The newsroom blog

Trying to forecast the future of higher education tends to leave heads spinning, but new analysis from the OECD’s data guru brings some trends into focus

A funding clawback provoked fury from UK scientists, but now all eyes are on a political breakthrough that could reopen the door to Horizon Europe

The UK prime minister has invested political capital in science and innovation. It is vital that it is not wasted on ill-considered populist ideas about research

As institutions embedded within cities and regions, universities can be the catalysts for local action to address national and global problems

OpenAI’s chatbot has wowed the world by producing astonishingly well-formed written responses to questions. Is it about to turn academia upside down?

After a tumultuous 2022, what will the new year bring for higher education? Some of the UK sector’s respected crystal-ball gazers offer their predictions for 2023

It’s been a bleak year as war brought more pain to a world still shaken by the pandemic and other pressures. Universities will be glad to put it behind them

Twitter has long been bedevilled by bad-faith debate. But government must be held to a higher standard, even when it is flying a kite

The array of challenges facing universities and their leaders is daunting, with a broken funding system underpinning the pain in England

Our work-life balance survey finds the inevitable: that for many if not most in academia, workloads are unmanageable, and seem to be getting worse

Addressing extreme social stratification is a responsibility of all universities. But focusing excessively on action at the top of the pile is a mistake

For two decades, Times Higher Education’s rankings have both tracked and contributed to an ever more connected world. Now universities face an unwelcome shift in global dynamics

International students add hugely to the richness of universities. But are the risks of relying on their fees to subsidise so much fully understood?

Sector experts offer their advice for Liz Truss and her new Cabinet on some of the biggest issues facing UK universities, from finances and R&D to culture wars and common ground

From threats to the humanities to the future of universities themselves, the risks of misunderstanding what to value seem to be growing

To sustain its world-leading universities and science, the next UK prime minister must listen to Tory heavyweights and move on from ‘sugar-rush’ policymaking

There will always be a political temptation to charge universities with improving a school system that leaves some students underprepared

The bumper increase in QR funding for England may sound like heaven. But with doubts over the future of Horizon, UK research is stuck in purgatory

Precarity is a debilitating condition that often proves fatal to research careers. And it affects even the most lauded research groups

Universities are too often used for political point-scoring. Finding a way to implement and protect long-term plans for the sector would benefit all

The pursuit of truth is at the heart of academia. But public perception is also crucial if universities are to sustain themselves – and fiction can help

For UK universities, there seems to be an endless flow of crises to be overcome. But what if this is not just a tough spell, but the new normal?

The REF may no longer be the only game in town, but it remains a dominant force in UK research. So as the REF 2021 results are released, is it still fit for purpose?

While those new to commercialising research often obsess about owning IP, seasoned unicorn breeders find a more relaxed approach is most effective

War has helped to fan inflation and wither universities’ resources. With scant prospect of let-up, all eyes are watching the horizon for hopeful signs

With the future of globalisation in question, are long-debated divisions over institutional autonomy and academic freedom inching closer to reality?

The latest cataclysm is a reminder that certainties about the world, and even about international research collaboration, aren’t certain after all

After a four-year wait, views vary on whether the government’s Augar response can usher in a truce on university funding in England

Higher education systems that are free to evolve have improved and adapted as times change, but more are seeing ministers determined to set the course

Higher inflation is set to challenge higher education everywhere, and all but the well-endowed elite will feel the bite and face difficult choices

Universities are autonomous in principle but their financial reliance on the state means conflict is inevitable – and suppression is a very real threat

Higher education looks to be beset by any number of challenges in 2022, not least more Covid disruption. Resilience may again be the year’s watchword

After a second year of social distancing, how strong are the ties that bind us together and what is it that makes us a community, in society and HE?

As competition for international students grows more intense and complex, the traditional anglophone giants face a host of new challenges

How can academics be free to speak out and enquire when the principles of robust open debate are under attack from without and within?

Amid a recognition of numerous threats, leaders remain convinced that their institutions will be OK

With funding crunch time looming, some UK policymakers seem set on limiting education opportunities while advocating their benefits to society

Some would argue that there are too many international students but it’s a problem many universities would like to have, for financial and other reasons

Online teaching, freedom of speech and minimum entry requirements are all caught in the strange disconnect between government and universities

Block grants need to be divided up, but UK research quality does not depend on a regular national audit

The humanities can seem to struggle in our science-dominated world, but even a utilitarian view must hold them as foundational to a decent society

All will hope that predictions of the pandemic’s retreat are correct, but that won’t stop universities preparing plans A, B and C

Student satisfaction fell as the pandemic disrupted campus life, and while assessment wasn’t singled out, it’s worth assessing how fit it is for the future

With AI threatening to ramp up the plagiarism arms race, we must plan for the future – and deal with the present

We must challenge carping about the bottom-line worth of university study by reiterating that other paths’ pay-offs in no way denigrate a degree’s value

The UK government needs to back up its commitment to investing in ‘science superpower’ status with a focus on the entire funding ecosystem

It may feel as if the media is out to get universities. But a positive, pragmatic relationship is possible – and vital to public trust

Integrating local, national and global interests could be key to aligning the many competing social and environmental agendas in this era of upheaval

After a uniquely difficult year, a return to campus is on the cards and we can anticipate the thrill of rediscovering small delights

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