Penny for your magical thoughts
We can't resist investing in karma and bargaining with fate, say researchers. Matthew Reisz reports
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I cite, you cite, we all cite together
"Why me?" That was the defensive reaction of T.G. Ventnor, our Professor of Leisure Studies, to the allegation that the learned journal of which he is editor had displayed "anomalous citation...
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Malcolm Barry, 1950-2012
A leading champion of continuing education has died.Malcolm Barry was born on 22 April 1950 and educated at Greenford County Grammar School in London, where he became school captain.A double bassist...
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Escape velocity for science and economy
Ken Pounds' "Planetary attraction" (Opinion, 16 August) rightly draws attention to the tremendous scientific, technological and inspirational value of space research to advanced economies such as the...
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Leave it to the professionals
Involving universities in developing and monitoring A levels is a good idea and will help to address grade inflation - but the model proposed by Ofqual is unlikely to work ("Higher counsel is no...
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Shelf harm (1 of 2)
The University of Oxford holds the second-largest library collection in the UK after the British Library. It is steward of this precious resource for its students, for the nation and for the world....
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Shelf harm (2 of 2)
I am concerned about the plan to relocate the Women's Library at London Metropolitan University to the London School of Economics ("Imperilled archive seeks new fearless champion", News, 2 August)....
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Tough to predict
Your review of my book Tiger Head, Snake Tails: China Today, How It Got There and Where It is Heading ("The anatomy of a strange beast", 5 July) says it "pulls its punches". But as the book makes...
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Sustained interest
"Morocco mission aims to build bridges and silence scepticism" (News, 28 June) stated that Maghrebi studies have been neglected in the UK academy. This is incorrect: they have been flourishing since...
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Golden holocaust deniers
It is, perhaps, ironic that "Smoke and mirrors" (16 August) draws a comparison between the horrors of the Nazi era and the numbers killed by smoking in the 20th century: research in Germany in the...
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Direction-of-travel writer
I noticed the travelators in our wonderfully developed Sainsbury's here in Darlington repeatedly instruct users to "Please face the direction of travel". I am fairly certain this has been sampled...
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Campus round-up
University of SurreyHearty goodbye and good riddanceStudents raised thousands of pounds for the British Heart Foundation by recycling unwanted items from their rooms at the end of the academic year....
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Appointments
University of WestminsterDavid DernieDavid Dernie has been made dean of the School of Architecture and the Built Environment at the University of Westminster. He joins from De Montfort University,...
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Poachers' paradise
The economic woes of public universities in the US present ‘a prime opportunity’ for institutions with money to swoop in and snatch up staff. Jon Marcus reports
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The Imposter
Even more fascinating than the con artists who assume others’ identities are the people who are desperate to believe them, suggests Rohan McWilliam