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A sideways look at the week’s big stories

A court in Germany has given a “glimmer of hope” to inventors hoping to patent human embryonic stem cell technologies in Europe.

Anti-apartheid campaigner Albie Sachs has twice received a lifeline, writes David Matthews

School of Humanities bolsters Tsinghua’s ascent to global elite, Carolynne Wheeler hears in Beijing

Remuneration of Russell Group v-cs up as pension allowances approach ceiling. Jack Grove reports

David Willetts, the universities and science minister, has been attacked by a Tory colleague for showing "snobbishness" on university access and perpetuating an "authoritarian elitist fantasy" in his policies.

The proportion of staff submitted by each unit of assessment to the 2014 research excellence framework will become clear for the first time after the Higher Education Statistics Agency announced it will release statistics on the number of academics eligible to be submitted.

The government has appointed a reviewer to assess any appeals by universities against decisions taken by Les Ebdon, the director of fair access.

A university will this week welcome 90 academics from a single Japanese institution in what thought to be the biggest international symposium of its kind held in the UK.

The coalition government has praised universities as "the driving force behind our increasingly high-tech, knowledge-based economy" in its mid-term review.

The Council for Assisting Refugee Academics (Cara) has called for urgent support to be given to Syrian academics and students caught up in the country’s civil war.

A former researcher at the universities of Glasgow and Liverpool has been found guilty of serious scientific misconduct by his previous university in Singapore.

The fall in university applications could be "a societal turning-point" and the government must launch a national campaign to ensure higher education is seen as affordable, a vice-chancellor and former Labour higher education minister has warned.

University applicant numbers have continued to fall for the second consecutive year - with around 18,000 fewer people applying to higher education compared to the same time last year, new figures show.

The Quality Assurance Agency will be bailed out by the taxpayer if it is sued by a private college that fails an inspection, it has emerged.

Universities hope California’s referendum on state funding may set a precedent. Jon Marcus writes

‘Probably the most significant medieval historian’ rounds on absentee students. Paul Jump writes

Unions protest over transfer of academic support services to external firm. Jack Grove reports

IE University in Segovia occupies the site of the first Dominican convent on Spanish soil, Santa Cruz la Real.

The UK higher education sector has concluded that an insurance scheme to guarantee international students a fees refund or alternative places should their course or university close down is “essential”.

University efforts to make it easier to remove fixed-term staff anger unions. Jack Grove writes

Selective universities could be granted extra student numbers to allow them to admit disadvantaged applicants with potential but without the highest grades.

A sociology lecturer at the University of Birmingham is at the centre of a redundancy row that could lead to industrial action among the institution’s 1,000 University and College Union members.

NAO and PAC study of student loans should look at public oversight, experts argue. John Morgan writes

University professors have the least stressful career in the US - narrowly beating tailors and seamstresses into second place, a job listing website has found

Edinburgh’s chief information officer offers advice for Futurelearn platform. Chris Parr reports

The private equity firm that owns the UK’s first for-profit university will have a say in controlling the institution’s academic authority.

Three-tier teaching bursaries for certain subjects may not work, says educator. John Elmes reports

To many in the West, Central Asia is a bewildering array of indistinguishable nations. But if you take the time to get to know them, argues David Mould, the ‘stans’ are fascinating individuals

Elizabeth Gibney on the Wellcome Trust’s top job, one of the most powerful roles in UK research

A sideways look at the week’s big stories

New v-c of Wales’ research powerhouse is keen to sharpen focus on China, writes David Matthews

Academy’s use of financial instruments worries politicians. Martin Mevius reports

Third of sector expects staff to hold qualification, FoI request shows. Elizabeth Gibney reports

An interview with former foreign secretary David Miliband is among the first podcasts now available on 51�Թ�'s own podcast channel.

Academics’ pay and stress levels featured prominently in the ten most popular 51�Թ� news stories of 2012.

The number of students embarking on pharmacy programmes in England will be restricted to match the number of NHS-funded training placements.

One of the men who predicted the existence of the Higgs boson particle has been given the highest possible accolade in the New Year Honours list, released today.

An outsourcing company has announced that it will buy i-graduate, a firm that surveys international students and agents, for up to £7.5 million.

George Osborne, the chancellor, has announced the allocation of £21.5 million for projects to unlock practical applications for the “miracle material” graphene.

The 51�Թ� Office has released more details of the controversial extra 100,000 interviews to be introduced for international students planning to study in the UK, which will cover applicants' educational history and chosen institution.

Universities are increasingly paying for student field trips after this year's hike in student fees, a new report suggests.

Chinese students who study in Britain return to their home country more open-minded and tolerant, according to a new study.

The government has announced changes to copyright that it hopes will bring existing exceptions for education, research and archiving up to date.

Universities that failed to fill undergraduate places this year will not generally be hit with cuts to their student number allocation next year, unless their shortfalls were "extreme", England's funding council has announced.

Eleven journal papers have been retracted after it was discovered that they were accepted on the basis of fake reviews.

History publications press funders to rethink ‘gold’ licence and ‘green’ embargo. Paul Jump writes

These are among the items in The Cabinet of Things used by Falmouth University's Academy for Innovation and Research as tools for stimulating creativity, particularly during "sandpit" problem-solving workshops for businesses.

Jack Grove reports from the SRHE annual conference on efforts to clarify an ‘unclearly defined’ role

Part-time teachers are not getting the support they require from university departments, despite their growing importance within the academy.

Cambridge tech to boost students’ computer skills captures imagination of British public. Chris Parr reports

David Willetts points to the price paid by Ivy League for donor cash. David Matthews writes