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The financial crisis will force universities to make difficult choices not just about how they operate but to what end

Alan Ryan favours imagination over exaggeration when it comes to cutbacks

Failure to make the running exposes the problem of having an unconventional background

As the gateway to the professions, universities must do all they can, including considering context in admissions, to ensure fair access, says David Lammy

Michael Thorne is sceptical about media commentary that assumes that a wave of mergers and takeovers is the inevitable result of the recent funding cuts

To maintain the UK's position in distance learning, we have to focus on education, not technology, argues Helen Lentell

Gary Day finds poetry in the mathematics of the Universe as he sees the chaos in everything

The wellbeing of individuals matters, but what matters more is the wellbeing of a sector facing swingeing cuts

Less money and control, more stress - will anyone flourish? asks Tim Birkhead

Constantine Sandis is disturbed by a claim that academics have the right to say what they want at all times, in all places

The downturn has prompted drastic university funding cuts in some nations, but increased investment in others, notes Simon Marginson

Chris Higgins and Anthony Forster argue that we must stop expecting all universities to deliver on both research and teaching

Being given the opportunity to apply for jobs can make all the difference to one¡¯s state of mind

Thomson Reuters' institutional profiles will help create the most definitive global rankings yet, writes Jonathan Adams

Jon F. Baldwin says the sector can't afford to leave its fate in the hands of the party that happens to win the next general election

Tim Luckhurst says economic and legal problems are already threatening the journalism profession - any lack of integrity could be fatal for the business

Social science bodies must stop professional protectionism and draft a common research ethics code, says Ron Iphofen

Gary Day is bemused by nationwide reactions to the wintry weather. It is, after all, seasonal for January

English libel law allows all comers from across the globe to chill free speech and still scholarly inquiry. Reform is now essential

Let¡¯s abolish it and nurture scepticism instead, says Felipe Fern¨¢ndez-Armesto

Brian Eno¡¯s post-musicianship is a dream for the new humanities, argues Tara Brabazon

Family responsibilities require complex arrangements to allow time for work ¨C but when they break down, they become an acute source of anxiety for the temporary contractor

Tidiness and academic work just don't go together, believes Sally Feldman

Let's learn from the Olympics and allow departments to pick the areas that feed into rankings, argues Richard Rose

Dumbing down threatens our culture, yet a managerialised academy can do nothing to arrest the decline, warns Kevin Sharpe

The academy promises to play a vital role in the UK's economic recovery this year and must demand more financial support, asserts Paul Wellings

Ian Searle argues that public funding for education focuses too heavily on the young and not enough on older learners

Gary Day remains unenlightened about the Turin Shroud, and finds Cupid's arrow wide of the mark

The liberal arts feel threatened by indifference and the impact agenda. Can we recognise their true worth before they are gone?

The thought of becoming a public intellectual has many attractions but plenty of downsides, too

Reproductive technologies offer older women more choice, but who gains the most benefit, asks Rachel Bowlby

Financial discrimination against part-time students must end even if we can't say how it will affect gender imbalance, argues Tom Schuller

backwards on me Hostess trolley, writes Gary Day, who waxes lyrical about Victoria Wood and Botticelli

As we bid farewell to the old unit of resource and usher in a new reduced one, we anticipate a year of fear, uncertainty and pain

Post-Copenhagen, it's clear that logic alone won't save us, writes Kevin Fong

The new decade offers exciting technological developments that can transform our learning environment and bring multiple benefits to all university students

It¡¯s difficult to relax and enjoy the holidays with unemployment looming ever closer.

Being interviewed for unsuitable posts and forms that require a PhD in splitting hairs are all part of the ¡®fun¡¯ of searching for a permanent post

Scientists offered guidelines to repair the damage caused by the Nutt affair, but the Government¡¯s response threatens to undermine independent advice and must be resisted, writes Evan Harris

What is 'high-quality' feedback? Frank Furedi says it is an ongoing, interactive process where it's always good to talk

A.W. Purdue welcomes the festive season when all the favourites reappear, despite unnerving visits from the ghosts of interviews past

A radical rebranding programme would please politicians, obviate the need for the QAA and bring a certain je ne sais quoi to the sector. Michael Thorne writes

Britons' use of 'sorry' evinces a culture scared of doing the wrong thing. A bit of positivity would help, says Robert Segal

It was Professor Plum with the candlestick, says Gary Day, who is fascinated by a history of board games

Before we commit to linking funding to impact, we should wait for the results of pilots to determine its feasibility

Alan Ryan says Labour would be best off abrogating all responsibility for fees

We live in an environment of too much information, and need to develop a more discerning intellectual palate

As the REF consultation winds up, Donald Braben looks back at previous attempts to exploit research. The results were mixed, because future performance in science and technology is virtually impossible to predict

The burden of trying to generate enthusiasm and work is suffocating me

Gary Day is moved by the stories of those close to death and fascinated by a preserved pachyderm

If climate research is seen as 'tribal' and unable to bear scrutiny, the whole scientific edifice is weakened

Simplify grant applications and release time for teaching, says Tim Birkhead

The main parties' desire for students to be 'better informed' is dangerous, futile and immoral, warns Roger Brown