The context of humanitarian action has changed considerably over the past twenty years. These upheavals have given rise to a need to reflect on humanitarian action, as evidenced by the new focus on scientific research by humanitarian actors since the turn of the century. This new approach has led to the creation of numerous organizations dedicated to research within the sector itself, so that scientific knowledge on humanitarian action is no longer produced solely by university researchers. One such organization is the French Red Cross Foundation, founded in 2013. This organization bears witness to the diversity and depth of the issues affecting the humanitarian sector, and the challenges of responding to them. Its history and its past and present difficulties and successes also illustrate the complexity of implementing such a response.

This article aims to analyze and capitalize on several examples of scientific programmes built in direct relation to the humanitarian sector, in order to draw lessons from them (success factors, difficulties encountered, testimonials of applications of research results). In the article, we provide retrospective information on collaboration between the humanitarian and social action sectors and the academic sector, and look to the future by anticipating the shortcomings and needs that organizations – like researchers – will have to address in order to nurture the solidarity practices of tomorrow.

I respond to challenges posed by Andrew Dole, Joanna Leidenhag, Kevin Schilbrack, and Sameer Yadav. Key topics include: whether the engagement between analytic theology and the academic study of religion really is mutually beneficial, distinguishing analytic theology from science-engaged theology, restrictive methodological naturalism, and whether I misconstrue analytic theology’s ‘characteristic damage’.

This cross-sectional study examined the barriers and facilitators that influence vegetarian menu choices in a university cafeteria in Geneva, Switzerland. As a first step, an online survey developed by the authors based on the Capability, Opportunity, and Motivation Behaviour (COM-B) model was e-mailed to all university students and staff. In the second step, focus groups (FG) were held to complete the survey responses and identify what needed to be changed to promote the choice of the vegetarian menu in the cafeteria. Data from 304 participants collected through the survey was analysed. The main mentioned barriers were lack of vegetarian options, tastelessness and insufficient satiation. The facilitators that emerged from the survey were the price of the vegetarian menu for students and health and environmental benefits. Thirteen people participated in four FG sessions, which were analysed using thematic analysis. Five themes were identified: spontaneous menu selection, predefined menu selection, influence of opportunity on menu selection, influence of environmental sensitivity on menu selection, and threat to identity in menu selection. The choice of a vegetarian menu in a university cafeteria was mainly influenced by the attractiveness and taste of the plate. Future strategies to reduce food-related greenhouse gas emissions should (a) ensure the quality and attractiveness of the vegetarian menu, especially to appeal to the more resistant, such as men and omnivores, and (b) inform consumers about the guarantee of balanced nutrient intake of the vegetarian menu offered in the cafeteria, and about health and environmental benefits.

Analytic Theology and the Academic Study of Religion aims to explain analytic theology to other theologians, and to scholars of religion, and to explain those other fields to analytic theologians. The book defends analytic theology from some common criticisms, but also argues that analytic theologians have much to learn from other forms of inquiry. Analytic theology is a legitimate form of theology, and a legitimate form of academic inquiry, and it can be a valuable conversation partner within the wider religious studies academy. I aim to articulate an attractive vision of analytic theology, foster a more fruitful inter-disciplinary conversation, and enable scholars across the religious studies academy to understand one another better. Analytic theology can flourish in the secular academy, and flourish as authentically Christian theology.

Like other regions of the world, academic freedom is on the decline in Africa. While there are some generic factors accounting for this phenomenon worldwide, others are fundamentally unique to the African context. These are related principally to the subject matter of coloniality of higher education on the continent. This study addresses these matters by, among others, discussing the origins of the university in pre-modern Africa and the place of academic freedom in it. This development is followed by the emergence of university education in Europe through the application of the liberal script and which contributed to the sidelining and eventual general demise of higher education institutions with their roots in pre-modern Africa. The work contends that while one may trace the origins of the university/academic freedom to Africa, academic freedom as it stands today is shaped by the liberal script with hardly any reference to the root of higher education in Africa. Therefore, the meaning, understanding and application of academic freedom do not reflect the realities of higher education in Africa. This work proposes the adoption of a relative universalist approach, as opposed to the liberal approach, which is clothed with universality, but in reality, it is a reflection of a European idea of academic freedom. This approach is considered necessary to reflect the African reality of academic freedom which will help to identify effective advocacy tools to promote and protect academic freedom in Africa and thereby make academic freedom more meaningful for application in the region.

Demand for student mental health services is growing, as is the complexity of presentations to university student wellbeing services. There is a need for innovative service delivery models to prevent students falling in the gaps of existing provision, where outcomes from traditional talking therapies services have been shown to be poorer for students than non-student peers. In 2018, Newcastle University established a pilot in-house cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) service to provide high-intensity CBT for students at the university, harnessing the expertise of qualified and training staff from the psychological professions. This subsequently expanded into the Psychological Therapies Training and Research Clinic, appointing additional clinical staff. Here we present the journey of the clinic, from inception to implementation and expansion. We also present a descriptive evaluation of the first three years of operation, reporting on clinical activity, clinical outcomes and client experiences of the service. Data are presented from 605 referrals. Over 70% of referrals were assessed and over 60% transitioned into treatment. The treatment completion rate was 50%, with an overall recovery rate of 47.3% [using the same definition of recovery as NHS Talking Therapies for Anxiety and Depression (NHS TTAD)]. Satisfaction, measured by the Patient Evaluation Questionnaire, was high. These outcomes are commensurate or better than seen in NHS TTAD services for students and young adults. Overall, the clinic has been a successful addition to the wellbeing offer of the university and has provided a number of positive further opportunities for both research and the clinical training programmes.

The scene is Florence, Italy in 1493. The scholar and teacher Guarino of Favera is holding a series of classes for beginners in the Greek language. Few people know Greek since materials for learning it are few. We have an account of his method by Girolamo Amaseo, one of his pupils. Amaseo is one of 16 students whose ages range from youths to a 50-year old poet, and Guarino is teaching them some Iliad, Odyssey and Aristophanes each day.

When I became President of the UK Royal College of Psychiatrists, I rashly promised to visit every UK medical school to talk with students about mental health. In this article, I share my impressions after concluding this ‘grand tour’ and ponder the dangers of creating the false impression that universities are ‘toxic’ for mental health.