Academic life

Conditions that undermine the notion of scholarly vocation – relentless work, ubiquitous bureaucracy – can cause academics acute distress and spur them to quit, says Ruth Barcan

For those vacationing in Peer Review Land, Felipe Fernández-Armesto offers some help with the local lingo

With the holiday season upon us, five academics suggest some unique destinations you may want to consider – or perhaps not

Ravensbourne’s plans to stretch the teaching timetable to 7.30pm triggers staff revolt

We talk emergency responses to terrorist attacks, geekiness and happy memories of the Olympic Games with Surrey’s professor of medicine

The post-Gaddafi chaos has turned some campuses into war zones – with students among the fighters, says Darren Linvill

From steely-eyed sadists to licky Labradors, ingénue academics should beware of the cast of kinky characters who flock to academic get-togethers, says Tara Brabazon

Academics who take regular breaks from assessment will get more done than those who toil away for 10 hours straight, study says

Emily Van Duyne on why she missed graduation despite being passionately committed to her students

Joanne Roberts on the importance of mentoring, and understanding the needs of your staff

Two summers, on the beaches of Greece and in the libraries of New York, define what the “long vac” meant to John Sutherland

The sweatshop conditions in which sessional academics work in Australia mirror the treatment of schoolteachers in Victorian times, say Hannah Forsyth and Jedidiah Evans 

Stephen Mumford tells Matthew Reisz about his desire to bring his discipline to a wider audience, why Norway was the perfect place to write his Cartesian debut novel and why insights into causation have more practical relevance than might first appear

We talk doping, ‘slithering’ through university and breaking world records with the former double Olympic champion

Don't dismiss the meditation technique as a fad: its well documented benefits for those in demanding careers make a strong case for teaching it at university, says Craig Hassed

Vice-chancellor explains traditional offices and teaching styles will disappear at £330 million Waterside project

Some vice-chancellors will decry the results of the teaching excellence framework, but should recognise areas of poor teaching it exposes, says Edward Peck

HEC Paris’ Alberto Alemanno says academics who influence policy ‘often’ do it in return for money

We talk diversity, the joy of family meals and Professor Stephen Hawking with the new Cambridge college master

Academics can acquire cult-like followings, but our goal should not be self-aggrandisement but the advancement of others, says Shahidha Bari

Publication of data showing long-term graduate earnings by discipline has huge potential to improve higher education, says Jack Britton

Former LSE director on how he overcame academic struggles to become Bill Clinton’s favourite political theorist, and the future for Labour

We talk about the importance of women-only colleges, academics’ role in policymaking and personal tragedy with the noted political scientist

Endless bureaucratic reorganisations in universities are increasing stress levels of academics, says Gail Kinman

Some MPs turned out of office might turn to academia for employment. But what do former political high-flyers bring to a university, and what are the potential downsides? Jack Grove reports

Oxford has educated almost all post-war British leaders. Anthony Seldon looks at Oxbridge’s powerful political role

Techniques designed to promote ‘openness and curiosity’ may have an important role to play in promoting mental health and performance

Glen Wright on the lighter side of scholarly collaboration

We talk mind-shaping, global citizenship and racial tolerance with the former BBC senior manager

The award-winning professor discusses Yugoslavia’s war, women and engineering, and how nationalism hurts research

Are scholars really so out of touch with the real world or do we need to look again at this tired narrative that doesn’t reflect the reality of modern academia, asks James Georgalakis

Nana Akufo-Addo tells student audience that country must invest in education to prosper

We talk to the neuroscientist and sex researcher about prudish attitudes, personal threats and what goes on in a sex research lab

Five academics talk about the issues associated with various disabilities and what should be done to improve support

UCU figures on job cut plans in 2017 reveal scholars’ vulnerability in wake of Brexit and TEF

Scholars' inboxes are a minefield of spam, newsletters, and the odd invitation to meet a very important person

One in three scholars in field ‘deeply concerned’ about future research career prospects

Seven academic leaders share their experiences at the departmental helm along with their tips on how to squeeze the best out of sceptical staff and meagre budgets – and still find time for research

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

Agnes Bäker and Amanda Goodall have found that academics who are happiest at work have a head of department who is a distinguished researcher. How can such people be encouraged into management?

While not all student-supervisor relationships end in disaster, permitting them infringes women’s right to education, participation and a safe work environment, say five female academics 

We discuss realising what it means to be black in the UK, dealing with insomnia, and institutional racism in the academy, with the renowned race and black identity scholar

Scholars with working-class backgrounds are ideally placed to change how academics are perceived, says Stefanie Stiles

Political scientist at Arizona State University thought to have taken his own life

Mackleen Desravines uses film to show that not all academics ‘have nice offices and fabulous lifestyles’

Satirical take on sector also has serious message for university leaders, says author

The former leader of the House of Lords talks inequality, widening access to higher education and keeping on top of technology

Study finds that employees at universities’ overseas outposts feel less supported than their home campus colleagues

Sir Anthony Seldon on why he chose to gather leaders from smaller colleges across the world to engage in 'deep-level' thinking

The former Archbishop of Canterbury discusses religious leaders’ obligation to promote equality, the challenges of meeting controversial heads of state, and concerns about the growth of populism

A haberdasher who has never heard of a handkerchief is indicative of a whole world catching a cold, says Felipe Fernández-Armesto

What should have been a straightforward application for leave to remain in the UK turned into a Kafkaesque nightmare for University of St Andrews’ lecturer Emily Michelson, whose research trip to Italy proved too much for visa administrators to handle

The noted theatre director talks about dispelling drama school preconceptions, reducing tuition fees and negotiating with local gangs

Research shows that women perform better than men on four out of five traits of effective leaders, says Øyvind Martinsen

The eminent philosopher talks of academics’ vanity, the place of philosophy in a ‘post-truth’ world and her reservations about the TEF