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Enrichment of university life by academics’ ancillary activities is threatened as the workforce is pushed towards casualisation

Countries worldwide are investing to get ahead in the global game of research. Not doing so will cost the UK dear

Building an academic career is hard, but high initial hurdles and a lack of clear progression paths make it unnecessarily daunting

Universities must have at heart a public ethos counterbalance to weigh against commercial interests and state diktat

With the fever of REF results subsiding, we contemplate what 2015 might hold in store for higher education

The REF results can be wrapped up and presented many different ways. THE puts its analysis under the sector’s tree

The REF may have alienated many academics because of how it has been interpreted by a management culture

An OMG moment is predicted for whoever wins the election as politicians address lapses in oversight and funding challenges

Universities already play a key role in powering regional growth. Another diktat demanding more on that score may be unhelpful

With cuts looming on the horizon, the sector cannot afford to relent in pressing the case to protect the research budget

Policies on immigration often conflict with sector ambitions regarding overseas students and signal a turbulent spell ahead

Aftershocks following the austerity reforms of 2010 are still being felt, with mature students particularly hard hit

The government unleashed private providers to change the sector, but has there been a tide of creative disruption?

Universities collecting data to monitor performance must be transparent and in sync with academic work and goals

Courage, or lack of it, can spur people to achieve, but everyone must decide for themselves how far out to stick their neck

Universities know well the value of international students, but myopic politicians struggle to see past electoral expediency

Planning to win top laurels is a fool’s errand, so how should research be structured to best produce far-reaching results?

Tackling inequality and broadening access to higher education has knock-on benefits for the whole of society

With falling numbers of home postgraduates, the issue of who should pay for this vital study, and how, is an urgent one

Who in higher education gains from commercialisation? The values it promotes do not chime with the ethos of the academy

Being an academic and a parent is harder than it should be, but not all want children while others make it work regardless

Universities abandoned to untrammelled market forces risk being robbed of their diversity, with unpredictable results

The pitfalls of the American experience of marketisation are well known, but the UK need not make the same mistakes

A positive student experience is one of the most effective hooks for catching both undergraduates and postgraduates

Latin America’s giant wants to be a player in more than football, and universities worldwide are keen to help it achieve its goal

Academic whistleblowers face ostracism and curtailed careers until the system fully recognises the value of more transparency

The new universities minister Greg Clark also has ‘cities’ in his remit, but cries of mission creep may be premature

David Willetts’ controversial policies divided opinion but the former minister won respect in a role that matched his talents

Universities need to be careful about equating academic freedom and outspoken opinions with employee misconduct

Universities must take responsibility for oversight of international students – an arm’s-length approach is no protection

The globalised academy offers ambitious scholars a plethora of opportunities, yet expat life is nothing if not unpredictable

Inappropriate measures of performance are detrimental to the intrinsic motivations of an academic workforce

In the debate about Scottish independence, university leaders have been notably reticent in stating their position

Trust in research confidentiality is vital, yet recent disclosures suggest the need for a review of safeguards for all concerned

The lure of the capital is irresistible to universities, but with the unique opportunities come unique challenges

We must heed warnings in Hepi’s academic experience survey before following ߣߣÊÓƵ’s lead and abolishing tuition fee caps

Universities must convince the public and policymakers that they are key to improving the public sector workforce

Universities have to balance meeting students’ pragmatic expectations with delivering a satisfyingly rounded experience

A concordat aimed at ending secrecy in animal testing will allow for debate that should benefit researchers and subjects

Postgraduate study is a financial struggle for most, and low pay for graduate teaching assistants does nothing to alleviate it

If faith in the comparability of standards is not maintained across UK higher education, the system will be devalued

Vice-chancellors and those who select them might learn from the successes – and notable failures – of politics

As vice-chancellors’ salaries creep up, do university heads risk the same fate as bankers in the court of public opinion?

An inspirational supervisor can nurture a career, while a poor one slows its growth. Either way, mentors have a lasting impact

A shrinking unit of resource will make it harder for institutions to turn around perceptions of ‘value for money’

Zero-hours contracts make staff feel anxious and ill-used; they must be tackled as the sector seeks a sustainable future

Universities are making prize-worthy efforts to give students what they want and need, but they can’t control for all factors

With the Treasury stepping out of its traditional role as panto villain, human capital is back atop the political agenda

Could working in a ‘team of rivals’ encourage academic creativity - and turn out better equipped graduates, too?

Unscrupulous operators should be unmasked, but using them to tar all the sector causes damage without tackling vital issues

MPs have highlighted the problem of too few women in science, but more than words are needed to tackle the issue

It’s off to work we go. Our Best University Workplace Survey reveals discontent, but it’s not all gloom and doom

What can the UK learn from the uncapped student numbers ‘experiment’ that is already in full swing Down Under?

Studying how subjects have waxed and waned in popularity reveals some striking changes and some difficult questions

Why do so many universities feel they can stonewall requests made under the Freedom of Information Act?

David Willetts’ finely balanced aims for higher education are too often belied by the impact of his government’s policies

It’s been bedlam out there in 2013: Russell Group a-rising, visa plans off-putting - and still not enough ladies leading

The chancellor’s decision to abolish the numbers cap is laudable but, as always, the devil lurks in the detail

As more emerging economies get their own acronym, perhaps some high-powered advice for Cameron et al will hit home

The absence of regulation and spiralling RAB costs threaten to undermine a growing sense of stability in the sector