The Latest Breaking News from The Conversation

Introducing our new series on the future of Australian higher education

The Australian Universities Accord is a grandly named 12-month review seeking ideas to reform Australia’s higher education system for the next 30 years. Led by a prominent former vice-chancellor, Professor Mary O’Kane, it is one of the most important initiatives announced by Education Minister Jason Clare in his early days…

The Conversation · Apr 13, 2023

Ukraine recap: downbeat US intelligence leak suggests no end in sight for the misery of this war

What we know – or think we know – about the progress of the war in Ukraine over the past few days has come courtesy of leaked Pentagon documents which appear to cover, in some detail, a wide range of issues around the conflict. As you’d expect, among the main…

The Conversation · Apr 13, 2023

How recognising cultural practices in environmental regulation can help protect natural resources like sandalwood — podcast

Conserving or protecting natural resources, like landscapes or products, can involve limiting people’s access or use. When natural resources are connected to cultural, religious or spiritual practices, conservation needs to consider both biological and cultural diversity.

The Conversation · Apr 13, 2023

Through role play and simulation, this course teaches strategic ways to strike business deals that do more than just make money

Uncommon Courses is an occasional series from The Conversation U.S. highlighting unconventional approaches to teaching.

The Conversation · Apr 12, 2023

Great Mysteries of Physics: do we really need a theory of everything?

Finding a theory of everything – explaining all the forces and particles in the universe – is arguably the holy grail of physics. While each of its main theories works extraordinarily well, they clash also with each other – leaving physicists to search for a deeper, more fundamental theory.

The Conversation · Apr 12, 2023

Efforts to ban critical race theory have been put forth in all but one state – and many threaten schools with a loss of funds

Few topics in education have dominated the news over the past few years as much as efforts to ban critical race theory from the nation’s schools. The topic is so pervasive that researchers at the UCLA School of Law Critical Race Studies Program have created a new database to track…

The Conversation · Apr 7, 2023

The Vatican just renounced a 500-year-old doctrine that justified colonial land theft … Now what? — Podcast

Last week, the Vatican finally distanced itself from the Doctrine of Discovery — a hundreds of years old decree that justified land theft and enslavement of people who were not Christian.

The Conversation · Apr 6, 2023

6 stories about chocolate and Easter

A round-up of some of the best stories centered around chocolate production, safety and customs

Salon · Apr 6, 2023

Do glitzy awards like the Earthshot Prize actually help solve problems of climate change? – podcast

Every year, tens of billions of dollars are spent by universities, research institutes and private companies to develop solutions for climate change. Yet when a government decides to fund research for a piece of technology or branch of science, it rarely makes news.

The Conversation · Apr 6, 2023

The truth behind China’s ‘world-leading’ scientific research

China has for the first time become the world’s leading producer of high-quality scientific research, according to a Japanese study. 

The Week · Apr 6, 2023