Europe

A virtual illustration of a book guides a student working on a laptop

What do students want from AI-assisted teaching?

In an age of AI, educators and students need ways to ensure the technology complements learning rather than detracts from or homogenises it

Omar Merlo , Nai Li

Imperial College London

A library shelf

What does the future hold for library spaces?

University libraries are evolving fast. From inclusive design to sustainability, here’s how institutions can rethink spaces to support future learners and diverse needs

Kate Marshall

Nottingham Trent University

UK innovation concept

What does the UK’s spin-out ecosystem need to thrive nationwide?

Despite their abundance of research and expertise, UK academic institutions lack mechanisms to encourage and incentivise movement between academia and industry, particularly within the spin-out community, writes Richard Hague

Richard Hague

University of Nottingham

A business professional shakes hands

A guide to building lasting partnerships between students and industry

How can universities bridge the gap between students and their future employers? Bring real value to both sides with these tips

Amy Pyle, Dan Robinson

Loughborough University

Young man writing resume on laptop

Turning skills into stories: how longitudinal skills portfolios enhance student employability

Universities are adopting reflective digital tools to help students connect their learning to graduate skills. Here’s what they’re doing and why it matters now

Cat Bailey

Jisc

Forget climate anxiety – let’s foster climate confidence

Combine research and administrative duties to tap into how students are feeling about climate change – and use your findings to help them gain the skills, and confidence, to tackle it head-on

Léa Chambaudet

Université Paris-Est Créteil

Blocks showing two-way communication

Cut through the noise with impactful internal communications

Internal messaging needs to reach the right people and inspire action – whether that’s getting responses to a staff survey or changing recycling behaviour. Here, Kelly Hibbs explores practical strategies to build trust and clarity

Kelly Hibbs

University of Southampton

A teacher at the front of a class full of students

Just call me Alex! Why dropping the ‘professor’ could boost students’ confidence

When students are allowed to address teachers by their first name, it can calm nerves and encourage even the quietest voices to join the conversation

Multiple authors

The University of Edinburgh

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THE podcast: actions that make a real difference in the fight against climate change

From global finance to the laboratory, hear about two very different ways by which universities can reduce their carbon emissions

Ellen Quigley, Jenna Lowe

University of Cambridge, University of Liverpool

Trademark on a stamp

When should scientists think about trademarks?

If your discovery has commercial potential, you will need to think about what to call it when it reaches the market. Here are three considerations about trademarks and protecting your intellectual property

Greta Faccio, Marion-Sima Wössner

Independent consultant

Captian Knowledge comic image

Using comic format to make research more accessible

Comic literature can make research more inclusive and engaging for those outside academic circles. Learn how to plan and create your own

Chris Johnson

University of Chester

An author looks at a delivery of books

How to promote your book with confidence

Promoting your book or research paper requires different skills from those needed to produce it. Here’s everything you need to know

Elinor Potts

The London School of Economics and Political Science

Students wearing a mask in class to protect against viral infection

Practical ways to support university students with long Covid

Educators can make it easier for students dealing with the symptoms of long Covid to continue their studies. In this video, Anne McConway explains the condition and offers strategies for safer, more welcoming classrooms for all learners

Anne McConway

Coventry University

Two teachers at the front of a class full of students

‘Here’s what not to do’: a participatory method to develop interview skills

See what happened when educators used role plays to dramatically demonstrate poor interview practice, encouraging students to analyse and suggest improvements

Multiple authors

The University of East Anglia

A student wears headphones while on a Zoom call

Why mattering matters in practice education and leadership placements

Make students feel they matter in non-clinical facing placements to create the authentic and compassionate leaders the healthcare sector of the future needs. Here’s how

Helen Carr

Canterbury Christ Church University

A student filming herself on her phone

The dos and don’ts of bite-sized social media content

Learn how to create honest and authentic content that showcases community and creates a sense of belonging – invaluable for both prospective and current students

Amy Edwards, Sarah Markillie

University of Chester

A doctor takes notes on a clipboard

Build better doctors with programmatic assessment

Programmatic assessment offers a better way to train doctors, making them more resilient and giving them the tools to manage their own professional development. Gozie Offiah explains how it works

Gozie Offiah

RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences

Airport arrival sign with welcome in English, French and Italian

How to strengthen onboarding and integration for international scientific talent

Welcoming faculty from another country requires more than adding visa information to the domestic induction process. Joanna Daaboul shares how her institution helps international researchers settle into life in France

