Verbal brawling is just what the academy needs
Let's allow racists and extremists to express their views and then subject them to criticism, argues Dennis Hayes Being offensive is now the worst offence in the academy. Other restrictions on...
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Freedom of speech versus Freedom from offence
Academic freedom is not an abstract concept but it exists within the constraints of our society, where academics have certain responsibilities both within the law and to our respective communities....
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Poor African countries need regional research institute
With few African countries able to afford research universities, a developmental focus for the Commonwealth should be creating regional research institutions for clusters of countries, the 16th...
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Toronto hits net censors
Project offers unrestricted access to the internet, reports Stephen Strauss A Canadian university research project has begun to strike a blow against the mounting efforts by authoritarian governments...
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China surpasses Japan in R&D spending
China has overtaken Japan in research and development spending, making it the world's second highest national research spender, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development has claimed...
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Ethics review boards admit breaching US federal rules
Members of institutional review boards at US universities continue to have financial conflicts of interest, raising questions about their objectivity when evaluating the ethics and safety of research...
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Labour camp rector ends fast
Protest stopped after 53 days as Security Council is forced to hear about the repression in Belarus. Vera Rich reports Alexander Kazulin, the former rector of the Belarussian State University, last...
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Buy me on eBay, says student
A Californian student struggling to pay his university tuition fees has offered patrons an investment he says is a sure thing: himself, writes Jon Marcus. Ron Steen, who is 19, wants someone to...
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007 laws of physics are pure fantasy
Physics professor Metin Tolan of Dormund University is taking a professional interest in the film Casino Royale - because he conducts scientific analyses of the Bond movies. Professor Tolan's...
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Online demand outstrips supply
Demand from students for online courses at Open Universities Australia could soon outstrip the supply from current providers. The OUA, the Australian equivalent of the UK's Open University, is a...
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Our reforms will make for a prosperous sector
RAE changes, foundation degrees and widening access will be critical to UK economic success, says Bill Rammell I have the best job in Government outside the Cabinet. That was forcefully brought home...
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On the march with the grey panthers
After teaching in a university for more than 30 years, I will soon reach retirement age. But why should I be compelled to go? I like my students; I enjoy doing research. Being forced to retire is...
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Say it with knitwear
Most would make do with a carriage clock. But Peter Knight has received perhaps the most bizarre retirement gift in higher education history. The former vice-chancellor of the University of Central...
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Ho, ho, don't hold back
So much for spreading season's greetings to all and sundry. The Christmas cards sent via e-mail from Universities UK state "this communication is strictly confidential and legally privileged..." And...
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Don't forget your Sheffield logo
How far would you go to plug your university? Lisa Fisher, brand manager at Sheffield Hallam University, took three months off work to explore the wonders of South America. She packed only a passport...