Politics

Martin McQuillan on the critical theorists shaking up Syriza and Podemos

A new “health surcharge” levied on international students from next month is “an election stunt full of loopholes”, a legal expert has claimed.

Frank Finlay considers the experience of the immigrant professor who held his post during the 1914-18 conflict

George Osborne has announced that the government will offer PhD and research-based master’s students income-contingent loans of up to £25,000

Plans to uncap tuition fees in Australia have been defeated in the country’s upper house for the second time in four months

Prevent document from government has different wording for English/Welsh universities

Researchers are being “taken advantage of” and put up with very low wages and insecure careers.

‘Prevent’ guidance clarifies new legal duty on institutions to help tackle radicalisation

But Nicky Morgan tells TES debate that schools route offers choice to students

The Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Bill will enable ministers to join up datasets

Jean-Lou Chameau says universities must reflect the societies within which they exist

University of Greenwich’s report following the murder of Fusilier Lee Rigby suggests the ‘area was a centre for radical Islamic movements’

Universities must be put at the “heart of the teacher education system”, according to a new election policy manifesto.

The conversion of polytechnics into universities has been lamented as a “poor decision” by the business secretary

Help for non-traditional learning wins support, with Greg Clark saying ‘watch this space’

Greens unveil election goals but figures on cost of pledge on fees still pending

Shadow minister explains that his party would aim for graduate tax but plans to leave numbers uncapped

But Liam Byrne insists graduate tax is still ‘long-term policy’ for party

Labour has been urged to say whether or not it would reintroduce caps on undergraduate numbers after unveiling its pledge to lower fees to £6,000.

Ed Miliband has pledged that a Labour government would lower fees to £6,000 and raise maintenance grants by £400

A cut to tuition fees not coupled with a rise in taxpayer funding would damage universities, Lord Mandelson has said as Labour finalises its policy.

Fear of offending makes a pig’s ear of free speech, says Christopher Bigsby

An organisation with more than 200 US university members has formally urged the federal government to ditch plans for a college ratings system

The Counter-Terrorism and Security Bill, which many academics fear will suppress freedom of speech in universities, has received Royal Assent.

The next government should create a new lead regulator, the Council for Higher Education England, and toughen rules for private providers

Their lack of protest over reforms means that universities have lost the chance to transform the sector, laments Anthony Kelly

UUK letter disparaging policy ‘compromises ability to influence party’s thinking’

The battle to protect academic freedom in the government’s counter-terrorism bill appears to be nearing a conclusion after final amendments were agreed

Hefce chief Madeleine Atkins also says counter-terror role for funding council was ‘gift not asked for’

Peers also slam government figure on student terrorists used to persuade Lords of need for new laws

Minister also uses Hefce speech to draw comparisons with Labour over HE funding

The next parliament is likely to include a disproportionately high number of MPs who graduated from Oxbridge, new research suggests.

Anshuman Mondal, author of Islam and Controversy, deplores ‘impoverished’ discussion of rights and obligations

From post-Taliban Afghanistan to quality control: Global Education Dialogue offered insights on topics such as access for women and private providers

Board claims in public letter that Labour has ignored the ‘legitimate concerns of vice-chancellors’

Move described as ‘early job application’ for council to be chief regulator after the election

Chief scientific adviser is ‘amused’ by funding conspiracy theories but dismisses them as ‘complete invention’

Writing may be on the wall for Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, according to policy thinktanks

Proposed amendment seeks to emphasise importance of freedom of speech

English vice-chancellors have warned Labour not to commit to lowering fees to £6,000, saying the policy would lead to funding cuts for universities

A new study has found restrictions on freedom of expression at four out of five UK universities

Fewer than four out of 10 MPs think that UK universities do a good job of using their funding efficiently, according to a new poll

Why are today’s students so preoccupied with protecting themselves from potentially ‘harmful’ ideas, asks Tom Slater

A vague policy on higher education could help the party win the next election, argues Nick Hillman

Party’s policy announcement awaited as prospect of call for £6,000 fees continues to vex sector

A cross-party group of MPs has launched a fresh bid to get international students removed from the UK’s net migration target.

Twenty-four university leaders have urged the government to exempt universities from the counter-terrorism bill or risk harming academic freedom

Lecturer agrees an out-of-court settlement after the UCU sought to reclaim its legal costs

Former AAUP head and others aim to sway ‘non-fanatical’ supporters of sanctions with The Case against Academic Boycotts of Israel

Academics seek to determine role of Sir Mark Walport after announcement of Nurse review of research councils

Calls to sack Robert Lambert would deprive us of academic expertise, argues Stefano Bonino

Liberal Democrat Julian Huppert decries ‘illiberal’ campuses and ‘selfish’ calls by v-cs to raise tuition fees

Endorsement comes after ministers are accused by Labour of misleading Parliament

By Michael Stratford, for Inside Higher Ed

Academics in Saudi Arabia have been urged in an open letter signed by 18 Nobel Prize winners to condemn the public flogging of blogger Raif Badawi

A student at the University of Kent has been named as the Green Party’s spokesman for higher and further education

The University of Bedfordshire has become the second higher education institution in the UK to commit to not investing in the fossil fuel industry

The UK is ranked fifth among the world’s most developed nations for the number of young people with higher education, after rapid progress since 2000

Labour leader also pledges to say more on HE policy ‘by time of manifesto’

Science and universities minister says more must be done on issue