Academic life

Matthew Reisz discusses the preliminary results of the National Senior Management Survey

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

The suicide of a student on campus made Steven A. Miller realise that his students didn’t need a philosophy class to remind them of their impending deaths 

Applying for an academic job has become such a disengaged process that it is difficult to bring anything to your application to make it stand out, says John Brinnamoor

We talk misconceptions about quantum physics, the importance of global research collaboration and Nobel prize aspirations with the award-winning Canadian physicist

With academics reluctant to take sick leave, universities must become more aware of the dangers of ‘presenteeism’, says Gail Kinman

While learning to work quickly is a useful life skill, a greater gift to students is permitting unhurried excursions and digressions, says Shahidha Bari

Tim Ingold and colleagues at the University of Aberdeen have created a manifesto that they hope will preserve higher education's true values

Former president of the British Psychological Society remembered

The fashion designer talks about treating a university education like a nine-to-five job, the importance of student interaction and defying graduation clothing convention

US researcher claims that white academics are given more time to study and write

Canadian scholar urges universities to back off from policing what people do in private

The comics researcher discusses ‘Mickey Mouse’ degree accusations, lessons on wartime alliances and the perils of eating cheese before bedtime

When the US primary season threw up numerous examples of weak and fallacious argument, Michael Ventimiglia thought his time had come. But subsequent events left him grappling with his discipline’s apparent impotence

To mark International Women’s Day, academics and administrators reflect on leadership challenges

Thinktank conflates THE online opinion survey with separate data, John Morgan writes

Duke University’s Valerie Ashby says institutions must be more ‘intentional’ about finding ethnic minority PhD candidates

The author of The Entrepreneurial State discusses misconceptions surrounding innovation, rethinking the role of the public sector and her aims as founder of a new innovation institute at UCL

Scholars report higher levels of depressive symptoms and social withdrawal

Horror films and even video games may influence the way many people think about universities, new book says

We talk to psychiatrist Vikram Patel about delivering healthcare in low-resources communities, how academics can learn from acting, and the hippy lifestyle of Goa

New document sets 'benchmark' for others to follow, according to research policy expert

Relentless celebration is diluting genuine achievement, affecting students and staff in different ways, writes Peter Larcombe

Black scholars progress in careers only through endorsement from white colleagues, warns professor

Researchers on large-scale projects would receive less credit under proposed scheme

Does Nigel Piercy textbook case study stem from his experience at Swansea University? 

The acclaimed novelist and distinguished writer-in-residence at the University of Surrey talks about teaching, researching her novels and why she skipped all her lectures

While right-wing politicians have been found to be more attractive than left-wing politicians, this trend may not hold true in the world of scholarship

Academics enjoy teaching. What they don’t like is the lack of preparation time, bureaucratic burdens, unprepared students – and the TEF. Jack Grove reports

Thousands of France’s most educated minds are now based abroad – luring them back could be a boon for its ambitious plans for higher education, Jack Grove writes

Proportion of Royal Society scientists associated with Oxbridge is lower than expected, researcher says

Adrian Furnham makes his case for a discerning approach to philanthropy

Mathematical model works by trying to remove skewing of results in group funding decisions

New study into medieval universities describes how paupers studied alongside the elite despite financial barriers

Can punk scholars bring together their conflicting identities without compromise?

Birmingham City University’s new chancellor talks about his experiences as a mature student, how education is a right, and why the British public rock

UK ‘naive’ to think that it could replace academic links with European industry with those from elsewhere

Investing in UK science may be cheaper after Brexit but the true cost to innovation system remains to be seen, says Holly Else

Look to Canada and northern Europe for lessons on reducing inequality, says Simon Marginson

Editors of journals should face ‘negligence’ investigations over extensive delays, suggests a new paper

We talk about the social responsibilities of universities, crime scene investigation and attracting talent to the North East of England with the vice-chancellor of the University of Cumbria

Has scholarly pessimism helped fuel anti-expert rhetoric? Panglossian we are not, but when hope fails, there’s humour, says Shahidha Bari

Nobel laureate Sir Angus Deaton on why he signed an anti-Trump petition, and why universities are partly to blame for Trump’s rise

But some academics suggest move would harm US universities and scholars ‘who desperately need support’ 

Some scholars are already planning to boycott conferences and meetings in the US in response to Donald Trump’s executive order

We talk about mathematical misconceptions, public engagement and lecturing with tigers with the recent winner of the Euler Book Prize

Jeffrey Beall’s blacklist of predatory publishers has disappeared, and so too should ideas about ‘good’ and ‘bad’ journals, argues Martin Parker

Universities need to open up communication channels to help retain women in science, says study

Lecturer Rachel Moss on the casualties of a demanding academic culture

Universities need to adapt to stay relevant, says Gordon Redding

Universities need to adapt career paths to accommodate scientists who tap into different fields, says research

List creator to now pursue ‘new areas of research’

Overall higher education staff headcount up 2 per cent, new data reveal

Existentialism may now seem more relevant to philosophy undergraduates, but a woeful John Kaag shares their mood of blank despair 

Lucrative offer to professor renews concerns over 'unethical' contracts

Some universities in Germany are using extra cash to create elite flagship courses, says study

Scholars are ‘doing as much as they can’ to promote critical thinking among students despite suppression of liberal thought, study claims

We talk student protests, forgotten heroes and lessons from history with Northwestern University’s next provost

A leading exploration geologist has died