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
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
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
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
Compulsory A levels in maths and physics is contributing to the problem of low engineering enrolments, especially among female students, argues Elena Rodriguez-Falcon
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 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
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
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
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
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
If England’s post-18 education funding review is going to be useful, we must begin by taking an accurate view of the costs and benefits of higher education, says Mike Boxall
International educators, all too aware of the consequences of xenophobic attitudes, will continue to boldly advocate the values of global learning, says Esther Brimmer
The autonomy, professional discretion and judgement once central to academic life is now looked on with deep scepticism by university managers, argues Peter Fleming
University systems are born from unique historical and social traditions but can be categorised under three coherent models, according to Samuel Martín-Barbero and Adrian Monck
After 12 years, Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University has begun the second phase of operations and is intent on influencing China's higher education system, says executive president Youmin Xi
The Migration Advisory Committee’s survey was so poorly framed that any data would have been unusable, so how was it even approved? asks Tanja Bueltmann