Brexit. Trump. Climate change. The financial system. The arms trade. Hardliners. You name it, it’s causing anxiety. The state of the world upsets you, but what can you, a poor little meaningless individual lost in a powerful and complex system, do to change anything? How can you make any difference? There are actually numerous ways […] … learn more→

If Brexit signified the end of facts, what does the election of Donald Trump tell us? Apparently, a new battle in the history of the science wars. But the alleged “end of facts” is the result of a superficial understanding of the deeper crisis in the role of science and expertise. So this new episode […] … learn more→

Recently, I was fortunate to enjoy a short break away on holiday. I judiciously delegated key tasks, disabled my work email, resisted the temptation to keep an eye on social media and actually managed a few days in blissful isolation, away from the daily challenges and complications of life in university leadership. But of course, […] … learn more→

As I approach the 3-year mark, I’m the worst person to talk to if you want to do a PhD. I heard an undergraduate student say how she “just loved research”. I replied – “I felt that way too… when I was an undergrad”. Something had changed. I’m no longer that same excited undergrad – […] … learn more→

This year three Nobel Prize-winning biologists broke with tradition and published their research directly on the internet as so-called preprints. Their motivation? Saving time. Traditionally, scientific studies are published in peer-reviewed journals, which require other scientists to evaluate submitted research to determine its soundness for publication. Peer review is supposed to be a good thing, […] … learn more→

The “glass ceiling” effect in advancing gender equality is well-recognised, but at least progress for women is being made in some quarters. Not so for staff from black and minority ethnic backgrounds. It is a stark fact that the ethnic composition of universities reflects a history of racial inequality. While widening access policies have focused […] … learn more→

For some time now colleges and universities across the country have been roiled by debates over so-called “safe spaces.”  On one side stand those who argue that many members of the higher education community, especially various minorities, need “safe spaces” free from potentially harassing behavior and verbal abuse.  Sometimes they have gone too far and […] … learn more→

The horror, the horror! Kurtz’s last words in Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness do no justice to the outcome. Even now, a week after the US presidential election, Georgetown University types wander ashen-faced like zombies. Hollowed-out shells of their former selves. Occasionally one congratulates me sardonically for having called the result correctly in a previous Times […] … learn more→

The subject of free preschool for all children in America is frequently a popular topic amongst parents, experts in education, and even politicians who support it. Although there seems to be frequent discourse on the idea of universal Pre-K, there hasn’t been much done to bring the idea to fruition. In fact, President Obama vowed […] … learn more→

After loitering in the shadows of higher education for decades, accreditation has over the past 10 years or so become an increasingly prominent topic of inquiry, discussion, and—frequently—criticism. Heightened interest can be traced to a report, “Can College Accreditation Live Up to Its Promise?,” published in 2002 by the American Council of Trustees and Alumni. […] … learn more→