Times Higher Education

Disabled students make up the biggest minority group in US and UK higher education, accounting for about a fifth of undergraduates in both countries. While efforts to improve access to higher education for disabled students have contributed to increased enrolment, people with disabilities are still less likely than their counterparts to enter college, to feel at home in higher education settings and to secure a degree. And research suggests that many do not to disclose their disabilities once enrolled within an institution, which limits the support available to them. So this week, we speak to a US researcher who has dedicated the last decade to studying the experiences of disabled students in higher education and the barriers to full access and inclusion for all. Katherine Aquino is a social scientist and educational researcher who currently serves as the executive director for research training and development in the School of Graduate Studies at Rutgers University. Her research examines the complexity of di

Learn about the journey from academic researcher to entrepreneur and what it takes to launch a successful spin out company. Academics are specialists in their disciplines and research areas but very few have any expertise in running a business. So, while their discoveries may hold commercial potential, it is rarely a simple or easy process translating this knowledge into a saleable product or service. To demystify the process of research commercialisation, on this episode we hear from a US-based biomedical researcher who has launched and grown five spin-out companies over the last 25 years. Ashutosh Chilkoti is the Alan L. Kaganov Professor of Biomedical Engineering in the Pratt School of Engineering at Duke University and the brains behind companies including PhaseBio Pharmaceuticals, Sentilus and Insolere Bio. He runs the Chilkoti research group and has driven a number of initiatives at Duke designed to support entrepreneurship among students and staff. As well as describing his own varied start-up experien

The relationship between academic staff and their professional services colleagues is key to delivering on universities’ goals of high-quality student experience and knowledge creation. Today, it’s more strategic alliance than traditional hierarchy, with increasing recognition that skills such as teaching practice are as crucial as subject knowledge, but tensions and challenges remain. This is despite the fact that professional services underpin all university functions, from education practice to careers services, lab management, estates, admissions and student well-being. One issue is that professional services staff don’t always have clear pathways to promotion and progression, which can perpetuate perception of division. So, this Campus Talks episode aims to answer questions such as: how deep is the divide between academic and professional services staff? Does the sector do enough to support career pathways for staff who don’t fit the neat progression of traditional academia? And how can universities do m

STEM study and research are responsible for much of humanity’s most transformative knowledge and technology. Discoveries and products that emerge from STEM will continue to define how we live now and in the future. So, it should concern everyone that STEM fields are still overwhelmingly male dominated. And it’s not just women who are underrepresented, this also applies to minority ethnic groups. Women make up just 16.9 per cent of the 6.4 million people working in engineering and technology in the UK - compared to 56 per cent in other occupations. While minority ethnic groups make up just 14 per cent of the workforce, according to EngineeringUK’s 2025 workforce report. On this week’s podcast, in homage to International Woman’s Day, we speak to an academic who has built a successful career as a woman in the male dominated field of chemical engineering, to find out how being an outlier shaped her approach to her career and what she thinks needs to change to diversify her discipline. Raffaella Ocone became the f

As proposals for the future Horizon Europe are scrutinised by the European Parliament, we discuss likely changes to the seven-year funding programme and whether it can support a coalition of like-minded powers amidst the current geopolitical upheaval. The next version of Horizon Europe, due to launch in 2028, is likely to show much greater alignment with EU economic and defence priorities, backed by the budget almost doubling to €175bn a year. The initial proposal put forward by the European Commission opens Horizon up to dual purpose and defence focused research and places more weight on research designed to drive EU competitiveness in key industries such as green energy and digital technologies. This week Miranda Prynne is joined by THE features editor Paul Jump to discuss how the planned changes could affect European research and the impact on Horizon’s flourishing global network of non-EU members such as the UK, Canada and Japan whose contributions currently make up around a third of Horizon’s total budge

So, you’ve finished writing your book, the ideas are on the page and all that’s left is to send your opus off to the publisher, right? Not so fast. In between draft and submission is the revising stage, one that many scholars gloss over on their way to a polished manuscript. After all, to paraphrase Hemingway, “all writing is rewriting”. Editing is an eminently learnable skill – one that can be broken down into manageable steps. That alone can be enough to ease the fear of looking closely and honestly at how your manuscript is constructed. And a systematic approach can guide writers to fix or improve their work in line with what peer reviewers, scholarly publishers and ultimately the target readership are looking for. For this episode of the podcast, we talk to developmental editor, author and manuscript consultant Laura Portwood-Stacer. Her latest book, Make Your Manuscript Work (Princeton University Press, 2025) decodes the editing process into a set of steps. She explains the key area that anchors a manusc

The number of international students enrolled on masters by research (MRes) courses more than doubled in the year after the government introduced a ban on dependent visas for other courses, new figures revealed this week. Higher Education Statistics Agency (Hesa) data obtained by Times Higher Education show that there were 6,085 non-UK-domiciled students enrolled on MRes courses in the 2024-25 academic year – up from 2,485 in 2023-24.  This leaves the institutions behind such rises open to accusations of playing the system and using MRes courses as a way to circumvent the government’s visa rules. On this episode of News Talks, Miranda Prynne speaks to Times Higher Education deputy news editor Helen Packer, who has been covering the story, to find out what lies behind the rising MRes numbers, what the institutions driving the growth have said and the reaction from politicians and other sector leaders.

