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Books editor Karen Shook introduces our latest literary podcast

Concern that quantity, not quality will be prioritised as higher education marketplace opens up

The sums spent on the exercise were exorbitant and the money could be better spent, argues Derek Sayer

From Africa to the UK, countries must find ways to capitalise on the global ebb and flow of today’s mobile scholars

It’s a pity the efforts of myriad institutions striving daily to help students of diverse backgrounds are eclipsed by Ivy League tales, says Alan Ruby

John Gilbey fretted over telling those he worked with of his cancer – needlessly, for they were all caring and supportive

Should autonomous vehicles have ethics programmed in? asks Alan Ryan

Changing current students’ debt repayment terms would damage public faith in government, say John Thompson and Bahram Bekhradnia

Matthew Reisz looks for the value in dull pictures of long-forgotten vice-chancellors

A £17.5 million donation to the University of Cambridge has thrown the spotlight on philanthropy, but where does it sit in the recent history of cash gifts? asks John Elmes

Jeremy Sharp looks at the perks and pitfalls for universities using cloud-based services

Labour's shadow business secretary warns that universities should not be 'muzzled' in EU debate. John Morgan blogs from the UUK event in London.

Caroline Magennis explains why she took to social media to find out if she was the only one who felt uneasy in academic circles

Glen Wright, from Academia Obscura, explores the more bizarre parts of the academic world

Teaching excellence framework must not be a superficial extension of data already being collected, warns Dame Julia King

Chris Havergal asks whether spending money on new buildings and facilities can give universities a competitive edge

Will Institute of Economic Affairs report put the idea of cuts to QR funding on the political agenda? asks John Morgan

Lee Jones reacts to the £150 million cut to Hefce's budget

This week's issue discussed by the Ì½»¨ÊÓƵ team

As the sector debates the design of a teaching-ometer, campuses wait to discover the strength of the TEF’s power over fee levels

In the US, the cost of paying for expensive commencement speeches is diverting funds from where they’re most needed, says Howard Segal

Weekly transmissions from the blogosphere

The reforms have caused rigidity and bloat. Stefan Kühl thinks a boiled-down approach is needed

Self-governance is a must for the sector, but we must use it to engage with wider society’s concerns, argues Matthew Andrews

As more women push on the ‘sticky door’, Paula Nicolson reflects on her own experiences over three decades

Felipe Fernández-Armesto upgrades his view on accommodation for visiting scholars after a trip to Santander

The launch of Jo Johnson’s One Nation Science strategy has put place firmly on the research policy agenda, says Holly Else

Home Office guidance on university events involving external speakers raises a number of questions, says Smita Jamdar

Dalmeet Singh Chawla rounds up the recent discussion about single figure publications

Twitter discussion addresses issue of class in the academy

Sir Keith Burnett responds to home secretary Theresa May’s letter about university funding

Ex-European Commission president speaks to THE for feature that also looks at the fist fight UK universities can expect in return for pro-EU campaign

This week's issue discussed by the ̽»¨ÊÓƵ team

Allowing Palestinian academics to speak Arabic in Israeli universities can strengthen identity, says Audrey Osler

The UK is falling short on technical and professional skills, and failing young people in the process, warns Rod Bristow

Leaving the EU would be a disaster for UK universities, but pro-Europe campaigners have to choose their message carefully

Whether in jest or not, sexist language shows an insensitivity to gender issues at odds with academic values, argues Dorothy Bishop

Philip Moriarty stands up for the much-maligned presentation tool

Policies announced in the Budget mean more cash today for the poorest students, but what about tomorrow’s debts? asks Wes Streeting

Funding is at risk now that universities may recruit as many students as they want, Alison Wolf argues

Sweeping changes to the laws governing industrial disputes could restrict unions’ ability to call strike action, writes Jack Grove

Data will power the most comprehensive THE World University Rankings yet

Dalmeet Singh Chawla considers whether unsuspecting academics should be helped by having legitimate papers republished elsewhere

£246 million is big money but it is probably much less than the hit the research budget would take if the REF did not exist, says Paul Jump

Research suggests that UK academics are rarely rewarded for public engagement. Is the same true in the US, asks Andrew Maynard?

The National Union of Students responds to the axeing of maintenance grants in George Osborne’s Budget

Small-group teaching can be life changing, for students and their tutors. But it doesn’t come for free.

An open letter sounding the alarm hit a nerve among academics – it’s time for managers to listen, argues Karín Lesnik-Oberstein.

Creating doctoral colleges and distance PhDs. What are universities doing to better support doctoral students? Holly Else writes

Nitpicking the TEF to pieces would be a mistake, says Derfel Owen. Far better to engage – and here’s how

Department confirms work to find savings is ongoing, but offers no details on George Osborne’s Budget pledge to bring in ‘new entrants’, says John Morgan

A Chinese university has launched an e-commerce site in a bid to improve its graduate employment figures. Will others follow suit? asks Ellie Bothwell

George Osborne's plan for a minimum £9 an hour will not affect vast majority of university staff, but there will be cost implications for institutions, says Jack Grove

This week's issue discussed by the ̽»¨ÊÓƵ team

A medical journal now requires submissions to be accompanied by a Twitter-length summary

Roger Brown weeds out ill-advised plans as he digests Hefce’s consultation on quality assurance

Abandoning peer review could lead to never-ending assessment, micromanagement of staff and übergaming, warns Howard Hotson

It’s time to change the system, argues Lucy Newlyn

Shahidha Bari on a supposedly fun thing that makes her apprehensive

Campus leaders must apply academics’ theories in the boardroom, suggests Brian Bloch