Once the first atomic bomb exploded on July 16 1945 in New Mexico, the world would never be the same again. Scientists and engineers had turned an obscure principle into a weapon of unprecedented power. Los Alamos, the facility where the bomb was designed, was run by the University of California. This was a turning point […] … learn more→
A century that profoundly changed universities and their campuses
Another journal rejection? Put on your helmet
I had two papers rejected this week: one by a psychiatry journal, the other by a business ethics journal. The former was a “desk rejection”, communicated via the usual cut-and-pasted paragraphs from an “associate editor”, whatever that is. The latter enclosed two reviews: one lukewarm, the other distinctly chilly. That paper had been rejected before. […] … learn more→
School doctors, a role that is too little understood?
While the word is free around incest, Emmanuel Macron spoke at the end of January on social networks to assure the victims of his support and declared that screening and prevention meetings would be set up at the primary level and in college, as part of compulsory medical examinations. This announcement, however, refers to a difficulty in […] … learn more→
Why the curriculum should be based on students’ readiness, not their age
I handed down the final report of a two-year review of the New South Wales school curriculum in June 2020. One of the review’s key recommendations was to introduce what I called “untimed syllabuses”. This is where students who need more time for their learning are given it, and those ready to move on to the next […] … learn more→
Black sororities have stood at the forefront of Black achievement for more than a century
In her speech at the 2020 Democratic National Convention Kamala Harris saluted seven women who “inspired us to pick up the torch and fight on.” All but two of them, one of whom was her mother, belonged to Black sororities. Harris also mentioned her own Black sorority, saying: “Family is my beloved Alpha Kappa Alpha.” Many Americans may […] … learn more→
Everything you need to know about Canadian spousal sponsorships
As a country, Canada is fully committed to family reunions and keeping the loved ones in togetherness. For this reason, Canada provides several immigration family sponsorship programs. These programs offer citizens the possibility to sponsor their family members to immigrate to Canada most appropriately. There are three types of family sponsorship programs: Spousal and common-law […] … learn more→
Psychology carries a dark past: how the discipline can be Africanised
It’s well documented by many scholars that psychological warfare took place for a long time as part of the colonial conquest. The colonialists laboured to ensure that black people’s minds were colonised. And to this end, many theories were developed (by white psychologists) to prove the inferiority of the black mind. One of the consequences of this […] … learn more→
What do we lose by abandoning Greek and Latin?
When we could travel without pandemic obstacles, Italy and Greece were preferred destinations for millions of people, who came there attracted by their museums and archaeological sites of those two cultures on which ours is based. Museums in Spain see their rooms full when they organize exhibitions related to the classical world: the success of Las […] … learn more→
5 ways for teachers to build a good rapport with their students online
Of all the things needed for academic success, one of the most essential is for students to have a good rapport with their instructors. This is particularly true in the digital classroom, where research has shown that students who have a good rapport with their teachers are more likely to stick with a class and get good grades. As a community […] … learn more→
England’s education recovery plan should focus on wellbeing, not on ‘catching up’
The most recent lockdown and school closures have, once again, thrown educational provision in England into crisis. Nearly a full year of disruption of schooling will have had a serious effect on children’s education. The outgoing children’s commissioner, Anne Longfield, has called for children to be at the heart of the recovery from COVID-19. The government […] … learn more→