Since its inception in 2014, the research excellence framework has been fraught with controversy amid claims ranging from academic bullying to discouraging academic innovation. One thing that critics have failed to note, however, is how much of an obstacle REF represents for early career working-class researchers who are trying to break into their first long-term […] … learn more→

The case of the Durham PhD student, Matthew Hedges – who has been arrested and placed in solitary confinement on the charge of spying – exposes the extreme limits on academic freedom in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). But Hedges’s plight, while outrageous, is not altogether shocking for seasoned observers of the oil-rich Gulf monarchy. This year […] … learn more→

Visibility is a form of currency in academia. A rolling stone gathers moss as the proverb goes, and in my case moss = opportunities. Because of my profile, I get asked to keynote conferences, run workshops, contribute to books, be on grants and so on. Taking up these opportunities naturally leads to more conventional forms […] … learn more→

When the Roman poet, Juvenal, wrote the line “Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?” (Who will guard the guards?), it really meant, “Who will ensure that those who guard us do not overreach their authority?” But there is another sense of the question: Who will protect those who are meant to protect us? At higher education institutions […] … learn more→

Back in 2007, the world’s foremost body charged with assessing climate change stated with “very high confidence” that humans were a primary driver of climate change. But you may not get the message that humans are responsible for climate change if you peered into some of the most popular high school curriculum materials that were produced in […] … learn more→

7 Great Alternatives to a Desk Job Some people just aren’t cut out for desk jobs. In many cases, it’s not that we don’t have the skills, but rather that working in a cubicle just doesn’t appeal to us. This is often the case with veterans rejoining the civilian workforce after active military duty. The […] … learn more→

A study published in September shows that one in five US college students has had suicidal thoughts within the past year. Research from 2009 suggests that more than half have had such thoughts at some point in their lives. Suicide is the second leading cause of death among college-age students, and there are roughly 1,000 […] … learn more→

Student loan debt is around $1.5 trillion. Theoretically, the size of a loan isn’t nearly as important as the ability to pay back the loan. Alas, most of this loan debt was for fake education; when I first started this blog I covered in detail how fraudulent much of the education in higher education is, […] … learn more→

Contrary to what some might think, academics are not just experts without humour and disconnected from the real world. They can also be humorous, and some of them use it to communicate better. In November 2015, the British magazine Times Higher Education has reported thatarchaeologists Zoo Nottingham University hired a stand-up comedian to transmit more easily to the general […] … learn more→

Many people can vividly remember being 18 and tentatively opening that envelope containing crucial information about the future. On the surface, it’s strange to think that genes have anything to do with it – but our new study, published in Scientific Reports, reveals that genetic factors influence both university enrolment and achievement. How can inherited DNA […] … learn more→