Opinion

Emulating Germany’s funding model would not be easy, but English critics tend to overlook its strengths, says Howard Hotson

China’s sheer size means that its present economic woes will be felt worldwide, not least across the higher education sector

As he retires, Alan Ryan reflects on how higher education has changed and asks if the sector’s expansion has been a success

This week's issue discussed by the Times Higher Education team

Martin Paul Eve considers the implications of the universities and science minister’s address at the Universities UK conference

Having attended classes in Shanghai for a year, David Matthews returns a little more sceptical about education in the country

There is no easy formula for distinguishing between appropriate and inappropriate comparisons, says David Tollerton

Jan Dorosz reflects on life as a mature student at a London university

What becomes of 'expendable ex-employees who are no longer adding value', asks Liz Morrish.

Yes they should, argue Anthony Monaco and Cheryl de la Rey

Research reveals surprising impact of overseas study, says Ellie Bothwell

This week's issue discussed by the Times Higher Education team

Kathryn Fowler speaks up for the benefits of collaboration among university employees

A bid to reproduce key studies is less a tale of failure than of researchers’ willingness to put their own practices to the test

Nicholas Morton is road-testing some unusual ways to get, and keep, students’ attention

The American system isn’t ideal but it beats the UK’s, says Felipe Fernández-Armesto

Pushing out senior academics to make room for younger ones would only perpetuate an insidious ageism, says Geoffrey Alderman

The traditional medium for assessing students is a tired, restrictive form. It’s time for more dynamic, creative ones, argues Karen Harris

Glen Wright, from Academia Obscura, peeks inside a Pandora’s box of scholarly microblogging

We need to stand up for early career researchers, says Catherine Fletcher

How do you reconcile university autonomy with the modern desire for accountability? asks Ferdinand von Prondzynski

The current review process has many holes, says Apostolos Koutropoulos

Phil Baty explains how Times Higher Education is moving towards a more inclusive university ranking

Brian Bloch considers the attacks against two Humboldt University scholars in the internet age

The TEF is likely to prove critical in deciding the fate of higher education’s teaching champion, says Chris Havergal

You can’t measure human skills the way you do engineering systems, Robert Dingwall and Mary Byrne McDonnell observe

Opportunities for informal scholarly interaction often leave many academics on the sidelines, says Jenny Pickerill

Maria Yudkevich, Philip Altbach and Laura Rumbley examine the parallels between the grading of global institutions and sport

Being head of undergraduate studies was an eye-opener for Stephen Curry

As the trend for mass-authored papers in science spreads to other fields, PhD students’ work is still going unacknowledged

This week's issue discussed by the Times Higher Education team

Matthew Reisz reflects on the kind of texts one might want to be wary about reading on the train

University league tables do not pay enough attention to institutions’ innovative spirit, argues the European Commission’s Gerard de Graaf

Intervention required to address the issue of under-representation, say Susanne Choi Yuk Ping and Sally Ka-wing Lo

David Bignell reflects on the trials and tribulations of scholarly life in London

Karen Shook speaks to the author of SlutWalk: Feminism, Activism and Media

Obama Administration’s pivot to Asia ignores the fact that young Americans wishing to study abroad prefer Europe, says Trina Vargo

Carrying out research in the field, what’s the worst that could happen?

Some managers take a punitive attitude to academics as a result of the NSS, finds Jo Frankham

The scramble for places is no longer about courses and universities that nobody else wants, writes Matthew Andrews

GCSE results will become more relevant to the higher education sector as A-level reforms are implemented, says Ross Renton

With individuals and institutions alike calculating potential costs of Brexit, recouping loans from EU students can’t be ignored

The eminent sociologist is entitled to draw on his long lifetime of thought, but should probably be clearer about the extent to which he is doing so, says Paul Jump

Shahidha Bari on academics’ strange relationship with the idea of failure

Kate MacDonald reflects on playing the student name game in the Belgian academy

The full impact of the abolition of the cap on student numbers won’t be felt immediately, suggests Emran Mian

As ministers and schools lose patience with GCSE and A-level grade and fee inflation, Louis Goddard looks to the past for new solutions

Don’t let the sneering scare you; the medium is the best fit for some projects, argues Richard Sugg

This week's issue discussed by the Times Higher Education team

Phil Baty explains why hundreds of research papers will not be considered when compiling the next Times Higher Education rankings

Matthew Reisz reflects on some academics' desire to be joylessly patronizing

Want more women to study for a physics degree? Stop asking for a physics A level, says Peter Coles

Matthew Reisz reflects on his own prejudices as he asks who really associates with such general terminology

Twitter users offer examples of academics with unusual names, following research by Dr Boring

The full text of the former president of South Africa’s speech at the THE Africa Universities Summit

Ditching and devaluing ‘soft’ subjects puts creative arts in jeopardy, warns Sarah Rowlands

The 2015-16 THE rankings will be most inclusive ever

We don’t need to ‘fix the women’, we need to fix the system, says Dame Athene Donald

This week's issue discussed by the Times Higher Education team

Pro bono advice on campus is an engagement with student training at its core, says Zahir Irani