Monthly Archives: December 2017

The viva and the supervisor

The viva and the supervisor

Last week I reached thirty two. Thirty two doctoral researchers who successfully defended their research. Thirty two Doctors let loose on the world. And two things are now on my mind. Not thirty two. Just two. The first thing I’m thinking about is how heavily the viva weighs on me as a supervisor – not nearly as […] … learn more→

How the alt-right seeks to sabotage the University

How the alt-right seeks to sabotage the University

There is a great deal to be said about the rise of the Alt-Right over this past year, and while I understand the argument for identifying its platform with the ascent of white supremacism, I’d argue that “Alt-Right” encompasses something far more ambitious and dangerous, especially with respect to the country’s most vital institutions: free […] … learn more→

A look at some strange College courses

A look at some strange College courses

When it comes to math, I’ve already shown that most of what’s offered in college, especially at community college, is just repetition of the material students saw in the 9th grade or lower, for about 90% of the coursework. In times of yore, the way how a college course was created was faculty, in a […] … learn more→

Maths challenge: England has one of the biggest gaps between high and low performing pupils in the developed world

Maths challenge: England has one of the biggest gaps between high and low performing pupils in the developed world

When it comes to maths, many primary school children in the UK are struggling to achieve their potential, according to new research. The recent report from the Education Policy Institute and UCL’s Institute of Education shows that England has one of the biggest gaps between high and low performing students in the developed world. Only New Zealand and Turkey […] … learn more→

The cross-subsidy of research by teaching is a myth

The cross-subsidy of research by teaching is a myth

Research is loss-making. This is perhaps the most frequently uttered mantra of modern university life in the UK. Vice-chancellors on headline-grabbing salaries, who claim to run today’s universities with the same precision chief executives employ to run multinational businesses, tell us that the only way that their institutions can afford to carry out their most […] … learn more→

Higher Ed Primary Expenditure 2025: Marketing

Higher Ed Primary Expenditure 2025: Marketing

A recent posting about official government predictions of growth in our higher ed system by 2025, despite the fact that the vast bulk of our high school graduates already go to college today and we’ll have fewer people in that age group in 8 years, got me to thinking about the future of higher ed […] … learn more→

How an Iraqi translation project is helping to rebuild science in the Arab world

How an Iraqi translation project is helping to rebuild science in the Arab world

Translations can change the course of civilisations. Caliph al-Mansour’stranslation project, begun in the eighth century and accelerated under his grandson Harun al-Rashid, made available in Arabic scholarly writings from Greek, Aramaic, Persian and Indian sources, and laid the foundation for the flowering of science and philosophy in the Islamic world during Europe’s Dark Ages. A second translation […] … learn more→

Can non-academics make good university leaders?

Can non-academics make good university leaders?

The job of university president was, until recently, a gig reserved almost entirely for the seasoned professor battle-hardened by decades in academia. Today’s US university and college leaders, however, are increasingly a different breed: among their ranks you’ll now find a former Homeland Security chief, a four-star admiral, a sprinkling of retired congressmen and senators […] … learn more→

Water damage training: What you need to know

Water damage training: What you need to know

Every cleaning firm wants to deliver the strongest portfolio of services they can. This is a competitive industry, and ensuring your team has training in the most high-demand tasks helps your brand stand out from rivals. One key skill set is water damage restoration training: this provides a cleaning team with the knowledge and abilities […] … learn more→