A friend of mine asked me for some advice about what to do in the lead up to the PhD submission. While I’m sure every experience is different, I think it’s reasonably safe to say that the following points would be useful for a majority of PhD candidates. Know the administrative requirements for submitting I’m […] … learn more→
Author Archives: Kevin
9 Tips for a fuss free (i.e. survivable) PhD submission
Why poor parents in Nairobi choose private over free primary schools
The numbers of low cost private schools in low and middle income countries have exploded in recent years. These schools charge fees that are affordable to the poorest segment of the population, and often target these populations specifically. But, in many countries, these schools have been criticised for failing to meet minimum standards set by the government for facilities, […] … learn more→
Don’t pity stressed students too much – academics have it worse
More and more students are reporting significant mental health issues. This should not come as a surprise; life seems to have become more complex, more information intensive. It’s clear that the young are responding to the society in which they find themselves, having to navigate social media, financial difficulty, increasing expectation and competition – the list can […] … learn more→
Why is academic writing so hard
Academic writing is a complex business. And it’s that complexity that makes it tricky. When you sit down to write a thesis, book or paper you start off with: material that comes from a well designed project a defensible analysis and possibly, depending on discipline, a cogent theoretical explanation a good grip on the relevant literatures […] … learn more→
Academic rigor is “white privilege”
During the last election, the cry of “RACIST,” the great weapon of the Left for decades, was finally blunted after being bashed into the head of everyone the Left considers an enemy…basically half the country had this weapon smashed into their heads for voting for Trump, so it’s no small wonder the weapon doesn’t work […] … learn more→
Does college turn people into liberals?
Does going to college make students into political liberals? Conservative activists have claimed that universities brainwash students and indoctrinate them into believing a liberal ideology. The line of reasoning goes like this: Liberal college professors tell students “what to think,” and “what to think” is that conservatives and their positions are to be dismissed. A state lawmaker in Iowa has […] … learn more→
4 industries social media disrupted in 2017
Everywhere you look, someone is posting on a social media account – whether they are snapping pics of their decadent dessert from some posh restaurant, scrambling to create that perfect 280 character post or posting some life update on their wall. And it’s not just millennials who are on the social media train! Grandparents use […] … learn more→
My Alma Mater is an embarrassment
Fifty years ago this April the administration of Columbia University deployed the New York City Police Department to clear hundreds of student protesters from five campus buildings they had occupied for nearly a week, during which the police ran riot, indiscriminately beating students and faculty members, protesting or not, while “clearing” the campus. The protesters […] … learn more→
AI is the future but universities must retain the values of the past
The commitment of Asian nations to higher education and to research and development bodes well for their future, and positions them to take advantage of the technological revolution that is sweeping the world. At the heart of this revolution is artificial intelligence and machine learning. The defeat of the world’s Go champion by DeepMind’s AlphaGo last […] … learn more→
Why I teach a course called ‘White Racism’
The need for students to learn about racism in American society existed long before I began teaching a course called “White Racism” at Florida Gulf Coast University earlier this year. I chose to title my course “White Racism” because I thought it was scholarly and succinct, precise and powerful. But others saw it differently. Many white Americans […] … learn more→
