Kent faces £31 million deficit as cost of living drives dropouts University cites fall in returning students amid cost-of-living crisis for current year’s shortfall, while warning of sector funding crisis impact By John Morgan 20 March
ERC grants open to Swiss researchers as Horizon talks continue European Commission announces launch of EU-Switzerland negotiations with Horizon Europe association on the table By Emily Dixon 19 March
Trade book exemption from REF open access rules confirmed Swift clarification of exemption for mass-market books follows claims that REF open access requirements would destroy publishing opportunities for scholars By Jack Grove 19 March
Halfon hopes sector can avoid repeat of marking boycott issues Minister calls on universities to learn lessons from last year’s disruption at Commons hearing By Tom Williams 19 March
Patten: boost funding ‘or lose university world power status’ Outgoing Oxford chancellor, ‘chairman of the Tory party when there was one’, advocates cross-party consensus on state investment, not higher fees By John Morgan 19 March
Student protests go on as Greece passes private universities law New legislation will allow private universities to issue degrees and international institutes to open Greek branches By Emily Dixon 19 March
Universities look for ways out of TPS as contribution rates soar Institutions need more flexibility on whether to participate in mandatory government-run pensions scheme, Ucea and UUK argue By Tom Williams 18 March
Books ‘should be open access within two years’ for REF submission Extension of journal mandate to monographs designed to ‘make research more open and equitable’, but has historically been a source of controversy By Chris Havergal 18 March
Thirty days ‘not enough time’ to deal with free speech complaints Short deadline for universities dealing with issues internally will ‘inundate’ regulator with partially investigated cases, sector fears By Tom Williams 18 March
Dropped immigration law ‘not reality of France’, minister says Sylvie Retailleau says France wants to ‘welcome’ international students, despite fallout from row over stricter controls By Emily Dixon 17 March
‘Academic solipsism’ risk from chatbot use, warns university head Growing use of chatbots within higher education is likely to foster unoriginal and ‘solipsistic’ thought, says IE president By Jack Grove 15 March
UK funding crisis forces three more universities to cut jobs Winchester, Surrey and Queen Mary latest to shed academic positions as industrial disputes heat up elsewhere By Tom Williams 15 March