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The visa process can trap students in a costly Kafkaesque limbo. To improve life for foreign scholars, the sector should halt its failed lobbying over policy and focus on publicising the misery caused by Byzantine bureaucracy, argues Simeon Underwood

University of Liverpool’s new professorial fellow brings practical experience to academia

Coalition reveals ‘disturbing’ shortfall. David Matthews reports

Ambassador discusses efforts to combat perceptions of hostile sector

The Roy Lichtenstein retrospective at Tate Modern reveals the seriousness behind the Pop artist’s irony, finds Alex Danchev

Jack Grove on a European institution’s mission to foster cross-border scholarship

Canadian company Lashzone sent mass emails to UK universities in bid to establish ‘secret’ franchises on campuses

Plans would expose colleges and universities to competition from lower-cost alternatives, say observers

But private pupils do not suffer discrimination, expert argues

Image consultant: ‘jumble sale’ dress code does not an intellectual make. Matthew Reisz writes

The Russell Group of elite universities has declared its opposition to separating AS-levels from A-levels – three weeks after the proposals were announced.

David Erdos believes a bid to tighten European data protection will have a chilling impact on social science and humanities research

Ancient rivals fundraise to keep manuscripts in British hands

Degree programme aims to give graduates edge in job market

NUS says decision shows ‘market is at heart of system’

Maintaining scholarly rigour amid demands for details about the discovery of Richard III was no easy task, but Lin Foxhall enjoyed it

Hepi director predicts more cuts over higher student loan costs

Managerial staff one of few growth areas in HE employment

Global push complicated by mainland links

Open-access publishing, once a niche preoccupation, is now a hot-button issue. But concern is growing that unintended consequences of new publication mandates will cost individual scholars and the UK sector dear. Paul Jump reports

New assessment scheme will not be used to direct cash to institutions

British Academy issues warning over future of language study in UK

People take refuge in drama when the bombs rain down, and the arts aid rebuilding when the guns fall silent, says James Thompson, who has travelled to some of the world’s most violent regions, only for the horrors of conflict to be felt closer to home

Critics say university’s announcement should have gone out to peer review, not a press conference

L’Oréal-Unesco laureate discusses microscopes and maternal leave

Massive open online courses’ lack of study support, for-profit aims may not be ethical, Online and Open-Access Learning in Higher Education conference hears

‘Summer reading lists’ no basis for policy, says don

Davina Quinlivan looks beyond Hollywood to offbeat indie films’ world of dogs, robots, dolls and true love against the odds

US president Barack Obama has said that taxpayers “cannot continue to subsidise higher and higher and higher costs of higher education” in his annual State of the Union Address, and published proposals that would require colleges to meet performance thresholds to qualify for federal funding.

The next European Union research and innovation programme, Horizon 2020, has been allocated a budget of almost €71 billion (£60.4 billion) in an agreement reached on 8 February.

‘Freeing’ universities, tuition fees and possible graduate tax figure large as Conservatives, Labour and Liberal Democrats craft policies

Salary boost from master’s degree rises while profile of students narrows, says Sutton Trust report

But critics say plans to relax peer reviews in some universities will introduce risk-based quality assurance by another route

Policy continues to worry academics despite research councils’ concession

Leeds scholar’s calls for Cambodian reform backed by US president

Jeremy MacClancy on the British Museum’s new exhibition linking Ice Age artistry to the Modernists

Indie musician and the OFT’s former chief economist, takes chair at ‘creative’ UEA

Daniel Ploeger’s performance provokes minds through ‘body beautiful’

Randomised controlled trials can’t solve social policy conundrums any more than they can fit football to a formula, says Gary Thomas

‘Neurotic’ sector plays ‘zero-sum game’ despite cap on numbers

Regrets? They’ve had a few…but with the frustrations have come joys and satisfaction, too. Six scholars reveal what they wish they had known at the beginning of their careers and offer some sage advice to would-be professors

‘Web star’ predicts bonfire of the inanities in US sector

‘Exiled’ institution’s temporary Lithuanian home offers opportunity for critical thinking. Matthew Reisz reports

John Morgan reports on FTSE 100 firm’s HE strategy

Michael Gove is wrong, says Chris Hackley: a return to ‘traditional’ A levels will narrow access and do nothing to raise standards

For centuries Regius chairs were the gift of kings, tools of statecraft and the preserve of ancient universities. But that has changed, most recently with the addition of 12 new professorships, as Richard J. Evans relates

Swiss poo paper comes up smelling of roses

Diverse candidates contest top spot in union leadership elections. Jack Grove reports

Retiree challenges UEA v-c in tribunal hearing over FoI requests. David Matthews reports

Scotland shows reversal of trend, possibly due to stronger public funding. Elizabeth Gibney writes

The University of London’s v-c reveals his opinions on issues confronting the sector to David Matthews

The government’s immigration policy harms student traffic from abroad and the economy, claims Shabana Mahmood

Politicians’ speech is often more a strategic exercise than an act of civic transparency, which can make it a turn-off, says John Corner

Financial fallout from a decision to leave the EU would, in reality, be minimal for higher education institutions, argues Alison Wolf