Lincoln Allison was inspired to teach by academics who loved what they did and communicated this to students. But has all passion for teaching been eliminated by creeping assessment and instrumentalism?
Real challenge from an outside expert can propel valuable change, but do external examiners still provide a valuable critical eye for the marketised UK university sector? Six scholars offer their views
The entanglement of the university and tech worlds faces increased scrutiny following the Cambridge Analytica scandal. Could joint positions in industry and academia offer a workable and ethically defensible way forward? David Matthews reports
While Vieno Vehko empathises with millennials¡¯ burden of tuition debt, she also finds it hard to respect a group that neither reads critically nor takes responsibility for its learning
Braving frozen horse liver, shamanic rituals and endless vodka-soaked toasts may not have resulted in the hoped-for discovery of a hitherto-unknown form of opera, but Nicholas Till has no regrets about his visit to Yakutsk
With about one-third of Earth¡¯s 7 billion inhabitants on a social network, it is an inevitable part of scholars¡¯ lives. While many academics find Twitter and Facebook useful means of disseminating their research, Sara Custer finds that the addictive seeking of ¡®likes¡¯ has its perils
In a world transformed, we need a radical new blueprint ¨C for a flexible, less centralised network of scholars and students, says a former Berkeley chancellor
Government investment will address the underperforming sector but political interference needs to stop for Indian higher education to truly make its mark, argues Deepak Nayyar
Three-quarters of students in the UK now receive ¡®good¡¯ degrees, compared with just half 20 years ago. Is grade inflation an inevitable result of the marketisation of higher education and is the picture the same worldwide? Simon Baker examines the evidence
The Oakland Promise, like a number of local schemes in the US, aims to be a ¡®cradle to career¡¯ programme moving more of the city¡¯s children into higher education. John Morgan visits California to assess it
Further education has suffered a dark decade in Australia, but now even universities are beginning to think things have gone too far. John Ross reports
Determination to make your own way is key to success in academia, but scholars¡¯ research, teaching and even their lives can be transformed by a chance encounter or event
How strong a voice should academics and students have in university governance? Tom Cutterham contrasts autocratic and democratic patterns in UK and European institutions
To what extent can universities drive economic development ¨C or vice versa? Rachael Pells explores the ways in which higher education and economic success interact
As a Brit leading HKU, Peter Mathieson had no baggage. The University of Edinburgh¡¯s new v-c tells Ellie Bothwell about academic freedom, internationalisation and being treated to taxi drivers¡¯ views on students
While the Sorbonne was at the epicentre of the 1968 protests, the shock waves were felt far beyond France, with students occupying Peking and UC Berkeley at the same time. A group of academics revisit the spirit of soixante-huit and consider its legacy
For insight into the ¡®pervasive dislocation¡¯ of people¡¯s lives today, the sociologist Jeff Ferrell rode the rails across the US. He tells Matthew Reisz about life on the road and the limits of mainstream research
The former LSE director tells Matthew Reisz that colleagues at Sciences Po sense an opportunity in Brexit, that the French should not fret over league tables and that academics, policymakers and bankers must talk more
There are now more women than men in higher education worldwide. While it would appear to be a victory for gender equality, this imbalance also highlights boys¡¯ educational underachievement. Ellie Bothwell reports
It was at a Munich university that a group of students formed a non-violent movement to resist the Nazi regime. Their courageous idealism sets an example that, Kenneth Asch hopes, continues to flower on campuses
Drug-related crime, rising unemployment and low salaries are all contributing to a postgraduate shortage that indicates an uncertain future for Mexico¡¯s higher education system, finds Rachael Pells
Universities in the former East Germany are now on a par with those of western Europe while others in the former Soviet bloc still lag. David Matthews visits Poland to explore why
A lack of intellectual and cultural willingness to open up historical discussions about the UK¡¯s imperial past make it a difficult subject for students and scholars to get to grips with, argues Scott Anthony
From MI5 recruiting, to students spying on each other and intelligence agencies funding research, Matthew Reisz explores the long and often uneasy relationship between espionage and the academy
