Professor

A university career can be lonely, anxious and narrow. But those who learn from their regrets can avoid unnecessary stress, says Michael Marinetto

The best of those universities founded since the year 2000

Our data visualisations show how institutions were established in three distinct waves, and the global distribution of ‘Golden Age’ universities

Young universities appreciate diversity and are particularly adept at responding to the needs of society, says Judy Genshaft

We unveil the top 250 universities under 50 years old and explain our generational and nuanced approach to young institutions

This year’s ranking showcases a much greater range of Golden Age universities and has been expanded to include 200 universities

Because the passing of a year is an arbitrary measure of maturity, we have added more gradation into our rankings, says Phil Baty

Bold by nature, young institutions are tailor-made for ambitious projects such as the EU’s plan to create disruptive ‘super-networks’, says Anthony Forster

A weekly look over the shoulders of our scholar-reviewers

A weekly look over the shoulders of our scholar-reviewers

This impressive account of the Russian empire draws on several disciplines, writes Lara Douds

Papal infallibility became dogma only when Pius IX sought a means to shore up his authority as the Church’s power waned, writes John Cornwell

As universities mull their partnerships with outsiders, all eyes study their power within national economic hierarchies

Nicholas Till hears productive questions in a probing consideration of tragédie lyrique

Tributes paid to physicist whose research on moon rocks illuminated our understanding of the solar system

Focusing on values and priorities while learning from failures is the key to maintaining scholarly well-being, say Alexander Clark and Bailey Sousa

With more data from more institutions, our 2018 Young University Rankings explore the growing higher education sector. Here we explain the methodology that underpins the tables

As a Brit leading HKU, Peter Mathieson had no baggage. The University of Edinburgh’s new v-c tells Ellie Bothwell about academic freedom, internationalisation and being treated to taxi drivers’ views on students

Tributes paid to microbiologist whom many considered worthy of a Nobel prize

The new UK home secretary must reinstate workers’ right to participate in industrial action regardless of national origin, says Shreya Atrey

Although talk of crisis may be alarmist, academics in the humanities need to get out and fight their corner more effectively, former president says

A study stresses how foolish it is to pin all the blame for radicalisation on religion, writes Liz Bucar

Heather Widdows says ‘powder, paint, leather and heels’ have helped her to ‘unsettle and undermine the status quo’

A critique of the political class; overcoming groupthink; the father of fractal geometry; the golden age of American teen car culture and a theory of cultural evolutionary psychology

For insight into the ‘pervasive dislocation’ of people’s lives today, the sociologist Jeff Ferrell rode the rails across the US. He tells Matthew Reisz about life on the road and the limits of mainstream research

Richard Joyner on a heartening collection of accounts by more than 40 people who participated in worldwide demonstrations for science

A trio of dissenting voices echo through history in this timely, vivid book, writes Fred Inglis

Book of the week: life is full of inescapable sorrows; dealing with them takes grace and grit, K. E. Gover learns

A transparent account of elites’ views makes compelling – and depressing – reading, finds Heather Savigny

Tributes paid to electrical engineer who helped forge today’s science of mobile communications

While it is important to reassess behaviour and power dynamics through a post-Weinstein lens, it is harder to make the case for deleting work from the academic record

Business academic Diane Holt recalls her experience aboard a ‘floating university’

Crackdown leaves professors needing to pay back almost €250,000 each on average

Simply adding an ‘open access’ option to the existing prestige-based journal system at ever increasing costs is not the fundamental change publishing needs, says Bianca Kramer and Jeroen Bosman 

Matthew Reisz hears the case for in-depth immersive research among marginalised communities

Recommended applicants tend to be more active members of community and give more generously as alumni, says US research

Campaigners fear a huge increase in EU military research spending will lead to development of autonomous weapons

Nordic country’s higher education system punches above its weight in Universitas 21 ranking

The former LSE director tells Matthew Reisz that colleagues at Sciences Po sense an opportunity in Brexit, that the French should not fret over league tables and that academics, policymakers and bankers must talk more

Study focuses on benefits of giving students hands-on experience – including via Lego

These engaging essays about violence could have broadened their scope, writes Jeffrey Meyers

Tributes paid to hydrogeologist who spent career at Newcastle and Glasgow

In Serious Larks, a collection of witty and wide-ranging essays from the philosopher Ted Cohen, a central theme is the need for rules and the pleasures of flouting them

A weekly look over the shoulders of our scholar-reviewers

There are now more women than men in higher education worldwide. While it would appear to be a victory for gender equality, this imbalance also highlights boys’ educational underachievement. Ellie Bothwell reports

An environmental biologist’s examination of the books we read during childhood is in equal parts charming and irritating, writes Shelley King

This analysis of an attack on Russian Jews paints a grim, important picture, writes Geoffrey Alderman

Look past its offputting claims to originality and this is a thorough review of Nazi texts of all varieties, writes Dan Stone

Investigation discovers that three-quarters of advertised posts are filled by an internal candidate

Professors Autonomy, Mastery and Meaning hold characteristics beneficial for any academic they supervise, but they also have drawbacks, says Peter Francis 

International Studies Association calls for King’s College London professor to apologise over ‘ladies’ lingerie’ remark

Former president of the Czech Academy of Sciences warns of online dirty tricks that may have cost him country’s presidency

Based on her satirical attacks on the Prince of Wales’ bravado and immaturity, the author would have plenty to say about the current US president, says Jocelyn Harris

The good, the bad and the offbeat: the academy through the lens of the world’s media

UK expertise pulls far ahead of Europe in terms of output, but collaboration will be vital if sectors are to remain competitive with US and Asia, experts say

Many issues that vex scholarly publishing today were there at the start, says Geoffrey Cantor

Relatively liberal eras cannot restrain subsequent authoritarian regimes, but we can teach societies to see through propaganda, writes Paul Jump

Helen Fulton ponders whether romantic quests can lead readers to revelations

It was at a Munich university that a group of students formed a non-violent movement to resist the Nazi regime. Their courageous idealism sets an example that, Kenneth Asch hopes, continues to flower on campuses

A weekly look over the shoulders of our scholar-reviewers