Impact and engagement

Academics made 49 appearances on the weekly BBC debate show over a nine-year period – researchers explore what they and their universities gained

The science is ‘just physics’ and the human chemistry matters more, says academic behind a sustainable development programme that’s going global

Most initiatives are well-meaning but ‘short-term, scattered, uncoordinated and incoherent’

New thematic analysis reveals the countries and institutions that are walking the talk on sustainability 

Universities might be in the ‘sweet spot to redefine the future’, but they still need to work with government and business, says leader

A fixation on publishing in ‘academic comic books’ is subverting the values permeating business schools, conference hears

Universities have helped some countries become leaders in fields linked to specific SDGs, thanks to their outreach efforts, meticulous data collection and creative campus/community initiatives. Rosa Ellis reports

African participation doubles, while institutions outside powerhouse of South Africa are becoming more visible

As climate catastrophes gain steam, early warnings offer the ‘most effective’ safety shield, modellers say

University of Technology Sydney head on achieving impact on policy and sustainability by building partnerships, fossil fuel divestment and boosting Indigenous enrolment

More universities are adopting green financing. Their approaches must have verifiable outcomes and complement institutions’ overall strategies, says Anton Muscatelli  

Create a shared vision, set ambitious targets and celebrate loudly, advises Zoe Rodwell for keeping a sustainability strategy on track

Limiting sustainability courses to a subset of interested students will no longer work, warns Alison Taylor, as she shares how to prepare the next generation of business leaders

Local partnerships have been the key to our ability to deliver meaningful impact – as the THE Impact Rankings highlight, writes Clare Pollock

Achieving green goals isn’t easy at a centuries-old institution. Giacomo Bergamini and Simona Tondelli of the University of Bologna share their tips for embracing heritage while working towards sustainable development

Report into scandal highlights danger of relying on singular sources of knowledge, in contrast to inquiry itself, which utilised vast range of expertise to get to the bottom of what happened

Universities are struggling financially amid frozen domestic fees and growing political hostility to international students. But while the public finances are stretched, July’s general election could allow a policy reset. In the second of two articles (read part one here), three senior figures suggest what a new government might realistically do

Leading university technology transfer offices hope blueprint will lead to faster deals and rapid upscaling

Malaysian Cabinet member says universities should prioritise local needs over global reputation

Companies must understand that it is not the job of a university to conduct commercial product development, summit hears

European Innovation Council president says member states are struggling to turn good science into ‘game-changing innovations’

Sibrandes Poppema shares how his institution is strengthening links across countries and with industry and society

Companies will partner with global institutions under a government plan to speed up the development of new technologies and boost international collaboration

Data reveals the amount of days academics devote to public events, but have scholars become ‘apathetic’ towards civic engagement activities?

Timeliness and rigour are vital, but the publishing and incentives systems are not set up to deliver them, says Meron Wondemaghen

With general public’s trust in science reaching new highs, researchers want more help to communicate their findings

Existing measures tend to focus on training to enhance women’s skills, rather than addressing structural and behavioural issues, says Mairi Gibbs

Requiring OA publication would have left bookshops’ history sections narrower in scope and the preserve of a select few authors, says Rory Cormac

Commentators under fire for doing their job should remember their ‘silent’ supporters, says author of harassment survival guide

Companies’ lack of capacity to absorb ideas is big part of picture, says author on paper touted as evidence for economic failure of academic research

Innovations such as wearable tech and mobile apps are expected to revolutionise healthcare and generate fortunes. But which researchers and institutions are taking their 10,000 steps, and what should those steps be? To coincide with THE’s Digital Health Summit at Stanford, Jack Grove examines Clarivate’s data and talks to those going the extra mile

Animal behaviour expert Weliton Menário Costa wins international prize for flamboyant take on how marsupials have distinct personalities

LSE academic’s book partly inspired by innovation economy divisions in his hometown of Oxford

Election result in world’s fourth biggest nation underlines the need for better understanding of its neighbour

Sharing resources and commercial risk will allow Midlands universities to better support research spin-outs, says Aston University leader

‘We have an obligation to try something ground-breaking,’ says oncologist confronting co-Australian of the Year’s brain cancer

The Technical University of Munich is moving beyond outreach and creating a two-way dialogue with society, says Jeanne Rubner

It is vital for academics to speak science to power, from bona fide billionaires to hard-pressed policymakers, says Stuart Brocklehurst

Reimagined PhD that provides students with business training and industry contacts is attracting interest from governments and science philanthropists

There is no single or ‘correct’ way to rank universities – and that’s a very good thing, writes Phil Baty

A series of open letters on Israel-Gaza underlines that scholars rarely have superior knowledge, moral insight or political acumen, says Adrian Kreutz   

More miscarriages inevitable unless courts become ‘more science-sensitive’, learned academy warns

Academy and fifth estate must team up, Nobel laureate says, as 3.2 billion people prepare to vote in a reality-free zone

Australia has made strides in developing a commercialisation culture but still has a long way to go, says new STA president

The government-sponsored review makes important recommendations, but the US is not the only source of good ideas for boosting impact, says Max Lu

Unlocking potential will need huge injections of funding, proper devolution and the type of long-term planning that has long been absent, says Sue Hartley

Court case raises conflict between academic freedom and universities’ duty of care, says barrister

Scientific writing should avoid use of terms like ‘cuckold’, says paper finding antifeminist online forums often draw on ‘reputable research’

Guidelines produced by Oxford vice-chancellor and venture capitalist designed to drive greater private investment in research start-ups

Auckland failed to give public commentary the level of occupational protection that would be mandatory in the laboratory, says colleague of Siouxsie Wiles

The idea that the US is far better at commercialising academic IP simply isn’t true, say three US licensing experts

Sector leaders quizzed in Elsevier survey back shift to more holistic methods of evaluating scholarship

Unless vocational and higher education systems are better aligned, Australians will struggle to met the challenges of the future, say five researchers

As MENA adapts to global warming, regional universities, especially in the UAE, are preparing to embrace a climate leadership role, says Mariët Westermann

Researchers mustn’t be obliged to second-guess which results might not play out well in public or with powerful interests, worries Tracey Brown

Schools should bring together academics, students and practitioners to address urgent business issues, say Kakoli Sen and Anindo Bhattacharjee

Platform offers scholars a way of building a profile and livelihood away from universities, but what makes a successful Substacker, and is there really room for everyone?

The UK government’s deeply flawed Online Safety Bill reflects widespread ignorance about tech – even within higher education, says Andy Farnell

WUR expands industry pillar to include patents in country scores, with greatest gains by Ireland, Hong Kong and the US

Latest KEF data reveals how Oxbridge offshoots turnover more than £40 million annually on average with impressive results found elsewhere in sector