Russell Group warned over ‘divisive’ support for entry thresholds New leader of research-intensive grouping says ‘challenging conversations’ needed but critics urge united front against political attacks By Jack Grove 12 June
Meningitis B vaccine offered to all freshers after Kent outbreak School-leavers across the UK to be offered two-dose vaccination from July onwards By Chris Havergal 12 June
ERC banks on new ‘super grants’ to attract top researchers Latest effort to lure leading scholars to Europe comes as concerns grow over political oversight of research in the US By Seher Asaf 12 June
Bloomsbury Institute suspended from recruiting overseas students Private provider temporarily blocked from international recruitment amid UKVI probe as seven universities face visa action plans By Helen Packer 11 June
Smith: OfS ‘shouldn’t back off’ from free speech issues Skills minister says regulator could have handled Sussex investigation better but ‘lessons have been identified’ By Helen Packer 11 June
‘Significant’ amount of data stolen in Nottingham cyberattack Hundreds of thousands of email addresses understood to be affected in hack claimed by notorious ShinyHunters group By Tom Williams 11 June
Ireland invests €460m in new industry-focused research centres Initiative to create more than 800 PhDs and involve several leading universities but academics concerned about country neglecting blue-sky research By Seher Asaf 11 June
OfS green-lights three-year student caps for TEF poor performers Regulator scraps overall ratings after consultation on revamped exercise but commits to plans to limit growth at bronze providers By Tom Williams 11 June
North-east universities launch joint spin-out fund Five institutions collaborate with regional mayor to support businesses built on university research By Tom Williams 11 June
Value-for-money ratings for university degrees hit 13-year high Steep rise in UK students’ happiness with programmes despite job cuts, fee rises and negativity over student loans By Juliette Rowsell 11 June
IELTS test provider fined £875,000 over marking failures Nearly 100,000 tests incorrectly marked due to issues with automated system By Tom Williams 11 June
Wrong to compare student loans to PPI scandal, says Jacqui Smith Labour politicians defend student finance system, including retrospective changes, as they suggest uplifting higher education funding is not a priority By Helen Packer 10 June
