Being the minister responsible for higher education in the UK should be a breeze. Oxford and Cambridge brush the top of any international ranking, with another three or four of our universities on their heels. True, the US does better, but not for its size, and no other country comes close. The UK hasn’t done so well in anything since Geoff Hurst’s hat-trick and the Beatles and the Stones. Not even cycling or dressage can compete. More...

Controversy erupted over the weekend as Brighton University was accused in the Sunday Times of “grooming” students into prostitution. More...

Manchester University’s students’ union has become the latest student body to vote to replace applause with “jazz hands” in an attempt to make events more accessible for people with disabilities. More...

I definitely am at my college, but back at home I’m now considered posh. I’m not sure where I belong anymore. More...

Among students and alumni of Harvard law school, the news that Brett Kavanaugh will not teach a class this winter was met with muted celebration – and skepticism. More...

The government’s teaching excellence framework may have been controversial, but it has enabled the higher education sector to articulate what students, parents and industry are genuinely interested in: teaching, employability, student support, real-world skills and co-curricular activities. More...

A leading London university is planning to publish annual data on harassment, bullying and sexual misconduct after investigations by the Guardian and the Observer revealed the scale of these issues at top British institutions. More...

A vote to avoid applause sparked ridicule, but the practice is not new and helps those with sensory issues. More...

The research by a trio of economists at the University of Nottingham found the government’s research excellence framework (REF) – which rates departments by academic publications and impact – appears to have skewed pay towards professors with the most prolific output. More...

What is the point of clapping? Sitting in the packed overspill hall at Conservative party conference this week, watching Theresa May do her thing via a screen rather than live in person, the surprising thing was that people still clapped, even though they must have known the speaker couldn’t actually hear them. More...