The Booker prizewinning author talks about novelists and academic historians’ ‘complementary trades’, ‘less subtle’ scholars and studying for a lifetime
Efforts to reclaim imperial history from so-called ‘politically correct’ professors have little to do with genuine academic debate, argue James McDougall and Kim Wagner
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 UK's first-ever Twitter-only teaching and learning conference shows academic symposia with international reach can be organised on a shoestring, say Natalie Lafferty and Pat Lockley
The framing of the Peter Horrocks row misses the bigger issue underlying the conflict and the opportunity to sketch out a vibrant future for this important national institution, say Mark Brandon, Joe Smith and Martin Weller
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
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
As the National Union of Students conference in Glasgow begins on 27 March, Nick Hillman ponders if the student voice is becoming too powerful in universities
Binghamton University, State University of New York academic’s response to fundraising dinner invitation for National Society of Black Engineers branded ‘deeply offensive’
Bill Galvin, chief executive of the Universities Superannuation Scheme, tackles some of the ‘misunderstandings’ about the fund’s approach to its valuation
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?
Stephen Hawking’s enormous achievements in science and communication are a manifestation of amazing willpower and determination, says the astronomer royal
Where you live and where your family comes from still determine your access to a university education, says London Metropolitan University vice-chancellor John Raftery
The crisis in student mental well-being is no secret, but academics too feel overwhelmed by the demands on them. Universities cannot ignore their plight
The frenzied pace and meaningless demands of university life can often enable a depressed scholar’s existing neuroses. Joe Moran offers some coping strategies
Free Speech University Rankings coordinator Tom Slater says academics are peddling myths and smears to downplay the shocking level of censorship on campus
Attending the criminal trial of a dissident scholar brings home the inhumanity of Turkey’s academic purge, says Masi Noor, and underlines the importance of showing solidarity
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
Growing interest in the student mental health crisis is welcome, but it is overburdened hourly paid lecturers who are most at risk of stress in universities, says Sam Christie
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
The teaching of ethics in drama overlooks how theatre-makers should be treated, and how they should treat one another, while doing their jobs, says Daniel Foster
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
