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In today’s political and psychological climate, teaching some liberal arts standards has become an abyss to avoid, says Crispin Sartwell

All modern academics know that it’s publish or perish, but is regular publication a gateway or a barrier to groundbreaking scholarship? Simon Baker assesses the data on the relationship between research volume and quality and asks which, if either, should be prioritised

Giving short online talks for a general audience offers benefits for individuals, subjects and the entire profession, says Kristen Sadler

Colleagues may look askance at ‘the death squad’, but while teaching and research into one of life’s only two certainties may be taxing, it is also vital, Matthew Reisz hears

With such wide disagreements in grading, the research excellence framework’s gravity for careers is unjustifiable, says Philip Moriarty

Corruption, poverty and inequality can’t be tackled by weakening the state and driving academics abroad, says Mark Aspinwall

If academics want students to see value in course-based activities, we need to make clearer to them exactly what broader skills they will learn by completing them, says Tanya Martini

Promotion criteria requiring top researchers to also be good teachers and managers undermine the nature of universities, says Andrew Oswald

Universities in most nations are now obliged to prioritise graduate career prospects, but how it should be approached depends on your view of the meaning of education. Academics need to think that through much more clearly, says Tom Cutterham

Disengaging from ‘whiteness’ is not alienating: it is an opportunity to reflect on why we are in academia in the first place, says William Barylo

Asking for higher contributions is painful but unavoidable in such uncertain times, says USS chair Sir David Eastwood

Immersing students in an entrepreneurial and innovative environment will allow them to thrive in an AI world, says Sethuraman Panchanathan

The serious-minded pursuit of knowledge is not incompatible with an enjoyment of some rather more popular pursuits. Six academics talk about their passion for a topic conspicuous by its absence from the scholarly literature 

The UK’s TEF experience should be a warning to Australia’s re-elected government not to settle for empty accountability, says William Locke 

A weekly look over the shoulders of our scholar-reviewers

Lincoln Allison may have lived through the glory days of academic publishing, but he still wonders whether the countless hours he spent writing his 14 moderately successful tomes would have been better spent on the tennis court

Most universities still rely on exams and assessed essays to grade their students. But as the fourth industrial revolution, employability and student satisfaction all rise up the agenda, many experts are suggesting that assessment needs to much more closely resemble real-world tasks. Anna McKie marks the arguments   

The literature expert on online abuse, decolonising the curriculum and Cambridge’s role in the slave trade

In a managerial era, universities are challenging the traditional idea that only individuals need protecting, say Otto Hüther and Georg Krücken

International conferences are a huge boon to academics, allowing them to hear about new findings, make new connections and, above all, enjoy the physical manifestation of their virtual global community. But is all that footfall worth the huge carbon footprint it leaves? Joanna Kidman is increasingly unsure 

Publishers’ terror of libel law and focus on their profit margins have made them excessively risk-averse, says Stuart Macdonald

Even in larger institutions with less disciplinary diversity, Dominic Johnson believes we must find ways to nurture the ‘resistant’ potential of art

The expert on ancient Syria was forced to flee his homeland – but has been able to continue his work thanks to a German scholarship

The author of ‘No Shadow of a Doubt’ on a childhood love of fantasy and science fiction that inspired a career in physics

Analysis of nine European universities finds the ‘innovation’ agenda has taken root – often pushed by students who want to solve the world’s problems

Western countries’ determination to tackle the migration crisis without taking any risks with their own personnel is wasteful and counterproductive, the Oxford anthropologist tells Matthew Reisz 

Philosopher calls on universities to take AI debate ‘out of the hands of the industry’ and end ‘ethics washing’

Deep partnerships with government, business and civil society leave a sweet taste for both academics and the public, says Mark Western

The recent death of politics academic David Held left Alix Dietzel shocked and guilty. Why did no one warn her she could feel like that?

Those on the ground are often able to recognise the folly of supposed efficiency measures imposed from on high, writes Peter Barry

After more than doubling its spending since the financial crisis, Germany’s long budget boom is set to come to an end

Bias would be reduced if grant applicants’ capabilities were considered only after assessment of their anonymised proposals, says David Sanders

Agreement that EU research funding should continue to be distributed according to quality is an important step forward, writes Jan Palmowski

In these days of virtual learning environments, face-to-face classes promote the endangered art of meaningful human interaction, says Joe Moran

Phone habits of the developing world; the cult of the cute; problems on the home front; game theories; and beggar thy neighbour

In the online era, authors are expected to do their own publicity and readers have much more power, finds Andrew Blake

A weekly look over the shoulders of our scholar-reviewers

Academic autonomy is too often used as an excuse to ignore suggestions from students that could improve their education, says Janadari Wijesinghe 

Protesters allegedly called researchers ‘dirty Jews’ and ‘traitors’ in latest intimidation of scholars who emphasise Polish role in the Holocaust

Follow the climate change leaders; navigate freedom’s tricky path; grok Robert A. Heinlein; and stand with scientists, students and society

Simon Underdown on a call for the discipline to reclaim its maverick heritage to rejuvenate itself and tackle dynamic real-world problems

A weekly look over the shoulders of our scholar-reviewers

Peter J. Smith on an ambitious effort to mobilise Middle English literature for modern feminism

Whatever you think of the likes of Jordan Peterson, their use of alternative media to reach huge audiences offers many lessons, says Michael Marinetto 

Using the teaching excellence framework to drive up teaching standards is fundamentally misconceived, says Matt Waddup

Book of the week: Lincoln Allison mulls the consequences of a cultural shift from traditional morality to reason

A weekly look over the shoulders of our scholar-reviewers

Far from being hotbeds of intellectual debate, universities enforce ideological conformity, follow rigid procedures and offer little that enthusiasts could not teach themselves. It is time for radical reform, says Lincoln Allison

A weekly look over the shoulders of our scholar-reviewers

England’s loan system and high fees have fuelled students’ sense of entitlement but not of responsibility, says Beth Guilding 

Dutch figures show just how little time professors get for their own research. It may be easier to pursue your intellectual interests outside the university system, says THE reporter David Matthews

Displays, debates, delights; Allied leaders’ letters; big questions answered; and a groundbreaking trial that never was

A weekly look over the shoulders of our scholar-reviewers

Authoritarian populist governments prevent bloc from taking action to protect academic freedom, say scholars

Intimate teacher-student relationships must be off-limits even if consent is not an issue, says Agnieszka Piotrowska – who has personal experience of student vulnerability in such asymmetrical relationships

A new teaching year has just begun in the northern hemisphere. Eight academics reflect on their experience of lecturing, and offer their tips on opening students’ eyes – and keeping them open

Guilty pleasures, the people’s voice examined, toothsome characters and the daily grind, Roman style

Ann Hughes samples an account of household recipe creation in 17th-century England

In recounting their journeys, female writers could talk about themselves, their values, their civic engagement and their responses to contemporary affairs in Britain, writes Abigail Williams

The capital value of slaves made it possible for white livelihoods to flourish, writes Martin Myers