Germany’s sweeping innovation strategy is ‘ministerial wish list’ Flying taxis indicative of a free-for-all, say critics, who see a half-baked attempt at a whole-government approach By Ben Upton 20 February
Essex plans Clacton research centre to boost coastal communities University hiring professor to direct Centre for Coastal Communities, based in Essex seaside town hit by deprivation By John Morgan 20 February
Scholarships fail to reverse declines in Latvia’s student numbers Monthly payments not enough to counter massive rises in cost of living, says students’ union By Ben Upton 18 February
Strikes paused after breakthroughs in pay and pensions disputes All sides hail significant progress, with phasing-out of zero-hours contracts and higher wages for lower paid to be discussed in two-week talks By Tom Williams 17 February
Rayner shows her support for striking academics Labour deputy leader promises to raise staff concerns about pay deductions with shadow education secretary By Patrick Jack 17 February
UK universities make big gains in Stonewall’s inclusivity top 100 Swansea University highest placed institution in list of LGBTQ+-friendly employers but some institutions choose not to take part By Patrick Jack 17 February
ChatGPT reveals the uncomfortable truth about graduate skills AI-written essays have exposed the unambitious and unoriginal thinking that universities require from undergraduates, says James Warren By John Warren 17 February
‘CV-blind’ grant review divides Dutch scientists Preventing expert reviewers from reading applicants’ CVs could damage Netherlands’ hard-won research excellence, warns senior researcher By Jack Grove 17 February
Most overseas students who stay in UK find graduate-level roles Results of study appear to contradict home secretary’s claim that foreign students work in low-skilled jobs By Patrick Jack 16 February
Leading departments face cuts under ‘unnoticed’ REF funding shift More details emerge of how sharp rise in quality outputs and tweak to funding formula are hitting institutions By Jack Grove 16 February
Students offered blended learning ‘less likely to drop out’ Advance HE survey finds retention rates have recovered after the easing of Covid restrictions, with students also happier with levels of staff engagement By Tom Williams 16 February
Providers must submit to regulation – and the OfS to proportionality Hopes that a new regulator would bring light-touch, proportionate regulation in England have been dashed, says Iain Mansfield By Iain Mansfield 16 February
