Politics

All but tiny minority of population qualify for enrolment under ‘economically weaker’ label

Increasingly international universities want to push native-language brain drain up the political agenda, despite their rescue from ‘freefall’ by a recent funding top-up

Universities should not be obliged to support speech that restricts another’s right to speech or academic freedom, say James Murray and Alice Sullivan

You are part of the problem, academic union tells Labour, as government declines to ‘step in’

Funding council reviewer signals intent to recommend ditching ERA, rewriting national interest test and circumscribing veto power

Ministerial reshuffle nears completion as faces new and old take up key positions in business and education departments

Always left holding the wrong end of the stick, independent institutions hope for a ‘reset’ from the misleadingly named universities accord

Pause of Norway’s prestigious investigator-led grants comes as EU alternatives also face the chopping block

Former education committee chair ‘appears to have interest in detail of policy’ and sees employability as purpose of university

Responding to Laurentian crisis, proposal moving through federal Senate would bar public universities from creditor protection, but with only a promise of unspecified alternatives

Iain Mansfield aims to work on ‘breaking the impasse’ on funding in new thinktank role and denies being ‘culture warrior’

Permanent expansion of Covid-era waiver on interest payments cheered by student activists but lamented by conservatives as wasteful and by progressives as missed opportunity

International students are ‘part of the solution, and not the problem’, says ex-minister on launch of new commission

Populist right-wing leader leaves office with public universities facing bankruptcy and country polarised

Concerns over more rigid control of universities and fear of isolationist thinking causing ‘intellectual impoverishment’ for East and West

Scholar warns that growing influence of ideology over education could be ‘the most dangerous thing’ happening in modern-day Russia

Decade-old policy has dramatically changed the make-up of institutions, but critics claim it is unfair and unconstitutional

Policymakers will need to work out exactly what ‘equity’ means before entrenching it in new funding arrangements

The new prime minister’s orthodoxy will prevent a repeat of the Iron Lady’s raid on the science and higher education budgets, says Terence Kealey

Australia’s new Labor government must allow more fee flexibility for high-cost degree subjects otherwise genuine student choice will disappear, say Robert Griew and Ian Anderson

Seeing racial inequities in system of Republican-controlled legislature appointing campus trustees, state’s Democratic leader sets up commission to press reforms

Ahead of ruling on Harvard and North Carolina cases, conservative majority on nation’s top court makes clear it leans towards ending predecessors’ 2003 approval of racial preferences in college admissions

Directive for nine university administrators to resign ‘unprecedented’ in scale, according to researchers

Sector awaiting third minister this year following departure of controversial MP

After granting general forgiveness of up to $20,000, administration completes regulatory process to further ease burden of federal educational loans

Australian government’s cash injection may provide short-term relief, but lack of clarity hinders planning, says former civil servant

Late amendment to legislation means institutions must be consulted by new Jobs and Skills Australia agency

Government plan for half of all graduates to major in sciences by 2032 ‘difficult to realise’ for private, humanities-focused institutions, academics say

New UK prime minister Rishi Sunak brings back old faces in education and business departments

Outgoing leader revives regulation banning demonstrations inside buildings ahead of upcoming vote on controversial new president

Biden team suggests following lead of China and Europe and putting science dollars in the hands of its diplomats to secure geopolitical benefits

Suella Braverman raised concerns about international students during her previous time in the role

Ex-skills minister joined in Cabinet by Grant Shapps as business secretary, while Suella Braverman reappointed home secretary

Successor, when named by new PM Rishi Sunak, will become fifth education secretary to serve within four months 

Arch-Brexiteer ends short spell in charge of research funding and energy policy as Rishi Sunak takes over as PM

Phasing out English would disadvantage graduates and hurt universities’ ability to draw international talent, scholars say

Administration nevertheless presses borrowers to persist with their applications, saying it’s ‘more committed than ever’ to promise of $380 billion in relief for millions

Vivienne Stern aims to reach agreement on ‘long-term’ solution that works for universities, students and government

Institutions have been asked to experiment with curricula that create lighter workloads for staff and students

Federal judge finds states don’t have standing to challenge debt cancellation, while Supreme Court justice sets aside emergency appeal

Influential Australian politician backs consideration of migration incentives, but rules out ‘hard link’

Universities must tackle issues that ‘reduce enthusiasm for investment’ to defend teaching and research budgets ‘inevitably under threat’, says Iain Mansfield

Home secretary’s departure seen as reducing risk of shift to more restrictive international student regime

President also castigates Republicans as hypocritical for their opposition, as issue appears to favour Democrats in congressional elections

Ex-minister George Freeman urges sector to ‘mobilise’ to show R&D key to growth, despite securing Treasury commitment not to cut science budget

Universities UK says putting limits on overseas recruitment would be ‘bizarre’

Foreign interference and cybersecurity are ‘right problems’ for university leaders to be focusing on, minister tells chancellors

Comprehensive rejection of ‘Magna Carta’ leaves radical government ‘paralysed’ as key issues go unaddressed

Legal accountability may increase early cancellation of hostile speakers as institutions bury booking processes in red tape, Hepi study suggests

Outgoing Oxford v-c critiques Westminster fiascos and social media trolling, while making case for more women in leadership

English regulator ‘moving forward’ with registration condition and student survey that could spotlight individual universities for intervention

New minister Nusrat Ghani tells MPs that research spending commitments remain ‘in place’

Cyprus state telecoms company’s pension fund alleges financing agreement on campus construction funding was breached

Former business secretary resumes role after brief spell in final Johnson Cabinet

Tory conference attacks on universities bring frustration, while new government tipped to drop entry restrictions plan

Government expects international enrolment to fall by 70 per cent after introduction of tuition fees for students from outside the EU

After spikes in participation in recent polls, students’ role as a key voting bloc is under increased scrutiny in upcoming elections

Relying on overseas expertise is foolish for a country that abounds with specific economic issues, says Jagjit Chadha

Critic of Trump would bring extensive academic experience to post steeped in political intrigue

Australian analysis finds that the architects of new policies should think more about unintended consequences such as the level of student debt