David Willetts has criticised "curmudgeons" who call for the return of a binary divide between universities and polytechnics, while a Labour MP has said modern universities can teach older institutions a lesson.

The death of Hugo Chavez is unlikely to lead to much-needed changes within Venezuela's "isolationist" university system, a higher education expert has told an international conference.

Longer embargo periods of up to 24 months for green open access will only apply when universities' annual block grants for "gold" article fees have run out, Research Councils UK has confirmed.

Student accommodation provider UPP has launched its first bond, backed by the income from student residences at five universities.

International students add £120.3 million to the Sheffield economy each year, an in-depth analysis has concluded.