As the wintry months turn icy, the winds of a new intellectual Cold War are sweeping across UK universities. Having blown across the wider cultural and political landscape for some time, these winds are starting to bite on campuses, with the recent debate at the University of Cambridge over whether staff must be “respectful” of […] … learn more→

I’ve been thinking about academic writing and blogging again. I’ve been wondering what we might learn from thinking about the writing that bloggers do. Academic blogs are not all the same. They can be categorised in various ways. I’ve been thinking about categorising blogs as “action” – focusing on what they seem to want to […] … learn more→

As after the Charlie Hebdo attacks , the assassination of Samuel Paty gave rise to its share of proposals to strengthen the teaching of secularism at school: the president of the “Republicans” group in the National Assembly, Damien Abad, in particular demanded the establishment of “courses on the values ​​of the Republic and secularism” , sanctioned by a compulsory test for the […] … learn more→

The pandemic has raised many questions about the future direction that higher education should take. But while much of the discussion has centred on the mode of instruction – to stay online or return to bricks and mortar – there has been less discussion around what education is for and therefore what should be valued […] … learn more→

When abstract metrics are used to measure teaching excellence and graduate outcomes, often with very little granularity, it is worth dwelling on moments that remind you of the real purpose and impact of a university education. My own recent reminder to look beyond the bureaucratic statistics on student satisfaction and graduate employment came while supervising […] … learn more→

Jokes, pleasant surprises and the laughter they can provoke give relief to everyday life. When we giggle or laugh, we can have the impression of making noises that are a bit ridiculous or stupid. But laughing actually takes a lot of work, because it activates many areas of the brain  : areas that control motor, emotional, cognitive and […] … learn more→

There’s no doubt that 2020 was difficult for everyone and tragic for many. But now vaccines against COVID-19 are finally being administered – giving a much needed hope of a return to normality and a happy 2021. However, months of anxiety, grief and loneliness can easily create a spiral of negativity that is hard to […] … learn more→