Protests back eternal students
Students at Bern University in Switzerland staged protests last week against planned hikes in university fees for "eternal students" who take many years to obtain a degree, writes Paul Bompard. About...
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Martial arts in retreat
Russia is to reduce the number of military colleges this year - from 101 to 60 - and competition for places in those that remain is immense. The paradox is that the prestige of the army continues to...
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Campuses get tough on drink
Late-night rioting has erupted at a succession of United States universities this month. But the protests were not over free speech or US imperialism, but bans on alcohol. The worst came at Michigan...
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Universities fight contracts ban
Australian universities have been banned from employing staff on limited-term contracts except in special circumstances. The Australian Industrial Relations Commission has ruled that academics and...
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The megaplans of Microsoft
Created under Tony Benn's Ministry of Technology by a merger of Britain's best and biggest computer companies. Star of the 1980s Alvey programme of joint industrial and academic research. Latterly a...
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How to get money for value
The government's comprehensive spending review is at the point where leaking and spinning reach a crescendo. This year the noise is loud because the review is so important. The CSR is strategic as...
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Part-timers are due full consideration
A recent report concluded that students on masters courses get a raw deal. They pay high fees, have to share lectures and seminars with undergraduates; have little supervision for their research; and...
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Counting the cost of quality out of control
What happens when the quality controllers fall down on the job? John O'Dowd reports REPORTS by the National Audit Office and the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council on the running of Glasgow...
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A year of living famously
Keele University's foundation year was established in a quest to enrich its students' quality of life. But an economy drive has killed it off and alumna Vicky Hutchings thinks that something special...
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Darwin's distracting description
In his timely article on the growing influence of Darwinism ("Evolutionary workers' party", THES, May 15), Peter Singer rightly suggests that we should avoid the temptation of the naturalistic...
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Field trips for brains
The attitude towards fieldwork in universities is short-sighted. All students benefit from time in the field. It encourages the application of theory in the real world, where nature and mankind...
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In different leagues
Interesting! Bournemouth University is in the odd position of being bottom of one league and top of another: bottom of The Times aggregated league table, but top UK university in terms of graduate...
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In different leagues
IN THE Association of University Teachers' league table on the number of women in senior posts in higher education (THES, May 15), the University of Glamorgan was cited as having no female professors...
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Spinning a web of ideas
The proposal of Peter Jefferies for peer review by web page sounds very interesting (THES, May 22). However, is the issue of "academics worried about others gaining access to their ideas" not...
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Pushed to severance
AT A meeting with the joint trade unions (GMB, MSF, Natfhe, Unison) last week, the University of East London's senior management said its voluntary redundancy initiative met with a good response (...