Feature article

Embrace discomfort to develop these four leadership attributes in your students

Educators play a key role in developing the next generation of bold leaders. Here is how to nurture traits – such as curiosity and realistic thinking – that students will need in the modern workplace

José Ignacio Sordo Galarza

Tecnológico de Monterrey

Be my guest speaker

Incorporating guest speaker presentations as part of work-integrated learning helps university educators as well as students, writes Temesgen Kifle. It can enhance teaching practice, build stronger connections with industry, and keep courses up to date with evolving workforce needs

Temesgen Kifle

The University of Queensland

Seeing is believing: how to make internationalisation count

Simply being international is no longer enough in higher education. Internationalisation needs to demonstrate impact and return on investment – and to do that, it needs to be seen, writes Michael Scott

Michael Scott

The University of Warwick

A student walks into a library, wearing headphones

‘Our strength lies in our small size’: how to offer more as a small, specialist academic library

Libraries in small institutions don’t have to do things the same way as their larger counterparts. Here are five ways to cultivate a student-focused approach to provide bespoke support

Sarah d'Ardenne

Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM)

The Portfolio Club: an extracurricular activity to support students’ employability

Strengthen the work readiness of your biomedical science students by supporting them to begin work on their training portfolios early. Here’s how

Tahmina Hussain

University of Salford

A group of people having a discussion at a table

Foster allyship to support marginalised groups in higher education

How to initiate change, create safe spaces for difficult conversations and nurture a culture of allyship in your department

Reuel Blair, Tizzy Gill

Nottingham Trent University, Birmingham City University

Mapping employability skills across curricula

A mandatory university-wide initiative shows how mapping professional skills against all programmes can tailor students’ work readiness no matter their career path

Katy Gordon

University of Southampton

The dos and don’ts of developing an international network in higher education

International collaborations sound impressive on paper – but most fail to move beyond initial enthusiasm and a signed memorandum of understanding. Jeremy Howick shares lessons from building a global network focused on empathy in healthcare

Jeremy Howick

University of Leicester

An illustration of an AI with glasses, reading a book

Librarians, it’s time to lead the way

When GenAI first landed, many universities scrambled to understand it and how students might be using it. One library team took it upon themselves to adopt a holistic approach

Chris Porter

Birmingham Newman University

Snails, Jaffa Cakes and rubber ducks: making university outreach playful

Outreach initiatives like School Tasking show how academics can break down barriers, engage young learners, and make higher education feel accessible rather than intimidating

Ali Struthers, Alex Horne

The University of Warwick

The anxieties of non-research faculty at a research university

The worth of know-how – as opposed to know-that – is enhanced when instructors are full-time, eligible for tenure and materially supported in their collective endeavour. Here, Daniel M. Gross makes the case for valuing teachers’ collective wisdom

Daniel M. Gross

University of California, Irvine

From library-focused project to campus-wide collaboration

A heritage trail to mark an anniversary event began life in the library, but how to extend its reach to the rest of the university? Here’s what one library team learned when they collaborated across their institution

Rachael Jones, Neal Buchanan, Carol Stewart

University of Strathclyde

The interior of an art gallery with people walking around

Better together? The secret to successful collaborative arts and humanities PhD research

Insights into managing collaborative relationships in arts and humanities PhD research, based on Alastair Owens’ extensive experience with museums and doctoral students

Alastair Owens

Queen Mary University of London

Funding bid for research illustration concept

How research technical professionals can enhance research infrastructure funding bids

When technicians are empowered and supported, they don’t just contribute to best practice and equipment sustainability, they can boost bids for investment in infrastructure

Alex Laude

Newcastle University

Five tips for debating sensitive issues in the classroom – without losing control

Find out how to create a learning environment where controversial topics can be debated fairly and constructively, with these five tips

Hélène Thibault

Nazarbayev University

Tips for embedding flipped learning at an institutional level

The benefits of flipped learning are clear, but what about scaling it up across an entire university structure? Here are some strategies – and lessons learned

Julia Chen, Wong Chi-ming, Laura Zhou

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

A teacher going through a pile of papers

From grading grind to peace of mind: preventing midterm marking meltdown

With clear communication, focused feedback, time management strategies and smart use of technology, educators can make their marking more efficient, sustainable and impactful for students

