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Two UK institutions lead our ranking of the best universities for the first time in its history, with Oxford holding on to the number one spot for the second year in a row, while Cambridge has risen to second place

Amid growing indifference to the public value of universities, the LSE’s Minouche Shafik suggests four ways to restore confidence and pride in the academy

University of Debrecen bestows honour following involvement in Russian-funded nuclear plant

German institutions and the publishing giant have still failed to agree a new deal. Could this become permanent?

Investigative journalist Emilia Sercan defied threats to uncover high-level ring of fraudulent PhDs

Exams this coming autumn semester to be affected

‘Staggering’ scale of persecution of Turkish academia condemned by scholars’ group

European Parliament calls for start of proceedings that could strip Hungary of EU voting rights

Overseas members and evaluators excluded in what critics claim is a power grab

As talks begin on Horizon 2020 successor, advisory body says level of competition prevents open data sharing

Polls show ebbing support for ruling Fidesz party after move against Central European University

British researchers no longer win the most grants for established scientists, having already fallen behind in early career category

Prizes of £80,000 in unrestricted funding up for grabs for best junior principal investigators

Challenger to Merkel is popular, despite attacks on his educational record

Researchers on large-scale projects would receive less credit under proposed scheme

Stern Review steering group member says unclear whether assessment still drives up quality

Existing model of outreach that seeks to inform an ‘ignorant’ public is broken, say experts

New journal sets out ideas on how to involve non-academics in research – but warns area is still a ‘work in progress’

Publisher takes decision despite still having no deal agreed with German universities

University founded by Christian evangelicals sends delegation to US hoping for assistance 

But some academics suggest move would harm US universities and scholars ‘who desperately need support’ 

Bid to test key cancer findings uses a strict method to avoid bias, but this means some outcomes have proved inconclusive

Theresa May has hinted she wants to continue research links, but it is unclear why the EU would agree to maintain the UK’s current deal

New analysis reveals importance of old university networks for advancement

As with Moocs, virtual reality will not replace the physical university

As talks with the publisher stall, researchers in the country weigh whether they can cope without a deal

David Latchman’s work to be subject of new inquiry after he was cleared in 2015

Analysis casts doubt on fears that ‘publish or perish’ culture undermines quality

Concerns China's researchers are driven too much by external motivations, like funding or publications, than desire for new knowledge

Lords report urges government to step up efforts to attract academics in wake of Brexit vote

Despite the pressure to retreat behind national borders, international academic ties should prove resilient

Film director Agnieszka Piotrowska’s new book details the challenges of working in the southern African country

Study looks at how gender preconceptions are formed at primary school level

Funding conference attendance out of your own pocket? Don't worry – there are ways to make back the cash through other academic activities. Catherine Fletcher explains.

Anonymous interviews explore how scholars use gossip to warn others of wrongdoers – but it may not always work

Attacks inspired by Hindu nationalism are now ‘transnational dynamics’, argues Cambridge scholar

Australian university seeks to improve researchers’ digital identities. But does this risk excessive uniformity?

New data points to exponential growth in many countries

Drop in percentage of successful applications to research councils comes amid global debate over ‘wasted’ time applying for funding

Three scientists, born in the UK but now based in the US, are honoured for their work in the 'flatlands' of physics

Federally funded research will now come with an open access clause – but uncertainties remain

New research also finds that the statistical power of studies in social and behavioural science has not improved in half a century

Unhappiness at university and ‘fear of missing out’ could be driving distraction during lectures, study suggests

Students at Jiangxi University of Science and Technology selected younger academics who were ‘positive’ and ‘funny’

Internal analysis finds women earn 10.5 per cent less than men of similar experience and research productivity

New study looks at what happened when a university made its publications publicly available through an institutional repository

Idea is one of several ways to speed the peer review process, although some think it will annoy academics

Welfare state expert Peter Taylor-Gooby cheerfully admits his research has had no real-world influence – but hopes a book might

Life sciences journal spends just over £3,000 per article, and has challenged high-profile rivals to release details of their costs

New English journals are ‘springing up like mushrooms’ so research can be read internationally, says report

Jeremy Berg warns scientists are straying into policy commentator roles

Warning from Nick Jennings, AI expert and new vice-provost at Imperial College London

Some see changes as making it more attractive to hire younger researchers – but there could be new opportunities to game the system

Government plans rise in research spending to 2.5 per cent of GDP, far above UK

The D-PLACE tool means anthropologists and historians can finally statistically test theories about what shapes human culture and society

The grouping of subjects such as neuroscience and psychiatry with cheaper disciplines will lead to what critics say is a failure to fairly fund mental health research

Researchers have used an art competition to model what happens during peer review, and their work raises further questions over its effectiveness

Presidents' associations issue statement in wake of Brexit vote

The Home Office has also released data showing experiments on animals across the country have broadly flatlined since 2013