Blog Archives

England’s new free speech law comes into force – what it means for universities

England’s new free speech law comes into force – what it means for universities

The Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023 comes into force throughout England on August 1 2025. Designed to stop universities from censoring controversial or unpopular ideas, the law gives the Office for Students responsibility for ensuring institutions comply. This law will mean that many universities will have to change the way they approach free speech. When it comes […] … learn more→

Writer identity and voice

Writer identity and voice

Still reading. This month it’s Schmit, John S (2022)The sociolinguistics of written identity, Constructing a self. Cham, Switzerland: PalgraveMacmillan. Schmit is a writing and linguistics professor. His book examines how students develop written identities in academic settings and the complex relationship between language, power, and social class in educational settings. I found it interesting- well, I always […] … learn more→

How Disney classics help me teach real-world economics

How Disney classics help me teach real-world economics

Disney celebrated the 75th anniversary of Cinderella in February this year, with the message that she didn’t just believe in dreams, but did something about them by going to the palace to get Prince Charming. The message emphasizes individual persistence for a happy ending, and projects popular ideas often entrenched in how undergraduate students learn about economics — […] … learn more→

Top Australian writers urge Albanese to abolish Job-Ready Graduates, calling their humanities degrees life changing

Top Australian writers urge Albanese to abolish Job-Ready Graduates, calling their humanities degrees life changing

“Earning a humanities degree was not only life changing, in terms of opening up a world of knowledge otherwise beyond my reach, it also turns out to have been enormously productive – for me and many, many people around me,” said Tim Winton this week. “My little arts degree has created jobs and cultural value for over […] … learn more→

Planning to take a degree taught in English when it’s not your first language? Here are some tips for success

Planning to take a degree taught in English when it’s not your first language? Here are some tips for success

Every year, millions of students from all parts of the globe study for a degree through a language other than their first, usually English. In 2023, 25% of all higher education students in the UK were international students. The understanding is that the incoming students will have, or develop, enough proficiency in English as a second language to study engineering, history, […] … learn more→

Is it true that journalism education is no longer relevant to the development of digital media?

Is it true that journalism education is no longer relevant to the development of digital media?

● Journalism education is considered no longer relevant to the dynamics of industrial needs and developments in digital technology. ● Changes in technology, professions, and production processes require journalists to remain critical. ● Journalism education must continue to instill idealism, public awareness, and ethical awareness. The discourse about journalism education being no longer relevant on campuses—including in […] … learn more→

The keys to being an entrepreneurial university

The keys to being an entrepreneurial university

The increasing importance of knowledge in the economy and the phenomenon of globalization are transforming higher education. Universities must prepare students for lifelong learning so that they don’t fall behind in the face of changing labor market demands. To meet this challenge, it is important for universities to transform themselves into entrepreneurial ones . Europe, for example, has promoted reforms […] … learn more→

In Australia, the rules around academics sleeping with their students can be complicated. But is it ethical?

In Australia, the rules around academics sleeping with their students can be complicated. But is it ethical?

In Sweet Nothings, author Madison Griffiths investigates the uncomfortable complexities of “problematic sex” between academics and students on Australian university campuses. The term “problematic sex” – often used by Gen Z and younger millennial feminists – refers to sexual relationships that, while technically “consensual”, are nonetheless harmful for other reasons, most often due to significant disparities […] … learn more→

Leaders in India, Hungary and the US are using appeals to nostalgia and nationalism to attack higher education

Leaders in India, Hungary and the US are using appeals to nostalgia and nationalism to attack higher education

Harvard University is under siege by the Trump administration – and the world is watching. But this case isn’t just an American issue. It’s part of a global trend: universities cast as enemies and institutions in need of reform. Populist, right-wing governments are blaming universities for tearing at the fabric of nations. These attacks are part of a broader strategy […] … learn more→

College ‘general education’ requirements help prepare students for citizenship − but critics say it’s learning time taken away from useful studies

College ‘general education’ requirements help prepare students for citizenship − but critics say it’s learning time taken away from useful studies

What do Americans think of when they hear the words “general education”? By definition, general education covers introductory college courses in arts and humanities, social sciences, and science and mathematics. It has different names, including core curriculum or distribution requirements, depending on the college or university. It is also sometimes called liberal education, including by […] … learn more→