‘Professor hunters’ dig in on the digital battlefield Brian Bloch considers the attacks against two Humboldt University scholars in the internet age By Brian Bloch 27 August
Willem or Dafoe? A roll call to remember Kate MacDonald reflects on playing the student name game in the Belgian academy By Kate Macdonald 20 August
A Chinese bunfight and an unfulfilled hunger to learn Two universities’ no-holds-barred recruitment battle was unedifying; more dispiriting is to see that China’s best and brightest prefer to study abroad, says Hong Bing By Hong Bing 13 August
In Belgium, the beer is warmer than the academy Belgian academia looks enticing and accommodating to UK postgraduates, but Kate Macdonald found that it was for locals only By Kate Macdonald 6 August
How the 99 per cent learn: America’s overlooked successes It’s a pity the efforts of myriad institutions striving daily to help students of diverse backgrounds are eclipsed by Ivy League tales, says Alan Ruby By Alan Ruby 30 July
Celebrity speakers: putting money where their mouths are In the US, the cost of paying for expensive commencement speeches is diverting funds from where they’re most needed, says Howard Segal By Howard Segal 23 July
Giving a voice to the voiceless in Israel Allowing Palestinian academics to speak Arabic in Israeli universities can strengthen identity, says Audrey Osler By Audrey Osler 16 July
Turbulent times at Zeppelin University Campus leaders must apply academics’ theories in the boardroom, suggests Brian Bloch By Brian Bloch 9 July
The quirks and surprises of being the in-house English speaker From translating health and safety advice to tongue-twisters, there’s always something new to do, says Kate Macdonald By Kate Macdonald 2 July
Deft diplomacy keeps the Bologna Process together Bringing Belarus into the fold has required behind the scenes manoeuvring, but has left the organisation stronger as a result, says Anne Corbett By Anne Corbett 25 June
Students suffer as supervisors become superiors A note left by a postgrad who killed himself because he felt ill-treated by his supervisor highlights a worrying trend, says Hong Bing By Hong Bing 18 June
UK’s financial focus on China will cost it in the long term Mike Gow laments Britain’s pursuit of revenues over development of cultural understanding By Mike Gow 11 June
Open for business: language skills can make a world of difference Learning to read foreign literature and communicate in a practical sense can be mutually reinforcing, says Brian Bloch By Brian Bloch 4 June
Broncos, pirates, professors: all powerless before corporate march Restructures and rebrandings of public universities are taking a toll on mascots and more, says Robert Lee Maril By Robert Lee Maril 28 May
Build yourself up; you won’t be the only one to benefit Juan Manuel Mora on what makes a university’s reputation 21 May
A pick ‘n’ mix programme can be an incoherent one Moocs and student choice are welcome, but traditional courses offer proven pathways to the summit of knowledge, argues Alan Ruby 14 May
Germany’s no-holds-barred title race The desire to have and to flaunt academic credentials can lead to questionable behaviour from individuals and universities both, says Brian Bloch 7 May
Worker bees are doing more for less of the honey An academy built on low-wage, part-time staff will be a deficient and unworthy one, argues Deborah Rogers 30 April
China risks scoring own goal with campus football Hong Bing examines plans for a Great Leap Forward in the sport 23 April
Finding the place where two kinds of truth can meet Confronting students with facts that they might not be aware of or comfortable with can have surprising results, says Robert Lee Maril 16 April
Generation Y are failing to put money where their mouths are Alan Ruby wishes students would use their economic clout in a more politically and morally meaningful way than purchasing organic burritos 9 April
Donor’s disclosures deliver a shock to the system Winfried Stöcker, an honorary professor at Lübeck, has views on immigration that conflict with German universities’ self-image. Brian Bloch writes 2 April
How a German university lost its chairs Protracted battle to retrieve a computer centre’s seats for the elderly and handicapped at Bremen says much about the bureaucratic mindset 19 March
Unhappy with your thesis mark? A day in court may get you nowhere A legal battle in Germany over a contentious dissertation on Martin Luther and anti-Semitism raises key questions about academic decisions 12 March
Has China’s maverick SUSTC broken away, or been broken? South University of Science and Technology of China wanted to buck the system. Did it succeed? asks Hong Bing 5 March
The ABC of tolerance and the ‘alphabet community’ Universities have a vital role to play in recognising complex sexualities, says Deborah D. Rogers 26 February
University rankings: made-to-measure metrics to suit local fashions A summit in Qatar is a chance to determine the meaning of excellence in the Middle East and North Africa, says Cesar Wazen By Cesar Wazen 19 February
Universities find it difficult to grasp China’s dream Has the Chinese government’s sophisticated message to its higher education sector come at the cost of clarity? asks Mike Gow 12 February
A little explanation goes a long way A professor giving students one-on-one help to understand their subject raises questions about the nature of university teaching, says Brian Bloch 5 February