Joanna Daaboul

Université de Technologie de Compiègne

Students respectfully debate an issue in the classroom

Don’t fear conflict in the classroom: foster respectful discussion instead

How do we have meaningful conversations about divisive topics, while dealing with the emotions these debates may spark? Lea Sitkin outlines several strategies to give students the space to explore issues they care about

Lea Sitkin

The University of Westminster

Students working as a group in the library

The library’s role in reducing the attainment gap

Read about strategies aimed at closing attainment gaps, such as peer mentoring, inclusive resources and academic skills training to support students

Multiple authors

Nottingham Trent University

Podlocked book

Strategic silencing: how censorship is reshaping scholarly discourse

Restrictions to US databases and scholarly work mean that researchers need new approaches to navigate research absences and silences rather than the more typical information overload, writes Alison Hicks

Alison Hicks

UCL

Group of students in a classroom

‘This is going to hurt’: taking the pain out of group assessment

Group assessment can be seen as unfair and unwieldy, but it also teaches essential skills such as teamwork and collaboration. We owe it to our students to frame it in a way that allows them to see its benefits

Sarah Sholl, Stephen Yorkstone

Edinburgh Napier University

Hands hold a trophy aloft

Who’s the most sustainable? Get your students competing to be climate champions

Tap into your students’ interests and make climate action fun and competitive. Elliott Brown outlines how

Elliott Brown

Loughborough University

Students in a lab

Workforce-ready, not left behind: inclusive work-based learning for sciences students

Many science students miss out on quality placements because of systemic barriers. Read five ways universities can embed equitable, work-based learning into non-accredited programmes and level the field

Shalinee Dhayal, Dominic Wiredu Boakye, Musarrat Maisha Reza

The University of Exeter

Students walking through campus laughing

Use welcome workshops to build student belonging

A guide to creating induction workshops in collaboration with students – with practical tips on building student confidence and trust

Sarah Hadlow

Nottingham Trent University

Image of a globe surrounded by the 17 SDG symbols

The need for integrated thinking at universities: from Covid-19 to the SDGs

A joined-up approach between universities, public services and businesses – as successfully demonstrated during the pandemic – is now needed if institutions are to accelerate efforts towards the Sustainable Development Goals

Abeer Hassan

University of the West of Scotland

A globe on fire, belching smoke

Three ways to address students’ climate anxiety

While higher education has made progress with greener campuses and remote working, providing students with an education that can respond to the climate crisis will be more challenging. Here’s how educators can tackle climate anxiety

Rob Amos

Birkbeck, University of London

A student with a guitar surrounded by others smiling

Make your Freshers’ Week activities sing

Songwriting sessions, treasure hunts and biscuit decorating are among the creative Freshers’ Week activities that help students build self-confidence, connect with others and ease the transition to university life

Helen Eadon-Sinkinson

University of Chester

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THE podcast: the complex factors that drive students’ sense of belonging

An expert in student belonging and engagement in the digital environment explains the nuances of belonging, mattering and inclusion as well as how to foster well-being in higher education

Karen Gravett

University of Surrey

Corporate representatives shaking hands

Engagement isn’t a trade-off – it’s a path to stronger research

REF 2021 placed more emphasis on impact and engagement, meaning we must no longer rely on our research to speak for itself. Read how to engage with those beyond academia to ensure your work has a greater impact on society

Florian Bauer , Raffaello Rossi

The University of Bristol

A woman holds her head in her hands over a laptop screen

Be aware of the invisible baggage of poverty your students carry

We need to acknowledge the realities of poverty and inequality, and the trauma it leaves our students with. Here are six principles to make higher education more inclusive

Jordan Donnelly

University of the West of Scotland

Prometheus concept of technological innovation

Cultivating a responsible innovation mindset among future tech leaders

The classroom is a perfect place to discuss the messy, real-world consequences of technological discoveries, writes Andreas Alexiou. Beyond ‘How?’, students should be asking ‘Should we…?’ and ‘What if…?’ questions around ethics and responsibility

Andreas Alexiou

University of Southampton

Student with headphones preparing food

Bluetooth for better health: using tech to support student well-being

Students can self-regulate their learning and improve their well-being by spending less time at their desks and more time moving – thanks to Bluetooth headsets

Michelle Civile, Julie Pepper

The University of Exeter

Asian female student in wheelchair

How can higher education better support international students with disabilities?

