Covid-19

Survey in US and EU affirms gender gap in working time, but sees small children as bigger factor

Government strategy for HE set out in conditions for emergency loans for universities at risk of failure in Covid crisis

Universities’ breadth of viewpoints more important than ever in this ‘dark period of history’, says Melbourne v-c

St. Francis Xavier had attributed idea to lack of insurance coverage

Australian university’s financial problems force a restructure and 500 redundancies, but vice-chancellor stresses opportunity in adversity

UCU poll seeks to step up political pressure on ministers to offer extra funding for universities during pandemic

Sued by universities, administration ends plan to evict foreigners whose campuses stay online

‘Cloud’ discounts and fee and subsidy tweaks could underpin acceptable compromise deal, policy specialist suggests

The differential impacts of the Covid-19 wrecking ball reflect different countries’ priorities, conference hears

Survey of 4,000 faculty shows first-timers struggling with student engagement

But follow-up survey flags ‘generational’ loss of market share in countries that eschew charter flights

One-third of respondents to NUS survey say they would feel ‘not at all safe’ if teaching returned to normal in September

Late move by Trump leaves Canada and UK with few options for bailing out victims of new student visa restrictions

Young scholars’ lack of reputation and digital prominence risks seeing them excluded from online conferences, says Scott Rich

Students and parents despair at disparity between predicted and final scores, with many saying that university places are at risk

Commons committee calls for clearer guidance and additional funding to cover reimbursements

Covid-19 ushered in a very different first 100 days for new University of Auckland head Dawn Freshwater

Applicants face ‘mixed messages’ from sector, with institutions adopting varying tactics

With universities stressing urgency, court to decide by mid-week on banning evictions

New intervention by the Copyright Licensing Agency may offer hope to universities struggling to access essential texts

A new research project will draw on academic expertise to ‘reset and reimagine’ cultural life in the UK

No longer able to recruit from overseas, some colleges pay ‘extortionate’ commissions to recruit from their competitors

Aston head Alec Cameron says 50 per cent fall in overseas enrolment revenue is ‘not pessimistic’

Trial flights of overseas students taken off the table, as safe haven visas for Hong Kong students herald more tension with China

Across leading higher education sectors, black and ethnic minority academics are more likely to be in the insecure roles being targeted by coronavirus-triggered saving programmes

Steering the innovation currently taking place in educational institutions could have major long-term benefits, says Fernando Reimers

Female representation in Asian academia’s senior ranks is low by international standards. There are some encouraging signs that the situation is being addressed, but might the disproportionate effect of the Covid-19 lockdowns on women undo the good work? Joyce Lau reports

Manchester v-c also calls for rethink on REF and predicts UK will not join next EU research programme

Universities plot targeted class structures to help avoid deportations

Latin American university leaders tell THE summit that countries will need skills of non-science graduates as they recover from coronavirus

Data cleansing project for pandemic patients illustrates the side benefits of astronomy research

China holds what is probably the world’s largest in-person event since Covid-19 began  

Moves could give UK an edge in race for new entrants over countries with tighter travel restrictions

Progress will be very difficult if there is a loud cohort of academics who remain fundamentally opposed to it, says James Blackwell

Chile leads region on life science citations, but performance on medical research is more even across major Latin American countries

The pandemic drove learning worldwide into the digital sphere, but Latin America’s universities have responded slowly. Ellie Bothwell asks if the crisis will prompt the region to overcome the barriers to progress

Trump administration says learners from overseas must attend in-person classes if their university offers them, and they can’t remain in the US if their college moves entirely online

African researchers say meeting digitally overcomes cost, distance, social discomfort and environmental damage – but even online, inequalities remain

As cases hit new highs, institutions confront costly implications

Insurance now being offered at same time students pay tuition fees, but it would not have protected those looking for refunds over online switch

Overall, the sector is well placed to deal with the fallout, but those who entered pandemic in weak financial health could be at risk, says report

Emergency measures exemplify different treatment of public and private universities, critics say

Institutions and scholars must serve society, and the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile was more than willing to join efforts to tackle the country’s coronavirus outbreak, says Pedro Bouchon

Government advice also tells institutions to increase cleaning and make use of outdoor space

More generous arrangements eagerly anticipated, as Australia and New Zealand step back from trial flights

Scholars put the case for experts in philosophy, narrative, literature and culture to work along the scientists in fighting Covid-19

Prizewinners argue that researchers have ‘stuck to a line’ about the pandemic’s danger in order to get politicians to listen – risking open debate

Self-congratulatory messages about online teaching may belie failures to meet learning outcomes, warns Nabil Ghantous

Florida State University’s move triggers concern about impact on female employees, as coronavirus continues to spread

Familiarity with remote formats tempered by concerns over racism and health, survey finds

Declarations of solidarity lay bare the feudalistic mentality of even the most radical leftist scholars, who speak for the beleaguered masses from the cover of their academic nobility, says Scott Thomas Gibson

Survey suggests most undergraduates expect limitations on their interaction with classmates next year

Volatility has become part of university managers’ new normal, but the effort won’t quickly become wasted, says David LeFevre

Online lectures may enable applicants to broaden their horizons, predicts consultant

Berkeley-directed outlet plans open peer reviews and cross-discipline focus

Commonwealth institutions point to successes during lockdown as well as barriers

Aiming of grants and loans at research-intensive providers raises fears for teaching-focused institutions

The government and universities are not doing enough to protect their students from the effects of the lockdown, says Futao Huang

Even before coronavirus hit, Hong Kong was investing in new types of online education that challenge teaching conventions

Has the online transition worked out? How far are student numbers likely to decline? Will governments still have money to invest in universities and research after the pandemic is over? And what does all that mean for staffing? These are just some of the issues explored by our survey of 200 university leaders from 53 territories. Paul Jump runs through the results