World news

Rare opportunities arise in a country with a small population and a big regard for science

Both top-ranked Tsinghua and lesser-known institutions lauded for excellence in difficult times

Australian report tracks shift to vocationally oriented courses ahead of the recession and tuition fee changes

Analysis of publication data since break-up of Soviet Union suggests collaboration could be making up for a lack of domestic resources

Academics say Chinese higher education has long been hobbled by the lack of an ‘accurate system of academic evaluation’

Businessman accused of aiding false charity and buying coach’s house to win sons entry

Pre-approved grants referred to security agencies as another front opens up in debate over research risks

Half of regional governors’ dissertations contained copied text, and these plagiarists went on to perform worse in government, research suggests

Island nation’s pandemic management has been the envy of the world, but academics are still paying a price

Foreign student flows will bounce back even better, Australian strategist says, and sector should put profits aside to help visitors in need

Astrophysicists in Hong Kong and France say that public perceptions of gender should change and that more should be done to support women in science

Academics urge governments to set up frameworks for ethical use of technology and reaffirm the need for greater multidisciplinarity 

Pre-crisis gripes must be addressed as sector yearns for a more understanding community

Denise Bradley’s instrumental target has easily been reached, reshaping the populace in the process

Sydney sociologist says universities should go further than merely notifying government about overseas ties

As appointment panels seek leaders with more diverse backgrounds, non-academics can expect more of a hearing

Opposition dissatisfied with ‘drafting’ of controversial bill, but vows not to oppose it

Staff serving on campus during lockdown are 50 per cent more likely than their housebound peers to be at ‘high risk’ for health problems

After cutbacks to the programme in July, lawmakers have managed to pad out the budget slightly, but universities remain disappointed

While the pandemic may force an end to open-plan academic spaces, Australian forum hears that ‘empty glass boxes’ are not the answer

Australian study-abroad alumni mull improvements as ‘enforced immobility’ leaves mobility programmes in limbo

Covid is no reason to ease off on demands for open knowledge, Australian forum hears

Suzanne Rivera receives both praise and abuse on social media in response to offer but says she will continue to defend rights to assembly and free speech

Socio-economic disadvantages are most prominent in the first two years of university, study finds

Huge survey finds majority of academics have adapted to shutdowns, but many fear ‘Covid-isation’ of grants

With digital devices generating data from the world at an unprecedented rate, what it means to be a scientist has changed, conference hears

Red tape and institutional autonomy arguments fail to sway committee scrutinising law that affects universities’ overseas partnerships

Nation opts for strength in depth across the country instead of topping global rankings, argues sector head

Australian surveys, focused on Melbourne in lockdown, uncover surprisingly upbeat findings

Shift reflects growing acceptance of online education

Liberty University thinktank pushes boundaries on political advertising with posts appearing to endorse Trump and champion right-wing issues

Regional Australian university under cloud as it argues the toss over transparency commitments

Less academically inclined students should not spread their net too widely, Australian research suggests

But president Alexander Lukashenko has been forced to replace rectors, and some university managers have refused to expel students – suggesting regime control is not complete

Belinda Robinson leaves to focus on board roles

Female academics, especially mothers, face the double challenge of patriarchy and neoliberal management

But unlike in the spring, not all countries are taking a blanket approach, and there are louder concerns about the mental impact on students

Trump move welcomed as regulatory relief, but some onlookers expressed fears over effects on students

Australian universities are matching staffing levels to workload, Department of Education, Skills and Employment tells senators

Fiery Senate estimates session probes funding councils’ 'natural justice' obligations when researchers are impugned

Academics are well aware that jetting off to international conferences damages the climate, but for some, there is a much bigger source of emissions

Health and exercise needs overlooked as work demands and self-expectations leave time for little else

Award reflects trend towards huge international research teams

White House coronavirus adviser focuses on antivirals rather than vaccine at University of Melbourne forum

‘Real action’ will come when the government changes the regulator’s standards, policy expert says

Organisers refused to engage with the problem, or offered a series of stock excuses, say campaigners

Appointment continues a flourishing trend of university leaders hopping between UK and Australia

Some universities acknowledge ‘errors’ totalling millions of dollars but deny deliberate ‘wage theft’

Championed by one of the frontrunners to replace Angela Merkel, a new law could bring tuition fees, a focus on industry and greater institutional inequality

Scant feedback raises transparency concerns over Australian regulator’s compliance activities

Universities ‘optimistic’ about pandemic philanthropy, as deeper pockets compensate for decline in donor numbers

Australian survey finds little change in morale, workload or fatigue, but next year’s results could tell a different story

An Australian university history brimming with modern-day parallels shows how collectivism helped forge the sector

Multi-source analysis of global open-access practices throws up surprises, with Europe and the US lagging behind

‘Exact’ replication a pipe dream, combatants say, amid claims and counter claims about reef science

Students eager for campus life offer ‘no pushback’ to strict Covid measures being implemented by most universities, including keeping lunchtime conversation ‘to a minimum’

Veteran administrator calls for Excellence in Research for Australia workload and frequency to be slashed

STEM-focused university warns that looming fee and subsidy changes may sharpen pandemic’s bite

Legislative amendment sets out punishments for stealing or assisting stealing of someone else’s identity in university entrance exams