As long ago as 1998, Colin Blakemore, then president of the British Neuroscience Association, expressed his reservations about the burden imposed by the UK’s research assessment exercise (RAE) on both institutions and those charged with “peer reviewing” their submissions. “The changes in ranking that now occur from exercise to exercise are generally small in magnitude […] … learn more→

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected many universities across the world. It disrupted their revenue streams and most universities are finding leaner ways to operate. For many, this means laying off staff and discontinuing contracts. I checked in with some of my university colleagues and they’re worried about job security. Some of the researchers in my […] … learn more→

At the start of the year, US president-elect Joe Biden wrote a letter to his science adviser, Eric Lander, calling for a reinvigoration of the US’ science and technology strategy. Biden posed two strikingly similar questions to those asked by Franklin D. Roosevelt of his own science adviser, Vannevar Bush, in his famous 1944 letter. […] … learn more→

The news last month that the UK government is cutting its international aid budget has caused consternation within the higher education sector. International aid money is currently being used to support UK Research and Innovation projects including the £1.5 billion Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF). But while universities benefit from this funding stream, the redirection […] … learn more→

Academic research is an increasingly open world. Technology has reduced the tyranny of distance which has encouraged more international research. Over eighty percent of Australian Research Council grants include an international researcher. I often say that researchers are privileged because they are largely free of restrictions around anti-competitive behaviour and similar limits that are placed […] … learn more→

Australia has long been seen as failing to fully capitalise on its ground-breaking research. A consultation paper on university research commercialisation is the latest federal government effort to increase the impact of research. Its focus is on creating incentives for industry-university collaboration to translate and commercialise research. Any government scheme resulting from these consultations might boost the number […] … learn more→

The first time I sat down in a café with Yusef [1], a man I had met a couple of years back while volunteering, there was an awkward moment when I turned on the recorder app on my phone. Yusef was born “in the Horn of Africa”, as he said, but moved to Italy more than […] … learn more→

I’m an introverted researcher. I’m uncomfortable with attending social events to meet new people, which can be problematic when it comes to expanding my network. I know networks are really important for a career, and I know how much of an issue networking can be for me, so I try to be considered and prepared […] … learn more→

In France, although free and secular education is enshrined in the 1946 Constitution as a “duty of the State”, a growing number of exceptions allow higher education institutions to set tuition fees of several thousands of euros. They now concern a fifth of students , and should quickly expand with the drastic (+1 600%) and generalized increase in […] … learn more→

Can we conduct activist research in universities? This is one of the questions that invites us to take a closer look at the controversy launched by the Minister of Higher Education, asking the National Assembly on February 16 that “a review of all the research” be launched. which take place at the university, in order to distinguish “what […] … learn more→