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A doctoral candidate at George Mason University, Virginia, describes her experience of delivering her first paper at a conference, at the Graduate Student Caucus at the Modern Language Association conference on 29 December 2004. The event is described as a success and as a turning point in her professional life.

Issues concerning the potential importance of closed archive papers to historians and researchers are discussed, with focus on the inaccessible documents that scholars would most like to see and their belief that some secret papers may prove unremarkable.

Pornography remains perhaps one of the last untouched taboos of British academic study and to get around touching porn it is hidden in a veil of theory. In the US courses on porn have proliferated so much that right-wingers are concerned about the explosion of courses including porn in their curricula.

The UK government's 'Excellence and Opportunity' white paper is well-thought out and aims to identify key problems and provide solutions. Some 1 billion pounds sterling is allocated for university science infrastructure.

Robert Jackson, who served as education minister for the Conservative Party in the UK between 1987-1990, has stated that the Conservatives should back the current government's plans for higher education and bring to an end the strategy of opposing something just for the sake of opposing it. Jackson noted that the government's plans, which give universities the ability to charge different levels of fees up to UKPd3,000/yr, sit comfortably within the free market principles of the Conservatives and they should therefore reconsider their attempts to rewrite higher education policy just so that they can show that they are different from the Labour government.

A paper published in January 2007 claimed that ordinary members of the academic unions were let down by incorrect strategies and bad planning in the 2006 pay dispute. A paper by Bob Carter revealed that the senior union officials were more concerned about maneuvering for power in the merger between the National Association of Teachers in Further and Higher Education (Natfhe) and the Association of University Teachers.

A previously unpublished paper by David Kelly, an arms consultant for the UK Ministry of Defence who, after being publicly identified as the source for a BBC news report which claimed that the government had exaggerated claims in its dossier on Iraq's weapon of mass destruction, killed himself, has provided a fresh insight into Kelly's views of the level of threat posed by Iraq and has also revealed new concerns that Russia has retained banned biological weapons. The paper, an edited transcript of a speech Kelly gave to an international academic conference on security in Italy in 2002, reveals that Kelly was in no doubt that Iraq had dangerous biological weapons and that he believed Russia also still had such weapons. The discovery of the paper comes just days before the Hutton inquiry into Kelly's death is due to report.

A study funded by the Economic and Social Research Council of people who write for Mass Observation found that many correspondents write to help them organise their thoughts, or to become representatives of others. It found that three out of four MO writers are women, aged between 40 and 70. There are regular correspondents and the archive accepts anything that is sent. Many people write massive amounts in the form of letters to friends, companies and MPs, and several keep two diaries, one to send to the MO and one to keep.

Issues relating to the latest government white paper on higher education in the UK are examined from the point of view that just because you work in an university does not necessarily mean that you have any idea about what is going on in higher education. It is argued that the government is one of the main challenges that universities face today and that the attempts by the government in the white paper to bring universities and business together are doomed to failure as a result of the mess that business makes of everything.

Most areas of research are now the effort of teams, and the size of the list of names which can be attached to some papers is giving journals a real headache. As a result of this, some journals have begun to rethink their rules about the authorship of the papers they publish.

Universities UK has published a three page letter to the Department for Education and Skills in which it responds to the UK government's skills strategy white paper which was published in July 2003. In its response, Universities UK argues that the plans marginalise higher education and could stunt development and that the plans are a lost opportunity to fully integrate skills development and create a truly knowledge-based economy.

MPs in the United Kingdom have torn into the government's higher education white paper, which was released in January 2003, with the release of a report by the cross-party education and skills select committee which criticises ministers for the limitations of their vision for higher education. Recommendations and conclusions contained within the report include full fee remission for poor students; the introduction of maintenance grants of up to UKPd5,000/yr to be paid for by an increase in the interest rate on student loans; doubts about plans go award university titles to institutions that have no research degree-awarding powers and an higher education levy on business.

Issues relating to the contention that the UK government has not noticed that access to higher education is expanding and the case for top-up fees is unsound are examined as the consultation period for the government's white paper on higher education comes to an end. It is pointed out that the bottom 63% of income taxpayers (mostly non-graduates) contributed UKPd21 bil during 2002-2003, while the top 37% of taxpayers (mostly graduates) paid UKPd91 bil, indicating the extra income tax contribution of graduates vs non-graduates and suggesting that graduates already contribute far more to public spending than was ever invested in their education.

The author believes that language in the British government's white paper on higher education that seems to tie higher education salaries to performance increases is not a bad thing. British higher education institutions have already shown they can perform by doubling student enrollment and doubling research output.

De Montfort University has been ordered by the government freedom of information watchdog to disclose some highly sensitive internal documents about academic standards. It was ruled that the university failed to comply with obligations under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 when it withheld several documents from The Times Higher.

Cabinet papers released recently from 1971 reveal Margaret Thatcher's policies as secretary of state for education. She adjusted education funding at the time to make more money for primary schools which needed a building program. Other changes under her leadership are described.

An analysis of the standard of university education in the United Kingdom. It is argued that diligent undergraduates can expect to get a 2.1 degree, but that the changing demands on university education mean that they will probably not learn how to lead their own intellectual life.

Students from a number of Asian countries, including China, are using forged English-language competency certificates in order to try and enrol in overseas universities. Forged certificates allegedly issued through the British Council's International English Language Testing System are said to be available on the black market for up to A$10,000.

Academic leaders have warned that newly unveiled proposals designed to create a fairer, more transparent university admissions systems will only have a limited impact on attempts to widen access. The recommendations, from an admissions task-force led by Steven Schwartz, vice-chancellor of Brunel University, suggest that universities should, on a case-by-case basis, make offers of lower-grade entry requirements to state school pupils who show academic potential.

Three scientists discuss issues concerning the UK government's white paper 'Excellence and Opportunity' on science. There is felt to be a need to better inform the public about their work and for more money.

Issues relating to the education system in the United Kingdom and the suggestion that the gap is widening between those with academic qualifications and those without are examined. It is suggested that with the general increase in the amount of people staying on to take academic qualifications, the academic system is becoming increasingly unimaginative and is rewarding conformity.

This article discusses the life and works of linguist David Crystal. Topics include language diversity, textbook editing and publishing.

There is considerable controversy in the UK about the fact that some academic journals charge to publish research papers. This is not really a problem in the US, where research awards generally contain an element to cover page charges. However, it can present difficulties for academics in the UK, who may have to avoid publishing in certain journals. They point out that some learned societies manage to publish journals inexpensively to society members and libraries without making page charges.

Labour Cabinet papers released in Jan. 1998 under the 30-year rule reveal that proposals for a partial replacement of student grants with student loans were drawn up by Education Secretary Tony Crosland in 1967. Crosland, ordered to make savings of 45 million pounds sterling, proposed two options. Both involved a loans scheme run by a commercial organisation with repayments spread over 10 years beginning in the year following graduation. However the need for legislation would have prevented loans from being introduced before 1969. The Cabinet therefore decided to raise the price of schools meals instead.

The International Dunhuang Project at the British Library, London, is making Buddhist manuscripts available online. This use of digital technology for cataloguing and research needs to be increased and encouraged particularly by universities.

Tony Benn has published versions of his diaries and plans a further publication in 1995. His archive includes his manuscript diaries along with government papers dating from the first Wilson government, political files and speeches and constituency records. His extensive press cuttings collection covers the entire post war period and he has a collection of tape recorded media interviews. He has opened up his private archive in the hope that the public would understand his opinions and even come to share them.