Daniella Sieukaran

Dalhousie University

A clear vision for university-community partnerships

Mutual respect, actively listening to each other’s perspectives and clear mechanisms to evidence impact should be the foundation of a university-community collaboration. Here’s how a project to improve local children’s eye health grew into an ongoing partnership

Leon Davies, Rachel Shaw, Guy Rippon

Aston University, Aston Villa Football Club

Compassion cuts through polarisation

Compassion, not empathy, is the emotion that will cut through group polarisation and motivate constructive intergroup dialogue in higher education. Training in mindfulness-based compassion meditation can be scaled at a relatively low barrier to entry

Rayne Bozeman

Georgia Tech’s Center for 21st Century Universities

A student takes notes during a group Zoom call

How students really feel about collaborative tasks in online learning

Online learning often includes paired or group work, but research has found this can often provoke anxiety in students. Here’s how to listen to what they want and build the skill of collaboration

Poppy Gibson, Sagun Shrestha, Helena Staszkiewicz

The Open University

Faith, freedom and fairness: a balancing act for universities

Can UK universities protect the right for students to voice difficult views while ensuring that no student feels that their opinions or beliefs make them a target for prejudice?

Lucy Peacock

University of Cambridge

Three strategies to close the exam feedback gap

Exams are still a common choice of assessment, but do they really offer the feedback students need? Here’s how to make exam feedback impactful

Edd Pitt, Naomi Winstone

University of Kent, University of Surrey

Illustration of research funding concept

Finding the funding: how to support research projects of any size

How do central research offices operate, and why are they often key to securing research funding? Eleanor Nelsen explains what help is available for researchers, including training and on-demand resources

Eleanor Nelsen

Virginia Tech

Critical thinking v fake news: a case study

In this age of disinformation, how can universities embed critical thinking skills in their local communities? A face-to-face workshop could be the answer

Laura Bradnam

Birkbeck, University of London

A team of medics working together on a project

Interprofessional simulation in HE: three tips to help you get it right

Interprofessional simulation enables educators to deliver healthcare teaching and learning in immersive settings beyond the traditional classroom. Here are three ways to make it a success

Jon Newton

University of the West of England Bristol

AI as an access tool for neurodiverse and international staff

Used transparently and ethically, GenAI can level the playing field and lower the cognitive load of repetitive tasks for admin staff, student support and teachers

Vanessa Mar-Molinero

University of Southampton

A candidate shakes hands with an interviewer

Let’s rethink recruitment for an inclusive university culture

Recruitment remains rooted in tradition – but this could be more detrimental to an inclusive culture than we think. Here’s how to tweak the process to allow every candidate to show what they can do

Rachael Cornwall

Buckinghamshire New University

A teacher helping students with their work in class

From discomfort to dialogue: how to teach controversial topics with confidence

Teaching sensitive topics can be challenging, but with structure and openness, they can become powerful opportunities for learning

Craig Harper, Rebecca Lievesley

Nottingham Trent University

Multiracial group of university graduands

Embracing superdiversity: a concrete path for universities

The richness of an academic community lies in connecting people of different backgrounds, approaches and perspectives. But this does not happen by chance; it requires intentionality, vision and daily commitment, writes Francesco Billari

Francesco Billari

Bocconi University

Why employability gaps widen as academic identity deepens

The more tightly researchers’ identities bind to the university, the less ready they often feel for life beyond it. Naming two modes of working, depth and outbound, can help universities close the employability gap

Alys Kay

University of Liverpool

Can transferable skills be taught in distance learning?

As workplaces are increasingly AI-integrated and hybrid, can teaching transferable skills – including body language – in a virtual learning environment, in some cases, offer a more authentic education experience?

Emilie Rutledge, Jonquil Lowe

The Open University

Three ways to hone your university library services for ultimate student satisfaction

Ditch the doughnuts and cut your cloth – find out the small changes that can have a big impact on student satisfaction in their university library

Karen Lloyd, Ruth Clark

University of Chichester

Students working together in a classroom

Three easy tweaks to make your teaching autism-friendly

Autistic students have the highest university dropout rate of any disability group. What can teaching staff do about it?

