Opinion

Controversial material can be the most challenging to our intellect, argues Sue House

International partnership is a vital part of higher education, says Sir Pete Downes ahead of the THE MENA Universities Summit

We must improve the system we already have, not make a switch to metrics, argues James Wilsdon

Whether radicalisation or divestment is the issue, says Keith Burnett, talking without listening first doesn’t help to build a community

We must be alert to unconscious bias at work across the sector and develop ways to tackle the issue to achieve greater diversity

Higher education must come together to support Pakistan’s Bacha Khan University, says Chris Parr

The number of international students dropping out of university has fallen as institutions have recruited more students from overseas, finds James Zuccollo

When the rules are broken, we must always look at the circumstances, says Rima Amin

New York proposes free college courses for inmates while Romania cracks down on its ‘publish or perish’ loophole, finds Ellie Bothwell

Students are arriving at university with unrealistic expectations of the mathematical demands of their subject, finds Paul Glaister

After a man dies following a clinical trial in France, Christopher Roy-Toole asks whether lessons were learned after a similar incident in the UK

If you want to join our exciting global project, get in touch, says Phil Baty

As officials begin to look through the responses to the Green Paper consultation, Shirley Pearce flags up four risks they need to avoid

It’s not good enough just to jump on the internationalisation bandwagon – we have to measure outcomes, says Uwe Brandenburg

In-depth discussion with Gangs of Russia author

An impoverished island's citizens and academics greet desperate refugees with compassion, in shocking contrast to governments' inaction. Dimitris Ballas writes from Lesvos 

John Morgan looks at how scrapping student grants sparked claims of a political fix

Matthew Reisz recalls some memorable examples of academics venturing beneath the sheets

As many in the academy rail against Prevent, Anthony Glees urges them to reconsider

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

The 2016 results discussed by the THE editorial team

Claims of being soft on Islamic extremists put institutions that value open and free speech in a very uncomfortable spot

Who loses out when a scholar fails to acknowledge earlier related work? Ron Iphofen on the evergreen virtues of desk research

Tolerating overseas arrivals’ experiences is vital, but critical thinking is a matter on which there can be no compromise, insists Tao Zhang

Before attacking ‘hypersensitive’ students, we must analyse the balance of power, argues Ziyad Marar

Heated debate and hours of staff time are worth it if students get the courses they need, says Charles Bailyn

Physical attractiveness could be an indicator of success, finds Sun Young Lee

Scholar's anti-thank you has got the HE world talking, says Scott Jaschik

Martin James owes his love of writing, and his university career, to the late music legend

After years of refusing to make or review grant applications, Philip Moriarty had a change of heart, but he still has mixed feelings about the UK research councils

The latest edition discussed by the Times Higher Education editorial team

Phil Ashworth and John Lewin explain why the Environment Agency should be submitted to the REF

We need to wake up and defend this vital practice, not sleepwalk to an unhappy ending, says Lars Fischer

Not even today’s box-ticking managerialists can stamp out our innate desire to know, says Joe Moran

Another review of the exercise is a chance to revise details of the costs, says Jonathan Grant

As Canadian scientists look forward to a better deal under a new regime, respect for their findings is as vital as fair funding

It is always interesting when people take ideas to their logical conclusion, says Matthew Reisz

Our bloggers and social media followers gaze into their crystal balls and predict what the year in HE might look like

Using the language of sport to sell metrics-based performance management ignores what sport can really teach academia, argues linguistics scholar Liz Morrish

Jenny McDonald examines the response to calls for academics who are not highly productive researchers to be given more recognition 

The decision to republish Mein Kampf is a reminder that we can learn from hateful words, says Marion Wynne-Davis

Should the University of Massachusetts Lowell be opening its doors to the controversial US presidential hopeful? John Kaag consulted his students

How the government is proposing to use NSS data to assess teaching excellence is nonsense, says Dorothy Bishop

Nicholas Morton is trying to make up his mind about lecture capture

If more women are to benefit from the gender equality that society prizes, it is time for the world of work to change, says Victoria Bateman

The education system has replaced wonder with tick-box excellence, and mystery with an impact case study, says Paul Kleiman

Only a Brexit can deliver the pro-higher education regime UK universities need, argues Jamie Martin

Emma Rees tackles work, the ultimate seasonal fun spoiler, and finalises her list of new year’s resolutions

Shahidha Bari examines the ritual of exchanging Christmas presents as she mulls the best gift that academics can share

With 2016 just ahead, we ponder the state of campuses past, present and future

Glen Wright reveals what Yuletide has to do with amphetamines and OCD

The former Guardian editor-in-chief sits in on the Oxford admissions process

Headlines from the latest Times Higher Education discussed by the editorial team

From writing papers to urinating on other people’s work, cats have a rich history of scholarly work, finds Glen Wright

Successful reform of higher education to reward good teaching 'may be an impossibility', says Paul Blackmore

Big data, Google Books and the Ngram database are wonderful aids to today’s intellectual problems, argues Frank Furedi

New approach to provision of specialist support is threat to students’ effective participation, warns Harriet Cameron

Felipe Fernández-Armesto’s students, shocked by racist outrages at the University of Missouri, mull over the content and context of their curriculum

Letting students co-design their own curriculum is pedagogically sound and delivers real satisfaction, say advocates

Universities aren’t developing the skills young people need to succeed in work, says Roxanne Stockwell