Cover feature

Academics’ deep identification with their work means that the failure of a book proposal, grant application or promotion request can cut deeply. But in a competitive profession, such knock-backs are inevitable. Here, six academics recall their most traumatic rejection – and how they got over it

Bureaucracy is the bane of every academic’s life. But who is to blame for its proliferation – and how can it be kept in check? Six academics have their say – while a registrar offers an equal and opposite reaction 

Ever since it emerged from English departments in the 1970s, media studies has been routinely dismissed as the archetypal ‘Mickey Mouse’ degree. But in an era of fake news and media hegemony, has this multifaceted subject finally found its place in the zeitgeist?

Recent controversy over the future directions of both Stanford and Melbourne university presses have raised questions about the role of in-house publishing arms in a world of commercialisation, impact agendas, alternative facts – and ever-diminishing monograph sales. Anna McKie reports

France’s president responded to the gilets jaunes movement with a surprise plan to abolish the grande école ENA, reigniting debate about the country’s intensely hierarchical higher education system. John Morgan explores what lies behind the proposal and what it says about the role of exclusive institutions in a populist, anti-elitist age

Academia has gone green in a big way in recent years, but some doubt whether it will make much difference to the planet. Nick Mayo speaks to scholars and students to assess the sector’s environmental record

Universities often claim to be competing in a global market, but their recruitment of leaders typically results in domestic appointments. With some of the world’s top institutions led by people from abroad, John Ross asks whether more should be following suit 

The current generation of students often come under fire for supposedly being excessively brittle and demanding. But does the reality bear that out, and what are the teaching techniques to which they respond best? Six scholars recount their own experiences and offer their tips

Mounting workloads and mushrooming publication output are making the task of staying abreast of the latest developments in the literature ever more difficult for academics. Here, eight researchers reflect on their own approaches and offer their tips

Business and management schools are highly successful in financial terms, and provide valuable income to their wider universities. But opinion remains sharply divided on how successful they have been intellectually. Here, five business academics give their views on whether their discipline has done enough to earn the respect of the academy and wider society

Western ‘settler’ nations such as Canada and Australia are wrestling with how to redress historical injustices visited on their native populations. One proposal is for universities to embrace Indigenous knowledge. But what does that mean in practice? Will it achieve its aims? And where does it leave science? Matthew Reisz considers the arguments

As summer approaches in the northern hemisphere, six academics give their personal guides to their favourite vacation destinations 

Most universities still rely on exams and assessed essays to grade their students. But as the fourth industrial revolution, employability and student satisfaction all rise up the agenda, many experts are suggesting that assessment needs to much more closely resemble real-world tasks. Anna McKie marks the arguments   

English studies is a traditional big beast in the academy, but there are concerns that changes in student behaviour could put it on the endangered list. Seven academics give their views on whether and how the discipline needs to evolve

The quality of Indian higher education outside a few elite institutions is notoriously poor, and a slew of initiatives aimed at addressing it have made little impact so far. Simon Baker analyses the data to assess the scale of the challenge and asks what more could and should be done

The relationship between PhD students and their supervisors is often said to be the most intense in the academy, with huge implications for student success. Yet most supervisors receive little if any training. Here, six academics give their take on how to approach it 

Despite its tarnished reputation and history of collapsed ventures, the for-profit sector retains a strong foothold on the US academy. Paul Basken tracks its successes and failures

What are university leaders and chief technology officers doing to meet future challenges?

