Opinion

Two universities’ no-holds-barred recruitment battle was unedifying; more dispiriting is to see that China’s best and brightest prefer to study abroad, says Hong Bing

Research is pinpointing ways to make feedback more useful to undergraduates and teachers alike. David Carless writes

Older academics need to make room for the young, says Sally Feldman

Pro bono advice on campus is an engagement with student training at its core, says Zahir Irani

Are universities’ recruitment tactics always in the students’ best interests? Robert Allison thinks not

Times Higher Education encouraged its followers to reveal their top tips ahead of clearing

As A-level results day approaches, Victoria Bateman urges the next generation of students to believe in themselves and ignore the ‘careless talk’

And Lord of the Rings is about being a PhD student, explains Jeremy Singer

Institutions must adapt as employers shun Ucas points and degrees, says Paul Redmond

Why do we let people get away with it? asks John Field

This week's issue discussed by the Times Higher Education team

Understanding the reading brain can help academics and students improve, says Yellowlees Douglas

We should pay attention to undergraduates’ physical and mental health, finances, ambitions and expectations, argue David Bell, Marina Della Giusta and Antonia Fernandez

Andrew Palmer on using the thinktank approach to solve problems that conventional research could take years to answer

What price will we pay for taking the humanities for granted? asks Christopher Bigsby

Peer review may not spot fraud – so universities need to be vigilant in tackling any wrongdoing among their staff

Belgian academia looks enticing and accommodating to UK postgraduates, but Kate Macdonald found that it was for locals only

The ‘first women’s museum in the UK’ turned out to be dedicated to Jack the Ripper. ‘Activist academic’ Lisa Mckenzie wants scholars to protest

Is there too much focus on access to the Ivy League? Paul Fain reports for Inside Higher Ed

Teachers have selected 100 books pupils should read before leaving secondary school. What do they tell us? Robert Eaglestone takes a look

Sir Keith Burnett considers the challenges of introducing a teaching excellence framework

Editor John Gill reflects on the inaugural Times Higher Education Africa Universities Summit

Megan Dunn, NUS president, on the need for universities and students’ unions to work in partnership

Asking R&D-heavy companies to help plug gaps in the science budget has implicit appeal but, in reality, only increased public spending is likely to keep global firms in the UK, says Paul Jump

Holly Else looks at how the rising cost of university study might affect willingness to study at postgraduate level

Chris Havergal blogs from the Times Higher Education Africa Universities Summit

Books editor Karen Shook introduces our latest literary podcast

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

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

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

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 Times Higher Education team

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

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 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 Times Higher Education team

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