Features

As the first anniversary of the singer-songwriter’s death passes, his childhood friend Kenneth Asch reflects on the place of both the institution and the musician in Quebec’s fractured cultural mosaic

Holly Else reveals the results of a THE poll seeking to uncover the extent of authorship abuses as well as views on what criteria should generate credit

The former higher education minister on why the English sector must keep growing, the ‘barbarism’ at the heart of the schools system and how to tackle negativity about universities

Academics and professional staff reveal the things that prey on their minds at 2am

Hollywood and Westminster have been rocked by tales of sexual assault and abuse. Is academia similarly plagued by misuse of power and sexual misconduct? Five scholars offer their views

Using the results of the Global University Employability Survey, Simon Baker reveals which countries and institutions are rated best for graduate digital competency and links to industry, and which skills are most prized by employers

Institutions are working to increase participation by native peoples and awareness of their scholarly contributions. Ellie Bothwell reports

The Royal College of Science for Ireland was a progressive experiment in technical education that ended abruptly in the messy wake of Irish independence. Shane McCorristine recounts a cautionary tale of how education and nationalist politics can come into conflict

A recent wave of commentators have been disparaging universities and painting all who work in them as complicit in a fraud. Philip Cowan examines their case

The former chancellor of the University of California, Berkeley explains how he navigated protests from both the Left and Right, and threatening tweets from President Trump

David Matthews learns how archivists deal with enquiries about material collected by the former East Germany’s secret police that can still destroy reputations

In a pair of books exploring aspects of Jewish identity, Devorah Baum reflects on Jewishness and the human condition. She talks about turning uncomfortable ‘Jewish feelings’ such as guilt into something positive, and how humour is a way of coping with life’s trials

Liberal arts colleges are often perceived as being elite and irrelevant. But the best among them excel in areas such as engagement and focus on critical thinking. Ellie Bothwell explores whether liberal arts education has become redundant – or simply needs a makeover

Academic work is typically all-consuming, but some scholars still manage to combine some eye-catching sidelines with their day jobs. Here, five tell their stories

With degrees now necessary for entry into more jobs than ever before, John Morgan considers the economic arguments for expanding higher education

From neuroscience to philosophy and economics, seven scholars relate what work in their disciplines reveals about the search for #HEhappiness

Having caused a scandal over research assessment back in the 1990s, Lincoln Allison is well placed to give an overview of its impact, and still finds it wanting

Is your resolution for the new academic year to publish more? Here, 16 scholars give advice on pitching, editing and writing – and dealing with negative peer reviews

The distinguished historian talks to Matthew Reisz about his latest book and his new role as president of the British Academy

Taiwan hopes that attracting students from further afield, particularly mainland China, will help to address its higher education crisis. But this in turn brings challenges, including compromised academic freedom, writes Chris Parr

Salary transparency can promote equality but also tends to foment jealousy and strife among academic staff, as Adrian Furnham has seen at first hand

Holly Else considers how the withdrawal of one of the biggest players in European research could change science on the Continent, and likely national winners and losers

Last week, the UK’s universities minister threatened to fine institutions that pay their v-cs more than the prime minister without a strong justification. We present three perspectives on the debate 

The bullying and subsequent suicide of a talented Ivy League scientist exposes ugly truths about the cruelty and dysfunction at the heart of academic science

An academic parent, a student and two researchers consider if the metrics approach is really the game changer for improving student outcomes that many claim, or if it has a dark side