Monthly Archives: June 2016

From dating profiles to Brexit – how to spot an online lie

From dating profiles to Brexit – how to spot an online lie

There are three things you can be sure of in life: death, taxes – and lying. The latter certainly appears to have been borne out by the UK’s recent Brexit referendum, with a number of the Leave campaign’s pledges looking more like porkie pies than solid truths. But from internet advertising, visa applications and academic […] … learn more→

Brexit: the aftermath for universities and students

Brexit: the aftermath for universities and students

The UK’s vote to leave the European Union has been met with shock and apprehension by universities, academics and students across the country. University leaders became increasingly worried about the possibility of a Brexit as the poll neared, with three vice-chancellors giving their reasons to remain here on The Conversation. But now, with the result […] … learn more→

Is it time to eliminate tenure for professors?

Is it time to eliminate tenure for professors?

The State College of Florida recently scrapped tenure for incoming faculty. New professors at this public university will be hired on the basis of annual contracts that the school can decline to renew at any time. The decision has been highly controversial. But this is not the first time tenure has come under attack. In […] … learn more→

The tyranny of the awesome supervisor

The tyranny of the awesome supervisor

I am approaching the end of my PhD. With just a few revisions to do before I submit, now is the perfect time to procrastinate reflect on my experiences. Like many of you, I’ve been an avid reader of Inger Newburn throughout my candidature, and it’s no secret that one of the major problems faced […] … learn more→

Just graduated? Does it make you feel like a grown up?

Just graduated? Does it make you feel like a grown up?

We may think that a simple age cutoff – such as 18 – should make us feel like adults. And why not? After all, crossing an age threshold can bestow certain rights, such as voting, military enlistment, purchase of certain substances as well as adult images or videos. From our perspective as researchers who study […] … learn more→

The doctoral teacher on twitter

The doctoral teacher on twitter

A workshop on social media for doctoral researchers. A question. “I’m teaching undergraduate students. I’m part of a team. The only (young) woman in the group. I’m on twitter, and lots of the students have followed me. The others in the team are on twitter too. They engage in a lot of pub-like banter online, […] … learn more→

Thorny technical questions remain for net neutrality

Thorny technical questions remain for net neutrality

Federal rules mandating network neutrality – the concept that all internet traffic should be treated equally – were upheld recently by the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals. The decision was hailed as a win by civil-rights groups, entrepreneurs and tech giants like Google, as well as the Obama administration itself, which had proposed the rules […] … learn more→

Literature by Africans in the diaspora can help create alternative narratives

Literature by Africans in the diaspora can help create alternative narratives

Celebrated Ghanaian writer and academic Ama Ata Aidoo has no time for “Afropolitans”. This is a notion popularised by the self-described “multi-local” author Taiye Selasi. Afropolitans are a current, cosmopolitan generation of “Africans of the world”. But Aidoo believes that Afropolitanism is “evidence of self-hatred”. Its proponents, she charges, use it as a “fancy moniker” […] … learn more→

On contextual admissions, lip service is not enough

On contextual admissions, lip service is not enough

Earlier this month, I delivered the Thomas Gresham lecture, in which I addressed the role of universities in tackling educational inequality and contributing to social mobility. Times Higher Education’s report on my lecture focused on one particular aspect, and was headlined “Let students with two Es into top universities”. However, this does not remotely represent […] … learn more→