International branch campuses are back in the spotlight with countries including India, Vietnam and Greece opening to foreign institutions for the first time. And with international student flows coming under pressure from government policies, stretched student finances and emerging host countries, transnational education (TNE) and branch campuses offer an effective alternative for reaching overseas students. But while there are many success stories of now well-established branch campuses all over the world, there have also been plenty of failures. There are currently 387 international branch campuses open across 85 countries. A further 73 have opened and then closed, according to research by C-BERT. So, what causes some international branch campuses to flourish while others collapse? To find out, I spoke to Christine Ennew, who served as provost and CEO of the University of Nottingham Malaysia from 2013 to 2016, having been part of the team who travelled to Kuala Lumpur in 2000 to establish this pioneering b

We discuss why the University of Sussex has mounted a legal challenge against a £585,000 fine imposed by the Office for Students (OfS) for failing to uphold freedom of speech. The case, being heard in the high court in London this week, brings to the fore questions over academic freedom, institutional autonomy, trans rights and EDI policies and the role of the OfS. On this episode of News talks, Times Higher Education editor Chris Havergal talks to Miranda Prynne about the background to the case, the key points upon which Sussex is disputing the OfS findings and the broader implications for universities and the way they are regulated.

In the last decade, the computational power of AI has grown exponentially – doubling every six months since 2010 for some well-known tools. This, in tandem with more sophisticated machine learning models and increases in available data, has opened up possibilities for research and discovery that would have been unthinkable even a few years ago. But most academics are relatively new to using AI and thus have a long way to go to understand its many potential applications. Something that comes more naturally to some than to others. To find out how researchers can get the most out of AI tools while managing the associated risks, this week, we speak to a leading computer scientist who has been developing AI tools for research for more than 20 years. Karin Verspoor is dean of the School of Computing Technologies at RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia. Her research focuses on the use of AI to support biological discovery and clinical decision making by analysing biomedical text and clinical records. She has held

When students start university or return for a new semester, stressors such as cost of living and worries about academic performance or future job insecurity can exacerbate anxiety or other mental health issues. So, how can educators best support them in the classroom, while also ensuring learning objectives are met and they don’t burn out themselves? This is where skills such as emotional intelligence, observation, active listening and the ability to notice when students are becoming disengaged, falling behind or at risk of dropping out altogether come to the fore. This episode of Campus talks looks at how to foster safe, inclusive learning spaces, how to spot students who are struggling, advice for starting conversations around sensitive topics like mental health, and how educators can be open and authentic while protecting their own boundaries and work-life balance. We talk to Marissa Edwards, who is a senior lecturer and researcher in the University of Queensland Business School. A mental health advocate

The arts and humanities bring multiple benefits to students, and society as a whole, but are often dismissed as lacking value by policymakers when pitted against STEM subjects. In this episode of Campus talks, a vice-chancellor-come-artist and a classicist explain why the arts and humanities are so vital to a healthy, well-informed society, the specific lessons and skills these subjects engender in those who study them and how university educators can foreground these. You will hear from: Michael Scott, who is pro vice-chancellor international and a professor of classics and ancient history at the University of Warwick. Michael’s research explores the intersection of ancient history and archaeology within the Mediterranean and beyond. He has published numerous books on the ancient world for the popular market and written and presented TV series on the BBC, ITV, History Channel and National Geographic.  Mark Power is vice-chancellor and chief executive of Liverpool John Moores University and a professor of hig

It is a truth (almost) universally acknowledged, that students should sit at the heart of – and take an active role – in their learning. By inviting students to work with their teachers to shape course materials, activities and even assessments, co-creation appears to offer a textbook solution. However, giving students greater agency over their learning is not without its challenges and some educators may find the idea of ceding control over their teaching decisions troubling. On this week’s podcast, we speak to a leading proponent of co-creation in higher education, who has researched and published extensively on this pedagogical approach, as well using it in her own teaching. Catherine Bovill is a professor of student engagement and head of the programme design and teaching enhancement team in the Institute for Academic Development at the University of Edinburgh. She is also a visiting fellow at the University of Bergen in Norway and the author of dozens of research papers and a couple of books focused on c

