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In decades of linguinsania, Deirdre McCloskey has tried to learn a second language - everything from French, Greek and Latin to German, Scots Gaelic and Sanskrit - with no success. But she's still not resigned to monolingualism

Creative writing is as popular today as critical theory was a decade ago. Why the change, asks Penny Hancock, and how does it fit in with the study of English literature?

The banality and sense of entitlement of rich students at Harvard left John H. Summers feeling his teaching had been degraded to little more than a service to prepare clients for monied careers

Middle managers may be vital in today's universities, but a lack of training and grumbles that they undermine the collegial ethos have made many academics wary of the role. Tariq Tahir reports

Galvanised by last year's inaugural league table, universities across the UK have been busily redrafting environment policies and cutting energy consumption - but there's still a long way to go. Hannah Fearn reports

The shrinking pool of potential students is putting new pressures on US universities. But if some are learning to adapt, others seem to have a 'nascent death wish'. Jon Marcus reports

The ability to improvise is a crucial sign of high intelligence. So why, wonders Steve Fuller, does it enjoy so little status within the academy?

Sam Gosling pokes around people's homes, into their cupboards and under their beds. But it's not voyeuristic - such off-the-wall research is delivering crucial insights into personality, Matthew Reisz discovers

In the heyday of campus radicalism, protests took place at the drop of a hat and Marxism ruled. Today's young are quieter and as likely to vote Tory as for the Left. There's still commitment but, as Tariq Tahir finds, now it's to getting a good job

While wrestling, crime, sex and tulipmania spice up popular books on economics, the academic discipline often remains impenetrable. Matthew Reisz considers the costs and benefits of complexity

A move to put research on a sustainable footing was keenly embraced by all sides, but disagreements over implementation are hindering progress. Zoe Corbyn reports

Scientists in popular culture are inevitably mad, bad and dangerously keen on bubbling vials of ghastly liquids. Should this bother us? Yes, John Gilbey cackles fiendishly

City academies have helped raise the sights of some young people in higher education cold spots, but there remains fierce ideological and practical opposition from many academics. Hannah Fearn considers the case for university sponsorship

Psychoanalysis may have little place in university psychology departments, but it is flourishing within the arts and humanities. Matthew Reisz reports on the debates - and divisions - between academics and clinicians

As with husbands, so with students. Lower the bar, as benchmarks do, and mediocre results are guaranteed, says Tara Brabazon

Does the Google generation, which has grown up with a deluge of data just clicks away, lack the independence of thought and critical rigour needed for higher study? Matthew Reisz investigates

Scholars must challenge the copyright laws, which allow estates to stifle efforts to generate new ideas about an author's works, argues Alistair McCleery

Alex Danchev is entranced by the lyricism and virtuosity of jazz master Charles Lloyd

What did the stand-up tell academics who want to give better lectures? It's no laughing matter - it's about performing in the moment, Tariq Tahir hears

Many researchers believe a 'gut instinct' can be as powerful a tool as logic and academics should acknowledge its role in their work. Matthew Reisz reports

Romantic attractions between teacher and student may be as old as pedagogy itself, but now such relationships cause people to worry about abuses of power and litigation. Only half of institutions have any guidelines on such relationships. Are they needed? asks Hannah Fearn

Computers and lasers are compelling proof that researchers' flights of fancy can pay off, but policymakers prefer to fund work with obvious economic merits. Matthew Reisz asks whether the sky should be the limit

... but our tastes are swayed by price, packaging and other social psychological factors in ways we're often unaware of. Matthew Kieran considers the fragility of aesthetic opinions in the latest in our fortnightly series allowing academics to step outside their field of expertise

Employers are worried that the sector's generous pensions are unsustainable, so could this be the end of the road for final-salary schemes? asks Tariq Tahir

A royal visit can be the highlight that makes a university event unforgettable, but not always in the right way. Tariq Tahir reviews the details of protocol and planning needed to make them work

Rational thinking is the tool of the intellectual's trade. And yet, argues Roy Harris, academics and universities have abandoned reason in pursuit of a more commercial credo

Cambridge leads the field in producing Nobel science laureates, but many of the UK's best scientists have left to pursue work in the US. Matthew Reisz finds out from past winners what tempted them to go and why many feel the tide is turning in the UK's favour

Reform is widely felt to be overdue for French higher education, but its proponents face an entrenched and powerful universities system. Matthew Reisz assesses the appetite for change

The ban on performance-boosting substances in sport is a self-satisfied nonsense, argues historian Geoffrey Alderman in a fortnightly series allowing academics to step outside their area of expertise

Fee-paying students want more teaching contact hours for their money. But do the bald figures on how often they see their tutor tell the whole story? Hannah Fearn investigates