The protests against pensions reforms reflect not just self-interest but also anger about working conditions and a sense that universities are losing their way. Jack Grove explores how proposed changes to the USS strained and broke bonds of trust
Academic gatherings may be fun, but they do little to advance knowledge. To justify the public spending that supports them, such events must do more to provide benefits to those who don¡¯t attend, argues Nicholas Rowe
Women and their clothing are scrutinised more closely because men are seen as the norm in academia. Emma Rees considers the codes at play in what is supposedly a radical space
Universities on both sides of the Atlantic are building up big debts, but is it prudent to bet on student numbers growing and super-low interest rates and high fees enduring? David Matthews examines the glut of recent bond issues, and how money makes money for the elite
The mere mention of fairies in academic circles can bring derision. Yet the field is a rich one that has much to offer open-minded, multidisciplinary scholars, writes Simon Young
Elite Japanese universities are renowned for their strength in research, but does their reputation also reflect quality in teaching? Times Higher Education¡¯s student-focused Japan University Rankings and student experience survey offer some fascinating insights
Psychologist Michal Kosinski¡¯s work shows how digital footprints can predict a person¡¯s sexual orientation, political views and more. Is it a danger or a warning about threats to privacy? John Morgan reports from California
Will the current blockade on Qatar harm its higher education system? Simon Baker investigates whether the need to find common scientific ground among Gulf states could win out
The Office for Students¡¯ plan to fine institutions that allow the ¡®no-platforming¡¯ of controversial speakers is a boon for those who believe exposure to wide-ranging views is a fundamental part of the academic experience. Jo Faragher reports
Does solidarity among female scholars exist only in the (male) mind? Are women really supportive of one another? And if so, how far does it go to redressing male advantage?
Mathematicians ¨C and, indeed, other scholars ¨C who cooperate with intelligence agencies face a moral dilemma knowing that their research could well be applied in unethical ways, says Michael Harris
Economist Bryan Caplan considers tangible benefits, inconvenient truths and wonders whether Latin and poetry are worth the effort when ¡®Kardashian¡¯ trumps ¡®Shakespeare¡¯ in Google search results
The frenzied pace and meaningless demands of university life can often enable a depressed scholar¡¯s existing neuroses. Joe Moran offers some coping strategies
Our annual pay review details v-cs¡¯ remuneration, explores the make-up and workings of the governing bodies that set it, and compares the rewards on offer with those of other sectors
Our annual pay review details v-cs¡¯ remuneration, explores the make-up and workings of the governing bodies that set it, and compares the rewards on offer with those of other sectors
Could the Commonwealth be a viable source of research networks should the UK fail to secure access to the EU¡¯s research programmes post-Brexit? Simon Baker reports
Times Higher Education¡¯s first major global survey of university staff views on work-life balance finds academics feeling stressed and underpaid, and struggling to fit time for personal relationships and family around their ever-growing workloads. Ellie Bothwell reports
Ahead of THE¡¯s Asia Universities Summit in Shenzhen, Jack Grove visits the city known as China¡¯s Silicon Valley to assess whether its ambitious new university could really emulate Stanford ¨C and eclipse its Hong Kong neighbours
Sexual misconduct is now being openly discussed, but universities still lack policies to safeguard staff from sexual violence in the workplace. This means victims remain afraid to speak out, says a female academic and rape survivor
Introduced to help boost technology transfer amid renewed political focus on ¡®industrial strategy¡¯, the KEF aims to complement the REF and TEF. But how will it work? Is it even necessary? And is the UK really underperforming at commercialising its research? Rachael Pells reports
Simon Baker discovers what the World Economic Forum¡¯s ¡®community¡¯ of universities ¨C the Global University Leaders Forum (GULF) ¨C can teach us about industry-academia collaboration and innovation with economic impact
Those who cross distant disciplinary boundaries are seen as unusual and viewed with suspicion. A handful of scholars tell Matthew Reisz why it suits them to stray
John Morgan travels to the University of California, Berkeley, a key battleground in the campus culture wars, to assess the mood towards US higher education and the threats that it faces
College sport is deeply woven into US culture and commerce. But a long series of scandals has pointed the glare of publicity away from the basketball courts and football fields towards the athletics programmes themselves. Jon Marcus reports
