

Compliance rules around the UK's open access policy are good, but we need more support from vendors, publishers and institutions to make research outcomes truly accessible to the public, says Helen Blanchett 

Behavioural interventions have been successful in improving graduation rates among first-generation and underrepresented students in the US and should be embraced by more educators, say Ben Castleman and Ethan Fletcher 

Creating a digital learning environment isn’t just about convenience for students, it’s about preparing them for the future, says Renee Patton 

The University Mental Health Charter will be funded by the UPP Foundation and will reward universities that improve student well-being outcomes, says Richard Brabner 

Investors’ immense appetite for allocations of the University of Cambridge’s CPI-linked bond is evidence there is plenty of capital available to institutions through debt deals, says Dominic Kerr

Sue Keenan shares her experiences of counselling medical students displaced from the American University of the Caribbean by Hurricane Irma

The UK government is committed to cracking down on grade inflation but there are steps universities themselves can take towards solving the problem, says Tim Horder 

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

The age-old dispute over Western civilisation courses has bubbled up again in Australia. It could do more harm than good to cash-strapped humanities courses, writes Steven Schwartz

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

The chaos at the UCU congress reflects the same concerns around democracy and accountability that members have about university leaders, writes Mike Finn, who argues for a member-led union

While advancements in artificial intelligence could streamline the daily responsibilities of a university leader, we should leave the big decisions to a human being, says Vijaya Nath 

Using contextual data around journal impact factors will lead to more accurate measurements of researchers and their work, says Jonathan Adams

Funding schemes that back radical research ideas are proving worthwhile in cultivating new science, says Donald Braben

Compulsory A levels in maths and physics is contributing to the problem of low engineering enrolments, especially among female students, argues Elena Rodriguez-Falcon

Current UK nurse training should focus on a national curriculum, its content and assessment, and not its categorisation as a degree, says Ann Bradshaw

The dedication and years of hard work required to complete a PhD entitle the recipient to be considered a bona fide doctor, says Marrisa Joseph

Generalist MBAs lack the sector-specific skills that specialist MBAs can provide and that the job market increasingly demands, says Pierre Ihmle

As critical members of the scientific community, early career researchers should be supported by scientific societies through student-led committees, write Rachelle Balez and Tom Burns

Latin American researchers have a specific social commitment to ensure that their work is accessible and contributing to the good of their communities, says Victoriano Colodrón 

Does focusing on vice-chancellors’ pay really address the issue? Jenny Brown argues that the sector needs to start looking beyond just remuneration when attracting new senior leadership 

The University and College Union mustn’t let infighting tarnish its success in the USS dispute and a boom in membership, says Adam Ozanne 

The Full Picture initiative at Oxford University intends to celebrate its historical contributions from women and ethnic minorities and to promote inclusivity around campus, write Rebecca Surender 

Rapid advancements in telecommunications have come through basic scientific research and connections between industry and universities, writes Chen Lifang of Huawei

The news of another tragic death in academia rang too familiar for Grace Krause, who argues that working conditions are the root of the problem 

A new curriculum for taught master’s and undergraduates on the use of research animals aims to improve the knowledge base of in vivo experiments, according to members of the British Pharmacological Society’s curriculum development team

As transnational education matures, so too must the branch campus model if it is to remain relevant to the local community it serves, argues Christopher Hill 

The long-perceived elitism of universities such as Oxford mean we need to reframe the widening access discussions to talk about economic backgrounds, not just race, argues Roshan Doug

Open-day strikes can often be more ill-informed than effective, and threaten the university’s ability to recruit students, says one anonymous academic 

Interdisciplinary PhDs come with unique challenges but if you can find ways to benefit from them, you’ll have the best of both worlds, says Selina Sutton

Young people are more at-risk of joining terrorist groups or being arrested for terrorist offences. University policies to protect them are essential, says Lord Agnew

Asking applicants to disclose their criminal record is an arbitrary admissions process and can deter some students from even applying, argues Christopher Stacey

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

Improvements in the TEF awards from one year to another is not only remarkable, says Paul Aswhin, it also calls into question the validity of this exercise to accurately measure teaching quality 

It is at the apex of higher education, research and innovation, but issues around integrity and employability must be addressed for doctoral education to continue to thrive, says Luke Georghiou

The second round of TEF outcomes shows a diverse higher education sector that excels in making a challenging and stimulating offering to its students, says Chris Husbands

Efforts to reduce hate speech on campus risk undermining the rights of people to express themselves freely as well, argues Chris Martin

Universities that realise that innovation won’t always come via the top of league tables are the ones that will thrive in challenging times, says Maggie Dallman

We have information at our fingertips like never before, transforming the way we learn and retain information yet university learning and teaching has changed very little over the decades, argues Fiona Godsman