Don’t be afraid: live in the light Universities must have at heart a public ethos counterbalance to weigh against commercial interests and state diktat By John Gill 8 January
New Year: the hopes and fears With the fever of REF results subsiding, we contemplate what 2015 might hold in store for higher education By John Gill 1 January
They saw a star and rejoiced The REF results can be wrapped up and presented many different ways. THE puts its analysis under the sector’s tree By John Gill 18 December
It’s the way that they do it The REF may have alienated many academics because of how it has been interpreted by a management culture By John Gill 11 December
Failing to look, listen or legislate An OMG moment is predicted for whoever wins the election as politicians address lapses in oversight and funding challenges By John Gill 4 December
Just let the drivers get on with it Universities already play a key role in powering regional growth. Another diktat demanding more on that score may be unhelpful By John Gill 27 November
Defence must not rest With cuts looming on the horizon, the sector cannot afford to relent in pressing the case to protect the research budget By John Gill 20 November
Doors open as others swing shut Policies on immigration often conflict with sector ambitions regarding overseas students and signal a turbulent spell ahead By John Gill 13 November
Searching for solid ground Aftershocks following the austerity reforms of 2010 are still being felt, with mature students particularly hard hit By John Gill 6 November
Soundings of choppy waters The government unleashed private providers to change the sector, but has there been a tide of creative disruption? By John Gill 30 October
Watching but also discerning Universities collecting data to monitor performance must be transparent and in sync with academic work and goals By John Gill 23 October
Climates of fear, public and private Courage, or lack of it, can spur people to achieve, but everyone must decide for themselves how far out to stick their neck By John Gill 16 October
Maximise returns – go long Universities know well the value of international students, but myopic politicians struggle to see past electoral expediency By John Gill 9 October
The Nobel path is not a safe one Planning to win top laurels is a fool’s errand, so how should research be structured to best produce far-reaching results? By John Gill 2 October
Buying their way to the top Tackling inequality and broadening access to higher education has knock-on benefits for the whole of society By John Gill 25 September
Launching high flyers takes cash With falling numbers of home postgraduates, the issue of who should pay for this vital study, and how, is an urgent one By John Gill 18 September
Adrift in a market of the self Who in higher education gains from commercialisation? The values it promotes do not chime with the ethos of the academy By John Gill 11 September
Working family allowances Being an academic and a parent is harder than it should be, but not all want children while others make it work regardless By John Gill 4 September
Vanishing points of view Universities abandoned to untrammelled market forces risk being robbed of their diversity, with unpredictable results By John Gill 28 August
It couldn’t happen here? The pitfalls of the American experience of marketisation are well known, but the UK need not make the same mistakes By John Gill 21 August
Slipping through the net A positive student experience is one of the most effective hooks for catching both undergraduates and postgraduates By John Gill 14 August
The World Cup is not enough Latin America’s giant wants to be a player in more than football, and universities worldwide are keen to help it achieve its goal By John Gill 7 August
The high costs of courage Academic whistleblowers face ostracism and curtailed careers until the system fully recognises the value of more transparency By Simon Baker 31 July
Closing the ‘town-gown’ gap The new universities minister Greg Clark also has ‘cities’ in his remit, but cries of mission creep may be premature By John Gill 24 July
Time to reflect on reforms David Willetts’ controversial policies divided opinion but the former minister won respect in a role that matched his talents By John Gill 17 July
The right to be unpopular Universities need to be careful about equating academic freedom and outspoken opinions with employee misconduct By John Gill 10 July
Visa issues at heart of problem Universities must take responsibility for oversight of international students – an arm’s-length approach is no protection By John Gill 3 July
Tales of continental drift The globalised academy offers ambitious scholars a plethora of opportunities, yet expat life is nothing if not unpredictable By John Gill 26 June
Imperialist metric systems Inappropriate measures of performance are detrimental to the intrinsic motivations of an academic workforce By John Gill 19 June
Erudition needed for in-out vote In the debate about Scottish independence, university leaders have been notably reticent in stating their position By John Gill 12 June