Cora Beth Fraser

The Open University

Connecting and empowering technical staff: lessons for universities

Technicians themselves will have many of the answers to the challenges they face and can bridge staff groups, but their roles are often siloed or isolated. These suggestions build networks and communication

John Nicolson

University of Cambridge

A supervisor and PhD student having a meeting

Reimagining PhD supervision through allyship, creativity and decolonising practice

How a creative, person-centred and decolonising approach to PhD supervision can transform outcomes for postgraduate researchers from diverse and non-traditional backgrounds

Ursula Hurley

University of Salford

A library with a group of students having a discussion at a table

How to design learning experiences to heal division

How inclusive, collaborative learning can turn classrooms into trusting communities that leverage tension to promote learning and growth

Chiedza Mutsaka Skyum

Independent academic

Building legal resilience in Ukraine: lessons from a twinning partnership

Lessons on how a UK-Ukrainian university partnership overcame challenges presented by war, and working across borders, to produce a new legal dictionary and trusting academic relationships

Erica Arthur

University of Birmingham

Preparing media studies students for an unknown future

Today’s media studies students need more than technical skills – they need the agility to survive in a changing industry. Here’s how to teach film, TV and digital media to the next generation of storytellers

Doug Specht

University of Westminster

Investing in futures: maximising legacy gifts in higher education

Legacy giving provides a valuable and sustainable source of income for charities but it’s still relatively untapped in the higher education sector. With universities and students under increasing financial pressure, now is a good time to make it a priority. Here’s how to get started

Carolyn Jones

University of Liverpool

Make university placements work for students and employers

Well-structured university placements can bridge theory and practice, build professional skills and reduce inequalities. Discover how to get them right

Rebecca Crutchley, Michelle Palser

University of Chester

Show, not just say, that your institution is a place for everyone

Put belonging at the heart of your diversity and inclusion strategy. Here’s how a fund for inclusive projects put money and strategy behind words

Moni Akinsanya

Liverpool John Moores University

A woman wearing a cape with a light saber in hand, ready for battle

How to train PhD Jedi

Training PhD students is less about supervision and more about empowerment. By fostering independence, creativity and diversity, supervisors can nurture the next generation of scientific leaders

Lars Chittka

Queen Mary University of London

Mind the gap: how an industry-university partnership brought theory into practice

Regular communication, flexibility in timelines, a willingness to look beyond academic disciplines and a shared commitment to the bigger picture kept this university-industry research collaboration on track

Xiaojun Zhai, Michael Hayes

University of Essex, Railscape

An illustration of a green light bulb, wearing a mortarboard

How to embed sustainability in your business school

Vague symbolic gestures and greenwashing are no longer enough to show your institution is taking sustainability seriously. Here’s how to embed sustainable teaching and research

Muhammad Ikram

Al Akhawayn University

Liquid with dollar sign dropping into test tube, research funding

Who cares about this problem as much as you do?

Securing funding requires researchers to think like strategists, storytellers and coalition-builders. Nicole Akers offers advice for navigating the demanding process to win grants and turn ideas into impact

Nicole Akers

Virginia Tech

Piles of money with trees growing on top of them

A guide to crafting better research funding proposals

Drawing on the experience of establishing Mexico’s first wine research centre, Eduardo A. Durazo-Watanabe and Mayer Cabrera-Flores share practical strategies for strengthening proposals, diversifying funding sources and leveraging teamwork to make ambitious projects a reality

Eduardo A. Durazo-Watanabe , Mayer Cabrera-Flores

CETYS Universidad

An illustration of a businessman attempting to hit three targets with one bow

Why range may be a crucial skill for the employees of the future

Students today will be treading a career path that doesn’t exist yet. Here’s how to encourage them to develop the agility and resilience they’ll need for an uncertain world

Yılmaz Köylü

Hong Kong University of Science and Technology

Beyond learning design: supporting pedagogical innovation in response to AI

To avoid an unwinnable game of catch-up with technology, universities must rethink pedagogical improvement to go beyond scaling online learning

Charlotte von Essen

Stockholm School of Economics

Students working on a project together in class

The great interdisciplinarity illusion – and what to do about it

All too often, modules that claim to be interdisciplinary are really multidisciplinary. Here’s how universities must change that

Simon Scott

University of Birmingham

From lab to London Stock Exchange: six lessons for quantum tech founders who want to change the world

Deep-tech commercialisation requires different strategies from those that drive typical start-ups. Three university collaborators share six practical lessons from transforming quantum research into a public company with a £14.8 million valuation

Rob Young, Alan Gilchrist, Mark Rushforth

Lancaster University

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