The newsroom blog

As the row over fees reignites and mutates into a debate over the very purpose of universities, silence reigns on the issue of hyper-selectivity

Academics may see their work as a calling, which makes it hard for them to switch off. But vacations are essential for well-being – and a bit of fun

Chris Parr visits a university aiming to be the best in the world at both Western and traditional Chinese medicine

Wherever you are, populism and its effect on universities is never far from conversation, finds Chris Parr

Few in academia will have celebrated Brexit’s first anniversary but the unpredictable year since the vote has shown the power of a united voice

The stamp of government approval means TEF ratings will carry significant weight, writes Chris Havergal

Matthew Reisz enjoys an evening in the company of a Nobel Laureate and academic superstar

John Morgan looks at how the PM’s woes may have beneficial side-effects

Duncan Ross looks back at Times Higher Education’s predictions of how students could swing the general election

Jeremy Corbyn records stunning results in university seats on back of £11.2bn policy, writes John Morgan

John Morgan looks at the ‘culture wars’ approach to universities emerging on the Right, and the counter-arguments

Striking visual display in King’s College London corridor symbolises how higher education is taking professorial problem seriously

John Morgan looks at the Tory manifesto pledge to keep students in net migration target and to hold ‘major review’ of tertiary funding

Giving employee rights to doctoral candidates seen as key step to make life in academia more attractive, Holly Else writes

Higher education might not be a central issue in the UK’s general election campaign, but it certainly has much riding on the outcome

As universities rely on multiple income streams to stay afloat, private money comes with caveats and portfolios must balance profit and principle

Despite the economic downturn following the last recession, a real-terms fall in pay at UK universities since 2010-11 was still surprising, writes Simon Baker

Women’s pay still lags behind men’s, and a lack of transparency around salaries makes it all the harder to address

In an age of political civil war, the question of why the Right is so under-represented in academia is important

The Duke of York’s support for London Met shows how the Royal Family can make a difference in higher education, says Jack Grove

Carnival atmosphere at the London March for Science as events take place across the world

John Morgan looks at reports PM may ‘soften’ stance on students and net migration figures 

While some fear a dystopian outcome in which private innovators bypass the university, others are more sanguine about the potential threats to the sector

John Morgan looks at how the HE Bill's future, the impact of Brexit and Labour's fee plans are all election issues for universities

Supervisors should be trained to spot the first sign of a problem, says Chris Havergal

Massive investment in campus infrastructure gives Australia an advantage in the battle to recruit international students, writes Jack Grove from the Young Universities Summit in Brisbane

New institutions across the world believe that they can compete with big-name universities that are stuck in the past, explains Jack Grove

Matthew Reisz discusses the preliminary results of the National Senior Management Survey

John Morgan finds sector statements on ‘momentous day’ taste a little bland

Institutions that succeed in helping regional growth deserve being included in measures of performance, says Simon Baker

The Excellence Initiative in Germany and the UK’s TEF may bring only bad news for universities’ reputations, says David Matthews

Increasing the number of fast-track degrees may devalue the currency of UK undergraduate courses in Europe, warns Jack Grove

Matthew Reisz considers gravitational waves, scientific authority and sexual differences

Open debate is right, but this mustn’t be dictated by politicians, says Chris Havergal

Interviewing a Mafia researcher made John Elmes consider how scholars should study volatile groups

Ignoring concerns about the lack of post-study work opportunities for Indian students overlooks the huge contribution of Indian-born Britons to UK society, Jack Grove hears

Modern languages are struggling in an inward-looking nation. Revival may come by showing the young they are a route to a more connected world

Matthew Reisz reflects on the role of universities in overcoming monolingualism

Thousands of France’s most educated minds are now based abroad – luring them back could be a boon for its ambitious plans for higher education, Jack Grove writes

Investing in UK science may be cheaper after Brexit but the true cost to innovation system remains to be seen, says Holly Else

With wit and frankness, rebel scientist Tommaso Dorigo has spent a dozen years telling it like it is in his blog about research life. He speaks to Karen Shook

John Morgan on how the EU used research programmes as a weapon to enforce free movement

Study into the experiences of universities’ top teaching faculty is revealing about the real priorities, says Holly Else

James Stirling on how Imperial College London is not shying away from reform

John Morgan looks at signals of Home Office backtracking

Chris Parr explains why he also wrote an article about Hillary Clinton which will never see the light of day

If top institutions decide against taking part, the reputation of the TEF itself could be undermined, says Chris Havergal

What does clearing rush that follows A-level results mean for university admissions staff? Jenny Ventris explains

Kathryn Mitchell has pledged that her university will provide leadership and practical support to help end human trafficking and bonded labour

Theresa May’s decision to put schools and higher education together won’t automatically lead to closer collaboration, writes Chris Havergal

Schools and universities are increasingly looking at how improving personalities can boost social mobility. But in doing so, they may be forced to choose between teaching what is helpful, and what is true, says David Matthews

The responses of 10,323 scholars give THE the largest and most statistically sound reputation ranking, says Phil Baty

Matthew Reisz welcomes an academics’ list of vital texts for those entering higher education

As the latest film about academia is released, Matthew Reisz considers the portrayal of mathematicians and other scholars in popular culture

Event host Pompeu Fabra University is arguably the greatest legacy of 1992 Games, says Jack Grove

Chris Havergal rounds up some of the funniest university pranks

Matthew Reisz reflects on the challenges of the obituary writer

Leading novelists tell Matthew Reisz about life under the academic spotlight

Scholars say they feel overwhelmed by demands, but there is scandalously little evidence on whether long hours make any sense for knowledge workers, finds David Matthews

Dorothy Bishop takes a close look at the universities and science minister’s NSS claims