Acclaim and anxiety as Australia streamlines funding bids Researchers support drive for quality over quantity but warn of unintended consequences By John Ross 27 February
New Zealand academic recruitment ‘back to normal’ And research job opportunities are booming outside universities, AI-fuelled study finds By John Ross 26 February
‘More reflection needed’ on indigenous knowledge and science No group should have exclusive ‘authority to speak’, New Zealand forum hears By John Ross 25 February
Universities move lectures online as Omicron ravages New Zealand Back-to-campus plans hit snags on both sides of the Tasman By John Ross 23 February
Australian academics ‘paid with gift vouchers’ Universities say they proactively uncover underpayments, but former casual claims they only acknowledge the obvious cases By John Ross 22 February
Labour reform creates uncertainty for 25,000 Spanish researchers Job insecurity has been exacerbated by legislation intended to end it, with universities facing spiralling recontracting costs and no extra funding By Ben Upton 22 February
Tower block perfect for block teaching, says Australian v-c Vertical campus ‘well suited’ to small group teaching, as students navigate degrees one block at a time By John Ross 21 February
China expands Double First Class universities list Top-ranked institutions now have the autonomy to evaluate and confirm which of their own disciplines will qualify for the project By Jing Liu 21 February
Hong Kong visa denial for professor ‘could signal tightening restrictions’ International community ‘should take in academics unable to continue teaching in Hong Kong’, say scholars By Pola Lem 19 February
Australia’s jobs pitch lures some foreign students, but not others Canberra’s work rights strategy influences make-up of new arrivals, as Perth changes entry rules again By John Ross 18 February
Australian minister ‘briefed three times’ on vetoed research ‘Vast majority’ of promised research commercialisation fund falls outside spending commitments, estimates committee also hears By John Ross 17 February
Australia-China research collaboration nosedives Funding council statistics lend weight to anecdotal accounts that academics are self-censoring scholarship on superpower By John Ross 17 February
Attempts to tackle casualisation in Australia ‘have failed’ University casuals less likely to win permanent employment than cleaners or bank workers, Senate inquiry finds By John Ross 15 February
Australian universities head back to campus after shutdowns It’s a balancing act, as some crave company and others isolation, but most vice-chancellors want their people back ‘as often as possible’ By John Ross 14 February
Liberate teaching materials from paywalls, urges professor Open access champion also proposes an IB for universities, as competition gives way to collaboration By John Ross 14 February
Cut deep, cut early: Covid’s toll on Australian casuals revealed Belated data show that inexperienced, untenured and non-academic staff shouldered the lion’s share of job losses By John Ross 13 February
Australian Senate committee to scrutinise grant veto powers Furore over political interference shows no sign of abating, as government presses ahead with research commercialisation agenda By John Ross 9 February
Gender quotas for research grants ‘risk unintended consequences’ There is no simple answer to entrenched inequities in research funding, Australian agency finds By John Ross 7 February
Schmidt: take politics out of Australian research grant decisions Vice-chancellor criticises ‘bipartisan support’ for rules enabling ministers to intervene in grant awards By John Ross 7 February
New Zealand reopens borders, but many students face long wait While 5,000 students could arrive in April, the rest will not be admitted until October, effectively ruling out campus-based studies before 2023 By John Ross 3 February
Canberra: change IP and pay rules to foster commercialisation Pay, promotions and intellectual property protections set for ‘refinement’ under new action plan By John Ross 2 February
Overseas students angry as Western Australia again changes rules No apparent health rationale for ‘impossible’ new deadline, as requirements rewritten for third time in a week By John Ross 2 February
Australia pledges billions for research commercialisation But critics say windfall won’t compensate for the money stripped from basic research By John Ross 1 February
Australian union demands more talk over ‘back to campus’ plans Academics nervous as most universities plan to maximise on-campus delivery amid record Covid death toll By John Ross 31 January
More grant delays loom for Australian researchers With key funding scheme already months behind schedule, a Christmas Eve resolution could be optimistic By John Ross 30 January
International students reprieved from Perth lockout But new recruits and direct arrivals miss out under new Western Australian rules By John Ross 27 January
Melbourne fights order to reveal its landholdings Australia’s wealthiest university locks horns with one of its own academics, who says ‘the public has a right to know’ By John Ross 4 January
Covid spotlights hunger struggles for Australia’s overseas students Students collaborate to combat food shortages, as Covid widens the gap between Australia’s haves and have-nots By John Ross 29 December
Research on and with China purged as Australian grants announced Six humanities projects reportedly vetoed and China collaboration nosedives as Discovery outcomes finally see light of day By John Ross 24 December
