As a young academic, I can say with a certain level of confidence that my gender will stifle my career progression. Most probably, I will become just another droplet leaking out of the academic pipeline. Although as a culture we value separating our private and professional lives, the #MeToo phenomenon forces us to think about sexual […] … learn more→

  2017 was the year of the publicized sex scandal. Granted, the phrase “casting couch” didn’t come from nowhere, it’s been long known that in Hollywood an actress might well have to advance her career on a couch. Other “obvious” places where sexual shenanigans occurred didn’t seem to get nearly as much attention. Perhaps I […] … learn more→

Why go to university? When asked, today’s students are openly careerist and materialist. In a 2012 survey by the Higher Education Research Institute in Los Angeles, almost 90 per cent held that “being able to get a better job” was a “very important” or “essential” reason to go to college. The rationales of being “very […] … learn more→

The first year of President Trump’s administration has been strife with a lot of debatable policies. One of the topics of debate that’s dominated the headlines in 2017 is the Affordable Care Act and the future of the American healthcare system. Robert I. Field, a professor of law and healthcare management at Drexel University, pointed […] … learn more→

On International Women’s Day, it’s worth a harsh reminder: Women working in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) careers represent a mere 20 per cent of the current job force in the field. According to Statistics Canada, women in STEM are also underpaid compared to their male counterparts. What’s more, more women than men enrol […] … learn more→

The longest teacher strike in West Virginia history came to an end when Gov. Jim Justice announced a deal on March 6 to grant the teachers 5 percent more in pay, but issues of pay disparities for rural teachers still persist. If those issues are not resolved, we could see rural teachers in other states […] … learn more→

Recent Ucas statistics revealed the country’s class system is still hard at work and as active as ever in more than half of our universities. Figures analysed by Times Higher Education (“Most privileged outnumber least advantaged 2:1 at most UK HEIs”, 25 January) showed that, at 70 universities, students from the most advantaged areas were […] … learn more→

There’s a great deal of comfort to be had in the idea that success at university is primarily or exclusively the result of a student’s hard work. All that’s needed is for students to do their best and fairness will prevail. Students who don’t apply themselves will fail. End of story. Or is it? A […] … learn more→

Dyslexia affects up to 10% of the population and is widely accepted as a learning difficulty that can cause problems with (among other things) reading, writing and spelling. But it hasn’t always been this way. In fact, it wasn’t until quite recently – in 1987 – that the UK government announced that they were dispelling “a myth” […] … learn more→

All those excellent “How to do a PhD” books provide a linear progression from start to finish. They seem to encompass all the intricacies along the way, but ultimately serve as a sort of telescope that draws your vision towards a clear and cohesive end point where your research question is answered neatly, you wear […] … learn more→