Politics

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

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?

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

The new administration will marginalise or even prohibit the kind of inclusive, challenging, non-traditional syllabus I taught, fears Glyn Robbins

Controversial draft guidelines would expand eligibility pool for vice-chancellors and change faculty hiring criteria

Bid to hand funding council ability to intervene amid worsening institutional finances could be open for abuse, critics fear

Mixed results of final few weeks in White House likely emblematic of Democrat’s presidency, scholars say

Why harm high-quality provision at established universities because of a small number of providers with questionable motives, asks Mark Clark

While public universities concede to government demands, their private counterparts look less likely to back down

Hepi director argues that England’s funding system is ‘not broken’ but just needs to catch up with inflation – and that ministers should get behind it

Right to sue universities over free speech complaints among the elements of act to be removed by education secretary

‘Statutory tort’ allowing for universities to be sued over alleged free speech breaches likely to be removed when legislation is reintroduced later this month, according to reports

Debates centring around H-1B worker visa and OPT programme for international graduates could have significant impact on overseas enrolment

Institutions falling short of recruitment targets will have to reform in order to receive subsidies, with extra on offer to those which merge

‘People lose a lot of their energy and resources to fear and speculation versus focusing on what’s actually happening,’ says newly inaugurated Boston University leader

Changes in fiscal rules make hoped-for increases in direct funding grants for English higher education less likely, IFS report finds

Ivy Leaguers ramp up Capitol Hill activity ahead of presidential inauguration

2024 saw swathes of jobs cuts amid concerns about universities going bankrupt. So is the sector now in a better position to weather the adverse financial climate? Are even worse storms ahead? Or will Labour undertake the systemic change that might see the sun shine again? Tom Williams reports

Divide between number of graduates and non-graduates voting in 2024 election double what it was in 2019

Geopolitical realignment following change of leadership in Bangladesh creates new opportunities for academic collaboration 

‘Tweaks needed’ as eligibility remains restricted to citizens of the richest nations

‘Gagging clauses’ in politicians’ sights amid findings that ‘corporate’ governance has trumped the university mission

Mini-budget projection of expansion in higher education participation a world away from accord’s lofty ambition

Proposed legislative changes will require institutions to obtain approval of ‘free speech statements’, and live up to them

Some educators worry new arrangement could leave them worse off than planned thresholds, but government says it is ‘well placed’ to alleviate visa delays

New directive prevents officials from issuing more than 270,000 student visas next year, and applies indicative caps on institutions previously proposed through legislation

Polling indicates lack of awareness over sector’s funding turmoil, with public seeing more international enrolments as solution to difficulties

Hungary ‘has not sufficiently addressed’ conflict of interest concerns, EU body rules

Reforms will redraw funding system and create tertiary education commission, but questions remain over how much cash will materialise

Academics sign open letter to education minister amid reports she is set to ‘water down’ campus free speech legislation

Government proposals would see 30 per cent of taught postgraduate programmes shortened or reconfigured

University leaders warn region’s public institutions will ‘fall behind’ without funding increase

Ministers under pressure to protect struggling universities from bankruptcy

Agreement between coalition and opposition parties to reduce budget cuts does little to assuage sector leaders’ fears 

Dedicated source of capital funding tops umbrella body’s election wish list

Letter signed by hundreds of industry and education leaders says government should rethink plans to remove higher-level courses from levy

Outgoing president says that city’s universities still have ‘tremendous potential’, but that their autonomy should be protected