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News in brief - 5 February 2015

University fundingHigher education, lower efficiencyFewer than four out of 10 MPs think UK universities use their funding efficiently, according to a poll. A survey of 150 parliamentarians, carried...

World in brief - 5 February 2015

GuyanaSit-in seeks a better bottom lineStaff at the University of Guyana staged a sit-in to protest against their pay and conditions. Most academic and support staff arrived at work on 26 January but...

Grant winners - 5 February 2015

Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research CouncilFellowshipsAward winner: Franciska de VriesInstitution: University of ManchesterValue: £1,030,405The root to stability – the role of plant roots...

Common as muck?

Source: GettyToo common for the SCR?According to the ����Vlog Statistics Agency, .1 per cent of all academic staff in the UK are now on teaching-only contracts.This figure was cited this week...

The week in higher education - 5 February 2015

The government’s plan to curb extremist speakers on university campuses was facing mounting opposition as ����Vlog went to press. In a letter to The Guardian, published on 3 February,...

Piled Higher and Deeper, by Jorge Cham - 5 February 2015

Duelling divas

In his review of Inherent Vice (“High fidelity”, Culture, 29 January), Philip Kemp writes that “film-makers have so far fought shy” of adapting Thomas Pynchon’s novels. At the risk of pedantry, this...

Many forms of treatment

Further to my article on the medical humanities (“Where mind meets matter”, Features, 22 January), as a point of clarification, the three poems I treat are also discussed, from a different...

A happy engagement

So public engagement can harm your research career (“Public engagement: hidden costs for research careers?”, Opinion, 22 January)? Well, it can also build it, giving you new connections and...

Admit one, subtract two

As a long-time advocate of diverse routes into, and forms of, higher education, I was pleased to read about the increasing acceptance of “BTECs” for entry on to university courses (“Student...

Who will police the police?

In his defence of Robert Lambert (“In defence of autonomy”, Opinion, 22 January), Stefano Bonino disparages the idea that lecturers be made accountable for their non-academic past. In most cases, he...

Paying their way, and more

I welcome the early day motion put forward by cross-party MPs to remove international students from the UK’s net migration target (www.timeshighereducation.co.uk, 28 January) – it’s heartening to see...

Bill will chill debate

We write as chairs of subject associations representing disciplines across the arts, humanities and social sciences in UK universities. We share the concerns of Anthony Forster, vice-chancellor of...

UCU leaders derided over ‘missed’ chance for better pensions deal

Left impugns tactics in Universities Superannuation Scheme dispute but negotiators claim improvements were achieved

‘Significant issues’ raised by review of PhD training centres

Report into ESRC network recommends careful monitoring before next stage