Hepi compares expansion plan to ‘Ponzi scheme’ The government’s plan to finance extra student places by the future sale of student loans is like a Ponzi scheme, according to a thinktank. By John Morgan 17 December
Willetts: student expansion plan ‘perfectly possible’ It is “perfectly possible” to fund the government’s plan to abolish the student numbers cap by selling off graduate debt, David Willetts has claimed. By Chris Parr 17 December
Academics urged to do more on human rights A leading activist has called on the academic community to do far more “to help promote and defend human rights”. By Matthew Reisz 13 December
UUK gender segregation case study withdrawn Controversial passage removed pending review as prime minister intervenes By Jack Grove 13 December
Osborne admits numbers plan omits lost repayments The government’s plan to fund extra student numbers by selling loans omits billions of pounds in lost repayments, the chancellor has admitted. By John Morgan 13 December
Gender segregation row: UUK publishes legal advice Universities UK has published legal advice which backs its controversial guidance on the segregation of men and women at campus events. By Jack Grove 12 December
Student loans guardians savaged by Hodge The government’s claim it can fully fund extra student places by selling loans is “wrong”, according to the MP in charge of examining public accounts. By John Morgan 12 December
Croatia weighs a strategy for higher education reform Following student protests, government mulls a sector report calling for change. Cyrille Cartier writes 12 December
Experts demand quality control for capless ‘free-for-all’ Legislation a must after scrapping of student quotas By Jack Grove 12 December
Australian v-c counts costs of uncapped system Admissions standards have fallen to balance budgets, Adelaide chief argues By Paul Jump 12 December
Campaigners decry curbs on right to protest Academics and students unite in condemnation of ‘violent’ crackdown on sit-ins and demonstrations By Jack Grove 12 December
UK door ‘open to all’ migrants, not just brightest and best As long as applicants fulfil language, qualifications and maintenance criteria, ‘they are welcome’, says BIS spokeswoman By David Matthews 12 December
Mandela saw education as a powerful weapon for freedom Martin Hall considers the legacy of academic values left by South Africa’s first black president 12 December
Willetts astonished by elite reaction to expansion Russell Group critical of abolition of student numbers cap By John Morgan 12 December
Mandela’s death triggers memories of anti-apartheid struggle How big a role did scholars play in abolition of heinous system? By David Matthews 12 December
Treasury loan book calculations ‘omit £1.7 billion’ The Treasury’s stated plan to fund expansion in student places by the sale of loans omits £1.7 billion in lost repayments arising from the sell off. By John Morgan 11 December
University of London v-c steps into student protests row Sir Adrian Smith suggests protesters wanted police involved to generate ‘headlines’ By Jack Grove 11 December
Universities are playing an ‘elite international sport’, says Byrne Shadow universities minister delivers vision for sector in first major speech By John Morgan 9 December
Muslim chaplains to 'challenge campus extremism’ Universities are to work with the government to appoint Muslim chaplains to “challenge extremist views” on campus. By David Matthews 8 December
Numbers expansion plan is economic ‘nonsense’ The plan to fund extra student places by selling the student loan book is “nonsense” in economic terms, according to the Institute for Fiscal Studies. By John Morgan 6 December
Abolition of student numbers cap: the sector responds Yesterday’s announcement that student number controls are to be abolished has attracted comment from all quarters. Here is a round-up of responses: 6 December
Mandela tributes pour in from academia Universities across the UK have been paying tribute to Nelson Mandela, South Africa’s first black president, who has died at the age of 95. By Chris Parr 6 December
Russell Group criticises student expansion plan The Russell Group has attacked the government’s decision to abolish student number caps, warning of a potential decline in quality. By John Morgan 5 December
Undergraduate numbers cap ‘to be abolished’ – Osborne The government will abolish the cap on student numbers “altogether” the year after next, George Osborne has announced By John Morgan 5 December
Willetts has ‘lost control’ of budget - Byrne David Willetts has “lost control” of his department’s budget in “spectacular fashion”, according to his Labour counterpart Liam Byrne. By John Morgan 5 December
Lord Krebs issues warning over science funding The government has been warned by a leading peer not to cut the science and research budget in today’s autumn statement. By John Morgan 5 December
Labour plans long-term move to graduate tax, says Byrne Shadow universities minister also vows to tackle overseas recruitment barrier By John Morgan 5 December
Autonomy the best defence for universities under attack Global coalition advocates ‘insulation’ against state and non-state actors By Matthew Reisz 5 December
Gender segregation allowed as long as it isn’t ‘forced’ Times Higher Education poll finds few bans in place as UUK guidance elicits criticism By David Matthews 5 December
Turkey: liberty and repression The state is confronting student protest with an iron fist while promising to relax its grip on the academy. Jack Grove reports from the country 5 December
