Features from THE

Do you want to be in my gang?

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Some say mission groups help air vital issues collegially, but others think they selfishly expose the sector to divide-and-rule tactics. Melanie Newman looks at the group dynamics

Off Piste: Reinventing the past

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

We bring home mementoes because we want a tangible memory of a time or place. Ulrike Zitzlsperger ponders souvenirs and how they reshape history

In the heavens, as it is on Earth

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Proof of the existence of extraterrestrial life may be closer than we think, thanks to a surge of research in astrobiology. Lewis Dartnell is determined to ascertain that we are not alone

Learning to share

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Free, immediate and permanently available research results for all - that's what the open-access campaigners want. Unsurprisingly, the subscription publishers disagree. Zoe Corbyn weighs up the ramifications for journals, while Matthew Reisz...

'Giving it away' a textbook argument

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Matthew Reisz assesses what open access means for book authors

Telling Tales

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

History: fact or fiction? Ronald Hutton's early experience of discerning reality from fantasy has coloured his view of the subject since

Oasis in the desert

Thu, 5 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The King Abdullah University of Science and Technology pushes many boundaries. Zoë Corbyn visits Saudi Arabia to see how its vision of top-class research in a liberal environment is taking root

The failure of History

Thu, 5 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

"People who make history know nothing about history. You can see that in the sort of history they make." G.K. Chesterton

Taking Flight

Thu, 5 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

John Turner finds that piloting an aeroplane is the perfect tonic after a hectic week

The long march

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

China is hungry for Western-style universities, not least to fuel its economy. Phil Baty reports on the efforts to uproot corruption and bureaucracy and build a dynamic and vibrant world-class system

The secret invocation

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

In preparing a biography of Braque, Alex Danchev explored the meaning of art and its makers. But upon finishing, he faced a much more personal question

A funny sort of welcome

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Complex new visa and immigration regulations are in danger of sending out the wrong message to foreign students and academics, reports Melanie Newman

Doctoring the system

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Improving the structures that support doctoral students can turn around completion rates. Tara Brabazon sets out a ten-point plan for institutions

Chips and dips

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Silicon Valley, a unique educational, research and industrial ecosystem, is feeling the recession. John Gilbey asks if its success can continue without sacrificing social commitments

The war within

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

James T. Crouse finds himself in emotional conflict at Gettysburg, experiencing sadness at the loss suffered by the South, but relief that the outcome was the beginning of an end to slavery

A place to call home

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Graduate schools are taking root in the UK to keep doctoral students engaged and on track. Hannah Fearn reports

Past mistakes

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Whatever the genuine lessons of history, policymakers constantly make opportunistic use of the past to justify their decisions. Matthew Reisz introduces a team of historians who are fighting back against the 'Bad History' all around us

Moving picture

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Ian Stewart's research into biomechanics has revolutionised the field. A road trip, a book review request and a Texan rodeo led to his revelation

Captains of the academic enterprise

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Amanda Goodall's research - a mixture of detailed statistics and the fruits of her experience as an academic administrator - shows that just as star basketball players make the best coaches, scholars make the best v-cs. Matthew Reisz gets...

Microcosmographia Administrativa

Thu, 8 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The 'Elephant' in the hotel room

Thu, 8 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Saint-Saëns and the sensual, curvaceous, exquisitely crafted creature that is her cello have restored Deborah Bowman's love of learning

Because we're worth it

Thu, 1 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Fed up with being a free research resource, Vanessa Toulmin is capitalising on the skills of her staff at her archive

But can you do a podcast on it?

Thu, 1 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Knowledge transfer is often perceived as a concept that is limited to science, but Hannah Fearn discovers it is equally relevant for the arts and humanities

'Our fate was in our own hands'

Thu, 1 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

When an expensive international experiment faced collapse, Don Braben and his collaborators, unfettered by micromanagement, pooled their intelligence and ingenuity to ensure success

Get it out in the open

Thu, 24 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

From downloads of lectures to entire courses for free, Rebecca Attwood reports on how universities are fitting open educational resources into their missions and marketing

Digging deeper

Thu, 24 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Tourists can now visit even the most far-flung destinations, but Judith Weingarten believes that one must settle in for a long stay to get a real sense of foreign lands

More than mayhem

Thu, 24 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Alex Prichard considers the rebirth of anarchism as a scholarly subject, its future in an impact-oriented academy and its lessons for democracy

The seven deadly sins of the academy

Thu, 17 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Matthew Reisz and our seven guest contributors lift the lid on the rampant wickedness troubling the sanctity of our hallowed universities

My eureka moment

Thu, 17 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

A series in which academics describe a personal epiphany

Objectionable content

Thu, 17 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Having waded through her complete works, Gerald L. Houseman concludes that there should never, ever be an Ayn Rand revival

My eureka moment: A breath of fresh air

Thu, 17 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Standing on the Old Man of Coniston in Cumbria, Jonathan Bate clearly saw how the Romantics laid the foundations of modern ecocriticism

Teaching: Superficiality breeds contempt

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Tim Birkhead challenges a state of affairs where academics are too busy chasing research grants to inspire their students

Occupational hazards

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

For months, Nicholas Tesla has endured interviews, psychometric testing and inedible food. Yet despite being eminently qualified, the management role he seeks remains elusive. So is his approach to blame or does the fault lie with the selection...

Off Piste: Confucius says he who waits contemplates

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Jon F. Baldwin finds the slow-moving Saturday night queue at his local Chinese takeaway sometimes provides the only opportunity for self-reflection in an otherwise frantic week

2009's front-runners are poised for October's revelations

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The shortlist for Times Higher Education's fifth Awards ceremony has been unveiled

Winning the war of independence

Thu, 3 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The contrast between British and American higher education is nowhere more apparent than in the levels of scholarly freedom enjoyed by academics on opposite sides of the pond. Here, Paul A. Taylor bemoans the UK system, while David J. Gunkel...

Freedom eclipsed by danger

Thu, 3 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

David J. Gunkel applauds diversity, equality and protection of tenure at US colleges, but despairs at legislation that allows guns in the classroom

The small scientist

Thu, 3 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Almost by accident, 25 years ago Alec Jeffreys discovered DNA fingerprinting and revolutionised criminal profiling. He tells Zoë Corbyn that 'the unexpected is what science should deliver'

1984: It's coming

Thu, 3 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

In the 25 years since the iconic film adaptation of George Orwell's dystopia, US society has crept ever closer to its bleak vision of paranoia, surveillance, perpetual war and unthinkingness, fears Tom Palaima

Malaysia: full of Western promise

Thu, 27 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT

UK institutions seeking to consolidate their position overseas are discovering Malaysia's potential. John Gill reports from Kuala Lumpur

Off Piste: Stitches through time

Thu, 27 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Sara Schley first turned to knitting to fill time during a summer break from college, but it has since become an integral part of her life

Prepare to meet your trainer

Thu, 27 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Adrian Furnham offers a guide to the syndromes you may encounter in the world of HR courses