I arrived at the Hotel Château Bethlehem in Maastricht moments before I was due to speak. Delays in London, Brussels and Liège meant that I staggered through the doors late, exhausted and dehydrated. I slipped off my backpack, let my tripod clatter against the leg of a chair and blundered straight into some introductory words […] … learn more→

There is a common perception that students represent the elite, and so cannot possibly suffer from hunger. But this is a myth. In fact, the available evidence suggests that students are more likely to be food insecure – they are not able to access adequate nutritious food on a daily basis – than others in […] … learn more→

Fellowship applications are hard. They force you to stand alone. You are often applying early in your career, when you feel like you don’t have much to skite about. The temptation to puff yourself up is overwhelming – then you read back on it and it makes you want to vomit, just a bit. On […] … learn more→

Identity politics has been an issue on campus for as long as I’ve been in higher ed. It used to be primarily in hiring, where we were “motivated” to hire people with certain genitals or skin color, on the basis that there “weren’t enough” of such in associated positions. I confess for some time I […] … learn more→

Writing plays a significant role in helping students put together their ideas and develop their thinking skills. In order to improve their knowledge and adapt to the demands of the working environment, students need a lot of practice and as often as possible. When it comes to writing, there is always the thought that it […] … learn more→

It’s the end of summer as I write this, so things are pretty quiet on campus. A recent study touched on a few things I’ve wanted to mention about today’s campus which never seem to make the news much: Study: ADHD drugs do not improve cognition in healthy college students Drug use is pretty heavy […] … learn more→

Students who have benefited from the Erasmus mobility program are happy to use the terms “adventure” and “travel”. But they are far from being like bohemian characters portrayed by writers or filmmakers. Often mentioned as the main reason for going abroad, learning a foreign language is generally seen as a way to increase one’s chances […] … learn more→

When protesters tore down the “Silent Sam” Confederate statue at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill on Aug. 20, it wasn’t just destruction of state property – a crime for which the protesters are now being investigated. Rather, the protesters knocked a powerful symbol of white supremacy from its pedestal – both literally and figuratively. Silent Sam, after […] … learn more→

How much money do students spend on college textbooks? The answer is: too much. Since 1982, the price of new textbooks has tripled even after taking inflation into account. Since 2006, it has outstripped the rate of increase for college tuition. In contrast, the price of recreational books, a rough indicator of the cost of book production, […] … learn more→

Getting your GCSE results is big day for most 16-year-olds in England, Wales and Northern Ireland – as well as for their parents and schools. GCSEs have been a national rite of passage for the last 30 years. The first students sat GCSEs in 1988 when GCSEs replaced O levels and CSEs as the single school leaving […] … learn more→