Could online degrees be the way forward for Afghan women? University of the People aims to fund 4,000 Afghans to study, with 600 already enrolled in its courses By Pola Lem 23 December
Australian government approves delayed research grants But silence on flagship Discovery scheme leaves an estimated 3,000 applicants facing Christmas limbo By John Ross 22 December
ARC changes ‘will undermine peer review’, say academics Conscripting industry players into research assessment roles will also turn the grant application process into ‘Frankenstein’s monster’ By John Ross 22 December
Australian migration rules ‘risk international education crisis’ Policies risk inciting behaviour worse than 2000s immigration scams, expert warns By John Ross 21 December
Menstruation’s impact on university education ‘overlooked’ University students’ experiences attract some attention in developing countries but almost none in the West, study finds By John Ross 21 December
US colleges expecting hikes in state funding Omicron variant amplifying uncertainties, but initial indications suggest federal relief and economic growth may permit another year of post-secondary gains By Paul Basken 21 December
Australian opposition seeks audit on research grant delays Commonwealth auditor general asked to review grant administration for the second time in three months By John Ross 20 December
Vice-chancellors ‘should be university community’s choice’ New Australian lobby group targets transparency, collegiality and ‘reconceived governance’ By John Ross 20 December
ARC delays cap ‘worst year ever’ Thousands of researchers face Christmas crisis as grant announcements languish By John Ross 19 December
Urban graduates benefit most among China’s ‘floating’ population Study reignites debate over notion that success in gaokao exams and graduation from university has ‘life-changing’ effect on those from rural areas By Jing Liu 18 December
THE Campus Live Asia: virtual mobility ‘here to stay’ after Covid Digital exchanges prove ‘more inclusive’, offering a ‘taste’ of the real thing By John Ross 16 December
Auckland plans dialogue on Māori knowledge and science Vice-chancellor commits to ‘challenging and confronting debate’ on hot-button issue By John Ross 15 December
ARC chief steps down as industry given say in research funding Canberra demands revamped governance and more applied focus By John Ross 14 December
Domestic students ‘bring in more money than internationals’ New book challenges some of the Australian university sector’s holy cows By John Ross 12 December
Most New Zealand universities opt for compulsory vaccination Mandates the least worst option, as vice-chancellors await ‘the inevitable court cases’ By John Ross 12 December
Australia promises long-range medical research strategy Canberra accepts advice of more than 10 reviews By John Ross 9 December
Go bush and we’ll wipe your student debt, Canberra tells medics New scheme unveiled six years after its underperforming predecessor was scrapped By John Ross 8 December
Australia mulls post-study work visas for offshore graduates Experts welcome discussion but warn of unintended consequences from potential escalation of global recruitment race By John Ross 8 December
Chinese students missing campus experience opt for hotels instead Learners enrolled with Western universities gather in China’s tourism hotspots By Jing Liu 8 December
Australia to finance new microcredentials from old funding Government promises response to review’s other recommendations ‘in due course’ By John Ross 7 December
Australian opposition promises more university places Demand-driven funding a better option, expert says, as hundreds of international students fly into Sydney By John Ross 6 December
Murdoch completes Irish swap deal for new vice-chancellor Homebound University College Dublin leader reveals his ambition for Perth institution By John Ross 6 December
New Zealand academics investigated over Māori knowledge letter Royal Society asked to expel decorated members who criticised plans to incorporate mātauranga Māori into curricula By John Ross 6 December
Australian chief scientist floats new open access proposal Cathy Foley wants to extend access to scholarly journals beyond academia By John Ross 5 December
Australian researchers win appeals over preprints ban New lease of life for lucky six as committee overturns scrapping of their funding applications By John Ross 2 December
Australian education minister stands aside over abuse claims Alan Tudge denies wrongdoing and promises to cooperate with independent investigation By John Ross 2 December
Chinese supervisors charged with enforcing campus lockdowns Academics being held responsible if their students violate coronavirus restrictions By Jing Liu 2 December
New president opens doors at Australia’s learned academy Nanotechnologist and laser expert shines the way for others, by endowment as well as by example By John Ross 1 December
Australian borders shut on the eve of their opening Latest developments on both sides of the Tasman Sea highlight the uncertainty confronting international students By John Ross 30 November
ANU governance ‘largely’ fit for purpose Audit finds shortcomings in Australian university’s capital works, budget, fraud control and executive pay arrangements By John Ross 29 November
Australian review backs cadetships to improve employability Our review won’t work until you ‘get on with’ the last one, former v-cs tell government By John Ross 27 November