The emphasis on learning outcomes and benchmarks in the context of English literature is little more than a straitjacket that stifles the originality and creativity of both author and student critic, argues Derek Attridge

Torture cannot be justified, says Philippe Sands, an academic and barrister who has traced how the US came to sanction the practice after 9/11. It doesn't work and it costs us dearly, he tells Matthew Reisz

In the first in a series in which academics range beyond their area of expertise, philosopher Simon Blackburn proffers his top ten modern myths

Lack of support, poor editing, negligible marketing: the alleged shortcomings of British academic publishing are increasingly leading authors to sign up with US and mainstream imprints. Matthew Reisz reports

Short ethics courses for members of medical and research committees are proliferating. But do they equip people with the tools needed to make what could be life-and-death decisions? Esther Oxford reports

Students and employers are increasingly dictating the courses that universities offer, as witnessed by the rise of business-related and TV-inspired subjects such as forensic science. But how far should demand drive the curriculum? Harriet Swain reports

What is it about crime and universities? As the film of The Oxford Murders premieres, Matthew Reisz probes a world of professor-sleuths, philosophical riddles and the academics who are hooked on them

It is a tempting proposition: a new life and a new job at a US or Canadian university. But what is the reality of academic life in North America? Esther Oxford asks those who took the plunge

Academics aren't trained for it and often can't cope with it, yet many find themselves counselling students at risk of emotional breakdown and even suicide. Esther Oxford talks to lecturers who have been affected

League tables are used to gauge university performance, influence potential students and steer management policy, but should they be trusted? A survey suggests that many fall short of the mark, writes Rebecca Attwood

The advent of the UK's first private law school has reignited debate about whether a law course should comprise liberal education or commercial training. Hannah Fearn hears the case for and against

The sector has experienced unprecedented growth in recent years, with fees and overseas income boosting overall prosperity, but not all universities are in a position to keep expanding. Alan Thomson assesses the financial strengths, weaknesses and trends in higher education

As competition intensifies, universities that focus on third-stream income and that revamp the campus experience will be in the strongest position to thrive in the future, believes David Barnes

Universities want eye-catching iconic buildings that capture the spirit of academic endeavour, involve the community and aid recruitment. Esther Oxford surveys the results, from glass walls to grass roofs

Academe could become a largely 'female' profession by 2020. But although women are taking over at lower levels, they continue to struggle to break into top jobs. Is this due to persistent bias or are women themselves to blame? Esther Oxford investigates

Most people enter academe to delve into a subject, not to manage. To improve personnel administration, universities have beefed up HR departments with staff and strategies from outside campus. Hannah Fearn appraises how well they have done

Sari Nusseibeh was Arafat's man in Jerusalem and spent time in jail accused of spying for Saddam, but the philosopher and advocate of non-violence sees himself primarily as an educator, he tells Matthew Reisz

Textbooks are hard to write, the rewards are few and e-books are at last coming of age. So what's the future for these essential companions, asks Matthew Reisz

Geza Vermes, author of Jesus the Jew, is yet again turning his formidable forensic skills on his former Christian religion, this time in the shape of the Resurrection. Matthew Reisz meets him to discuss his Easter book

Are the institutes of advanced study being set up across the UK simply research hotels where academics can enjoy precious thinking time or evidence of a fundamental shift in cutting-edge research? Matthew Reisz finds out over a cross-disciplinary coffee

Academic salaries have increased by 12.6% in two years, but can the rises be sustained? Market differences are already beginning to show, with significant variations in pay between universities just miles apart. Hannah Fearn and Melanie Newman add up the figures (see related files on the right)

To build collaborative links with India, UK institutions must avoid treating the country as a cash cow, discovers Esther Oxford

More academics are weighing up job satisfaction against extracurricular factors such as house prices, local schools and even the weather. Esther Oxford reveals which institutions are most attractive in the Halifax-³ÉÈËVRÊÓƵ quality-of-life index

Image is everything and universities are lining up to pay branding agencies serious money to create the right profile. But is this market-driven approach a step too far, asks Hannah Fearn

Academics are at the very heart of the knowledge economy, but just how far should they and their institutions go in the commercial exploitation of their ideas? Hannah Fearn explores the potential costs and benefits

Are students' disparaging comments online just harmless gossip or defamatory remarks that can tarnish universities and academics? Hannah Fearn teases out the strands

Despite saving the lives of nearly 2,000 fellow Jews in wartime Hungary, Rezso Kasztner was vilified and ultimately assassinated in postwar Israel. Academic Ladislaus Lob was one of the boys Kasztner rescued. He tells Matthew Reisz the extraordinary story his research has uncovered

A record number of university managers are being hired from outside higher education. But does their commercial verve sit well with the unique academic ethos? Hannah Fearn reports