As a professor of astronomy and physics, Priyamvada Natarajan doesn’t balk at taking risks. She has modeled the upper limits of “monster” black holes and analyzed the consistency of dark matter. As a theorist, she notes, intellectual risk is par for the course. But as a woman in science, risk-taking has another meaning, she says. […] … learn more→

Are international students immigrants? Surely it depends on whether students decide – and are able – to stay in the host country after graduation. In a seminar held in London recently, entitled ‘Competing globally: The impact of government immigration policy on UK universities’, Universities UK (UUK) argued that international students at universities should be excised […] … learn more→

As leaders in government and business search for ways to strengthen the U.S. recovery, new research from faculty at Harvard and Columbia indicates that elementary school teachers have an impact on how much their students earn as adults and, by extension, on the nation’s economy. “If an elementary school student has an excellent teacher even […] … learn more→

Most forms of publishing across the globe are in a state of flux. But university-based scholarly publishing faces a set of challenges all of its own. How can an industry whose target audience is so highly specialised remain viable, as funding dwindles and technology changes so quickly? Last year, the Book Industry Strategy Group called […] … learn more→

As the American era of global dominance draws to a close, higher education becomes more important than ever. … learn more→

When I was very young, the father of the neighbor’s family – a young academic – suddenly disappeared. The young academic was working, I was later told, on original research upon which he had pinned the hopes for his career. Nearing the completion of his work, however, a professor he had been working with published […] … learn more→

Most Australian readers would know of the current debate about universities teaching complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). A core question not being addressed in this debate is what other institution is better placed to deliver evidence-based knowledge of CAM. The latest controversy started when a group called Friends of Science in Medicine (FSM) wrote to […] … learn more→

Over the Christmas period, a short Bill was introduced into the US House of Representatives. The Research Works Act aims to make it illegal to require researchers to make their work publicly available. If passed, Australian researchers and the public will lose access to a considerable amount of US research. This Bill is a direct […] … learn more→

Late last week, Apple announced the launch of a new piece of software, iBooks Author, and a new version of its eBook reader, iBooks 2. It’s a development that promises to accelerate the move to interactive eBooks, by radically simplifying their development. iBooks Author does to eBooks what Apple’s GarageBand does to producing music – […] … learn more→

Adventurers and nature enthusiasts sometimes avoid college. Let\’s face it – the hallowed halls of higher education don\’t exactly seem conducive to a life lived outdoors. However, gone are the days of stuffy, run-of-the mill classes and boring majors. Especially with the invention of online degrees. College shouldn\’t compromise your relationship with nature, and it […] … learn more→