University

University

• From toy drones to real ones: the arms trade and education

  

  By allowing the arms trade into schools, colleges and universities, we are teaching children that innovation for the sake of destruction is acceptable and desirable, argues Lucy Nichols

• Universities in 2019: facing the perfect storm

  

  As the Tories' mismanagement of higher education continues, Des Freedman looks at the battles ahead

• No platform for Alice Weidel in Oxford

  

  The cancellation of Alice Weidel's visit to the Oxford Union is a victory and should help to push for a mass, anti-racist movement, argues Josh Newman

• Speaking of Universities - book review

  

  Stefan Collini offers a robust critique of the neoliberal academy, but we need an oppositional university as an alternative, argues Oliver Eagleton

• University of Bristol students march for mental health services

  

  Students at the University of Bristol demonstrated in huge numbers this Friday to protest inadequate mental health provision, reports Steven Cooper

• University workers' statement on UCU ballot result

  

  The strike is over: our fight is not

• Reject the UUK deal: we need to fight now

  

  In this open letter, university workers from across the country argue that we cannot accept the deal as it stands, and must fight for a No vote

• Update on university pensions dispute

  

  These motions, passed at various branches, offer a guide as to how we should approach the dispute at this critical moment

• University strikes: employers’ retreat needs to be nailed down

  

  As UUK returns with a further offer, Des Freedman takes a look at the immediate options facing university staff involved in the dispute

• The UCU dispute: a lesson in the power of collective action

  

  Solidarity among UCU strikers was not born on social media, but on the mass activity of the picket line, argues Milly Williamson

• We're not going to take it any more - statement from precarious staff at the University of Kent

  

  Following the UCU strike against pension cuts, precarious staff at the University of Kent release a statement demanding no pay cuts for strike action for already poorly paid staff

• Time's up Theresa - Counterfire Freesheet March 2018

  

  Brexit, Corbyn and the Labour right, gender pay gap, commodification of universities and more...

• Lecturers' strike: the rank and file have spoken, now we have to take the lead

  

  Feyzi Ismail reports from outside UCU headquarters as the union’s Higher Education Committee votes to reject the employers’ derisory offer

• Lecturers' strike update: no capitulation

  

  Des Freedman and Vladimir Unkovski-Korica explain why the deal between UCU and UUK is bad one and should be rejected

• Lecturers' strike update: together we can win

  

  As the lecturers' stike enters its final week, a lecturer explains what we have achieved and what we still need to do

• Lecturers' strike update: students at Reading University begin occupation

  

  Joining a wave of student occupations that look set to escalate this week, students at Reading University have begun an occupation in solildarity with striking lecturers

• Student Occupations Live #OccupyUUK

  

  Live updates of students occupying university buildings in solidarity with striking lecturers. #UCUstrike #StrikeForUSS

• The lecturers' strikes started in winter but are finishing in spring - weekly briefing

  

  University staff and students have shown that committed and passionate resistance is possible and neccesary, finds Des Freedman

• From a community of scholars to purveyor of degrees: the changing face of the university

  

  Universities are spending money on buildings and not learning and teaching, finds Susan Newman

• Lecturers' strike updates: Striking to win

  

  As the UCU strike carries on into its 4th day, we put together some short reports from picket lines around the country

• Bristol leads the way in supporting striking university staff - photos

  

  After a huge mobilisation to support striking lecturers on the first day of the strike, Bristolians took to the streets again to show solidarity reports Jack Hazeldine

• Forget the Arctic conditions: our universities are on fire

  

  The UCU strike has the potential to rebuild the campaign against the marketisation of our higher education, writes Des Freedman

• Lecturers' strike day two: ‘The things we have, we fought for on cold days like these’

  

  Another day on the picket line as, across the country, striking lecturers put the pressure on

• Lecturers' strike day one: A bad day for the casino

  

  University strikers across the country are reporting the most successful and well supported industrial action for years

• 'They think we are weak - they could not be more wrong': Goldsmiths kicks off against pension cuts

  

  On the first day of this historic strike, Goldsmiths lecturers show they mean business and are fighting to win

• Solidarity with striking lecturers - resolution

  

  Resolution to submit at your Union branches/CLPs/elsewhere in solidarity with UCU members going on strike from Thursday

• Why we strike: why lecturers need your support

  

  As university staff are set to take strike action, two lecturers, Des Freedman and Vladimir Unkovski-Korica explain why you should support the strike

• University staff set to strike after ballot victory

  

  University staff are set for 14 days of strike action after voting decisively for walkouts in opposition to attacks on their pensions reports Des Freedman

• Hungary: the end of democratic illusions

  

  The government-sponsored attack on the Central European University (CEU) represents one more step in the country’s authoritarian drift

• Hungary: huge protests in defence of academic freedom

  

  Prime minister Orban's attack on the Central European University has inspired strong opposition

• The Capitalist University: The Transformation of Higher Education in the United States since 1945

  

  Henry Heller’s The Capitalist University shows how higher education has served capitalism for over a hundred years, finds Orlando Hill

• E.P. Thompson on how to save the university

  

  Over four decades ago, the Marxist historian called for resistance against the commercialisation of higher education

• Unionising university workers - extract

  

  In the third extract from The Capitalist University, Henry Heller writes about growing resistance to the corporate university

• Universities and the Cold War - extract

  

  The second extract from Heller's The Capitalist University describes intellectual and political conformity that dominated academia during the Cold War

• Universities, corporations and class - extract

  

  We republish the first of three extracts from Henry Heller's new book The Capitalist University, which resonates with the marketisation of HE in Britain

• Back to Bash Street? May's grammar school myths

  

  As Theresa May tries to take us back in time, Sean Ledwith and Adam Tomes take a look at the grammar school debate

• Solidarity statement by JNU alumni and international academic community

  

  Uditi Sen explains the background to the ongoing protests at JNU over the political persecution of the left by the Modi government

• Preventing Prevent: Students are not suspects

  

  Students need to unite against the Prevent strategy, which is only meant to spread division, argues Shelly Asquith

• Why we should support the SOAS occupation

  

  In defiance of SOAS management's proposed budget cuts, course closures and job losses, students occupied their university. Alex Bewley reports