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The idea of “education diplomacy” has “really arrived” at the highest levels of American foreign policy, a US State Department official has told an international higher education conference

Two of the leading US massive open online course providers have each almost doubled the number of universities offering courses on their online platforms.

The lack of clarity over Research Councils UK’s new open access policy is “unacceptable” and government ministers should learn lessons from the confusion, according to a House of Lords report.

The University of Gloucestershire has agreed to validate a range of pre-degree courses for international students as part of a new tie-up with private firm INTO University Partnerships.

Welsh universities lead the UK in terms of output quality per pound invested, says report from Learned Society of Wales

University of Liverpool’s new professorial fellow brings practical experience to academia

Ambassador discusses efforts to combat perceptions of hostile sector

Jack Grove on a European institution’s mission to foster cross-border scholarship

Canadian company Lashzone sent mass emails to UK universities in bid to establish ‘secret’ franchises on campuses

US-style scheme will feature alongside degree classifications in UK first

Plans would expose colleges and universities to competition from lower-cost alternatives, say observers

Unison promises to counter any attempt to dismiss duo

‘Change of tone’ will not arrest falling student numbers, critics argue. David Matthew reports

But private pupils do not suffer discrimination, expert argues

Religious sense ‘cover-up’ in emphasis on embryonic work

Image consultant: ‘jumble sale’ dress code does not an intellectual make. Matthew Reisz writes

Coalition reveals ‘disturbing’ shortfall. David Matthews reports

A sideways look at the week’s big stories

Regulator to review range of options for institutions falling short on quality measures

University partnerships with broadcasters in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Oxfordshire allows those on journalism courses to hone skills

New UK-validated for-profit college to sell itself on sun, sea and low fees

The Higher Education Policy Institute has mounted a successful drive to recruit more university partners, with the institutions helping to secure the independent thinktank’s long-term future.

A bill has been introduced into the United States Congress that would require most papers describing publicly-funded research to be made open access within six months of publication.

The short-term benefits to the government of increasing student fees in England will be outweighed 6.5 times over by the long-term costs of the new system, according to a new report.

The promotion of student employability by universities is “a problem” and the growing power of the student voice amounts to “surveillance” of lecturers, an academic has warned.

David Cameron has welcomed news that five more universities have signed up to offer courses on Futurelearn, the UK’s massive open online course provider.

UK universities have announced a series of research partnerships and scholarships to coincide with the prime minister’s visit to India to bolster trade and education links.

The Russell Group of elite universities has declared its opposition to separating AS-levels from A-levels – three weeks after the proposals were announced.

Ancient rivals fundraise to keep manuscripts in British hands

Institution aims to make job adverts globally understandable

University’s provision in collaboration with overseas partners ‘requires improvement’, report states

Degree programme aims to give graduates edge in job market

Band Aid founder is latest high-profile guest lecturer at MBA college

Critics say university’s announcement should have gone out to peer review, not a press conference

L’Oréal-Unesco laureate discusses microscopes and maternal leave

Massive open online courses’ lack of study support, for-profit aims may not be ethical, Online and Open-Access Learning in Higher Education conference hears

NUS says decision shows ‘market is at heart of system’

Managerial staff one of few growth areas in HE employment

Hepi director predicts more cuts over higher student loan costs

A sideways look at the week’s big stories

Global push complicated by mainland links

New assessment scheme will not be used to direct cash to institutions

British Academy issues warning over future of language study in UK

‘Summer reading lists’ no basis for policy, says don

US president Barack Obama has said that taxpayers “cannot continue to subsidise higher and higher and higher costs of higher education” in his annual State of the Union Address, and published proposals that would require colleges to meet performance thresholds to qualify for federal funding.

Aberystwyth University is to re-launch a “pioneering” master’s degree that was withdrawn after it failed to attract any students.

A student occupation at the University of Sussex is gathering momentum with more than 100 people signing a statement supporting its aims.

Germany’s science and education minister has resigned after a university revoked her doctorate, having ruled she had plagiarised parts of her thesis.

By Elizabeth Redden, for