University of Sussex occupation ends The latest student occupation of Bramber House at the University of Sussex has ended after seven nights. By Holly Else 3 December
Warning issued over threat to student funding Social mobility could be harmed if cuts of £45 million are focused on the so-called “widening participation premium”, a new study says By Jack Grove 30 November
Student funding suspended following budget problems The government has suspended all funding for overseas EU students at private colleges, and for Bulgarians and Romanians at public universities. By John Morgan 29 November
Private colleges suspended from student loan access The government has suspended 23 private colleges from the publicly-funded loans system after a surge in their student numbers. By John Morgan 29 November
Ministers bring forward student support cutbacks Britain’s poorest students are set to lose bursaries and other support worth £100 million next year after ministers fast-tracked planned cuts. By Jack Grove 28 November
Student loan forecasts ‘consistently’ wrong, says NAO Ministers have been accused of “industrial scale incompetence” after a damning report on student loans was released by the public spending watchdog By John Morgan 28 November
Pearson profits from private expansion ‘Uncontrolled’ growth in HNCs and HNDs may lead to university retrenchment By John Morgan 28 November
Twilight of the mission groups? Ourania Filippakou and Ted Tapper consider whether they are heading for extinction 28 November
Our ‘world-class’ status may be greatly exaggerated Bahram Bekhradnia warns of the clear and present dangers facing the UK academy 28 November
Hepi director criticises ‘muddle’ caused by government policy Coalition government policy to create a market in higher education has pushed England’s sector into “a terrible muddle, unmatched in the world”. By John Morgan 27 November
Independent Scotland would seek research council access An independent Scotland would seek to continue to share research councils with the remainder of the UK, a new blueprint for independence has said. By David Matthews 26 November
Some gender segregation in Islamic talks may meet ‘balance of interests’ Universities UK warns rights of religious speakers could be “curtailed unlawfully” if institutions insist on mixed seating By David Matthews 22 November
Cable says lines between FE and HE are 'deliberately blurred' Business secretary talks of ‘significant advance’ in college higher learning By David Matthews 21 November
UK science hampered by ‘lack of long-term plan’ Peers criticise ‘ad hoc’ spending announcements on infrastructure By Paul Jump 21 November
Your Fatwa Does Not Apply Here: Untold Stories from the Fight against Muslim Fundamentalism, by Karima Bennoune Julia Droeber is humbled by the courage of everyday resistance 21 November
Corruption in universities: a blueprint for reform Corruption in the academy is being challenged by a ‘clean universities’ ranking and the power of press coverage, says Alina Mungiu-Pippidi 21 November
Education policy and research are linked in online The Economics of Higher Education network aims to highlight neglected areas of economic research on the sector By John Morgan 21 November
Oxford mulls Thatcher naming rights and wrongs ‘Parliament of dons’ bypassed in decision-making process By Holly Else 21 November
Liam Byrne to look at bringing FE and HE ‘closer together’ New shadow wants ‘much stronger paths’ between sectors, conference hears By David Matthews 20 November
Private provider student spending trebles, says BIS David Willetts has confirmed that public spending on students at private providers trebled this year. By John Morgan 19 November
New video aims to dispel ‘myths’ on visas Film shows how Indian students successfully navigated the process By David Matthews 18 November
Greens plan protests over loan book sale The Green Party is organising protests across the country against plans to sell off the student loan book. By David Matthews 15 November
LSE urged to act over Peking critic’s expulsion UCU protests over sacking of free speech champion By David Matthews 14 November
Universities must not repeat music’s costly online errors Feargal Sharkey tells GuildHE conference of hits, myths and the cost of ‘free’ in the Mooc era By Chris Parr 14 November
Was 1994 Group’s demise triggered by relaunch delays? Scrapped mission group was close to high-profile rebrand By John Morgan 14 November
Michael Ignatieff wins votes for honesty Losing on the political stage has prompted public intellectual to change how he teaches By Matthew Reisz 14 November
Vince Cable slams ‘qualification inflation’ in ‘standard’ professions Vince Cable has criticised the “qualification inflation” that means entrants to “very standard” professions such as nursing require a degree. By John Morgan 13 November
Minister attacks universities over visa comments The immigration minister has accused universities of creating “a self-fulfilling prophecy for bad news” on student visas By John Morgan 12 November
Academic freedom ‘doesn’t really exist’ “Right-on” lecturers and student campaigns cited as among the reasons, Commons event hears By Matthew Reisz 12 November
Scottish independence will threaten research, BIS claims Scotland risks losing its thriving research base if it becomes independent, analysis by Department of Business, Innovation and Skills has claimed By Holly Else 11 November