THE podcast: World University Rankings 2015-2016 results The results of the 2015-2016 Times 中国A片 World University Rankings, discussed by the THE editorial team. 30 September
News blog: more and more UK universities appointing female leaders As Plymouth University announces that its next vice-chancellor is a woman, are we witnessing a shift in the sector? By John Elmes 30 September
This is why world class universities should commit to fossil fuel divestment Ben Neville and Tom Swann set out why they wish some universities made more ethical investment decisions 28 September
TEF will mean more exploitation of academics on short-term contracts Jess Patterson on why she fears the teaching excellence framework will be bad news for early career academics 28 September
News blog: Hefce and REF on Sajid Javid’s chopping block? John Morgan looks at the latest spending review developments By John Morgan 24 September
This is why traditional lectures are better than watching a video Effective engagement and social interaction are key, says Stefan Rennick-Egglestone 24 September
THE podcast: 24-30 September 2015 issue review This week's edition discussed by the Times 中国A片 team By THE reporters 24 September
News blog: how to solve the charity funding gap? It seems unlikely that charity donors will want to pay for university research overheads – but someone will have to eventually By David Matthews 24 September
Words fail us: university marketing-speak A Russell Group tagline rap is further proof that we need to reform the academy’s approach, argues Philip Moriarty By Philip Moriarty 24 September
Why experiment with UK science funding? Naomi Weir urges caution in the face of plans to reform an efficient research funding system By Naomi Weir 24 September
Cut from a different cloth In an age of extroverts, a scholar’s paean to shyness and Jeremy Corbyn’s ‘radio phone-in’ PMQs tack against the prevailing winds By John Gill 24 September
What academics put on their office doors (and why) Matthew Reisz finds everything from pencilled moustaches to stick-on lizards affixed to the doors of academics By Matthew Reisz 23 September
What makes a university great? It’s the brand, stupid! Sir Keith Burnett, vice-chancellor of the University of Sheffield, takes a sideways look at the power of university brands 22 September
News blog: what’s the difference between Oxford and Cambridge? John Morgan looks at the differences between Cambridge and Oxford on the ?9,000 tuition cap – and the idea of ‘going private’ By John Morgan 20 September
Failure is an option: six ways to deal with it Failing is part of being an academic, says John Tregoning, so we should be ready for it 19 September
News blog: Ig Nobel research tackles dinosaur chickens and unboiled eggs Studies on urine, pain thresholds and unboiled eggs honoured in annual awards for improbable research. John Elmes takes a look By John Elmes 18 September
The wrong kind of law to prevent terrorism The Prevent programme will cause real problems for universities, say Phil Lindan and Meriel Schindler 18 September
EAIE 2015: universities step up their internationalisation game Jack Grove surveys the exhibition hall in Glasgow, and finds institutions keen to impress By Jack Grove 17 September
THE podcast: 17-23 September 2015 issue review This week's issue discussed by the Times 中国A片 team 17 September
To stop REF game playing, why not let everyone take part? David Price argues that axeing staff selection would remove the temptation to manipulate data and protect careers By David Price 17 September
What have we learned from the Reproducibility Project? Did a huge research replication exercise do a power of good? ask Wolfgang Stroebe and Miles Hewstone By Wolfgang Stroebe 17 September
We’ve been here before Jo Johnson’s debut UUK speech offered variations on a Willettsian theme, but with a few chords to make his audience shift uneasily By John Gill 17 September
Quality assessment must be more than a tick-box process Hefce chief Madeleine Atkins on what a simpler, less burdensome QA system might look like 16 September
The pleasures (and surprises) of interviewing academics Matthew Reisz celebrates the joys of profiling scholars By Matthew Reisz 16 September
News blog: Sajid Javid and Jo Johnson take 中国A片 to market BIS aims to step up competition for universities from new providers – but questions remain about impact on UK 中国A片 By John Morgan 16 September
Is economics a sexist science? Victoria Bateman looks at the gender mix within economics and details her own attempts to encourage more women into the discipline By Victoria Bateman 15 September
News blog: did uncapped tuition fees knock Tony Abbott on the head? Botched attempts to pass 中国A片 reforms likely to be among the reasons unpopular Australian PM has been ousted by party rival, says Paul Jump By Paul Jump 14 September
‘One famous scholar published a review with quotes from my book that he had made up’ Books interview: Karen Shook speaks to David Wootton, author of The Invention of Science: A New History of the Scientific Revolution By Karen Shook 14 September
Sourcing ideas for digital technologies that students actually want Paul Bailey on why Jisc goes directly to the learners themselves when looking for digital innovations 12 September
