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A gruelling inquisition or a friendly chat - PhD candidates' experiences of vivas can vary widely. Preparation is essential, writes Peter Geoghegan, but universities could do more to help, too

Quentin Skinner, a historian renowned for examining past ideas in pursuit of disconcerting truths about the present, has swapped Cambridge quads for the bustle of the Mile End Road. Fred Inglis considers an extraordinary career

Britain's university libraries are home to a historically rich and frequently surprising treasure trove of artefacts from every corner of the globe. Matthew Reisz conducts curiosity-driven research

The intimate pedagogical relationship between students and academics sets UK universities apart from the rest of the world. But in an age of mass education and security concerns, the British way of teaching is under threat. Rebecca Attwood reports

Is it all over for the signature instrument that is the electric guitar? James Alexander reflects on past glories

What is research worth? The time lag before it bears economic fruit and the difficulty of gauging its social effects mean it cannot be easily accounted for in terms of profit and loss. But, as Zoe Corbyn reports, that has not stopped the authorities looking for answers

Academics aren't perfect. They may be reluctant to scrutinise their teaching practices, but despite their marginalised status across much of the world, they are dedicated and committed. Tara Brabazon suggests that courses in education can do much to raise individual technique, while overleaf Philip G. Altbach argues that institutions should repay their staff by elevating their status

Officials must not forget that staff are responsible for a university's success, says Philip G. Altbach

As many US universities stop hiring or cut posts in the downturn, others see a chance to snap up the best and the brightest - particularly those with their own grants. Jon Marcus reports

Are you obsessed with a 'baggy monster' or has a photocopied pamphlet sparked your passion for a whole new area of research? To kick off our new weekly series, leading scholars explain which books they believe are definitive in their field

Stephen Halliday kicks around a few ideas about how to level the playing field in popular sports and make them more exciting

A revival of interest in theology is evident in academic and political debate, and John Milbank and the radical orthodoxy movement are spreading the news, writes Melanie Newman

Enjoyment or pursuance of a subject does not always depend on knowledge of its foundations. George Watson considers the death of Grand Theory

The unexpected exits of two vice-chancellors have raised questions about governors and their authority, and about whether new forms of governance are appropriate for universities. Melanie Newman reports

Amid talk of an iron curtain or apartheid separating them, administrators and academics struggle to find common cause. Hopes of detente lie with the 'blended' professional. John Gill reports

Publishers see every download of a pirate copy of a textbook as a sale lost. Now they are fighting back against the bookaneers, writes Rebecca Attwood

Despite the tension between administrators and academics, they share many aims. Both parties ought to recognise this

David Abulafia maps out the pleasures and pains of travelling, from odysseys off the beaten track to bumpy journeys and egg sandwiches that recall aviation's pioneering days

Biologist and clergyman Michael Reiss bears witness to his passionate belief in both religion and evolutionary science. Matthew Reisz reports

Reading seems a simple task. But Bob Blaisdell, a teacher of English and a voracious reader, knows just how tough it can be

In restoring oratory and rhetoric to a central role in public life, Barack Obama has shown how words and bearing can touch lives and change minds. Tom Palaima traces his lineage from Cato to Martin Luther King

Ministers regularly state their commitment to 'evidence-based' policy, but then seem to ignore academics. Rebecca Attwood asks if it is merely confusion over what constitutes evidence

Who stands up for science and scientific rigour in policy circles? Zo? Corbyn investigates

As UK universities with a Christian heritage seek to collaborate more closely, some academics are calling for more explicitly theologically inspired institutions. Hannah Fearn reports

Dwindling joie de vivre, receding hairlines and the sneaking suspicion that our PVIs are MIA: Paul Cornish makes an in-depth analysis of the midlife crisis and urges a robust action plan - on two wheels, in leathers, going vrooooooom

It's been a good year. In 2007-08, academic pay rose more rapidly than the national average. Vice-chancellors took home the big money, but thanks to the credit crunch, this year may be the high-water mark. Hannah Fearn reports

A bitter economic wind blew through the Association of Writers and Writing Programs Conference last month. David Gewanter saw it snap a few authors out of their usual self-obsession

The academy has long been a haven for obsessives, but now its emphasis on teamwork would ill suit socially inept geniuses such as Paul Dirac, writes Matthew Reisz

