Beauty contested
In today’s political and psychological climate, teaching some liberal arts standards has become an abyss to avoid, says Crispin Sartwell
In today’s political and psychological climate, teaching some liberal arts standards has become an abyss to avoid, says Crispin Sartwell
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...
TV detective shows express a great deal about the nature of society and the human psyche, argues Gary Day
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...
With visiting academics’ visa offers suddenly being withdrawn or delayed, one professor says they are being ‘targeted’ by the US government
English studies is a traditional big beast in the academy, but there are concerns that changes in student behaviour could put it on the endangered list. Seven academics give their views on whether...
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...
Matthew Reisz considers the pleasures of crossing the frontiers between the two cultures
Jonathan Haidt tells Matthew Reisz how a moral culture of ‘safetyism’ took root in today’s students, who view the use of any word that can cause offence as an act of violence
Seven academic chemists give their views on the field’s health
Lincoln Allison was inspired to teach by academics who loved what they did and communicated this to students. But has all passion for teaching been eliminated by creeping assessment and...
Do you feel you’re just winging it, waiting for the day when your incompetence is exposed? Six academics show that you’re far from alone
A lack of intellectual and cultural willingness to open up historical discussions about the UK’s imperial past make it a difficult subject for students and scholars to get to grips with, argues Scott...
College sport is deeply woven into US culture and commerce. But a long series of scandals has pointed the glare of publicity away from the basketball courts and football fields towards the athletics...
The gigantic, apocalyptic glittering ball of The X Factor reflects back only what we give it, argues Will Brooker