The pensions timebomb

UK universities started nationwide strike action last week. Why? David Rowley explains why the dispute is far from a typical disagreement about public-sector pensions.

Scotland under pressure on choices for the future of higher education

The rise in English tuition fees has opened up a funding gap between English and Scottish higher education institutions some put as high as £200 million. But John Tibbitt argues that tuition fees' likely domination of the coming Scottish elections is a distraction. Other ideas for strengthening the contribution of HE to the development of the Scottish economy and civic society need attention too.

Let's hear it for scepticism: its suppression is one of the principal threats to science

Government Chief Scientific Adviser John Beddington should be forgiven for going over the top in attacking scepticism about climate change or genetically modified organisms, says Andy Stirling.

Researchers: Don't fight the data-management battle alone

What to do with data? Most academics have been trying to avoid the questions but they keep coming. Special issues in Nature and now Science highlight the excitement of new research paradigms in data mining, correlation and visualisation.

The bad news is that there are now very few who don’t worry about information overload and how to manage it all, from academic journals to micro-blogging, lab books to personal photo collections.

Not for profit: the decent society is about more than impact

Philosophy, history and classics are more than the icing on academia’s cake, says Martha Nussbaum, professor of law and ethics at the University of Chicago. Elizabeth Gibney finds out why she believes we ignore them at our peril.

Code of practice needed to prevent degree-course mis-selling

The National Student Survey does not provide the valid, reliable data needed to compare higher education institutions. Such differences as it reveals are statistically and practically insignificant. Yet the media use the data to compile league tables of best-performing higher education institutions, and the tables in turn are being misused by institutions that should know better, says John Holmwood.

Pfizer closure shows UK's weakening commitment to research

To lose 6,000 skilled jobs in science R&D may be regarded as a misfortune for the coalition; to lose another 2,400 and a world-class research facility looks like carelessness.

Universities’ woe over further HEFCE budget cuts

University heads face more hardship following the publication yesterday of the Higher Education Funding Council for England’s letter detailing their financial awards for 2011-12.

The letter confirms the outline figures revealed in the budget guidance which the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills gave HEFCE in December 2010. But the letter to vice chancellors still held some unpleasant surprises—notably that the projected cuts will start to take effect in the current academic year. 

A knowledge economy needs Big Society science

Ministers aren't the only ones who have yet to grasp the need for a new contract between scientists and society. Tom Wakeford reveals the smoke-and-mirrors behind some recent research-council 'engagement' programmes, and says it’s time to debate some core values. 

 

Innovation funding to target already successful institutions

The Higher Education Funding Council for England plans to reduce the number of institutions that receive support from the Higher Education Innovation Fund.

Under plans announced on 1 February universities will have to qualify to receive £250,000 or more from HEIF to receive anything at all. A maximum cap on funding to any institute will also be fixed at £2.85m.