The newsroom blog

The disconnect between the UK’s ambitions to be a science superpower and threats of cuts to its research base will cause lasting harm

The HE policy debate may shift, but in England the idea that we might be over-educating is always lurking – it’s a hydra that needs decapitating again

International student mobility was the rock on which universities built their empire. With Covid turning prior certainties into unknowns, what now?

Academia jettisoned decades of orthodoxy about how to teach and research overnight when the pandemic hit. What’s stopping it making other transformations?

Academics might have scrambled to adjust to online teaching but their expertise has taken flight and merits a global platform to share it

Universities have developed a Covid vaccine; helping to restore economic purpose to hollowed-out regions like the US Midwest is no less urgent

Amid geopolitical and research power shifts, the world will be watching to see whether leaders can learn from the mistakes and triumphs of 2020

No one would want to repeat 2020. But perhaps there are ways it will leave us better prepared for the future

The pandemic has hit university finances, and further challenges lie ahead. But the case for supporting higher education and research is overwhelming

This tumultuous year has shown universities can adapt rapidly and radically, but the reimagining mustn’t pause amid continuing disruptive pressures

In the post-Trump, pandemic era, universities must redouble efforts to change the narrative, win back public trust and help heal divided societies

Despite the world’s apparent boredom with evidence and truth, it’s clear that universities’ expertise and principles are more vital than ever

As Covid-19 stalks student halls, universities are accused of allowing intolerance to infect ideals of academic freedom. But is the criticism fair?

Decisions about whether to reopen campuses must weigh up factors such as opportunity costs and the level of risk that is acceptable

Inequality in higher education, magnified during the pandemic, is not new – what has changed, perhaps, is a rising urgency to do something about it

The global nature of higher education is its greatest strength, which is now under threat from the effects of Covid, nationalism and industry competition

The loss of international income makes the improvement of universities’ online offerings all the more urgent

Some argue that accolades for individuals are outmoded in an age of team science, and reinforce old hierarchies and biases as ‘friends reward friends’

If policymakers are worried about the cost of degrees, why aren’t living expenses taken into account?

Coronavirus-induced workforce shedding has exposed the chasm in Australian university employment arrangements, says John Ross

Michael Jordan was a superstar, but he didn’t play alone. Science, like basketball, is a team undertaking, and must continue to refresh its roster

Matthew Reisz reflects on the researchers who have brought us powerful stories about how gender manifests – from remote Himalayan villages to the nightclubs of the French Riviera

Protecting the European research budget offers better long-term hopes of saving the European project

University finances are supposedly staring into the abyss – but we shouldn’t get giddy, says Paul Jump

With lockdowns in force around the world, deciding the way ahead demands a delicate balance of clarity and compassion from people and institutions

The coronavirus crisis is forcing everyone – including universities and THE – to reassess and revise long-standing assumptions and practices

The coronavirus crisis has knocked everyone sideways, including universities. And while they have no quick, easy answers, they are central to tackling it

The government may be putting a new emphasis on universities and the role of research, but the attention may also bring new demands for delivery

International mobility defines many academics’ careers – but how should we weigh the costs and benefits to individuals, and their adopted homes?

Working to the exclusion of all else is unhealthy, but a one-size-fits-all limit is hard to set when careers and reputations are on the line

As China’s influence grows, UK scholars question how best to collaborate. A post-Brexit transition may offer change to more than our EU relationship

Letting go of acrimony is not easy after three years of trench warfare. But post-Brexit Britain needs academics and their evidence-led approach

Matthew Reisz talks to Grayson Perry and an academic expert on performance art about the limits of student artistic expression in higher education 

Mid-career learners, and some of the world’s biggest employers, are looking beyond the ‘graduate club’ for laser-targeted courses and skills

Matthew Reisz considers the researchers who keep on top of the issues we most want to avoid

Where scientists led, society is finally starting to follow. But higher education can and must do more to address the climate crisis