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Stiff competition for places in the US has led potential students to enlist the help of parents and consultants to give their application an edge. Jon Marcus looks at how institutions are trying to keep one step ahead

Students are increasingly 'transliterate', communicating across a range of technologies. Can academics keep up? Hannah Fearn asks

A fortnightly series in which academics step outside their area of expertise. Terence Kealey reveals how hypocrisy, violence and torture in the America of George Washington have helped create the US of George Bush

Astronauts, actors, controversial politicians and a Muppet are among those to have landed an honorary degree. So is it all a populist stunt or is there a credible rationale for such awards? asks Hannah Fearn

Joseph S. Nye is part of a long line of US academics who have helped shape foreign policy. A former Clinton adviser, now in the Obama camp, he tells Huw Richards how America can restore its tattered reputation in the world

A letter to this publication criticising the National Student Survey led to the abrupt departure of a senior official from the organisation presiding over teaching and learning in the UK and a storm of protest. John Gill reports on the politics and clash of personalities that have cast a shadow over the Higher Education Academy's credibility and independence

The rise of digital and conceptual art, and a declining interest in traditional craft skills, is forcing art departments to reinvent themselves. Hannah Fearn investigates

Killings on campus by unstable students have pushed US academe into monitoring problem individuals, scrutinising their mental health for their own and others' safety. Jon Marcus reports

Gary Day chews over our fascination with foul-mouthed chefs and scary diet pedants and wonders if their ubiquitous TV presence is a symbol of social harmony or disharmony

No, not the claim of many a self-help guru, but increasingly the mantra of modern academics. Matthew Reisz finds out why they are dipping their toes in the genre, despite its lack of scholarly kudos

Ireland's economic boom brought equally impressive growth in higher education enrolment. But in a chillier fiscal climate, what awaits the Celtic Tiger's universities? Hannah Fearn reports

Mathematician Robin Wilson's enthusiasm for Lewis Carroll stems from a shared delight in the brain-teasing and magical world of numbers. Matthew Reisz reports

The Scottish Government is eager for universities to lead the nation to renewed prosperity and, ultimately, independence. Tariq Tahir asks if the sector is up to the challenge and what its response could mean for the rest of the UK

Mona Siddiqui, one of the UK's leading commentators on Islam, is driven by intellectual curiosity, religious belief and a desire to engage. Hannah Fearn writes

In decades of linguinsania, Deirdre McCloskey has tried to learn a second language - everything from French, Greek and Latin to German, Scots Gaelic and Sanskrit - with no success. But she's still not resigned to monolingualism

Middle managers may be vital in today's universities, but a lack of training and grumbles that they undermine the collegial ethos have made many academics wary of the role. Tariq Tahir reports

Creative writing is as popular today as critical theory was a decade ago. Why the change, asks Penny Hancock, and how does it fit in with the study of English literature?

The banality and sense of entitlement of rich students at Harvard left John H. Summers feeling his teaching had been degraded to little more than a service to prepare clients for monied careers

Galvanised by last year's inaugural league table, universities across the UK have been busily redrafting environment policies and cutting energy consumption - but there's still a long way to go. Hannah Fearn reports

The shrinking pool of potential students is putting new pressures on US universities. But if some are learning to adapt, others seem to have a 'nascent death wish'. Jon Marcus reports

The ability to improvise is a crucial sign of high intelligence. So why, wonders Steve Fuller, does it enjoy so little status within the academy?

Sam Gosling pokes around people's homes, into their cupboards and under their beds. But it's not voyeuristic - such off-the-wall research is delivering crucial insights into personality, Matthew Reisz discovers

In the heyday of campus radicalism, protests took place at the drop of a hat and Marxism ruled. Today's young are quieter and as likely to vote Tory as for the Left. There's still commitment but, as Tariq Tahir finds, now it's to getting a good job

While wrestling, crime, sex and tulipmania spice up popular books on economics, the academic discipline often remains impenetrable. Matthew Reisz considers the costs and benefits of complexity

A move to put research on a sustainable footing was keenly embraced by all sides, but disagreements over implementation are hindering progress. Zoe Corbyn reports

Scientists in popular culture are inevitably mad, bad and dangerously keen on bubbling vials of ghastly liquids. Should this bother us? Yes, John Gilbey cackles fiendishly

City academies have helped raise the sights of some young people in higher education cold spots, but there remains fierce ideological and practical opposition from many academics. Hannah Fearn considers the case for university sponsorship

Psychoanalysis may have little place in university psychology departments, but it is flourishing within the arts and humanities. Matthew Reisz reports on the debates - and divisions - between academics and clinicians

