Despite being Hong Kong Chinese myself, I experienced profound culture shock when I began working in Chinese higher education. Foreign, and particularly Western, scholars often find certain aspects of Chinese higher education very disconcerting. I come from the region categorised as jingwai (the Chinese areas outside mainland China, which include Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macao) by the government of the […] … learn more→

This is a dark time for universities. The urgent social and economic challenges that societies face in the wake of Covid-19 have placed significant financial pressures on already stretched higher education systems. Meanwhile, in the UK, policymakers are also making increasingly critical attacks on “low-value courses” that do not tend to lead to high graduate […] … learn more→

Even academics sometimes prefer the bliss of ignorance to the disillusion of knowledge. One such area is student cheating. The extent to which students cheat in university exams is not a subject that many academics or institutions care to probe with any diligence, lest turning over the stone reveal some uncomfortable truths. But to disregard […] … learn more→

The universities began this course with many questions that we cannot solve. But it is our obligation to minimize uncertainties. And that is why we have been working since June to prepare the protocols that are allowing us to start classes. Zero risk does not exist; However, we can affirm that we have made an enormous effort so […] … learn more→

With the confinement and restrictions linked to the Covid-19 crisis, many students and parents have become accustomed to interacting by interposed camera, with a computer, tablet or smartphone. The challenge is usually finding a good place to settle down so that you can calmly ask questions, provide answers and share opinions with an online audience. Initially, […] … learn more→

The coronavirus pandemic has intensified college application anxiety. I make this observation as an admissions dean who, as of late, has not just been answering emails and questions from parents. Instead, I’m also responding to media inquiries about how my school plans to manage our selection processes in this crisis. All of these questions hint at an […] … learn more→

Last year I wrote a handy guide for scholars wishing to reach the heights of academe through upward toxicity. I showed aspiring leaders of their fields how to forge powerful alliances, abuse their underlings mercilessly and weaken their rivals. The emails I received – from their victims – confirmed for me that toxic scholars the world over […] … learn more→

Scientists in Germany publish more articles in leading journals than those in any other nation except the US and China. But unlike academics in most countries, Germany’s scientific community is significantly split between universities and independent research institutes. Under the country’s dual-pillar approach, universities are supposed to specialise in training new scientists; leading research is […] … learn more→

In late July, the academic Twitter community was rocked by the tragic death of an Arizona State University professor who went by the alias @sciencing_bi. She had reportedly died from Covid-19 after being forced to teach in-person well into spring. Only days later, it was revealed that @sciencing_bi – who had, over several years, posted […] … learn more→

Doing a doctorate later in life is more likely to be a part-time affair. In the UK, the majority of the part-time postgraduate research students are over the age of 30. Despite 27,000 people undertaking this mode of study in the UK alone, it is less commonly addressed in guides to success in doctoral research. In this […] … learn more→