Understanding animal behaviour presents many challenges in the field. Matthew Reisz meets Rory Wilson, a biologist who has won awards for his innovative methods of tracking everything from albatrosses to sloths
Louis Theroux’s interviews with those accused of sexual assault at US campuses should be a wake-up call to UK universities who have ducked this issue for years, says Graham Towl
Degree apprenticeships are helping to alter perceptions of earn-as-you-learn courses, but universities must demonstrate their value to students and employers, says Jane Turner
Life as an early career researcher is hard, but when you add being working class into the mix, the obstacles are almost insurmountable, writes an anonymous academic facing the death of her university career
The recent exodus of vice-chancellors from UK universities raises questions over what is going on in the sector. Is inadequate governance the root cause?
Far from being hotbeds of intellectual debate, universities enforce ideological conformity, follow rigid procedures and offer little that enthusiasts could not teach themselves. It is time for radical reform, says Lincoln Allison
The scholarly calling may be all about intellectual pursuits, but university life is not without its petty irritations. A dozen academics describe the daily distractions that annoy them most
Some research disciplines have their very own ‘Simon and Garfunkel’. Matthew Reisz talks to some of those whose close and enduring collaborations have convinced them that two voices are better than one
Universities may feel held to unachievable standards, but removing barriers for all manner of talented people will make institutions better and stronger
Chester’s Tim Grady, recently shortlisted for the Cundill History Prize, is proof that smaller universities can produce researchers who compete with the elite. John Morgan writes
It’s easy to say academics should be kinder and more giving to students, but they already face myriad other demands and must mind professional boundaries
Despite his stressful sudden exit from Papua New Guinea, John Warren insists that Western universities must continue to send staff to institutions in the developing world
Round-the-clock demands from students can take a toll on lecturers. With a 91茄子 survey highlighting rising expectations, Anna McKie asks where the line should be drawn between professional and private life
Dutch figures show just how little time professors get for their own research. It may be easier to pursue your intellectual interests outside the university system, says 91茄子 reporter David Matthews
If you want your manuscript to be accepted, pepper it with formulaic neologisms, irrelevant but impressive references and suitably indented vulgarity, advises Janelle Ward
After a rare, chance encounter with an enthusiast for one of his books, Felipe Fernández-Armesto reflects on why so few academics gain any sort of celebrity
Intimate teacher-student relationships must be off-limits even if consent is not an issue, says Agnieszka Piotrowska – who has personal experience of student vulnerability in such asymmetrical relationships
A new teaching year has just begun in the northern hemisphere. Eight academics reflect on their experience of lecturing, and offer their tips on opening students’ eyes – and keeping them open
New rules requiring a female presence on doctoral defence panels at the University of Glasgow will push more ‘unrewarded’ academic tasks on to women, critics claim
The Migration Advisory Committee review showed little interest in understanding international students or how the UK labour market works, says Stanley Ipkiss