In the past 18 months, I have spent more time on research grant applications than I have on actual research. Like so many others, I am trapped in a paradox. To produce high-quality publications, we need to be supported by a grant, but in order to win the grant we need a solid publication record […] … learn more→

“Prof! Here is something! Will it be the “peace ring”? Will it be the grave of a monk? “. Primary school students in the public school of Belmonte de Miranda (in the council of Balmonte ) get excited with the first discoveries in the archaeological excavation of the monastery from his town. The long-awaited jewel they speak of is the “abbot’s ring.” It […] … learn more→

Philanthropy is a growing source of revenue for Australian universities. It’s essential to advancing quality research, equity and learning. On average, Australia’s top five fundraising universities receive nearly 20 times more donation revenue than their peers. Donations revenue generates A$476 million per year. This is a significant contribution compared to the $2.6 billion the federal government invests into […] … learn more→

Today, you can almost solve any problem using software. However, did you know that some problems can’t be solved by software? While software plays a huge role in enhancing diverse universal robot applications, you will first have to solve some common problems as we shall see below. A messy process which no one can comprehend […] … learn more→

A little while ago, I spent a morning writing introductory letters to people. They came about for a range of reasons: A friend had asked me if I knew someone who could help with qualitative methodology and analysis. I knew a consultant who could help. A colleague was looking for work, and I offered to […] … learn more→

Doing research on the Internet is a very formative activity. For example, a study has shown that young people who develop real online research strategies also have better grades at university. But these skills are not acquired automatically by spending more time surfing the web. On the contrary, students need explicit advice and instructions to be able to do more effective research. Young people tend […] … learn more→

“Professor, my final grade in your class is a C. Is there anything I can do to get a B-minus?” In my job as a college professor, I typically got one or two such requests from male students at the end of each semester. However, only one female student ever asked me for such a […] … learn more→

In 2017, a business lecturer posted a photo on LinkedIn showing a completely empty university classroom, 15 minutes after the class had been scheduled to start. This is not an isolated incident. Anecdotally, lecture and tutorial attendance has been declining steadily in Australian universities and faculties for many years. Declining attendance may affect students’ academic performance and their sense of connectedness. University […] … learn more→

Not everything we do in our research has to have a definite end point. Sometimes it’s good to set aside all those anxieties about ‘getting through and getting done’. We might even like to take some time to simply play about with our data. Experiment. See what happens. Perhaps there are new insights to be […] … learn more→

China recently marked the second anniversary of its #MeToo movement and despite no robust legislation to curb sexual harassment on a national or institutional level, the movement has had some important victories driven mostly by students. Considering China’s ongoing censorship that has silenced various civic voices, the emergence and persistence of #MeToo should be regarded […] … learn more→