Evolutionary psychology applies the tenets of Darwinism to human thought and action, with major implications for public policy. But critics say it presents untestable, headline-grabbing myths as fact, writes Melanie Newman

The goat has symbolised lusty desires and Christ-like sacrifice for millennia, but for Helen Wilcox a stray mountain beast in her garden had a rich meaning of its own

Musing on the often acrimonious debate between atheists and believers, Simon Blackburn takes as his inspiration David Hume, who approached the issue not with hatred but with humour

Overworked, underpaid and insecure: adjunct and part-time US faculty are fighting to convince their institutions - and tenured colleagues - that they deserve better. Jon Marcus reports

Successive RAEs have concentrated research cash in the hands of the elite. This time around, the pie has been shared more widely. Zo? Corbyn reports

Although its candidates often lead their fields, the professional doctorate still attracts disdain, and a lack of standardisation does not help. John Gill writes

Amid the marketing puffery and opaque jargon, many prospectuses fail to explain what a course is really about, students complain. Matthew Reisz looks over the good, the bad and the flannel

What mad pursuit? Duncan Wu on a night of sublimity and terror among the roaring, soaring, brutally lyrical Monster Trucks

After a decade as professor of physics, John Polkinghorne retrained for the priesthood. He talks to Matthew Reisz about his faith and run-ins with atheism's champion, Richard Dawkins

An HEA survey shows that teaching is still valued less than research, not least because of a lack of accord on how to assess it, writes Rebecca Attwood

The Sixties generation of academics are approaching retirement, so what better time to consider that contentious era's legacy, writes Matthew Reisz

Graduate student Jorge Cham decided to look on the bright side of his experiences and created a comic that is entertaining millions, writes Jon Marcus

The inaugural Times Higher Education Leadership and Management Awards, run in association with the Leadership Foundation for Higher Education, will recognise and reward business and management. The deadline for entries is 20 February, with the ceremony to take place at the London Hilton Hotel on 9 June. Here some of the judges outline what they will be looking for

Cary Cooper reflects on the ups and downs, the friendships and rivalries, the knife-edge thrills and raw passion of years spent loving a tribal and beautiful game

US students are being advised to stop cramming through the night and get more sleep to raise their academic performance. Jon Marcus reports

A new breed of scholars is expanding the academy by turning music festivals, Lego and puppets into objects and tools of study. Hannah Fearn reports from 'out there'

Victorian values and the censoring presence of his prudish daughter blinded Charles Darwin to female promiscuity and delayed the study of sperm competition for 100 years, says Tim Birkhead

As the academy looks beyond the traditional roles played in assessment by essays and timed exams, new techniques are helping to turn students into active partners in their own learning. Rebecca Attwood reports

Academic computing has come a long way from the first lumbering leviathans. Now, says John Gilbey, we need to work on making everything accessible everywhere, every time

The espresso is Italy's gift to the world and the ideal stimulant for the creative mind, says Graham Farmelo

Continental business schools are spearheading the attempt to access the lucrative market for higher education in English. Matthew Reisz reports

'Knowledge for its own sake' is as narrowly utilitarian a remit for universities as the business-facing alternative, argues Gary Day

The economic downturn is affecting most sectors in the UK, including higher education. But, writes Hannah Fearn, it is not necessarily all bad news

National Theatre-going regular Rivka Isaacson finds compelling drama in the early morning cast of characters waiting to buy day tickets

Social scientists deployed in war zones to engage with civilians and advise US military commanders are under fire from their peers, writes Jon Marcus

Times Higher Education's annual Student Experience Survey highlights a host of institutions bent on making the university experience first rate in every way. Rebecca Attwood reports

A lack of quantitative analysis and a tendency to avoid policy-based research has left the study of higher education in the doldrums, John Gill hears

The 'Melbourne model' has prompted universities worldwide to consider broadening undergraduate degrees. But, finds Hannah Fearn, the template does not win over everyone

Archaeology's ability to reveal the truth untainted by political, cultural and nationalist bias remains a matter for heated debate. Matthew Reisz reports

The UK's only private university is led by an outspoken iconoclast, does not take part in the RAE and is home to 'internal exiles', mavericks and unabashed traditionalists. Matthew Reisz reports

Employers have discovered that a mind sharpened by the study of philosophy is ideal for today's workplace, writes Hannah Fearn