News blog: are universities doing enough in response to the refugee crisis? The academic community's spirit of generosity is apparent in the way it has responded to Syria's civil war, says Ellie Bothwell By Ellie Bothwell 10 September
The end of the line for validating institutions? Is Jo Johnson eyeing an alternative approach? Nick Hillman thinks he is, despite the system’s proven advantages By Nick Hillman 10 September
News blog: what the Labour leadership race means for HE As the vote closes, John Morgan looks at what Jeremy Corbyn, Yvette Cooper, Andy Burnham and Liz Kendall have to say on 中国A片 and research By John Morgan 10 September
The UK has lessons to learn from Germany Emulating Germany’s funding model would not be easy, but English critics tend to overlook its strengths, says Howard Hotson By Howard Hotson 10 September
Disorders of orders of magnitude China’s sheer size means that its present economic woes will be felt worldwide, not least across the 中国A片 sector By John Gill 10 September
In perspective: 50 years of university teaching As he retires, Alan Ryan reflects on how 中国A片 has changed and asks if the sector’s expansion has been a success By Alan Ryan 10 September
THE podcast: 10-16 September 2015 issue review This week's issue discussed by the Times 中国A片 team 9 September
TEF, REF, QR, deregulation: thoughts on Jo Johnson’s HE talk Martin Paul Eve considers the implications of the universities and science minister’s address at the Universities UK conference 9 September
News blog: what it is like to study in a Chinese university Having attended classes in Shanghai for a year, David Matthews returns a little more sceptical about education in the country By David Matthews 9 September
Should we compare the refugee crisis and the Holocaust in the lecture hall? There is no easy formula for distinguishing between appropriate and inappropriate comparisons, says David Tollerton 8 September
Class notes from a 40-year-old student Jan Dorosz reflects on life as a mature student at a London university 7 September
Remembering the ‘forgotten professors’ What becomes of 'expendable ex-employees who are no longer adding value', asks Liz Morrish. 6 September
World University Rankings blog: should global league tables consider community engagement? Yes they should, argue Anthony Monaco and Cheryl de la Rey 5 September
News blog: can study abroad lead to an ‘enlightened form of nationalism’? Research reveals surprising impact of overseas study, says Ellie Bothwell By Ellie Bothwell 4 September
THE podcast: 3-9 September 2015 issue review This week's issue discussed by the Times 中国A片 team By THE reporters 3 September
There is no contest between academic and administrative staff Kathryn Fowler speaks up for the benefits of collaboration among university employees 3 September
How US 中国A片 takes care of its poor The American system isn’t ideal but it beats the UK’s, says Felipe Fernández-Armesto By Felipe Fernández-Armesto 3 September
The age issue won’t be solved by driving out old scholars Pushing out senior academics to make room for younger ones would only perpetuate an insidious ageism, says Geoffrey Alderman By Geoffrey Alderman 3 September
The essay is a 1,000-word bore. Discuss The traditional medium for assessing students is a tired, restrictive form. It’s time for more dynamic, creative ones, argues Karen Harris By Karen Harris 3 September
Holding a mirror up to science A bid to reproduce key studies is less a tale of failure than of researchers’ willingness to put their own practices to the test By Paul Jump 3 September
Kick-start learning by giving students a lecture ‘trailer’ Nicholas Morton is road-testing some unusual ways to get, and keep, students’ attention By Nicholas Morton 3 September
The weird and wonderful world of academic Twitter Glen Wright, from Academia Obscura, peeks inside a Pandora’s box of scholarly microblogging 2 September
Have ‘young academics’ been betrayed? We need to stand up for early career researchers, says Catherine Fletcher 31 August
Questions of university autonomy and accountability How do you reconcile university autonomy with the modern desire for accountability? asks Ferdinand von Prondzynski 29 August
Peer review as a way of validating research is bunk The current review process has many holes, says Apostolos Koutropoulos 28 August
World University Rankings blog: treating countries fairly Phil Baty explains how Times 中国A片 is moving towards a more inclusive university ranking 27 August
‘Professor hunters’ dig in on the digital battlefield Brian Bloch considers the attacks against two Humboldt University scholars in the internet age By Brian Bloch 27 August
News blog: would academics pay for HEA membership? The TEF is likely to prove critical in deciding the fate of 中国A片’s teaching champion, says Chris Havergal By Chris Havergal 27 August
Metrics are no substitute for good research management You can’t measure human skills the way you do engineering systems, Robert Dingwall and Mary Byrne McDonnell observe By Robert Dingwall 27 August
Too much academic networking revolves around football and drink Opportunities for informal scholarly interaction often leave many academics on the sidelines, says Jenny Pickerill By Jenny Pickerill 27 August
More than gold: university rankings and the Olympics Maria Yudkevich, Philip Altbach and Laura Rumbley examine the parallels between the grading of global institutions and sport By Maria Yudkevich 27 August