How do universities ensure their programmes and curricula meet the demands from industry, government – and students themselves – for career-ready graduates equipped with vital transferable skills? Skills – whether you call them soft, transferable, power, productivity, work-based or human skills – have come to dominate the conversation about employability. The rapid advance of artificial intelligence, coupled with a shrinking number of entry-level roles, means that graduates are looking for the capabilities that will give them an edge. Industry and governments, meanwhile, have their eye on the economic and innovation advantages that come with an agile, digitally literate and productive workforce. Alongside academic skills, universities have long provided students with opportunities to develop communication, critical thinking and teamwork skills, but external demands mean they need to be more intentional about embedding transferable skills in curricula – and give graduates means to evidence this learning. To fi

Her ability to engage with leading-edge technology has long set Jenny Moffett apart, whether that’s her early embrace of the potential of online education for professional development or using immersive technology to help medical students navigate ambiguous situations. And now last year’s winner of the Times Higher Education Award for Most Innovative Teacher is working on understanding the potential of artificial intelligence to engage students in reflective writing. Jenny is a senior lecturer and educationalist in the Health Professions Education Centre at RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences in Dublin. She also serves as programme director for the postgraduate diploma in health professions education, where she leads curriculum design and delivery to support educators in developing evidence-informed, learner-centred teaching practices. To mark this year’s THE Awards, which are being presented in Edinburgh on 13 November, we talk to Jenny about how educators can put AI to use in a way that fosters

As centres of learning, universities should be places where ideas, opinions and beliefs can be openly discussed, challenged and interrogated. They also have a duty of care to ensure their diverse community students and staff feel safe, welcome and free from discrimination. But some claim that an over-zealous focus on inclusion and appeasing students has led to an erosion of academic freedom and allowed a ‘cancel culture’ to dominate higher education, leading to a worrying expected conformity of opinion on important contemporary issues. This is all playing out against the wider backdrop of growing polarisation and identity politics. For this episode, we speak to two experts in this space to find out what practical steps universities can take to encourage more constructive disagreement and engagement with differing viewpoints among students as part of their learning. And how institutions can uphold the requirements of free speech and nurture plurality across campus, while protecting those most affected by conte

Arts and humanities scholars in the UK are feeling embattled as the current government focus appears to be firmly trained upon STEM. This makes the hunt for funding for doctorates and early career research in the arts and humanities ever more difficult. But there are still opportunities available for PhD candidates who can successfully convince the relevant funding bodies of the worth of their proposed work. We speak to a research leader and historian who has demonstrated notable success in her own career about changes to the funding landscape, how institutions can respond and how doctoral students can optimise their grant applications. Hear from Alice Taylor, a professor of medieval history and vice-dean for research in the faculty of arts and humanities at King’s College London. Her first book, The Shape of the State in Medieval Scotland, which was co-awarded the Royal Historical Society’s Whitfield Prize in 2017 – the same year she was awarded the prestigious Philip Leverhulme Prize for History.  More rece

Motivation is key to getting stuff done – whether that “stuff” relates to your work, studies, hobbies or simply answering a Whatsapp message. For academics, working on long-term research projects while also teaching courses, that can last years, to hundreds of students, understanding how to boost and sustain motivation in themselves and others is vital for success. So, today we explore the many factors that influence motivation and ask how educators can use these to keep students engaged throughout their studies. You will hear tips for improving the quality of motivation, for beating procrastination and improving your time management, from: Ian Taylor, a reader in motivational science at Loughborough University and an associate fellow and chartered psychologist of the British Psychological Society and the author of a new book, published this year, Time Hacks: The Psychology of Time and How to Spend It. Helena Seli, a professor of clinical education and assistant dean of academic programme development at the

Listen to this podcast on Spotify or Apple podcasts. While stimulating and rewarding, academic careers present numerous challenges that require resilience and determination from those who wish to remain in the academy. The job precarity now so common across higher education, alongside the repeated rejection from funders and publishers and pressure to demonstrate excellence across teaching, research and administration, makes for a brutal combination, too often resulting in stress, overwork and ultimately burnout.  We speak to two professors, who have both written on navigating this tricky career terrain, about how they have managed to find freedom and fulfilment in their work, even when faced with spiralling workloads and multiple pressures, and what fulfilment looks like. You will hear from: Jeffrey McDonnell is a university distinguished professor of hydrology in the School of Environment and Sustainability, and associate director of the Global Institute for Water Security at the University of Saskatchewan,

How can universities equip students with the knowledge and skills they will need to succeed in a job market that is ever changing and increasingly difficult to forecast? The answer, Thomas Jefferson University president Susan Aldridge says, lies in an interdisciplinary and applied approach to learning. In this video podcast, she describes how the institution has achieved a 98% success rate for graduates in employment or further study, the benefits of bringing students from different disciplines together, upskilling everyone in the use of AI and why US university leaders need a joined-up strategy for communicating the value of higher education. Thanks to Thomas Jefferson University for sponsoring this episode.