Other senior management

Vaccine passports are a way to reopen campuses while minimising Covid risks. So why is Australia not adopting them, asks Binoy Kampmark

Some academics depart China amid allegations of overly strict Covid rules and narrowing space for academic freedom

The narrative that the humanities are haemorrhaging students, funding and political favour is deeply felt around the world. But the evidence of the disciplines’ decline is considerably more nuanced, finds Simon Baker

Female scholars twice as likely to feel constrained as male colleagues, poll shows 

Asia operations are either being expanded or newly opened as the countries' universities aim to keep students engaged and enrolled

A resulting sense of obligation often leaves women unable to relocate for better or more secure jobs, says Lara McKenzie

But journals’ open access fees are suddenly increasing researchers’ need for funding, says Adrian Furnham

Any savings on the student loan book will be dwarfed by the costs of making retraining harder, says Jo Johnson 

Institutions that want to help their staff have children should focus on the factors that drive postponement, says Pamela Mahoney Tsigdinos

Shutting off the talent pipeline into the creative industries risks the UK’s reputation for creativity and its potential for growth, says Anne Carlisle

The pandemic highlighted UK creative industries’ innovative capacity. Public research spending choices should reflect that, says Andrew Thompson

The quality of universities’ statements in the wake of Atlanta’s mass shooting correlates with their curricula, say Charles Crabtree and Yusaku Horiuchi

It is not in the interests of institutions with high-quality provision to offer courses that fall short of the mark, says OfS chair Lord Wharton 

Dharmendra Pradhan faces an uphill struggle to implement the new National Education Policy, says Mukhtar Ahmad

England’s free speech bill should outlaw gag orders that stifle revelations of bad practice, says an anonymous author 

It will take real courage to unpack the failures of leaders over the past year, but there are important lessons to be learned, says Patrick Sanaghan

Unequal degree classification ranges mean that improvements get more reward at the higher end, say Andy Grayson, Susannah Lamb and Chris Royle

Pride Month may be over but inclusion needs year-round commitment that goes beyond noisy and colourful gestures, says Karen Lambert

The University of California’s decision to back away from the SAT and ACT will only further benefit privileged applicants, says Matt Larriva

Recent detentions may put a dampener on field research and outreach, even if borders reopen

Artificial intelligence will soon be able to research and write essays as well as humans can. So will genuine education be swept away by a tidal wave of cheating – or is AI just another technical aid that teaching and assessment will evolve to take account of? John Ross reports

A post-qualification applications system is the best way to ensure equity in admissions, says Sasha Roseneil

We should embrace the possibility of degrees made up of a pick-and-mix of modules from around the world – but comparability is crucial, says Nick Isles

Anglophone universities must embrace the skills and cultural understanding that learning foreign languages instils, says Vicky Lewis

As we emerge from the pandemic, we can expect to see a new range of online and blended options, says Mark Stevenson

NIH data hint at the extent of bullying and emotional abuse, but barriers to tackling the issue remain high, says Joanna Buscemi

If leaders don’t proceed with openness and consideration towards nervous staff, it is students who will ultimately suffer, says Rachel Gallardo

Grand challenges won’t be solved unless disciplinary research data are opened up to all, says Nathan Cunningham

With a vast youth population but relatively low participation rates, higher education in the Asean region looks ripe for expansion. But can challenges over funding, quality and regional cooperation be overcome? Joyce Lau reports 

Initiatives on mental health and sexual harassment are welcome, but racial discrimination also demands greater attention, says David Mba

As the government moves left on economics and right on culture, institutions must show the depth and breadth of their impact, says Sir Chris Husbands

Covid and its financial fallout are serious, but managers must grasp the impact of their operating experiments on teaching and learning, says Binoy Kampmark

Government, enterprise and education must contribute to a multi-pronged, long-term programme to boost social mobility, says Anulika Ajufo

UK angling to put itself at front of the queue

In the absence of agreed definitions and rigorous enforcement, good practice will continue to depend on personal responsibility, says Ron Iphofen

Universities are anxious to meet social priorities, but new demands must be properly resourced, say Jo Angouri and Jan Palmowski

Perhaps, says Duncan Angwin – but probably not with an institution of similar size and standing, and not without long-term staff buy-in

Holding university showcases online makes a lot of sense, but a stir-fry banquet with colleagues beats rushed laptop lunches, says Jacob Lotinga 

Recent cuts and scares have cast doubt on ministers’ commitment to harnessing science in pursuit of a levelled-up, post-Brexit innovation economy. Questions also remain about how funding should be distributed and directed. Jack Grove examines the lessons from history and from overseas

Non-disclosure agreements that silence staff or students should be banned, says Mark Geoghegan

Hybrid working may suit some disciplines, but Gary Macfarlane fears that the convenience will come at the cost of creativity and collegiality

Covid has only widened gender inequalities among researchers, data show

Outreach with less prestigious and rural institutions vital, sector leaders say

Neither the Equality Act nor campus groups’ good sense will circumvent the duty to give a platform to anyone who wants one, says David Renton

As post-92 departments close, non-traditional students and scholars risk being shut out – again, says Panikos Panayi

Making campuses sustainable will help limit future climate change but won’t protect against current threats, say Frank Fernandez and Hilary Coulson

European Commission says it has heard pleas for more long-term funding, and is considering allowing extra universities to join existing alliances

When the country embarks on recovery from its brutal second Covid wave, public spending on universities is unlikely to be a priority, says Pushkar 

Politicians developing the European Research Area must grasp how new knowledge comes about – and what it can do, says Jan Palmowski

Universities’ nominal control of undergraduate medical training belies the fractured reality, says Jonathan Rees

Universities are moving in the right direction, but they can and must go further and faster, says Alice Gast

Online exams are unfair and hard to police, even with creepy levels of invasiveness, says Helen Soteriou  

Universities are a juicy target for hackers, and online working has made them easier prey, says Laura Marsden

Doing everything by the book makes it easy for opponents to plan ahead. So shake them up a bit, says Marcia Devlin

Policy should focus more on research’s benefits to a region than on where it is conducted, say Sarah Chaytor, Grace Gottlieb and Graeme Reid

Even in a post-pandemic era of STEM and vocational education, the study of history must remain an option for all, says Sir Keith Burnett

Country’s excellence strategy has pushed German universities to dial back rivalry and instead coordinate their research plans

Visa reform would offset declining domestic enrolments, spread US values and give students the education they want, says Kent Devereaux

The opportunity exists to reimagine the UK’s post-18 education system in a way that will improve society as well as the economy, says Susan Lea

Churches’ grip on former religious teacher training colleges is incompatible with their remit as publicly funded universities, says Keith Sharpe