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Sociologist of queer nightlife on the fate of gay bars, the power of a good night out, and why academia could benefit from a bit more joy

Mental health advocate discusses growing up amid the Troubles, speaking truth to power, and what¡¯s wrong with photos

Journalism professor discusses identifying misinformation in Hong Kong, how deep-fakes are complicating fact-checking and transitioning from practice to research

A winner of this year¡¯s Ig Nobels describes how he debunked claims about extreme ageing, his alternative career path as a surfer, and why the thermal tolerance of plants keeps him up at night

Expert in early years development at the University of East London discusses working with children, translating his work for a TV audience and why more scholars should consider leaving the research intensives

Microbiologist on her latest breakthrough and why we should care more about our guts

The Newsnight producer who persuaded Prince Andrew to give that interview reflects on why her law degree helped to impress in the media, the Netflix film about her ¡®journalistic underdog¡¯ story and teaching at LSE

Great British Bake Off finalist and researcher at the University of Leicester discusses the importance of community outreach, and what academia can learn from baking

Earthquake engineer on feedback loops in research and higher education reform

Law professor discusses China¡¯s position on AI and what¡¯s really driving government intervention in the country¡¯s technology companies

Ghana¡¯s first female economics professor discusses why it has taken so long for an appointment like hers, and how she splits her time between academia and the priesthood

Goldsmiths creative writing lecturer talks about the difficulties of revisiting his psychological breakdown for his acclaimed memoir The Bullet

Literary critic and cultural historian on utopian fiction, the patriarchy and the perils of budget cuts

Leaving Boston University to start a new school of public health at Washington University in St Louis, the Malta native eyes the critical importance of shaping public attitudes

Founder of Black Female Academics¡¯ Network discusses working in industry and academia, being a workaholic undergraduate and why Caribbean and Yorkshire values are strikingly similar

The higher education researcher reflects on transitioning between Australian and Chinese institutions and how universities are searching for ¡®new deals¡¯

Quadriplegic researcher and emergency doctor explains why logistical impediments are not the primary problem

The astronomer discusses her calling for the stars, the importance of getting more women into senior positions in her field, and the perils of early morning Zoom calls

Professor reflects on Liverpool¡¯s ¡®literary greats¡¯ and how a lost archive led to his ¡®warts and all¡¯ profile of the Fab Four and their road manager

Evolutionary biologist on the importance of fungal networks and why science is creative

Essex professor discusses studying war¡¯s legacy in grief and the importance of history beyond Oxbridge 

Classics-loving British transplant to the Ivy League describes the joy of translating ancient texts just for the gift of the intellectual struggle

Polar scientist on working with David Attenborough, capturing nuance in diversity debates and the continued importance of the Open University

The University of Miami dean of medicine describes tough but valuable school years in Brooklyn after his family escaped Haiti, and their role in committing him to a diverse model of excellence

The senior lecturer in financial risk management discusses his academic career around the world, his admiration for Galileo and how a traditional game inspired his love of mathematics

The biographer of the first black American woman to study at Oxford discusses life in segregated schools in the South, why affirmative action still matters and ¡®election-style¡¯ efforts to unseat Harvard president Claudine Gay

Educator and equity analyst discusses bilingualism, academia¡¯s misguided values and the societal benefits of scientific uncertainty

Wellesley environmental historian on drawing inspiration from students for his Cundill History Prize-nominated book on batteries, and why the West risks growing China dependency in clean energy era

The Georgetown professor of Middle East and Islamic politics talks of hating his parents¡¯ return to Iran after the 1979 revolution ¨C and crediting it with his life¡¯s mission of advancing democracy and human rights

Economic psychology professor discusses his first book, A Theory of Everyone, lessons learnt from a peripatetic childhood and how a need to ¡®manage risks¡¯ as an undergraduate inspired his multidisciplinary approach

Health researcher on bridging the policy-academia divide and navigating global health politics

The lecturer in Islamic art discusses how her son set her on the way to contributing to one the world¡¯s biggest-selling video game franchises and why she resists the idea of impact

The political philosopher and anthropologist talks about the city that made her, what she learned as a squatter and the importance of dance for revolutions

The astronomer discusses the discovery of stars that explode as supernovae, having his work replicated in Minecraft and the importance of public understanding to astrophysics

Molecular ecologist on moving around, moving genes around, how she juggles four concurrent positions and the importance of thinking before you act

Critical care medicine professor explains why she was compelled to write the remarkable tale of how students, scientists and doctors united to fight polio 70 years ago

The journalist and writer on choosing a ¡®cool¡¯ place to study, Luton Town¡¯s ¡®underdog¡¯ story and becoming his hometown¡¯s university chancellor

The research director of Harvard¡¯s Shorenstein Centre on Media, Politics and Public Policy talks about growing up in an environment of aggressive scepticism, and then battling an academic culture that can¡¯t handle it

Orwell Prize nominated writer on decolonising medicine, being inspired by her father and her experiences working as a sexual and reproductive health registrar in the NHS

The Mongolian researcher on her journey from growing up in a yurt and herding sheep to identifying livestock diseases in the lab

The historian talks about growing up in the ¡®open-air museum¡¯ of Berlin and his popular books on some of the 20th century¡¯s most terrible events and individuals

The statistical literacy professor talks about her working-class upbringing and her passion for helping young people break barriers

New chancellor of Oxford Brookes University on overcoming racism at school, ¡®tedious¡¯ drama school politics and ¡®nonsense¡¯ claims of ¡®wokery¡¯ over decolonisation of curricula

The Dutch scientist on the physics of surfing, his re-entry into additive manufacturing and how he¡¯s ¡®drinking from the firehose¡¯ as dean of sport

The India-born, CUNY-based expert on light-matter interaction discusses his work to help school students share his sense of excitement

Literature scholar talks about life in Japan and being an academic single mother

The Seattle University academic and novelist talks about satirising a type of male scholar who wins the plum posts, despite harming colleagues

Industrial relations professor discusses how his field has become dominated by HR, the role of public intellectuals and his book on rail union leader Mick Lynch

The advocate and project manager talks about his Roma identity and problems with Hungarian higher education

Magical literature professor reflects on the influence of witch trials on contemporary US politics, the Harry Potter novels and dealing with requests for exorcisms

The expert in outbreak medicine discusses overcoming early academic challenges, the UK government¡¯s response to the Covid-19 pandemic, and how a chance meeting over bagpipes changed his life

A widening access alumnus and practitioner on the difficulties of coming into academia from a background of poverty

Expert in online education long before it became fashionable discusses what can be learned from the gaming industry, common mistakes innovators make and why her own undergraduate experience was an unhappy one

A crusader for equity in teaching design finds a formula that works across borders and sectors, with critical importance for society as a whole

The war studies professor on Ukraine, writing speeches for Tony Blair and late career fame on Substack

The Harvard researcher discusses his humble upbringing and how the plight of Dalits is now being taken more seriously, in academia and beyond

Drug discoverer talks about her caravan childhood, her frustration with process inefficiencies and why researchers need to understand the business side

The mathematician and author talks about how her experience of racism and ¡®not fitting in¡¯ prepared her for being a woman in maths, and how abstract maths can stimulate empathy

The UK¡¯s youngest lecturer talks about an international upbringing that made her at home in academia and the fresh perspective of youth in research

The writer and academic talks about her philosophical fascination with the mind and body, and why she wrote about her mother¡¯s dementia