US student debt: borrowing the long and lending the short of it Financing options fail to live up to the promises made by politicians, says Alan Ruby 29 January
Traumatic evidence scars American football and its fans Is the tide about to turn on the college sport?, ask Daniel Goldberg and Robert Lee Maril 22 January
University idols overrun Platonic ideals in China Institutions are using pictures of glamorous students to tart up their marketing, but not everyone approves of the trend, says Hong Bing 15 January
US higher education: more options than McDonald’s menu Students searching for the perfect university must value the diversity on offer and be aware of the complexity it brings, says Alan Ruby 8 January
Higher education in Europe: the glass is more than half full Three achievements are underestimated in current political debates, says Anne Corbett 1 January
Not studying abroad could be your biggest regret The Erasmus programme presents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to discover the perks of international mobility, says Brian Bloch 18 December
Chinese academia: temptation in a toxic system The arrest of several academics has raised questions about the nation’s research culture, says Hong Bing 11 December
‘They’ has arrived at the pronoun party Students are using new gender-inclusive terms, and academics have to catch on and catch up, says Deborah D. Rogers 4 December
The discounting trend at US universities Few students in America are paying full price on fees, says Alan Ruby 27 November
A significant step towards a mature Scottish model of higher education Ferdinand von Prondzynski welcomes planned legislation that addresses key university governance issues 20 November
What will be the impact on higher education of the new European commissioners? Anne Corbett flags the ones to watch among commissioners for 2014-19 13 November
The GDR is gone, but its Stasi-conferred titles live on The recognition of East German academic titles, including PhDs issued by the State Security Ministry, remains controversial, writes Brian Bloch 6 November
An appeal to protect every citizen’s right to philosophy The future of the Collège International de Philosophie, a legacy of Jacques Derrida, is at risk, warns Martin McQuillan 30 October
Post-referendum thoughts from Edinburgh The ‘Yes’ vote of the heart was trumped by unanswered concerns about currency, pensions and university research, writes Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones 23 October
A welcome clash of academic cultures Alan Ruby reflects on an unscripted display of the differences between national research communities 16 October
The best bloc for a 21st-century education system? Mike Cole ponders how to promote research culture and social democracy in Cambodia 9 October
Still united but accommodating divergence Ferdinand von Prondzynski foresees some separation of English and Scottish higher education after the referendum, but overall a shared future 2 October
Economists’ ivory tower isolation is not an option In Germany as elsewhere, says Brian Bloch, the economic crisis has shown the limitations of neoclassical economics 25 September
Does boot camp have a place on campus? Hong Bing considers whether compulsory military training in Chinese universities has a place in the modern world 18 September
The small university with big international reach Valparaiso University’s message of knowledge, understanding and faith means that it attracts a global student base, says Alan Ruby 11 September
Japan’s women have got the get-up-and-go Women show more willingness than men to take up scholarships to study abroad, says Brian Christian 4 September
The systematisation of higher education in the US Consolidation may bring greater efficiencies but the process is one yielding mixed blessings, writes Howard P. Segal 28 August
Retiring from academic life US public institutions of higher education remain inept at preparing staff for life after work, says Lee Maril 21 August
Divergence from England’s higher education ethos has delivered results for Scotland The referendum is a chance to reinforce the Scottish higher education sector’s uniquely innovative identity, says Ferdinand von Prondzynski 14 August
Bar-Ilan’s disturbing defence of one of its own Why would a university stand by Mordechai Kedar after his abhorrent comments about rape as a terror deterrent? asks Neve Gordon 7 August
Gut reaction: it all comes out right in the end Brian Bloch on the unexpected success of Darm mit Charme, by Giulia Enders, a book about our intestines 31 July
Countdown to the Scottish referendum: ensure a global outlook is continued Ferdinand von Prondzynski on the importance of the international nature of Scotland’s academy, no matter how the vote goes 24 July
Norway’s quiet revolution Linking human rights and education in a revised Constitution has huge implications for those training teachers, says Audrey Osler 17 July
Shanghai journalism students prepare to make waves Oriental Morning Post editor spells out challenges of changing media landscape, says Hong Bing 10 July
Bologna and the states of limbo What might be done to support higher education systems in regions that are not recognised as states? asks Anne Corbett 3 July
Beyond the limits of traditional learning Teaching and learning innovations could help resolve the challenges facing higher education, says Joseph Aoun 26 June