Head of school/department

Tributes paid to a researcher who revolutionised our understanding of fungi

‘There is a life in science beyond the virus,’ warns German rectors’ head, amid calls for attention to the trade-offs between shutdowns and scientific progress

University managers must accept that business as usual is not an option for many university staff, says Petra Boynton

We need to build on the speed and enthusiasm with which academics have embraced online teaching, argue Dawn Lerman and Falguni Sen

The UK’s existing oversight by external visitors and professional bodies is the best way to safeguard standards, says Colin McCaig 

Tributes paid to a pioneering female sinologist

The renewable technologies expert discusses being told there was ‘no future in sustainability’ and why cloning herself would be useful

A post-coronavirus recession could drive higher university enrolment and enhance human capital, says Nick Hillman

Six months of devastating and unprecedented destruction has brought home the reality of climate change to many Australians. But with time for mitigation short and some politicians still in denial, what more can universities do to save the ‘lucky country’ – and the rest of the planet? John Ross reports

The namesake cities in the US and UK are both home to internationally renowned universities whose industry collaborations are proving highly successful. But while that is good news for national economies, where does it leave the locals priced out of their own neighbourhoods? Paul Basken and John Morgan report

Good online pedagogy is all about readability, comprehension checks – and endless clicks, says Nicholas Murgatroyd

‘Levelling up’ research spending may imperil regional universities’ sustainability, warn Grace Gottlieb and Graeme Reid 

As Pope Francis urges Catholic HE to change, the Holy See’s quality agency evaluates close to 300 ‘ecclesiastical faculties’ worldwide – with just four staff

Sexism, unthinking managerialism and toxic ‘them and us’ attitudes are still pervasive within UK universities, according to an anonymous academic who found the dissonances between her values, career expectations and lived reality too much to bear

Colleagues’ doubts about whether he deserved a prize make Aymen Idris wish people did not see his achievement as tokenism

Universities are wrong to assume that they are entitled to use recordings of lecturers however they please, says Robert Cluley

Consulting citation data would ameliorate the all-too-human shortcomings of departmental review, says a Russell Group professor

Abuse of anonymity is damaging for both academics and students. It should lead to serious consequences, says Stefan Cantore

The Middle East and North Africa have large youth populations and growing university participation. But with high unemployment, low female workplace participation and universities focused on STEM and the public sector, is all this human capital being wasted? Simon Baker reports 

We should not be apologising for the way the humanities have been used in the Trump era, but striving to harness their force, says Sara Guyer

With a new show in the pipeline, academics have many suggestions for plot lines and pitfalls to avoid

Removing biases in the system may not be enough to achieve a truly equal gender balance, says Sun Young Lee 

Mary Beard’s recent admission that she is a ‘mug’ who works 100 hours a week caused a Twitter storm. But how hard is it reasonable for academics to work? Who should decide? And should the mugs be obliged to keep quiet? Seven academics have their say

Even as medics scramble to address the coronavirus, research into its social and political entanglements is vital, says Robert Peckham 

Academics are key to lifting public engagement with climate change and stopping the spread of nonsense passing as news, says David Lloyd

There is evidence of success in changing attitudes, but effects on admissions remain woefully under-explored, says David Robinson

As we enter REF submission year, Nicholas Stern and David Sweeney urge universities to broaden their conception of a good submission

Hong Kong experts, drawing on experiences from the 2003 Sars epidemic, emphasise transparency

Augar’s questions remain largely unanswered but proposals for further education are largely comprehensive and coherent, says Nick Hillman

Overseeing an Athena SWAN application convinced an anonymous academic that if tasks cannot be properly resourced, they should not be attempted at all

To preserve its appeal, the subject needs to overcome its reputation as a mere feeder for the oil and gas industries, say four geologists

The school system’s focus on relative over absolute standards makes it difficult to judge applicants’ potential, says Conor King

Chinese students flock to universities in the West, but they often struggle to adjust to a very different academic, cultural and social environment, and leave disappointed. Here, three experts set out what institutions can do to give Chinese students better value for the high fees they typically pay

Reporting procedures were woefully inadequate, while senior managers frequently enabled intimidatory behaviour, says an anonymous UK academic

The first black leader of an Oxbridge college on the need for careers-based initiatives for students, the joys of parenthood and seeking out moments of calm

Asking BAME students to spend significant amounts of time helping universities decolonise the curriculum is far from the ideal solution, says Daniel Akinbosede

Critics fear initiative could widen social inequalities

Universities preach meritocracy but, in reality, bend over backwards to protect toxic personalities, says Irina Dumitrescu

More sharing of impact will improve understanding of how it can be promoted and evaluated, says Peter Tufano

More account must be taken of pregnancy, assisted fertility and miscarriage, say Christina Hellmich and Marina Della Giusta

Announcement by new government given cautious welcome by academics – although questions remain over funding and political independence

Management academics need to be supported to bring teaching and research on global warming into the mainstream, say Amanda Goodall and Susan Hill

Leading sociologist of inequality fears boosting the status of a select few universities could mean a closed educational elite, as in the US or France 

The apparent proliferation of libel challenges by scientists accused of research misconduct have led to fears that journals and others will be dissuaded from calling out wrongdoers. But is the observation accurate? And is the chilling effect reproducible? Jack Grove reports  

The Australian National University’s rejection of massification will reap rich rewards for its students, says Brian Schmidt

Politicians are culpable for restricting student loans for prisoners, but universities need to be less wary of released offenders, says Nick Hillman 

Conservative mistrust of the existing research funding system demands a re-examination of its uneasy compromises, says John Womersley

Negative perceptions surround the head’s role, but those who have taken up the challenge speak of a range of benefits, write Navé Wald and Clinton Golding

Allowing university applicants to retake specific sections of the ACT will aid only those able to afford tutors and multiple test fees, says Anthony P. Carnevale

Constant checks on their presence and bureaucratic curbs on their movement leave international students feeling like security threats, says Alexander Mack

The Equality and Human Rights commission’s latest report is just the latest to reinforce what we already know about the extent of racism in UK HE, says Ilyas Nagdee 

Complaints about journal editors’ decisions ignore the root cause of the research assessment problem: career structure, says Richard Sever   

A post-qualification admissions system will pose logistical challenges, but they must be overcome, says Michelle Morgan

State school students are more prominent at undergraduate level, but what about postgraduate, ask Claire Hann and Danny Dorling

The volatility of current affairs means that the old certainties about how to identify receptive markets are gone, says Anna Esaki-Smith

Time, money, planning and monitoring are key to improving standards, say Eric Fredua-Kwarteng and Samuel Kwaku Ofosu 

Ever since it emerged from English departments in the 1970s, media studies has been routinely dismissed as the archetypal ‘Mickey Mouse’ degree. But in an era of fake news and media hegemony, has this multifaceted subject finally found its place in the zeitgeist?

Stronger ties between educators and companies will be essential if humans are to thrive in the fourth industrial revolution, says Adenekan Dedeke

History suggests that universities will lure students with the chance to repay fees via post-graduation work, says Peter Brady

Academics need to be more aware of this most insidious form of bullying, say Bailey Sousa and Alex Clark