Politics

Government commission advocates for intervention in downsizing of higher education sector to avoid regional disparity

Proposal to restrict post-study work rights to those in ‘graduate jobs’ alarms vice-chancellors

At the very least, they should hold out until the administration works out how to enforce its crackdowns on DEI and research, says Johann Neem

Government announces 2 per cent cut to university budget in efforts to row back public spending

Advocate more judiciously, sector representatives urged, as they demand more money to ‘do our job for the country’

Coalition has departed from usual practice, outlining a comprehensive suite of changes if it regains government

Universities must change their language to survive assault on DEI, says former Trump chief of staff

If doors to opportunity close, ‘it can become a potent political issue very quickly’

Conference also hears that proposed streamline of ARC grant schemes will give early career researchers a ‘leg-up’

‘Real issue’ is whether people think universities give value, says new university leader who accepted lower salary

Vice-chancellors say ‘unsustainable’ model needs fixing but changes must be balanced against goals of increasing access and stopping brain drain

With its Trump-style promise to smash woke ideology on campus, Germany’s far-right populist party is widely seen as a threat by academics. And with even the country’s mainstream parties promising little for higher education or research, few are relishing Sunday’s election. Emily Dixon reports

Students take years to recoup the tens of thousands of dollars they would have been paid if training was salaried, New Zealand study finds

Money from Welsh government to be used primarily for estates maintenance and digital projects

Growing influence of Nigel Farage’s party could spell trouble for universities seeking to protect rights of international students

Never much of a vote-winner, higher education now risks the burden of being branded a vote-loser for parties seen as too soft on the sector

Some urge ministers to aim for 1 million enrolments from overseas, but sector divided over whether revised goal would be a good thing

Controversial department temporarily loses ability to see private loan information after what has been described as ‘one of the biggest data hacks in US history’

University latest passion project for ex-politician who specialises in ‘institutions that are worth keeping’

Label could be ‘first step’ towards automatically recognised continental qualification, experts suggest

Repeat of UK debate looms, as parliamentary committee urges Australian universities to ‘align’ with IHRA definition, and opposition members say it should be mandatory

Research funders and universities condemn planned yearly reductions of more than 460 million Swiss francs 

Failure to improve translation of ‘laudable’ research output will see country ‘slide into mediocrity’, reviewers warn

Cuts seen as inevitable but academics urge restraint in upcoming budget

Science minister tells Commons committee that he is more interested in maximising impact of science spending than increasing total outlay, as he emphasises need to get visa policies ‘right’

US colleges and universities that predominantly serve underrepresented students don’t know where they stand amid new president’s sweeping executive orders

Private member’s bill the latest slap in the face to a sector struggling for social licence as election looms

Government expected to review future of Institutes of Eminence programme, which is yet to deliver on ambitious goals

Regular increases in what students in England pay should be accompanied by more public money for ‘strategic priorities’, Universities UK tells ministers ahead of spending review

Distinguished scientists who left Greece’s National Council for Research, Technology and Innovation criticise fragmented oversight and excess bureaucracy

A union has warned that John Latham’s position is ‘incompatible’ with his responsibilities at the crisis-hit institution

Even if the department lives to fight another day, putting it under threat will have helped Republicans to ‘flood the zone’ and disorientate opponents, academics say

Skills minister says upcoming White Paper will seek to address ‘fragmentation’ between further and higher education

Proliferation of for-profit providers sparks concerns of ‘abusive practices’ including misrepresentation and tuition fee fraud

Social sciences ‘the proverbial canary in the coalmine’ for restrictions in other areas of research, dean warns

European Commission-published Competitiveness Compass raises fears of political interference

Peers urge rethink as they brand UK’s high visa and healthcare costs ‘act of national self-harm’

Tax-cutting budget sees modest increases for higher education as India’s growth expected to slow

Draft 2025 budget could be devastating for research, universities and students, academics warn

From cancelled guest lectures to disrupted clinical trials, the damage to US science caused by a grant approval freeze is mounting, but further problems lie ahead

Former universities minister claims successful providers based overseas keen to invest in sector but have so far been left frustrated

Institutions with more than 300 students to be subjected to new rules as part of planned government ‘crackdown’ on poor-quality provision

Island may follow likes of UK in mandating three-year residency before qualifying for domestic fee regime

Australian universities and colleges face a ‘difficult’ election but few further rule changes, analyst predicts

Government ‘cherry-picked’ ideas with commercial application, despite reviewer warnings against ‘naive’ expectations of windfall profits, scientists say

New figures suggest political headache for government – and educators – will not disappear any time soon

Poll this week marks final time that graduates of only two universities have been able to vote for dedicated senatorial candidates

Scientists urge UK to adopt network approach for landmark project bringing public data together

University reform commission announced by Georgian prime minister likely means of tightening political control, scholars warn

Indexed fees and some movement on student maintenance seen as key goals for coming spending review, with economic climate reducing chances of more systemic reform

The outgoing prime minister was widely welcomed by researchers as something of a knight in shining armour after Stephen Harper’s ‘anti-science’ administration. But his international student caps have made him look more like a horseman of the apocalypse to many observers. Patrick Jack reports

Proposed governance probe seen as setback for a sector struggling with social licence

Long-awaited governance council, delayed by 18 months, stands in for 50-year-old regulator

White House directive to pause external communications causes chaos at America’s main science funder

Seven institutes folded into four in major reshaping of research landscape

First minister wants UK government to allow country to grant additional post-study work rights to international students

Minister rules out state taking on more of the cost of paying for higher education

Housing impacts limited to precincts with high concentration of students, study finds

Government intervention in university degree programmes ‘getting worse’ despite erosion of public funding, complains former universities minister

Cambridge philosopher appointed to oversee free speech in English universities has been unusually quiet since starting the role. Might changes seen as ‘clipping his wings’ force him to be more vocal?