If we are to power our ideas, we need to focus on the right game, write Peter Høj and Caroline McMillen. During the past few months, Australian universities have been working hard to support the delivery of the research and ...

<<<Judging from UK experience, the new research assessment system could prove to bring few benefits but a good deal of anxiety, damage and cost, writes Jeff Lewis.>>> While most researchers in Australia would welcome an effective and well-considered process of ...

Weasel words, deliberate obfuscation and VET-speak. John Ross tries to figure out what’s really behind a recent communiqué. It can’t be easy to get eight governments to agree on wording. Particularly if they’re not all from the same party. And ...

Having submitted his PhD thesis, Sean Perera finds parallels in the Book of the Dead. The all-consuming nature of PhD research leaves little of consequence to hold on to once the thesis is submitted. Feelings of worthlessness and lack of purpose ...

The resignation of a senior academic reflects both the madness of economic rationalism and the self-serving motives of ordinary people, writes Henry Barnes. “It is well known that problem avoidance is an important part of problem solving. Instead of solving ...

Internationalisation is about all students, not just international ones, writes Sophie Arkoudis. The experience of international students in Australia has received bad press recently. The spotlight has been firmly trained on a perceived lack of English language proficiency, matters of ...

Having collected a couple of green stars in primary school, Joseph Gora understands the importance of peer recognition. When I was a snotty-nosed little upstart at primary school in the heady 60s, our assignments were graded by less-than-diligent teachers with ...

Technology is has the power to change higher education, but only the brave will venture there, says Paul Duldig In the wake of the Bradley and Cutler reviews, a great deal of debate has taken place about government policy and ...

The future of tertiary admissions is already emerging, writes Deborah Terrya break from the rigid tradition that required them to apply by 30 September – and then wait until January to hear about an offer. We have also introduced progressive ...

Establishing standards does not demand standardisation of curricula – if we get it right. Kerri-Lee Harris takes an international perspective. Academic standards are currently a hot topic in Australian higher education – at least among university leaders and commentators. In ...