Politics

Despite disappointment over Horizon Europe budget, research could still benefit from a vast pandemic resilience fund – if national governments make it a priority

UKRI lead on place sees challenge to ‘idea that our research strength should all be concentrated in a relatively small number of institutions’

Green light for international universities to operate in new National Education Policy

Survey of UK academics finds both left and right discriminate against each other in hiring, funding and publishing decisions, leading to self-censorship across the sector

Analysis for union shows universities are often among largest local employers and have ‘huge impact’ on town and city economies

Lockdowns, campus protection and the new security law risk permanently cutting off scholars from the city and wider world, says Michael O’Sullivan

Minister risks Senate’s wrath by defying an order to disclose research council recommendations

Higher education is no panacea, but critical thinking is the best antidote to inequality, say Chris Cunningham and Colin Samson

Commission recommends launch of Digital Service Academy to address shortage of talent in federal government

Long-awaited publication of Pearce review expected in autumn, but lack of time and changes in government priorities make 2021 awards unlikely

Canada sends ‘loud and clear’ message to foreign students with work rules change following deportation threat by US administration

Continuation of policy stokes fears that entry rules could damage internationalisation efforts

This week’s deal will tip the balance back towards fundamental research – and it might not have been done at all, says Jan Palmowski 

Shadow universities minister says tests will protect institutions and students affected by Covid-19 pandemic

Democrat plan would direct billions to institutions tackling neediest students

Horizon Europe will receive only a tiny fraction of an unprecedented €750 billion pandemic recovery package

Experts say using differential fees to direct students towards subjects goes against the purpose of higher education, and is also unlikely to work

Interventionist stance of ‘restructuring regime’ prompts warning of ‘tragic’ erosion of university autonomy

Rather than simply endorsing complaints from the most vocal students and staff, we must react rigorously to curricular exclusions of all kinds, says Steven Greer

Conservative government’s turn against university expansion as party prioritises ‘red wall’ voters prompts scepticism

Research and discussion about early Islam could represent a ‘step towards political and economic cooperation’

Michelle Donelan’s view on entry rates of different social groups to higher education described as apparent ‘significant departure’

Court loss still leaves Trump many tools in anti-immigrant campaign

Government strategy for HE set out in conditions for emergency loans for universities at risk of failure in Covid crisis

Universities minister Michelle Donelan calls for focus to be on jobs outcomes and individual needs rather than ‘box-ticking’ access measures

UCU poll seeks to step up political pressure on ministers to offer extra funding for universities during pandemic

Sued by universities, administration ends plan to evict foreigners whose campuses stay online

‘Cloud’ discounts and fee and subsidy tweaks could underpin acceptable compromise deal, policy specialist suggests

Research also suggests that government’s anti-terrorism strategy is causing students and staff to self-censor discussions of Islam

Commons committee calls for clearer guidance and additional funding to cover reimbursements

A new research project will draw on academic expertise to ‘reset and reimagine’ cultural life in the UK

Covid-19 has underlined the need for more coordinated and comprehensive engagement with policymakers, say David Price, Sarah Chaytor and Andrew Wathey

New recruits from bloc will pay same fees as other international learners from September 2021 onwards

Education secretary signals rebalancing towards further education in England after shift in nature of Tory electoral support

Trial flights of overseas students taken off the table, as safe haven visas for Hong Kong students herald more tension with China

The cash injection announced by the government last week is the most ambitious plan of its kind Ed Byrne has seen in 40 years

Smoke and mirrors conceal lack of extra university places, losses to institutions and savings to government, former bureaucrat says

Co-author of Conservative manifesto says universities’ ‘prosperity depends’ on grasp of changes since 2010

Universities are in a powerful position to help societies address history in a way that informs the present and shapes the future, says Andrew Thompson

Emergency measures exemplify different treatment of public and private universities, critics say

Universities that boost numbers in lucrative courses are unlikely to attract the attention of Australian regulator’s new watchdog

Crucial MP keeping an open mind but has ‘lots of concerns’ about Australian fee and subsidy reshuffle

Ruling at school level seen as affirming situations involving colleges

Michelle Donelan says there has been ‘too much focus on getting students through the door’ in England

New Downing Street unit for attracting global talent and review of immigration rules among measures to support research

Boris Johnson says ‘talent and genius are expressed as much by hand and by eye as they are in a spreadsheet or an essay’

Left-winger shared article that party leader said contained ‘antisemitic conspiracy theory’

China has issued threats to use its outward flows of students in geopolitical tussles – how significant could that be in wake of crisis?

With the key selling point of university – meeting people and having a ‘great experience’ – now gone, Andreas Schleicher sees high fees as unjustified and calls for more government investment

Upholding of immigration protections, after challenge led by University of California, means legal relief for about 200,000 students

Extra funds for science are welcome, but tipping the balance towards challenge-led research must not become the new normal, warns Jan Palmowski

Michelle Donelan says that we ‘cannot rewrite our history’, while also addressing student number control controversies

Swell of global anti-racism protests brings hope for change but academics warn ‘we’ve been here before’

Former universities minister also recommends that UK prioritises recruitment from India to remain competitive after pandemic

Taboo-breaking Parcoursup reforms in 2018 are seen to have reduced failure rates, but there are fears Parisian universities will now hoover up the best students nationwide 

Nations are increasingly making conscious efforts to propel a subset of their universities into the global elite. But are such aspirations ever met? And, if they are, is that a blessing or a curse for those institutions denied entry to the club? Simon Baker examines the issues and the numbers

Past advisories have not quenched Chinese students’ thirst for overseas study

More than a third of the public now believe scientists are hiding information – confusion over masks and broadsides from a ‘populist’ microbiologist are blamed

Racial awareness mounts, but partisan barriers loom larger 

A plan to put foreign students in supervised quarantine before studying could rescue international programmes, says Roger Smyth