Impact and engagement

Covid’s creation of an environment in which lessons can be debated will improve public understanding, say Deenan Pillay and David King

People will always ‘come up with the same bullshit’ to support anti-science agendas, says Nasa scientist

Cambridge statistician tells THE World Academic Summit that experts’ media role in pandemic had not been ‘unalloyed success’

As an international review of the UK’s REF begins even before the assessment panels have done their work, has the exercise’s reliance on rereading published papers finally had its day? Might it be time for metrics? Or something else entirely? Jack Grove looks around the world for options  

Summit also hears how successful universities can drive damaging gentrification in their cities

Campuses can rarely help replicate Silicon Valley and face great risk trying, innovation expert warns

Australian findings on receptiveness to Covid misinformation have implications for teaching as well as engagement

We cannot engage people in discussion about drought, wildfires or climate change if we fail to acknowledge the emotions they generate, claims book

Founder hopes that Acaudio will help students and others keep up with the latest findings while on the move

An initiative by the University Alliance to offer training and support to BAME scholars is an important step in the right direction, says Vini Lander 

Calls for newer institutions to ‘know their place’ fail to understand the need to engage both with surrounding communities and major international challenges, argues Keith Burnett

Australian epidemiologists pressed to defend unscientific aspects of lockdowns, as politicians exaggerate the evidence base

Shutting off the talent pipeline into the creative industries risks the UK’s reputation for creativity and its potential for growth, says Anne Carlisle

The pandemic highlighted UK creative industries’ innovative capacity. Public research spending choices should reflect that, says Andrew Thompson

Uncertainty should be insisted on as a mark of seriousness and honesty, say Michael Blastland and George Davey Smith

In first federal court test, Indiana University can keep mandate with exemptions for its on-campus students

Court order has little immediate effect but has generated new Democrat vows to seek citizenship for child immigrants

A multidisciplinary approach to the issue of attention is an experiment in charting genuinely new intellectual territory, says Marion Thain

We need to work against the grain of platforms that incentivise us to behave in unscholarly ways, argues author

THE forum hears Manchester v-c spotlight social sciences and humanities, plus universities’ local roles, in vision for post-pandemic future

Australian institutions stand out when it comes to regularly reviewing guidelines relating to sustainable development, THE data suggest

THE data suggests that climate action is seen as a higher priority among prospective international students than universities

Universities can now register to participate in the next edition of our sustainability-focused league table

Funding is declining but business school research is as vital as science to post-pandemic economic recovery, says Zahir Irani

A new survey underlines the importance of anti-racism, mental health and climate change to current and potential undergraduates, writes James Sloam  

As the government moves left on economics and right on culture, institutions must show the depth and breadth of their impact, says Sir Chris Husbands

Former UK foreign policy adviser fears countries could lose ‘monopoly’ over accreditation for failing to inject critical thinking, curiosity, emotional intelligence and empathy into higher education

Universities are anxious to meet social priorities, but new demands must be properly resourced, say Jo Angouri and Jan Palmowski

As Conservative ministers attack sector expansion, MPs support it locally – offering potential route for sector ‘dialogue’ with party

Recent examples explore everything from radical vaudeville to the legacy of slavery

Universities offer many rewarding technical careers – but local populations are often oblivious of them, says Mike Hughes

Recent cuts and scares have cast doubt on ministers’ commitment to harnessing science in pursuit of a levelled-up, post-Brexit innovation economy. Questions also remain about how funding should be distributed and directed. Jack Grove examines the lessons from history and from overseas

Latest attempt to replicate Darpa brings bipartisan praise but also wariness of potential harm to basic health research

Just 10 per cent of academics account for half of all engagement with the media, according to a survey of more than 1,000 Swiss professors

Embattled university president in staunchly conservative state sees business-world allies valuing benefits of under-fire course

Liberals go focus on undergraduates with collaboration push while Labor hawks reconstruction fund

Those who understand how their advice is likely to be implemented are more able to make it constructive, professor says

As online shopping and pandemic leave swathe of retail units vacant, universities are urged to seize chance for space and civic roles

Almost a third of university employees globally are on contracts lasting less than two years, according to THE data

The United Nations’ global goals have enabled French institutions to broaden the scope of their sustainable development work, says Anne Beauval

Universities are moving in the right direction, but they can and must go further and faster, says Alice Gast

This week’s Climate Exp0 underlines universities’ potential to make net zero achievable, say Emily Shuckburgh, Roberto Buizza and Alyssa Gilbert

Changes to funding mechanisms can feel like a threat, but Aria will be a blast of fresh air for science and technology, says Tom Stephenson

Ex-Miliband adviser turned Sydney Policy Lab director discusses globalised academia’s decoupling from ‘everyday society’

Collaborative, technically enhanced experiential learning will prepare the continent’s vast young population for the digital future, says Laura Kakon

Policy should focus more on research’s benefits to a region than on where it is conducted, say Sarah Chaytor, Grace Gottlieb and Graeme Reid

When academics accept stints in politicians’ offices, everybody benefits, says outgoing Australian ministerial adviser

The opportunity exists to reimagine the UK’s post-18 education system in a way that will improve society as well as the economy, says Susan Lea

Service for local companies grabs spotlight as potential aid to competitiveness

New alliance of Leeds, Manchester and Sheffield will put them on more equal footing with golden triangle institutions when seeking investment for start-ups, says adviser

Results show impact that ‘diverse’ sector has on communities, but questions remain on project’s future use and links to funding

Richard Jones has chance to put into practice influential theories on boosting regions through research and development with role in new Innovation GM

Train up translation specialists and fix anomalies that discourage collaboration, Australian representative group says

Institutions band together at Tsinghua event to address climate change and other crises

Leeds, Manchester and Sheffield join forces to attract private investment

Lawmakers ‘desperately seeking innovation nirvana’ fail to buttress it with steadfast policies or durable statistics

Relying on academic research, thinktanks translate findings into the language of politicians and media, EUA president Michael Murphy argues – but not always accurately

Politicians emphasising jobs while students want impact, Eric Barron tells THE summit

Universities should rethink their role as a ‘neutral but powerful force’ in times of crisis, summit hears

If we’re going to measure what universities do, let’s concentrate on what really counts, says Julian Skyrme