Politics

Australia’s teaching and research relationships with China are becoming increasingly overshadowed by rising geopolitical tensions. But the long, deep personal links between academics in the two countries will not be easily broken. John Ross reports from Suzhou

Researchers warn country is among the most hostile in Europe to experiments involving animals, and restrictions could get even tighter

Debate over status of new agency for ‘high-risk, high-payoff research’ is non-issue compared with its direction and leadership, others suggest

Academics and students at the Higher School of Economics forbidden from disclosing affiliation when engaging in politics 

Academics are key to lifting public engagement with climate change and stopping the spread of nonsense passing as news, says David Lloyd

While policy is regarded to have fallen short of aspirations, scaling it back may trigger political backlash

The appointment of Manuel Castells as the country’s universities minister signals a change in fortune, says José Martinez-Sierra

New Capes president promoted teaching of ‘intelligent design’ as head of private religious university

Chief executive of Group of Eight says universities have ‘positive dialogue with security agencies’ after contributing to task force

Announcements on visas, funding and bureaucracy seen as sign of growing influence of Dominic Cummings

As the UK finally leaves the European Union after years of turmoil, Simon Usherwood says it is time for remain-supporting academics to focus on the future. But Tanja Bueltmann says that for EU academics the scars are too deep

Academics call for restored government to give long-overdue attention to the sector, and to widen debate beyond tuition costs

UKRI’s decision to axe the impact sections of grant applications could hobble consideration of the process and politics of research, says Jude Fransman

EU and UK should negotiate ‘standalone’ research deal outside wider talks to avoid damaging science with break, Wellcome Trust recommends

UK Research and Innovation to manage uncapped visa programme

Tory manifesto pledge brings questions over Office for Students’ future approach on quality - and whether it is right organisation to judge

India’s students have surprised many observers by standing up together to protest against injustice, says Pushkar

Universities minister says north-south divide cannot be solved ‘in a top-down way, driven by central government diktat’

Research grants that have languished in Australian politicians’ to-do trays are ‘spun’ as rapid government action

Capping the public contribution to degree costs means universities can’t move to address skills gaps, says David Lloyd

Michael Spence tells THE/Toronto event that maintaining conversations at staff and student level is ‘incredibly important’ in face of rising tensions

Augar’s questions remain largely unanswered but proposals for further education are largely comprehensive and coherent, says Nick Hillman

Former minister calls for ‘in trouble’ apprenticeship levy to be reformed into skills and ‘lifelong learning levy’

Questioning the BBC’s agenda in highlighting the problem in Ghana and Nigeria does not make it any less serious, says Eric Fredua-Kwarteng

Prime minister acting as education minister after departure of Maszlee Malik

‘No threat’ to UK involvement in European Union’s student mobility programme, Boris Johnson tells MPs

Universities are relieved the Greens have replaced the far right, but see challenges ahead over their management and comprehensive subject mix

Emma Hardy highlights how abolition of student number controls has ‘hammered’ universities that provide places for disadvantaged students locally

Left government wants post-austerity funding revival and better careers for academics, with Manuel Castells appointed universities minister

Actions by the current government suggest official discomfort with the basic purpose of public universities, says Jayati Ghosh

Data suggest US campuses pushed by 2011 policy into tougher line on accused in sex cases, potentially triggering Trump rethink

Hull West and Hessle MP, a former teacher and union official, replaces Gordon Marsden

Party tables amendments to withdrawal agreement bill, but may struggle to overcome Boris Johnson’s majority

Appointment of university rector Gaetano Manfredi signals ‘complete continuity’ with previous decade of higher education policy despite need for change, say scholars

Exams rescheduled and special trains laid on to get students home to participate in ballot

Sector heads recognise that Mexicans have rallied behind the president’s promises even though problems of inequality and social mobility persist

Rachel Kyte’s previous roles in supra-national bodies make the new dean of Tufts University’s Fletcher School of international relations determined to see the academy play its part in rescuing multilateralism and addressing climate change, writes John Gill

Student income support is increasingly insufficient and in urgent need of reform, says Dawn Freshwater

‘MIT of the North’ idea seen as ignoring imbalances in research funding that undermine regions

Study of European Social Survey data finds academics more left-leaning than almost any other professional group, but show ‘no greater homogeneity’ in beliefs

The apparently political murder of an undergraduate at a top Bangladeshi university by other students has stunned a nation, writes Nahid Neazy

Marc Tessier-Lavigne discusses diversifying student intake and focusing on ethics of new technologies in Times Higher Education interview

Balancing Dominic Cummings’ agenda with industrial strategy approach, and deciding on geographical focus for increased investment, seen as key challenges

Universities must face up to some legitimate complaints, but they can also play a key role in helping the new government meet its ambitions, says Alistair Jarvis

2020 federal spending plan boosts student aid and research spending

Civil service hostility, legislative complexity and political naivety keep restructure in the slow lane

Ex-Tory adviser pushes plan to legislate to create ‘national academic freedom champion’ to ‘lead on sanctions where appropriate’

Representative body presses case for education and research spending, as Canberra slashes budget projections

Told by judge to spare defrauded students, secretary toughens loan policy

Universities concede societal push to handle delicate matters in more legalistic ways

Science spending increase, research funding system revamp, targeting of ‘low-quality courses’ among other potential implications from result

Pro-Palestine group brands order a ‘dangerous, authoritarian attempt to silence student activism’

Political, economic and demographic considerations all suggest that the demand-driven system won’t endure, says Nick Hillman

Universities UK poll shows Britons value skills rather than income level when it comes to immigration

Campuses are being physically repaired but questions remain over whether trust can be restored among staff and students 

Nuclear armageddon is the global peril that time forgot. But amid all the concern about environmental degradation, disarmament remains imperative, says Nobel laureate John Polanyi

Guardian editor-at-large turned Manchester sociology professor discusses how UK universities are in an ‘analogous crisis’ to journalism on race

Senate passing of bill on funding for minority colleges adds requirement on sharing tax data

Offering two-year programmes at FE colleges as part of four-year degrees could redress the UK’s spending bias in favour of HE, says Geoff Mason

THE’s data editor Simon Baker explains how he used student population and general election data to make some poll predictions for the 2019 General Election