Leadership

Jack Grove asks whether those who lead academic departments and universities can still realistically find the time to be effective researchers

Academics should not be afraid to challenge the wisdom of requiring institutions to make financial amends for their past links to slavery, says Robert Dingwall

Leaders of universities around the world consider how to advocate for international higher education amid rising nationalist agendas 

In an unpredictable, increasingly digital age, Singapore’s universities are rethinking how to equip alumni with relevant skills throughout their lives

Virginia King explains how university departments can improve staff inductions to help them hang on to new arrivals

Where will higher education be in 2030? Our survey asks university leaders what they think the next decade holds for the sector

What are vice-chancellors’ insights into the trends, threats and priorities affecting the future of the university? Nearly 200 leaders of world-ranked universities give their views on where the sector will be in the year 2030. John Ross reports

Senior management has its perks but it also comes with a host of new practical, philosophical, psychological and even physical challenges. Here, seven people who have lived through that fiery baptism tell their tales

First female rector of Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral wants to challenge sexism in Latin American academic culture

Experts see shift towards international approach in granting of greater autonomy to handful of leading universities

Relying on an inspirational leader is a bad tactic for universities, conference hears

Do you feel you’re just winging it, waiting for the day when your incompetence is exposed? Six academics show that you’re far from alone

Santa Ono’s social media activity raises questions about when a tweet is an official university statement

How strong a voice should academics and students have in university governance? Tom Cutterham contrasts autocratic and democratic patterns in UK and European institutions

As a Brit leading HKU, Peter Mathieson had no baggage. The University of Edinburgh’s new v-c tells Ellie Bothwell about academic freedom, internationalisation and being treated to taxi drivers’ views on students

Gathering intellectual antagonists under the same roof contains the incendiary electricity of controversy and redirects it to generate sparks of new knowledge, says Carel Stolker

The demands of the job take their toll, but rigorous application of the smell test can limit the damage, say Stephen Joel Trachtenberg and Francine Trachtenberg

University strategising in the days before JoJo, BoJo and Brexit was more back-patting than visionary, but what universities need now is a plan for survival, says John Cater 

The dawn of the digital age means universities must rethink how they respond to negative headlines, according to a new book

Vice-chancellors have ‘no authority’, says outgoing Melbourne head Glyn Davis

People must be treated fairly, but endless box-ticking is not the way to ensure this, say Roger Watson and David Thompson

The ‘leaky pipeline’ metaphor for the lack of women at senior levels of academia can demotivate those whose professional paths meander, says Aileen Fyfe

Suspension is a legal and emotional minefield that can blow up in managers’ faces, says a wrongfully suspended scholar 

Academics routinely offer praise and encouragement to their students. Why are they so reluctant to offer it to each other? asks Terri Apter

Chris Parr runs through 11 of the best 2017 Christmas videos from university leaders

Minimum compliance with publication requirements is the best recipe for job satisfaction, says Mike Marinetto

Scott Beardsley looks at how the top job is evolving in the US, while Susie Hills shares advice from UK business executives on being a v-c

Elizabeth Cannon on why Canada's HE sector still has some work to do to achieve true diversity, and how universities are approaching this problem

The former chancellor of the University of California, Berkeley explains how he navigated protests from both the Left and Right, and threatening tweets from President Trump

Students and administrators alike should resist pitting diversity against free expression, says John Palfrey

The chief executive-designate of the UK’s new sector agency discusses her West Country roots, the roles of academics and administrators, and escaping to the country 

Just one leader of a top 10 UK university has a Twitter account, report reveals

Despite all that’s been done to improve doctoral study, horror stories keep coming. Here three students relate PhD nightmares while two academics advise on how to ensure a successful supervision

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

Yusra Mouzughi on the many dilemmas faced when recruiting staff to a brand-new university

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

Discriminating in hiring practice against particular intellectual perspectives is no less sinister than discriminating against particular political persuasions, says Glenn Geher

Top university administrators explain how to get the right person when hiring

To help manage their expanding activities, institutions require new corporate leadership personnel, Sarah Shaw says

Five top European academics offer advice on how to mentor, manage and expand a research team

We talk about armed police, rowing and challenging stereotypes with the first police officer to head an Oxbridge college

Scholars share what the title means to them and offer the newly promoted advice on handling the status update

Louise Richardson says Asian and US universities are hot on Oxford’s heels while Brexit vote is already affecting the institution’s researchers

Eight scientists share the secrets of being a successful principal investigator

Many doctoral candidates feel poorly looked after. More awareness and empathy from academics can help fight that, says Geoffrey Cantor

How should universities handle breakdowns in PhD student-supervisor relationships?

Older academics need to make room for the young, says Sally Feldman

The former leader of the University of York on how his new role’s focus on technology made the decision an easy one

Vice-chancellors discuss their role and offer advice to aspiring university leaders

Craig Brandist on the parallels between Stalin’s Russia and the operation of today’s universities

Decisions based on gossip and favouritism make the scholarly job market unmeritocratic

Institution’s senior management pledges to tackle ‘stress-inducing’ culture. Elizabeth Gibney reports

They may (almost) all be white men in suits but that doesn’t mean that all vice-chancellors are the same, says Jack Grove. So which tribe does your v-c belong to?

Improving the structures that support doctoral students can turn around completion rates. Tara Brabazon sets out a ten-point plan for institutions