Recently, I was listening to a BBC radio feature exploring how new artists are identified for the Radio 1 playlist. Now, in my naivety I thought that this was a straightforward enough process, at the heart of which was the simple act of listening to the artist in question (ideally both recorded and live) followed […] … learn more→

There are lots of great reasons to blog, but are also sometimes reasons to stop. You might not be getting benefits from your blog any more, or your interests might change. Maybe you’ve ‘inherited’ a blog along with a new job, but blogging isn’t your style. Blogging is potentially an endless commitment, so choosing how […] … learn more→

Alongside HIV, Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the leading causes of death in the planet. Nearly, 9 million people and 1 million children suffer from TB according to the World Health Organization (WHO). In the last decade, the advancement in prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of TB has brought the mortality rate down, by 47%. Every […] … learn more→

Computers began reaching the business world during the 1980s. Companies used them to automate many routine manual tasks. This led to what economist Robert Solow dubbed the Productivity Paradox. In 1987, he famously quipped: “You can see the computer age everywhere but in the productivity statistics.” The problem Solow had identified was that while computers […] … learn more→

Malia Obama recently announced that she will take a gap year before attending Harvard University. Historically, American high school graduates have been less likely to take a gap year as compared to their European and Australian counterparts. A study of “The American Freshman,” for example, indicates that only up to three percent of U.S. students […] … learn more→

It’s been a long time, but I still remember the training I received to teach at the university level, despite the clear fact that my memory isn’t what it used to be. The reason I recall this training is because it was fairly simple: “Here’s the syllabus. You can pick up a copy of the […] … learn more→

Sexual harassment is ubiquitous in higher education institutions around the world, and a large body of research suggests that women are its main victims. This is true for students and academics, who are experiencing sexual harassment from their superiors, their peers – and their students. It is this last category – what’s known as contrapower […] … learn more→

Ten years ago, An Inconvenient Truth opened in cinemas in the United States. Starring former US vice president Al Gore, the documentary about the threat of climate change has undoubtedly made a mark. It won two Academy Awards, and Gore won the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to communicate human-induced climate change. An […] … learn more→

Many researchers don’t want to do public engagement. Few consider it part of their core mission, many consider it a waste of their time. As for higher education institutions, they send out a mixed message: yes, please do it, but do it in your own time. The problem is that public engagement is perceived as […] … learn more→

A rerun, yes, but worth reconsidering in light of some recent posts: The Farce of Education as a field of study “My Ph.D. thesis, which was the only thesis that was shown to be true, showed that students who study tend to learn more.” Quote from an Education expert who came to tell us how […] … learn more→