Academic & University News | Times Higher Education (THE)

Does liberal arts education have an image problem?

Liberal arts colleges are often perceived as being elite and irrelevant. But the best among them excel in areas such as engagement and focus on critical thinking. Ellie Bothwell explores whether liberal arts education has become redundant – or simply needs a makeover

By Ellie Bothwell

19 October

'Arrogant' universities seen as out of touch and ripe for cutbacks

20 October

EU scholars fear right to stay in UK ‘jeopardised by study leave’

19 October

New Zealand’s new Labour-led government likely to abolish fees

19 October

Latest News

Is China’s HE strategy too narrow to dominate the world rankings?

By Simon Baker

21 October

Former Edge Hill dean defrauded university of more than £500K

By Ellie Bothwell

20 October

Scientists bust myth that academic productivity declines with age

By Rachael Pells

20 October

Opinion

International cooperation is needed to prove how vital apprenticeships are

More data collection and research will support the future development of apprenticeships, writes Stephanie Wilde

By Stephanie Wilde

21 October

Does liberal arts education have an image problem?

By Ellie Bothwell

19 October

'Arrogant' universities seen as out of touch and ripe for cutbacks

20 October

EU scholars fear right to stay in UK ‘jeopardised by study leave’

19 October

New Zealand’s new Labour-led government likely to abolish fees

19 October

Rankings

Figures of humans stand and squat on a motherboard

World University Rankings 2018 by subject: engineering and computer science results out now

Universities in the US lead Times Higher Education’s rankings for engineering and technology and computer science; Peking and NUS are Asia’s top performers

Access all our rankings

Data

Is China’s HE strategy too narrow to dominate the world rankings?

Data suggest that more universities – and subject areas – will need to succeed on the world stage to sustain the country’s rise

Explore our data tools and products

Summits

Modern graduates: citizens of the world or citizens of nowhere?

17 October

Asia Universities Summit

5 February - 7 February 2018

Shenzhen, China

Careers

Scientists bust myth that academic productivity declines with age

In-depth examination of researchers’ career paths suggests few adhere to long-held stereotype that the young publish more

By Rachael Pells

20 October

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News

Is China’s HE strategy too narrow to dominate the world rankings?

Data suggest that more universities – and subject areas – will need to succeed on the world stage to sustain the country’s rise

By Simon Baker

21 October

Former Edge Hill dean defrauded university of more than £500K

UCU says case highlights ‘serious questions’ over institution’s governance structures

By Ellie Bothwell

20 October

Scientists bust myth that academic productivity declines with age

In-depth examination of researchers’ career paths suggests few adhere to long-held stereotype that the young publish more

By Rachael Pells

20 October

England’s OfS plans compulsory TEF and to charge up to £120K fees

By John Morgan

19 October

Australian university funding cuts and fee rises blocked

By Chris Havergal

19 October

Buzzwords ‘helped universities get gold in the TEF’

By Jack Grove

19 October

EU scholars fear right to stay in UK ‘jeopardised by study leave’

By Rachael Pells

19 October

Strike over USS pension changes moves closer

By Jack Grove

19 October

‘Lean in’ to public advocacy in Trump era, US scientists told

By Chris Havergal

19 October

How much research is done on gun violence in the US?

By Simon Baker

19 October

Upgrading all borderline students’ degree classes ‘unacceptable’

By Ellie Bothwell

18 October

UK considers extending post-Brexit support for Horizon 2020 bids

By Rachael Pells

18 October

Features

By Ellie Bothwell

Does liberal arts education have an image problem?

19 October

Leading a double life: academics with extraordinary second careers

Academic work is typically all-consuming, but some scholars still manage to combine some eye-catching sidelines with their day jobs. Here, five tell their stories

Are graduates good value for money?

With degrees now necessary for entry into more jobs than ever before, John Morgan considers the economic arguments for expanding higher education

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Opinion

By Stephanie Wilde

International cooperation is needed to prove how vital apprenticeships are

More data collection and research will support the future development of apprenticeships, writes Stephanie Wilde

21 October

OfS framework ‘undermines Prevent guidance’

Is the government trying to have its cake and eat it with regard to free speech? asks Smita Jamdar

Michael Parkin illustration (19 October 2017)

Diversity statements aren’t enough to combat implicit bias

Universities must go well beyond boilerplate statements about being a 'welcoming environment' if they really want to treat all their students equally, says Sarah Kollat

New Zealand’s new Labour-led government likely to abolish fees

By Roger Smyth

19 October

Safe spaces are fine, but students must also be brave

By John Palfrey

19 October

Liberal arts are about more than defending liberal democracy

By Andrew Moore

19 October

Are current UK graduates properly prepared for the global workplace?

By Ciarán Devane

19 October

Policy watch

OfS regulatory framework: the biggest change in HE regulation for a generation

Publication of the OfS regulatory framework consultation is a ‘significant milestone’ on the road to a new regulatory regime, says OfS chief executive Nicola Dandridge

World insight

'Arrogant' universities seen as out of touch and ripe for cutbacks

Glyn Davis, vice-chancellor at the University of Melbourne, on a 'rising chorus' of complaints about universities in the UK and Australia

The newsroom blog

Making sense of what it means to be human

In our rapidly changing world focused on science and progress, the liberal arts are sometimes considered irrelevant; but they offer unique insight into who we are and where we are going

By Contributors

Academics’ top tips for publishing success

Is your resolution for the new academic year to publish more? Here, 16 scholars give advice on pitching, editing and writing – and dealing with negative peer reviews

28 September

Book Reviews

Book of the week

By Yvonne Howell

Vanguard of the Revolution: The Global Idea of the Communist Party, by A. James McAdams

Book of the week: Communism around the world was shaped by its opportunistic leaders, finds Yvonne Howell

19 October

How All Politics Became Reproductive Politics: From Welfare Reform to Foreclosure to Trump, by Laura Briggs

The ‘welfare queen’ myth and business’ power is crushing American families, says Lynne Segal

Looking to London: Stories of War, Escape and Asylum, by Cynthia Cockburn

Emma Rees on a study of refugees’ remarkable transnational journeys in our post-Brexit, Trumpian world

Crime Writing in Interwar Britain: Fact and Fiction in the Golden Age, by Victoria Stewart

Rich and strange, detective tales of the 1920s and 1930s are worth unearthing, says Leo Mellor

Through the Lion Gate: A History of the Berlin Zoo, by Gary Bruce

Ulrike Zitzlsperger on an engaging account of the city’s attraction and what it tells us about society and politics

Shelf Life

Books editor’s blog: Empty ideas and words – we’re talking business

The business world is plagued by bullshit on an industrial scale, but André Spicer wants to help workers escape from its corrosive effects and rediscover meaning

What are you reading?

What are you reading? – 19 October 2017

A weekly look over the shoulders of our scholar-reviewers

Summits

Asia Universities Summit

5 February - 7 February 2018

Shenzhen, China

Connecting cities, changing the world: research universities building Asia

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MENA Universities Summit

19 March - 21 March 2018

Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

Fulfilling our potential: developing the knowledge economy for the MENA region

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Research Excellence Summit - New Europe

24 April - 26 April 2018

Olomouc, Czech Republic

Building a hub for world-class research

early-bird discount book before 12 March 2018

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