Management and governance
Three-quarters of students in the UK now receive ‘good’ degrees, compared with just half 20 years ago. Is grade inflation an inevitable result of the marketisation of higher education and is the picture the same worldwide? Simon Baker examines the evidence
Treating staff and students like children discourages the kind of experimentation that will yield solutions to the challenges we face, says Frank Furedi
In the wake of Malcolm Anderson’s death, universities need to wake up to the need to take better care of their senior lecturers, says Andrew Oswald
Jean-Lou Chameau pushes for formal merger of five grandes écoles
President of Canada’s York University warns against binary divide between regional and global universities
Belgian psychologist to succeed Sir Keith Burnett later this year
List of universities closing down predicted to grow rapidly
Minutes show investment board saw draft of council decision against full divestment
Experts in technology and education must work hand in hand if genuinely innovative teaching is to be delivered in the digital environment, says Simone Buitendijk
Open prejudice against his sexuality has seen the career of one academic slowly wither
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
Chancellors say ‘new university of scale’ may be ‘well placed’ to respond to changing higher education environment
New institution loses its first president Janusz Kozinski in less than a year
There are hints of a thaw in the Home Office’s icy hostility to immigrants, but universities could also do more to protect their own staff, says Paul Jump
Mamokgethi Phakeng keen to engage with students’ concerns, but also wants to put academics back at the heart of the university
Study finds general management skills are valued more in education pro vice-chancellors than pedagogic expertise
University of Chester refused retrospective planning permission over proximity to oil refinery
How strong a voice should academics and students have in university governance? Tom Cutterham contrasts autocratic and democratic patterns in UK and European institutions
President shares story of institution’s path out of the ‘abyss’
Seventy-two per cent of women working in UK universities believe men are at an advantage when pursuing top jobs, Advance HE survey says
Head of Higher Education Authority acknowledges ‘political appetite’ for organisation to take on stronger regulatory responsibilities
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
Creation of Ministry of Science and Higher Education seen as potential boost to Project 5-100
Max Nikias and senior leaders perceived to have failed to act on misconduct reports
Albert Schram may not return to Pacific nation to defend claims that he faked his PhD
Report says Bath governance requires ‘considerable improvement’ to restore trust after Breakwell salary outcry
Need to meet demands of technological advances should not overshadow long-standing problems of gender and race, conference told
Academic board votes for governance commission after lecturers’ campaign
Education minister says top-down reforms are needed to ensure better regulation of standards
Critics of his initiative to make the University of Buckingham drugs-free are missing the point about the power of education, says Anthony Seldon
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
Convincing universities to divest from fossil fuels and use only green energy is a better strategy, says Thomas Smith
The new remit for the Higher Education Standards Panel flags up various regulatory issues that the minister wants to see addressed, says Gavin Moodie
Humanities subjects set to be hardest hit by restructure
National Universities Commission considering applications from 292 potential private institutions
Drug-related crime, rising unemployment and low salaries are all contributing to a postgraduate shortage that indicates an uncertain future for Mexico’s higher education system, finds Rachael Pells
Schemes asking us to transform our workplaces in the name of equality, diversity and inclusivity are failing. It’s time to hold our institutions to account, says Rebecca Harrison
Plans to dismantle institutions including Istanbul University are part of efforts to exert more political control over academia, critics say
New Zealand institution’s switch could end confusion with similarly named institutions around world
HKUST head to lead Saudi Arabian university from September
Universities cannot become Gardens of Eden without losing their key purpose, writes Hanna Holborn Gray
Universities in the former East Germany are now on a par with those of western Europe while others in the former Soviet bloc still lag. David Matthews visits Poland to explore why
Acting vice-chancellor promises to ‘listen’ to staff concerns after academic body agrees to shelve no-confidence vote until June
From MI5 recruiting, to students spying on each other and intelligence agencies funding research, Matthew Reisz explores the long and often uneasy relationship between espionage and the academy
Ten years into the programme, German universities remain focused on traditional markers of success, say Andreas Knie and Dagmar Simon
Legislation making its way through Parliament could help address ‘brand confusion’ overseas
Vice-chancellor stands down after union members passed no confidence vote
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
Hefce's Madeleine Atkins received payment in lieu of salary for remainder of contract, but declined 'redundancy payment'
The curricular dominance of popular music may sell tickets but belies the point of a musical education, says Sam Richards
Faculties without borders are the key to turning multidisciplinarity into more than a buzzword, says Duncan Ivison
The protests against pensions reforms reflect not just self-interest but also anger about working conditions and a sense that universities are losing their way. Jack Grove explores how proposed changes to the USS strained and broke bonds of trust
Leaders from Anglo-Celtic and European backgrounds fail to reflect diversity of campuses, says report
Westlake University may be government’s pilot of more autonomous institutions, expert suggests
Tribhuvan University alumni make up almost all of Nepal’s government, but interference from political parties distracts from research and learning goals, says vice-chancellor
Union members call for removal of threat of hundreds of redundancies and ask for consultation on possible industrial action
Rigid, top-down tie-ups will do nothing to foster quality or European identity, says Jan Palmowski
Universities should emulate the private sector in a positive way by eliminating costly duplication, says a worker in professional services
Universities on both sides of the Atlantic are building up big debts, but is it prudent to bet on student numbers growing and super-low interest rates and high fees enduring? David Matthews examines the glut of recent bond issues, and how money makes money for the elite
