Employers say the USS pension scheme must change to prevent financial crisis and government intervention. The UCU argues that proposed changes go far beyond what is needed. Ahead of a showdown meeting, John Morgan looks at the pressures on the system
Zombies are all the rage. They are the perfect postmodern symbol, a bloody canvas on to which any fear may be inscribed - but it's not all gloom and doom. It's the end of the world as we know it, and Clive Bloom feels fine
If you are a connoisseur of fortified wines, you are likely to be over 50. Enthusiast Aldwyn Cooper has enjoyed expanding his knowledge of the finest wines and can't understand why the young haven't cottoned on
Although his reforms have attracted criticism, Richard Descoings, the head of Sciences Po, tells Atossa Araxia Abrahamian that he is determined to fashion a modern, outward-looking institution with a diverse student body
In an austere climate for publishing, one innovation is booming: brief studies of single films or TV shows. Diane Negra considers the commercial and scholarly implications
Asian higher education is on the rise in a success story that is shaking up the global order. Simon Marginson explains the importance of the Confucian model to the region's progress, while Philip Altbach discusses the systemic problems that could limit its advances
Part-timers have it hard: more commitments and responsibilities but much less support than full-timers, as the biggest survey of their lot to date shows. But changes in the political agenda could improve matters. Rebecca Attwood reports
Sustainability on campus is a vital issue, and in a climate of austerity it also makes financial sense. That fiscal impetus is good news, because as the Green League table shows, the sector still has much to do. Hannah Fearn reports
Rick Rylance finds the enquiring attentiveness to what one might discover while diving is similar to the process of conducting research - without the corresponding need to write about it
Being brilliant academically isn't enough any more - if you want your career to soar you need to cultivate your erotic capital assets. Catherine Hakim advises scholars to use everything they've got
Rebellion was everywhere in the 1960s, recalls Sally Feldman, but Germaine Greer's The Female Eunuch made the most audacious demand of all: for a feminist revolution that was personal and political
Tino Sehgal's art installation This Progress offered something rare: a space where participating academics could converse without goals in mind. Rachel Adams on a precious experience
What turns US students' heads? An urban vibe, celebrity alumni, top sports teams, high-profile leaders. Oh, and academic reputation. Jon Marcus runs through the student checklist
Theories with wonderful names are emerging to describe our post-postmodern culture and society. Alan Kirby is fascinated by the 'cultural dominant's' shadow
Politicians expect Welsh universities to deliver social justice and economic growth. Is this an opportunity for the sector finally to fulfil its potential, or a blow to its research strength? Hannah Fearn reports
It takes courage to stand against accepted dogma. Barbara Oakley has risked her life, literally and academically, but believes the search for truth will ultimately be supported and be successful
Most humanities 'research' is the self-indulgent pursuit of obscure hobbies that neither need nor merit funding, and produces only unsold, unread and unreadable books, argues Clive Bloom
Many academics view the loss of their 'solitary cells' as a threat to their autonomy, while managers promote places of 'communal engagement' that foster intellectual interaction. Matthew Reisz looks at the tensions arising in the redevelopment of the UK's ivory towers
Aids denialism is estimated to have killed many thousands. Jon Cartwright asks if scientists should be held accountable, while overleaf Bruce Charlton defends his decision to publish the work of an Aids sceptic, which sparked a row that has led to his being sacked and his journal abandoning its raison d'etre: presenting controversial ideas for scientific debate
Beset by the twin pressures of democratisation and 'impact', the study of the past faces an uncertain future. Richard Overy analyses the threats and offers hope that history will triumph
Paris is not the only thing that France and Texas have in common: both have been subject to heavy-handed efforts to turn history to ideological ends. Robert Zaretsky considers the republics' revisionism
Engineering's decline in popularity could be reversed by showing potential students its power to tackle global challenges ranging from sustainability to energy security, says J.D. Turner
Ever get the feeling you've been cheated? David J. Gunkel mourns the betrayal of his Cold War boyhood's dreams of jetpacks, lunar adventure and the futuristic allure of the metric system
His research into Soviet and Stasi operatives and their sympathisers in the academy led Anthony Glees to see the risks posed today by Islamic terrorists on campus
The title could describe the feelings of overseas students in Australia and also the universities that enrol them. Phil Baty examines how violence against foreigners has put institutions' reliance on and treatment of international students under scrutiny
After an earlier plan was scrapped by an incoming Labor government, Australia is finally set to launch its scheme to assess the quality of all academic departments. Zo? Corbyn reports
People are beginning to ask how long Scotland can go without asking students to contribute something towards the cost of their university education. Hannah Fearn reports
In pursuing excellence, whether in golf or in research, the time invested in training and preparation is vital. So how long should a master's degree be? asks Don Olcott Jr
Both vice-chancellors and academics enjoyed healthy pay rises in 2008-09, although they may seem a distant memory to those now feeling the pinch. Using an exclusive analysis by Grant Thornton, John Morgan and Hannah Fearn look at who got what in the last year of plenty
Although vice-chancellors' pay packets rival those of top private-sector CEOs, they shoulder few of the same competitive burdens, Iain Pears notes, while doing great harm to UK academia
...or, why cars have speedometers. 'Persistent violator' Lou Marinoff on nirvana in the fast lane, governmental highway robbery and the dazzlingly effective absent-minded-professor defence
Many of the UK's 'accidental' administrators think that their work is not valued and that their US counterparts enjoy higher status. John Morgan considers what gives the professional edge
Lin Foxhall's rural childhood enabled her to see the significance of studying the lives of people traditionally overlooked by historians and archaeologists
The email conversations at the heart of 'Climategate' suggest a campaign to nobble journals, marginalise climate-change sceptics and withhold data from other researchers, says Andrew Montford
Lord Mandelson has wielded the axe on university spending, and whichever party wins the general election, further cuts are likely. Using an exclusive analysis of institutions' financial statements by Grant Thornton, Melanie Newman assesses the sector's fitness to ride out the tempest
American universities will soon have to be more open about tuition charges and student retention rates. Many fear that the push to provide consumer-oriented information will lead to even greater cuts in gover nment subsidies. Jon Marcus reports
Children have some odd ideas about university and what happens there, but they also have lofty ambitions in which they see higher education playing a key role, as Rebecca Attwood and Sarah Cunnane learn from visiting schools for the launch of our
British universities' inexorable loss of autonomy will soon reach the point of no return unless all institutions work together to win real public support for their sector, says Nigel Thrift
Harry Collins' research in the 1970s led him to realise that when scientists were trying to detect gravitational waves, there was no way of verifying that the detector itself was actually working...
Widening participation is a site of 'moral panic', marked by uncertainties over data and the efficacy of public funding. Despite all this, the academy is striving to deliver on its promise: greater equality. Rebecca Attwood writes
Socrates dreamt of a society of critical thinkers. Linda Elder explores how we can cultivate Socratic traits and methods to develop clear-headed and rational thought
Many scholars feel that their freedom to question is in danger of being eroded or even lost. Zoe Corbyn examines the threat in the UK, while Christoph Bode and David Gunkel consider the state of affairs in Europe and America
Mike Petterson's geological expertise has seen him travel the world, but perhaps his greatest eureka moments have come in Afghanistan, amid his efforts to help rebuild a shattered country
Politicians and people profess to prize authenticity and integrity, but discerning the truthful person from the sincere but self-deceived and the dissembling is tricky. Simon Blackburn ponders questions of virtue
