Leader

That the role of higher education is so often misunderstood or misportrayed, even in institutions, means much good work goes unremarked

Relatively liberal eras cannot restrain subsequent authoritarian regimes, but we can teach societies to see through propaganda, writes Paul Jump

Higher education institutions are vital not just to research and economic growth but also to ensuring the health of liberal democracy on the continent

The tabloid campaign to save the Open University has forced ministers to review a crisis precipitated by their party’s higher education policy, writes John Gill

While their credentials are not in dispute, institutions could have their teaching and research undermined by a crisis in morale

Academics see the OfS, like the changes in USS pensions, as another attack on them and the cherished compensations of their profession

In view of recent revelations of abuse in several industries, networks such as an academic sisterhood could offer vital support and solidarity

Universities need to confront, rather than ignore, uncomfortable questions about the worth of higher education to be in with a fighting chance

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

Market forces unleashed on the UK university sector have pushed up senior pay, fuelled the rows over it and posed questions about ‘value for money’ that are shaping the future of universities

Ignore the politicians’ jibes: history is crucial to develop critical minds, make sense of the present and prepare people for the future

The plans for SUSTech capture the boldness of the country’s ambitions to create in years universities that can match century-old powers

Knowledge exchange sits low on academia’s menu, overshadowed by meatier mains, but could the assessment of universities’ third-stream activities tempt some to make it a signature dish?

Cabinet reshuffle offers universities the chance of a relationship reset before they are likely caught in the first swell of a global wave of funding reviews

A precise breakdown of foreign learners’ contributions to all areas and sectors of British life could help finally move the group out of the net migration count

The past year has seemed one of almost daily shocks and surprises for higher education, which THE has divulged, documented and dissected

Outrage over vice-chancellors’ remuneration has focused on individuals – but the buck stops with governors

Inequality remains a pernicious problem at our elite universities. Failure to tackle it will have negative consequences for individuals and society at large

In the rivalry to make the next scientific breakthrough, collaboration is key. But the UK’s post-Brexit course only undermines its competitive standing

Faith in private-sector innovation has driven Conservative reforms under both Willetts and Johnson – but is that really what universities need?

Just like Hollywood and Parliament, academia has entrenched power hierarchies. It can’t pretend that sexual harassment doesn’t take place

Research is paid for by legerdemain, and we should be honest about it if we want to correct funding imbalances and treat students fairly

Last week’s spats over universities’ supposed anti-Brexit bias and what to do about it highlight the contested nature of free speech

Academics find information and inspiration in myriad places and forms, and what they do with it can transform and even save lives

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

Despite fears of saturation, an ever-growing army of graduates could just counter – rather than heighten – the threat of machines taking all our jobs

Theresa May’s tweaks to tuition fees may not be enough to quell the disquiet over the current system, says John Gill

Despite their scientific achievements, women account for only 5% of Nobel prize-winners. It diminishes them – and the award, says John Gill

Countries worldwide are grappling with the challenge of expanding higher education with limited resources while maintaining quality 

A disastrous loss of goodwill during negotiations with Brussels may mean the days of Britain’s being a net beneficiary of EU research funding are over

Britain has a remarkably strong higher education system that makes it a world-leading player, and it requires tending, not trashing

A survey of 50 laureates is full of insight, warnings and the can-do attitudes powering ‘beautiful minds’

Creeping political interference in universities, from the UK to Hungary and the US, is part of a worrying shift in attitudes towards higher education

Universities used to be thought unsinkable, but the unthinkable – an institution going to the wall – is now a genuine, if yet remote, prospect

Institutions are feeling under attack; they need to counter their critics by showing proudly and publicly the immense good work they do

Universities claim to bestow on graduates the key to open the door to any job: critical thinking. But even if they do, are employers interested?

Amid fresh criticism of executive remuneration, perhaps universities need to rethink the issue of vice-chancellors’ salaries

As the row over fees reignites and mutates into a debate over the very purpose of universities, silence reigns on the issue of hyper-selectivity

Academics may see their work as a calling, which makes it hard for them to switch off. But vacations are essential for well-being – and a bit of fun

To remain carefully balanced ecosystems where experience and youth combine, should universities impose a sell-by date on academics?

Few in academia will have celebrated Brexit’s first anniversary but the unpredictable year since the vote has shown the power of a united voice

The TEF results will not halt universities’ unease about the exercise, the prospect of gaming the system or anxiety about long-term consequences

The wide appeal of Labour’s fees pledge means free higher education is back on the agenda, amid a shift in the political landscape

And, if so, does it matter where they studied and what subject they specialised in?

Terrible tales attest that some see this activity as a nuisance or worse, rather than as something that can benefit supervisor as much as student, says John Gill

Labour’s pledge to axe fees suggests that ever-higher charges may not be inevitable, but tough choices between university priorities seem unavoidable

Higher education might not be a central issue in the UK’s general election campaign, but it certainly has much riding on the outcome

As universities rely on multiple income streams to stay afloat, private money comes with caveats and portfolios must balance profit and principle

Women’s pay still lags behind men’s, and a lack of transparency around salaries makes it all the harder to address

In an age of political civil war, the question of why the Right is so under-represented in academia is important

While some fear a dystopian outcome in which private innovators bypass the university, others are more sanguine about the potential threats to the sector

Data, and the increasingly sophisticated way it is martialled, has enabled remarkable improvements in graduation rates and quality of education

Excellence in an institution is measured by the value of its research and the quality of its teaching, not by the height of the ivy on its walls

In a unique but under-pressure university system, there is still cause for optimism, as the new Times Higher Education Japan University Rankings show

How do you solve a problem like REF selection? Research-active status may be defined by formal or informal means, but is there a realistic alternative?

Tertiary education must be considered as a whole if governments are to prepare the workforce they need

Theresa May’s new industrial strategy will support universities’ R&D, but more partnerships with business – while never entirely risk-free – are needed

Since the Brexit vote, UK institutions have been losing friends and influence around the world. That will continue unless they win political support

Modern languages are struggling in an inward-looking nation. Revival may come by showing the young they are a route to a more connected world

Teaching is being looked at seriously by the government, but those providing still feel overlooked and underappreciated