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Lincoln Allison looks back to an age of tougher marking and considers what, if anything, we need to do about the historically inevitable slide towards grade inflation

But data for 2019 show use of ‘conditional unconditional’ offers still high at some universities

Announcements on visas, funding and bureaucracy seen as sign of growing influence of Dominic Cummings

As the UK finally leaves the European Union after years of turmoil, Simon Usherwood says it is time for remain-supporting academics to focus on the future. But Tanja Bueltmann says that for EU academics the scars are too deep

Total number of union branches eligible to strike this year reaches 74

Employers’ body says it has ‘gone further than ever before’ with latest offer, but union says it is ‘some distance’ from fulfilling staff demands

English regulator says universities will struggle to reach goals if they focus on “narrow funnel of 18- or 19-year-olds”

Academics call for restored government to give long-overdue attention to the sector, and to widen debate beyond tuition costs

Joybrato Mukherjee says Chinese researchers ‘not always on the same page’ over IP – and looks forward to a VR-enabled ‘entirely virtual semester abroad’

Chris Skidmore says UK must increase diversity of its international intake

EU and UK should negotiate ‘standalone’ research deal outside wider talks to avoid damaging science with break, Wellcome Trust recommends

Hundreds of complaints are passed to regulator, including claims that punishing hours and pressure have contributed to divorces and estrangement from children