Campus Talks by Times Higher Education

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...

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. Th...

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-...

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 ma...

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 ...

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 unde...

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 listenin...

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 univ...

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 co...

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...

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 en...

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 dominat...

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 ...

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...

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, ove...

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 stu...

This episode of Campus Talks heads back to school. As millions of freshmen prepare to start university – whether that’s on campus or online – we look at what institutions can do to make the transition to higher education a bit less overwhelming and a little more tailored to a cohort who are informed by AI and social media and focused on career-based skills. Orientation is no longer a one-size-fits-all proposition. For universities,...

Equity, diversity and inclusion work in higher education is under growing scrutiny, in some cases outright attack, most notably in the US. So, on this week’s podcast we spoke to two experts in EDI – or DEI as it is referred to in north America – based in the US to get back to the basics of what this work is all about and discuss how universities can protect and advance equality of opportunity for all, against a challenging politica...

Critical thinking is one of the most lauded graduate skillsets, praised by academics, sought after by employers and upheld as a solution to many contemporary challenges from AI to polarisation.

But are universities equipping students with the capabilities and mindset needed to properly question information and assumptions, to self-reflect, overcome biases, analyse, empathise and reason? And if not, what could higher education do di...