When ACT released its latest test scores this past October, the results showed that average scores took a dip for every racial group in the United States except one – Asian-Americans. A similar situation played out with the SAT. Asian-Americans experienced a gain over the prior year – 42 points on a 1600-point scale – whereas other groups had more […] … learn more→

Academics and writers have known about the therapeutic benefits of animals for many years. Mark Twain was regularly photographed with several cats draped over him, and a personal favourite image is of E.B. White sitting at his typewriter while his dog Minnie looks on. Contemporary academics and PhD students have adapted the trend for the […] … learn more→

I’ve just been reading a Fellowship application. The applicant is brilliant. She has a great project idea that is urgently needed, and had excellent potential to lead to both theoretical developments and real changes in practice. I was excited to read her application, because she has done great stuff in the past. She has an […] … learn more→

The idea of scientists tinkering with the genes of babies was once the provenance of science fiction, but now it’s entered the realm of reality: On Nov. 26, Chinese scientist He Jiankui reported the historic live births of two twin girls whose genes he had edited. The goal may have been noble: to use CRISPR to alter […] … learn more→

Our relationship with tech companies has changed significantly over the past 18 months. Ongoing data breaches, and the revelations surrounding the Cambridge Analytica scandal, have raised concerns about who owns our data, and how it is being used and shared. Tech companies have vowed to do better. Following his grilling by both the US Congress and the […] … learn more→

Business writing has grown tremendously over the last two decades. Numerous factors have made a contribution to this slow but firm transformation. Today, language has transformed huge because slang has entered mainstream vocabulary and the business landscape has turned more efficient and faster. Thus, communication needs to be efficient and fast. The reason behind this […] … learn more→

Undertaking a PhD can be very stressful, due to a range of challenges. These include having to develop discipline expertise as well as generic skills (such as academic writing and maintaining motivation) during a largely solo pursuit. Concern has been growing about the prevalence of mental health issues (such as depression and anxiety) among PhD candidates. […] … learn more→

I often request an end to the student loan scam, but I seldom discuss why we have so many of our kids ready and willing to destroy themselves with student loans. Even if we destroyed the supply (student loans), we’d still have immense demand for accredited college degrees. So as I sit here being pumped […] … learn more→

In recent years the assessment of researcher quality in social sciences has been aligned to the journals in which their articles have been published. The ascendancy of ranking guides for business and management disciplines such as the Academic Journal Guide have facilitated this metrification to the point where business school workloads, promotions and recruitment are […] … learn more→

Recent news reports have suggested that the MBA (masters in business administration) may be “losing its lustre” at American business schools, including some of the most elite on the planet. The Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) has reported declining U.S. applications, while in Canada the opposite is true, with applications increasing almost eight per cent last year. The […] … learn more→