Opinion

Keeping highly trained people on tenterhooks for so long undermines the conditions necessary for innovation, says a university manager

Power relations would be more equitable if all leading disciplinary journals and books were published in multiple languages, says Simon Marginson

Maintaining authority, professional distance and ‘authenticity’ is hard among people who knew you pre-academia, reflects Brad Evans

Historical ties and cultural cachet mean that even as outbound South Korean student numbers fluctuate, the US remains the top choice, says Kyuseok Kim

Higher international fees for in-person courses are vital to universities, but online students can be charged the same wherever they live, says Tim Dunne 

Opportunities that enhance employability and the student experience will boost both enrolments and donations, says Robert Phillips

No one should assume that university managers and consultants have all the solutions to UK universities’ financial woes, says Chris Moore

Upfront costs can run into thousands of pounds, so speedy repayment is vital for equal access to permanent employment, says Eleanor Palser

Institutions should push the Qatar government harder to improve conditions and wages for their migrant labourers, say Karl Widerquist and Ian Almond

The behaviour of some has effectively served to chill the views of others. But this flies in the face of universities’ core role, says Dawn Freshwater

Debate risks legitimising dehumanising ideologies, but rebutting such views is how progress has always been made, says Eric Heinze

Scholarly inquiry is already improving UK society, but its full impact won't be felt until researchers better engage with policymakers, says Rita Gardner

The weaponisation of plagiarism allegations to remove Harvard’s president is no cause for celebration, says research fraudbuster David Sanders

We won’t stop until staff and members in every branch, every department and every team feel that they are treated fairly and equally, says Jo Grady

Across the Western world, decades of growth in university participation are being repainted as a policy error as funding woes come to a head

A competing human rights framework would help the likes of Jo Phoenix and her critics into a dialogue shaped by active listening, says Andy Hargreaves 

As a woman concerned by gender inequality, I could be tolerated coming up to the elbows of the men in power, but not to their shoulders, says Pat O’Connor

The nature of the job differs dramatically depending on how one physically presents. Teaching support needs to catch up, says Hannah Kim

Academic leaders should stay out of politics to encourage debate and promote expertise, says Daniel Diermeier

The sudden imposition of political restrictions on recruitment causes students from countries such as Iran a lot of anguish, says Roohola Ramezani 

Most students want universities, first and foremost, to boost employability. Underplaying that purpose will only alienate them, says Samuel Abrams

Despite a court’s endorsement of controversial virologist Alexander Kekulé’s suspension, suspicions linger that it is politically motivated, says Brian Bloch

Endless accommodations and coaxing are only encouraging student uninterest and indolence, says Michael Baumann

The Technical University of Munich is moving beyond outreach and creating a two-way dialogue with society, says Jeanne Rubner

Scarce funding means only the library-driven Subscribe to Open scheme is viable outside the sciences, says Christina Lembrecht

UK research funding urgently needs to become less onerous and less unfair if we don’t want applicants to simply give up, says Melvyn Smith

When it launches next year, the lifelong learning entitlement could boost both university finances and social mobility, says Zahir Irani

We must research the impact of predicted grades on students’ well-being and learning behaviour at a critical stage in their education, says Luke Ellmers

Swansea University and TATA Steel’s steps towards fossil-free futures, in the geographical heart of extraction, offer hope for the planet, says Anna Pigott

Oxford Brookes’ confirmation of its decision this week is another blow to the UK’s status as a global music powerhouse, says Daniel Grimley

It is not easy for university management to push back against large numbers of people, but resisting harassment should be paramount, says Ian Pace

Higher education has long been a trump card for the West, helping it to win hearts and minds. If that advantage slips, the impact will be far-reaching

The pension scheme’s healthy reported surplus could allow us to put benefits and contribution rates on a more stable long-term footing, says Carol Young

With careful prompting, the AI can offer personalised tutoring that helps students understand where they need to go, says Dan Sarofian-Butin

Allowing a thousand flowers to bloom is no longer practical for universities aspiring to be better known for their research, says Robert Brown

Amid creeping political influence over universities, both academics and students are oddly quiet, says Mukhtar Ahmad

When adjunct faculty contribute so much to US academia, why are they denied basic benefits such as health insurance and medical leave, asks Josh Hiller

Would someone who found effective software for their department never have to buy a beer again? Not according to my survey, says Paul Breen

Far from being elitist, UCU Left members see collective decision-making as key to campaigning strength, says general secretary candidate Saira Weiner

Claudine Gay did not plagiarise, and those who add her to the list of leaders who did ignore the hostile context of the accusations, says Harvey Graff

It is vital for academics to speak science to power, from bona fide billionaires to hard-pressed policymakers, says Stuart Brocklehurst

Previous output is by far the best predictor of future success, but has become far less important for Dutch funding allocation, says Raymond Poot

A reinforced focus on access and participation plans belies the collaboration that makes a real difference, say Graeme Atherton and Philip Dent

Stealing other people’s research students corrupts collegiality, the cornerstone of academic life, says T. Prabhakar Clement

Making good the human capital losses resulting from Russia’s invasion will be vastly easier if the existing workforce can be reskilled, says Alexander Kostyuk

Required remedies include harsher punishments, more flexible research design stipulations and stronger social sanctions, says Akhil Bhardwaj

After years of warnings, a dip in international enrolments risks tipping universities into crisis. It is deeply strange that government seems not to care

The British Library cyber-attack underlines that HE and research libraries’ technologies and policies put us at too much risk, says Fiona Greig

Some narcissistic v-cs have lost sight of their real job – to be the custodian of their university’s heritage and to safeguard its future, says Kieran Walshe

Elitist, undemocratic activists’ revolutionary aspirations explain their enthusiasm for futile industrial action, say John Kelly and Adam Ozanne

Universities must address the deficit by offering training in public speaking to all undergraduates regardless of course, says Simon Hall 

Relying on search firms and ignoring faculty input is one big reason why incumbencies are shortening and success is becoming rarer, says Harvey Graff

Both publishers and the editing firms they outsource to must seek informed consent to use academics’ IP, say Alan Blackwell and Zoe Swenson-Wright

Confusion abounds but UK law is clear: universities can share personal data to prevent harm, says Viv Adams of the Information Commissioner’s Office

By instilling a passion for innovation and interdisciplinary exploration, higher education can and must remain relevant, say Teruo Fujii and Joseph Aoun 

Whatever the rights and wrongs of the Claudine Gay case, proper referencing should be insisted on to encourage critical, original thinking, says Ian Pace

A significant amount of money goes unclaimed even during a cost-of-living crisis because of arduous and opaque application processes, says Eve Dullabh

Our research suggests students of colour are more likely to have negative encounters with campus guards, say Remi Joseph-Salisbury and Laura Connelly

Codes’ vague, narrow and toothless provisions are failing to promote the safety and well-being of all university community members, says Richard Joseph

Recent years have thrown up both predictable challenges and unforeseeable exogenous events at universities. What do sector leaders foresee in 2024?