As with husbands, so with students. Lower the bar, as benchmarks do, and mediocre results are guaranteed, says Tara Brabazon

Does the Google generation, which has grown up with a deluge of data just clicks away, lack the independence of thought and critical rigour needed for higher study? Matthew Reisz investigates

Scholars must challenge the copyright laws, which allow estates to stifle efforts to generate new ideas about an author's works, argues Alistair McCleery

Alex Danchev is entranced by the lyricism and virtuosity of jazz master Charles Lloyd

What did the stand-up tell academics who want to give better lectures? It's no laughing matter - it's about performing in the moment, Tariq Tahir hears

Many researchers believe a 'gut instinct' can be as powerful a tool as logic and academics should acknowledge its role in their work. Matthew Reisz reports

... but our tastes are swayed by price, packaging and other social psychological factors in ways we're often unaware of. Matthew Kieran considers the fragility of aesthetic opinions in the latest in our fortnightly series allowing academics to step outside their field of expertise

Romantic attractions between teacher and student may be as old as pedagogy itself, but now such relationships cause people to worry about abuses of power and litigation. Only half of institutions have any guidelines on such relationships. Are they needed? asks Hannah Fearn

Computers and lasers are compelling proof that researchers' flights of fancy can pay off, but policymakers prefer to fund work with obvious economic merits. Matthew Reisz asks whether the sky should be the limit

Employers are worried that the sector's generous pensions are unsustainable, so could this be the end of the road for final-salary schemes? asks Tariq Tahir

A royal visit can be the highlight that makes a university event unforgettable, but not always in the right way. Tariq Tahir reviews the details of protocol and planning needed to make them work

Rational thinking is the tool of the intellectual's trade. And yet, argues Roy Harris, academics and universities have abandoned reason in pursuit of a more commercial credo

Cambridge leads the field in producing Nobel science laureates, but many of the UK's best scientists have left to pursue work in the US. Matthew Reisz finds out from past winners what tempted them to go and why many feel the tide is turning in the UK's favour

Reform is widely felt to be overdue for French higher education, but its proponents face an entrenched and powerful universities system. Matthew Reisz assesses the appetite for change

The ban on performance-boosting substances in sport is a self-satisfied nonsense, argues historian Geoffrey Alderman in a fortnightly series allowing academics to step outside their area of expertise

Fee-paying students want more teaching contact hours for their money. But do the bald figures on how often they see their tutor tell the whole story? Hannah Fearn investigates

The emphasis on learning outcomes and benchmarks in the context of English literature is little more than a straitjacket that stifles the originality and creativity of both author and student critic, argues Derek Attridge

Torture cannot be justified, says Philippe Sands, an academic and barrister who has traced how the US came to sanction the practice after 9/11. It doesn't work and it costs us dearly, he tells Matthew Reisz

Lack of support, poor editing, negligible marketing: the alleged shortcomings of British academic publishing are increasingly leading authors to sign up with US and mainstream imprints. Matthew Reisz reports

Short ethics courses for members of medical and research committees are proliferating. But do they equip people with the tools needed to make what could be life-and-death decisions? Esther Oxford reports

In the first in a series in which academics range beyond their area of expertise, philosopher Simon Blackburn proffers his top ten modern myths

What is it about crime and universities? As the film of The Oxford Murders premieres, Matthew Reisz probes a world of professor-sleuths, philosophical riddles and the academics who are hooked on them

It is a tempting proposition: a new life and a new job at a US or Canadian university. But what is the reality of academic life in North America? Esther Oxford asks those who took the plunge

Students and employers are increasingly dictating the courses that universities offer, as witnessed by the rise of business-related and TV-inspired subjects such as forensic science. But how far should demand drive the curriculum? Harriet Swain reports

Academics aren't trained for it and often can't cope with it, yet many find themselves counselling students at risk of emotional breakdown and even suicide. Esther Oxford talks to lecturers who have been affected

League tables are used to gauge university performance, influence potential students and steer management policy, but should they be trusted? A survey suggests that many fall short of the mark, writes Rebecca Attwood

The advent of the UK's first private law school has reignited debate about whether a law course should comprise liberal education or commercial training. Hannah Fearn hears the case for and against

The sector has experienced unprecedented growth in recent years, with fees and overseas income boosting overall prosperity, but not all universities are in a position to keep expanding. Alan Thomson assesses the financial strengths, weaknesses and trends in higher education

As competition intensifies, universities that focus on third-stream income and that revamp the campus experience will be in the strongest position to thrive in the future, believes David Barnes

Universities want eye-catching iconic buildings that capture the spirit of academic endeavour, involve the community and aid recruitment. Esther Oxford surveys the results, from glass walls to grass roofs