Can sharing a city with a more prestigious neighbour make it easier or harder for an institution to realise its value? Jack Grove examines the competition

As universities become ever more wary of negative publicity, leaders who speak out on contentious issues are increasingly finding themselves in hot water. Ellie Bothwell reports

John Ross examines the state of cross-study and collaboration between Australia and its neighbours in the East

Claims that academics are indoctrinating their students with liberal propaganda are increasingly common in the right-wing media. John Morgan examines why such a conviction has arisen and whether there is any substance to it

Simon Baker examines the rise of China as a research nation and the worries this provokes among some Westerners

Seven academic chemists give their views on the field’s health

Six scholars learn the career and life lessons of their greatest academic missteps

The advent of Plan S promises to turbocharge the open access movement, but amid pushback from researchers and publishers, Rachael Pells examines whether the demand for published research truly merits the disruption

Reforms to the French university admission system have ushered in greater selectivity in an attempt to address high dropout rates. But without adequate filtering by family background, will this disproportionately favour the elite? David Matthews reports from Paris

Standardised test scores, interviews, entrance exams, choosing the top percentage of applicants: all are used in university admissions. Ellie Bothwell asks which methods provide the most honest reflection of suitability for higher education

As the winter solstice looms in the northern hemisphere, five academics reflect on the light and dark of the dead season

Many older academics have a great deal to offer, in terms of both research and teaching the next generation. But should they step aside for the sake of their younger colleagues’ careers? Jack Grove reports

Peer review is lauded in principle as the guarantor of quality in academic publishing and grant distribution. But its practice is often loathed by those on the receiving end. Here, seven academics offer their tips on good refereeing, and reflect on how it may change in the years to come

What single change to university practice would have the most positive and far-reaching consequences? Eight academics and thinkers give us their views

Japan’s combined budgetary crunch and demographic squeeze has raised questions about the sustainability of its huge university sector. John Ross visits the country to investigate

Round-the-clock demands from students can take a toll on lecturers. With a THE survey highlighting rising expectations, Anna McKie asks where the line should be drawn between professional and private life

Which is the better option when it comes to running academic journals – the professional editor or the academic one? Rachael Pells analyses the pros and cons of each

Simon Baker weighs the evidence for the transformation of the country’s higher education system

Donald Trump’s election prompted US scientific leaders to get more of their own into public office. However, as the midterm elections loom, progress on bringing analytical skills into the political arena looks like being very slow, writes Paul Basken

A new teaching year has just begun in the northern hemisphere. Eight academics reflect on their experience of lecturing, and offer their tips on opening students’ eyes – and keeping them open

From the largest strike in the history of UK higher education, to the US ‘academic precariat’ looking to unionise to improve their conditions, Jack Grove assesses the changing influence of workers’ organisations

Sociology, once a discipline seen as the embodiment of social progress, is now subject to frequent scepticism over its methodology, politics and career relevance. Here, five sociologists offer their assessment of the challenges facing the subject and what the future holds

To spare doctoral candidates protracted and unproductive efforts, Tim Marler and Dean Young suggest a pragmatic route to successful completion, while, below, Julian Kirchherr advocates a quick-and-dirty path to a viable thesis

What are vice-chancellors’ insights into the trends, threats and priorities affecting the future of the university? Nearly 200 leaders of world-ranked universities give their views on where the sector will be in the year 2030. John Ross reports

As students increasingly turn to essay mills to do their work, Anna McKie explores what drives this global trend and how universities are fighting it

Former Bank of England governor Mervyn King and economist John Kay address the USS’ so-called funding crisis and propose a fairer approach to sharing risk between employers, employees and generations

Independent research institutes are hailed as hothouses for cutting-edge science, but they seem to be falling out of fashion. Rachael Pells asks if concentrating research in universities is a better strategy

Nearly 50 years since war on cancer was declared, declarations of victory remain a distant prospect. Here, six cancer researchers assess the lie of the land

John Ross examines what Jacinda Ardern’s policy might mean for institutions, employers and students

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

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

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

As exam marking season gets under way, seven academics offer their advice on assessing your students

To what extent can universities drive economic development – or vice versa? Rachael Pells explores the ways in which higher education and economic success interact

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

The #MeToo movement has cast historical behaviour and curricula in a new, shadowy light. Four writers give us their perspectives

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

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

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

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