Institutions need to work harder to understand international students with disabilities’ needs and challenges, and put in place more obvious and intentional communication with them

Carol Evans, Maurie van den Heever, Ralph E. McKinney

University of Salford, GoodX Software, Marshall University

A student smiling to camera

Tackling accent bias: the ‘last acceptable form of discrimination’

Accent bias undermines Black international students’ confidence and belonging in UK universities. Institutions must tackle this exclusion through awareness, training, and a proactive celebration of linguistic diversity

Patrice Seuwou

University of Northampton

An illustration of various skills

Seven questions to ask when reforming academic skills services

With academic skills services facing a perfect storm of challenges, many are under review. Here’s how to make sure your students’ needs are being effectively met, through seven questions

Steve Briggs, Ralitsa Kantcheva

University of Bedfordshire

Two people gently hold a tiny sprouting plant

How to collaborate on eco education – and how not to

When embedding sustainability education into the curriculum, barriers to interdisciplinary collaboration can limit progress. So, what needs to change?

Aideen Foley, Dale Mineshima-Lowe

Birkbeck, University of London, Parami University

Lit candles in a darkened room

How inclusive design can transform student well-being: a spiritual perspective

Integrate the sacred into the secular by making interfaith spaces inclusive for all. Here’s how

Yusuf Kaplan

The University of Westminster

Students working together in the library

How student-led research can build belonging and agency

A project that hired students as co-researchers to explore inclusion and connection resulted in higher levels of agency and belonging. Here, the academics behind the scheme share what they learnt

Jen Coleman, Vicki McDermott-Thompson

The University of East Anglia

Uncertainty concept

Creativity is buffering: why curiosity struggles in a world obsessed with certainty

Creative work demands exploration and uncertainty, but students today have been conditioned to expect fixed outcomes and instant answers. David Thompson explores how that mindset is stalling curiosity and what educators can do to restore it

David Thompson

University of Lincoln

An illustration of a group of people crossing a drawstring bridge from one head to another

To foster belonging, make a cultural shift

Here’s how to hone your EDI practices and make your university an anti-discriminatory institution

Denise Coles

Loughborough University

A group of graduates in their gowns

The power of partnerships in preventing regional talent drain

How one university collaborated with another institution and local employers to address region-specific skills gaps and retain graduates locally – plus advice for others looking to do the same

Hanna Hopkinson

Nottingham Trent University

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THE podcast: the secrets of effective policy engagement – from two academics who have worked in government

Two academics who are steeped in policy expertise, having worked in government in the UK and US, share practical insights on what works when trying to get research before the eyes of decision-makers

David R. Garcia, Michael Sanders

Arizona State University, King’s College London

A life ring floating in water

How a collaborative portfolio review can help faculties streamline their teaching offering

How one school fostered cross-team collaboration to conduct a portfolio review and the lessons those involved learned along the way

Multiple authors

Cranfield University

Male student studying at laptop

How to overcome ‘forum fatigue’ with activities that students enjoy

While online forums have been shown to boost learning and retention, if ‘forum fatigue’ sets in, students disengage. Here, Emilie Rutledge proposes a way to design activities that are most likely to elicit student participation

Emilie Rutledge

The Open University

A robot arms paints a portrait

‘What I learned when students walked out of my AI class’

Chris Hogg found the question of using AI to create art troubled his students deeply. Here’s how the moment led to deeper understanding for both student and educator

Chris Hogg

Royal Holloway, University of London

Generation Z students against yellow background

Reimagining connection and communication for Gen Z students

Generation Z students relate, communicate and build belonging in ways shaped by digital fluency, disrupted in-person learning and evolving social norms. This gives educators an opportunity to rethink how they teach

Gary F. Fisher, Dean Fido

University of Derby

An illustration of hands untangling threads in someone's head

Graduate apprenticeship students are facing a perfect mental health storm

Graduate apprenticeships are booming, but the pressure of holding a full-time job while working towards a degree can take a toll on apprentices’ mental health. Here’s what universities and employers can do

Gary Gillon, Alan MacDonald

University of the West of Scotland

sustainability concept

How to succeed as a green leader

Small projects, broad buy-in, leadership-level commitment and consistent attention to energy, waste and water all add up to a more sustainable campus. Here’s how a UK university turned its climate awareness around

Andrew Church, Toby Maloy

University of Bedfordshire

A handshake

How to choose the right industry partners

Developing long-term, successful industry partnerships starts by choosing the right one. Here’s how to do it

Andy Colley

Birkbeck, University of London