51³Ô¹Ï

Outrageous fortune runs through the worlds of darts, particle physics and Dad's Army, learns Gary Day

Keeping faith in the academy's core missions of research and education is the best way to serve students, society and the sector

Sally Feldman urges partnerships with both Israel's and Palestine's academies

Technology can facilitate scholarship, particularly when it is intuitive and user-friendly, argues Tara Brabazon

An overseas applicant¡¯s woefully illiterate proposal on the feminine wiles of Olivia Cromwell nearly leads to civil war in the department. Gloria Monday rallies her fellow academics.

The passing of American singer, guitarist, songwriter and civil-rights activist Odetta reminds us of the power of music and the relevance of history, says Tara Brabazon

In a turbulent year, says Bill Wakeham, academic unions should join forces with institutions to survive the downturn

Soran Reader, a moral philosopher facing the prospect of losing her life, memory or thought, is outraged that the law bars living wills

Reincarnation is a theme of Gary Day's viewing over the new year, from former lives to world religions

Post-RAE, Bahram Bekhradnia calls for a renewed commitment to base public policy on evidence, not administrative convenience

Insults toasting on an open flame test Kevin Fong's post-Christmas spirit

It is not only academics who are snapped up by rival employers, but Jon Baldwin says strong organisations survive

Jonathan Adams says that even close scrutiny of the intriguing 2008 data gives no firm answers about who's better and who's best

Gary Day on the Time Lord's festive caper, Wallace and Gromit's latest escapade and the Nativity

The struggle for economic recovery will present the sector with opportunities - it must seize them and put them to good use

Alan Ryan declares "Bah, Humbug!" to resolutions for university funding

Managers have gone to work on the RAE figures, and now Gloria Monday does not know if her university has gone up, down or nowhere at all. But she knows she¡¯s unlikely to be any better off

The standard critical and academic response to the film Australia from the likes of Germaine Greer miss the point about the artificiality of cinema and the use of sentiment as style, argues Tara Brabazon

Gary Day finds a Santa lookalike in Egypt, bigotry in Kansas, sublime jazz and rapidly melting Arctic ice

Sheep have moved on since the nativity, says Frank Burnet as he ruminates on the ruminants with star quality to spare

By exerting steady upward pressure on quality, the RAE gave the UK much to celebrate and the world much to envy, says David Eastwood

Gary Day on life after the Army, teenagers and technology, lost childhoods and 90 years of the RAF

Tara Brabazon argues that popularising serious ideas enlightens no one

RAE 2008 has proved that UK universities are dominant on the world stage, but the proportion of staff submitted is still an issue

Journals want 'no ifs and buts' research, but Tim Birkhead wants honesty

Gloria Monday wonders about the dean¡¯s motives in choosing the evening of the RAE results day for his annual Christmas party

At a time when writing on technology and the future is banal, Tara Brabazon discovers a new source of trenchant critical commentary

John Ashworth wonders whether Cara's 75th anniversary is really a cause for celebration or a reason for reflection

The lack of an intensity measure could dent confidence in the outcome of the research assessment exercise, says Brian Cantor

Gary Day on the physics of time, lonely women flirting with youth, religion, and the aftermath of flu

University-led institutes involving employers and councils can give vocational education the status it deserves, says Ron Dearing

Felipe Fern¨¢ndez-Armesto takes a farewell look from Tufts' hilltop campus

Oxford interviewers are in pursuit of potential - not privilege, says Kevin Sharpe, who seized his opportunity to show himself off to advantage

Kafka, the porn connoisseur - he's a laugh; but after trips to Italy, Gary Day finds Walford a tad depressing

Tara Brabazon on John Sergeant and Kristina Rihanoff¡¯s thrilling subversion of the controlling, conservative dark side of light entertainment

The three-year limit on PhDs is creating conflict: are they for learning research skills or for making advances in the field?

An academic is calling for all dons with permanent posts to get the title. Melanie Newman reports

Sally Feldman lauds the daredevils who inspire students to defy and test limits

A publicly supported national university would benefit all students, says Brian Roper, rather than just the best prepared

Tara Brabazon on the rise of the soundbite over analysis

As deputy head of department, Gloria Monday finds herself in the unenviable position of looking for ways to cut costs

Gender and ethnicity are subject to constant scrutiny, but middle and upper-class dominance of academia must be challenged

Kevin Fong seeks a middle ground between affirmative action and passivity

The European Reference Index for the Humanities seeks to highlight research, not criticise it, says Michael Worton

On the eve of Darwin's bicentenary, Michael Reiss argues that there can be a dialogue between religious believers and empiricist

With high expectations for the credible Devil's Whore, Gary Day attempts to avoid a Spanish flu outbreak

Frank Furedi on the assumptions, agendas and distinctly iffy data behind those ubiquitous words, 'research shows'

Through its failure to reward academics for their social responsibility, the RAE is encouraging moral bankruptcy, argues Stefano Harney

After a Gok Wan-inspired 'domestic', Gary Day muses on religion, eternal life and the ugliness of bigotry

Bursaries should remove barriers to participation, but instead they confuse and perhaps even deter those they were intended to help

Alan Ryan muses on the London Met chief's views on state funding for Oxbridge

Take great care when answering questions about your academic interests in online surveys, William Keenan warns

John Holford fears that the Denham 'user group' may be unaware of Tawney's ideal of education's generous, humane and liberal spirit

HRH's 60th birthday: what's to celebrate, asks Gary Day. Plus, old bones, tired comedy and undead spies

For three decades, Laurie Taylor has constantly reminded us of our better and freer intellectual selves, says Peter Scott

Natural selection is too hard for educators - not the kids, says Tim Birkhead

Felipe Fern¨¢ndez-Armesto on Teach for America's force for educational good