Why Sorbonne Pulled out of University Ranking
Sorbonne University plans to leave the Times Higher Education Rankings. According to its president, most of these rankings are "black boxes" whose methods raise ethical questions.
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Europe Stands at a Crossroads
Universities remain the backbone of social and technological progress. However, not everybody in Europe understands the power and strength of basic science and its importance for the future progress of the continent.
Stop the University Ranking Circus
In June 2024, a study called for an end to use of ranking to validate research. The researchers gave their reasons. Others have followed even while the ranking industry seems to be coming off more and more popular with students, parents and recruiters.
Universities Must Lead in Reclaiming Scientific Sovereignty
Africa's limited control over its own research priorities, publishing platforms, and funding streams has left the continent vulnerable to external i...
New Research Shows That Powerhouse Institutions Play an Outsized Role in Scientific Innovation and Discovery
New Research Shows That Powerhouse Institutions Play an Outsized Role in Scientific Innovation and Discovery
Where does scientific discovery happen, and why does it matter? A recent analysis by Amitabh Chandra, Harvard Kennedy School professor of Public Policy, and Connie Xu, a Harvard PhD candidate in health policy, finds that strong scientific institutions play a significant role in output in the life sciences.
Universities Struggle to Recognise Leadership Beyond the Academic Template
Universities Struggle to Recognise Leadership Beyond the Academic Template
Second-career academics and pracademics challenge traditional notions of academic leadership - and that's exactly what universities need.
Trump's Attack on US Universities is an Attack on All Universities
This year marks the 80th anniversary of one of the most influential science policy papers ever published: "Science: the Endless Frontier," a report by presidential advisor Vannevar Bush that served as the blueprint for the post-WWII rise of the US as the world's leader in scientific research, innovation and education. Bush famously wrote:
More than 60 German Universities and Research Institutions Leave X
More than 60 German Universities and Research Institutions Leave X
Changes to the social media platform make further use “untenable”
UNESCO Seeks to Give Impetus to Scholarly Work on Slavery
UNESCO has called for the creation of university chairs for the study of the history of enslavement and the transatlantic slave trade.
A Higher Education Transformation Fund Would Catalyse University Reform
Universities might be able to transform without help, but public investment would bring pace and focus on national priorities. Alistair Jarvis sets out how a transformation fund could work.
Improving Universities' Public Standing
How universities can help make their case
The EU must treat universities as partners, not tools
Policymakers’ view of R&I needs to look beyond narrow economic objectives, says Thomas Jørgensen
How Swiss Universities Combat Espionage from High-Risk Nations
Worsening geopolitical tensions are forcing Swiss universities to reconcile global cooperation with a growing list of tougher sanctions.
Patenting by European Universities on the Rise
European universities are behind more than 10% of all patent applications filed at the EPO from within Europe. However, wide variations in patterns of ownership and commercialisation are much in evidence.
Repression Grows in Russian Universities
Civil rights activists report that any criticism of the war in Ukraine is being stifled. Militarisation and ideological indoctrination are also increasing.
Neutrality’s Effects On Academic Freedom
The idea that universities in the United States—and especially their presidents—should be politically neutral was taking hold long before their recent struggles in responding to the Israel–Hamas war.
Universities Need to Start Experimenting On Themselves
Internal meta research units could help tackle challenges of resourcing and culture.
Students Seek Bigger Role in European Education Area
European Students’ Union wants direct participation embedded in governance structures of EU education initiatives
Do Universities Anchor Innovation or Just Organise It?
Universities are often invoked as vital drivers of local economic growth, innovative technologies and businesses. However, as James Evans discusses their influence on local innovation may be overestimated in comparison to the role they play in organising and helping these businesses develop.
Canadian Science Gets Biggest Boost to PhD and Postdoc Pay in 20 Years
Canadian Science Gets Biggest Boost to PhD and Postdoc Pay in 20 Years
Government budget includes more money for basic research and notable increases to postgraduate stipends.
We Need a University Check for New EU Legislation
The wave of new EU digital regulation has revealed a particular blind spot in EU policy making. While these regulations are not specific to universities, they do have a considerable impact on the day-to-day running of these institutions.
Universities Protest EU Plan for Register of Foreign Funding
Proposal for register of organisations receiving non-EU funding risks being "harmful", says European University Association.
Corporate Funding for Universities: Serving Society or Human Greed?
Corporate Funding for Universities: Serving Society or Human Greed?
Is it right for banks to fund the academic chairs that will train the economists and financiers of tomorrow?
The Younger Generation Fighting Sexual Harassment at Swiss Universities
The Younger Generation Fighting Sexual Harassment at Swiss Universities
Public awareness campaigns have not stemmed sexual harassment at Swiss universities. A new generation of women is taking matters into their own hands.
United States to End Race-Based University Admissions: What Now for Diversity in Science?
United States to End Race-Based University Admissions: What Now for Diversity in Science?
The US Supreme Court has struck down colleges’ and universities’ right to use race as a factor in deciding which students they admit.
Beyond the Doughnut - Five Ways to Use Altmetrics for Academic Success
Beyond the Doughnut - Five Ways to Use Altmetrics for Academic Success
A decade on since their inception, Andy Tattersall considers how academics can make use of altmetrics in ways that go beyond counts and metrics.
University Strikes: How the Marking Boycott Affects Cambridge
University Strikes: How the Marking Boycott Affects Cambridge
Members of the University and College Union (UCU) are continuing a marking and assessment boycott over pay and working conditions. The BBC spoke to students and staff at the University of Cambridge about how the situation is being handled there.
Thinking Allowed - Elite Universities - Working Class Students
Elite universities and the lives of working class academics.
Classroom Assistance: the Scientists Turning the Tools of Their Trade to Education
Classroom Assistance: the Scientists Turning the Tools of Their Trade to Education
A small but growing number of scientific faculty positions are focusing on the science of teaching.
Unnecessary Research Bureaucracy is Killing Academic Productivity, But It IS Fixable
Unnecessary Research Bureaucracy is Killing Academic Productivity, But It IS Fixable
Research bureaucracy and administrative burden has become so overpowering that many researchers are reporting that they don't have time to do any research anymore. Phill Jones argues that technology in the form of PIDs will go a long way to fixing this.
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