Promises and their limitations Trust in research confidentiality is vital, yet recent disclosures suggest the need for a review of safeguards for all concerned By John Gill 5 June
All roads lead to London The lure of the capital is irresistible to universities, but with the unique opportunities come unique challenges By John Gill 29 May
Don’t let fees billy boil over We must heed warnings in Hepi’s academic experience survey before following Australia’s lead and abolishing tuition fee caps By Simon Baker 22 May
How to turn pain into gain Universities must convince the public and policymakers that they are key to improving the public sector workforce By John Gill 15 May
Skills, yes, but what of the thrills? Universities have to balance meeting students’ pragmatic expectations with delivering a satisfyingly rounded experience By John Gill 8 May
Open labs may lead to open minds A concordat aimed at ending secrecy in animal testing will allow for debate that should benefit researchers and subjects By John Gill 1 May
A little lift could help everyone Postgraduate study is a financial struggle for most, and low pay for graduate teaching assistants does nothing to alleviate it By John Gill 24 April
The coin of quality has to be sound If faith in the comparability of standards is not maintained across UK higher education, the system will be devalued By John Gill 17 April
Beyond naked power Vice-chancellors and those who select them might learn from the successes – and notable failures – of politics By John Gill 10 April
Standards and pay in public life As vice-chancellors’ salaries creep up, do university heads risk the same fate as bankers in the court of public opinion? By John Gill 3 April
The good, the bad and the ugly An inspirational supervisor can nurture a career, while a poor one slows its growth. Either way, mentors have a lasting impact By John Gill 27 March
Got value, or taken for a ride? A shrinking unit of resource will make it harder for institutions to turn around perceptions of ‘value for money’ By John Gill 20 March
It’s casual, and that’s a problem Zero-hours contracts make staff feel anxious and ill-used; they must be tackled as the sector seeks a sustainable future By John Gill 13 March
Songs of experience showcased Universities are making prize-worthy efforts to give students what they want and need, but they can’t control for all factors By John Gill 6 March
Clap your hands if you believe With the Treasury stepping out of its traditional role as panto villain, human capital is back atop the political agenda By John Gill 27 February
Broad church of the mind Could working in a ‘team of rivals’ encourage academic creativity - and turn out better equipped graduates, too? By John Gill 20 February
Blob rule turns up the heat Unscrupulous operators should be unmasked, but using them to tar all the sector causes damage without tackling vital issues By John Gill 13 February
STEM the inertia on inequality MPs have highlighted the problem of too few women in science, but more than words are needed to tackle the issue By John Gill 6 February
Will it be Heigh-ho! or Oh no! It’s off to work we go. Our Best University Workplace Survey reveals discontent, but it’s not all gloom and doom By John Gill 30 January
A peek at Australia’s Petri dish What can the UK learn from the uncapped student numbers ‘experiment’ that is already in full swing Down Under? By John Gill 23 January
Let’s break down the numbers Studying how subjects have waxed and waned in popularity reveals some striking changes and some difficult questions By John Gill 16 January
On the q.t. and very hush-hush Why do so many universities feel they can stonewall requests made under the Freedom of Information Act? By John Gill 9 January
Measured, but found wanting? David Willetts’ finely balanced aims for higher education are too often belied by the impact of his government’s policies By John Gill 2 January
Hopes and fears of all the year It’s been bedlam out there in 2013: Russell Group a-rising, visa plans off-putting - and still not enough ladies leading By John Gill 19 December
Out of the blue, into the red? The chancellor’s decision to abolish the numbers cap is laudable but, as always, the devil lurks in the detail By John Gill 12 December
MINT with a policy hole As more emerging economies get their own acronym, perhaps some high-powered advice for Cameron et al will hit home By John Gill 5 December
That sinkhole feeling The absence of regulation and spiralling RAB costs threaten to undermine a growing sense of stability in the sector By John Gill 28 November
Esteem-powered academy In a world where good names are priceless, UK universities have built up plenty of credit in the reputation bank By John Gill 21 November
There’s no distance left to run The 1994 Group’s break-up reflects fragmentation in the sector and leaves the ‘elite’ tag to the Russell Group alone By John Gill 14 November
Does rudeness have a place in academia? Academics are expected to engage in rigorous intellectual sparring but do some scholars overstep the mark? By John Gill 7 November