Susan J. Smith
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sjs1869.bsky.social
Susan J. Smith
@sjs1869.bsky.social
1.3K followers 160 following 350 posts

President,The British Academy.
Writes about housing and economic inequality.
Life Fellow at Girton College, Emerita Honorary Professor in the Dept of Geography, Cambridge University, UK.
(Views my own).

Videos

Susan Jane Smith is a British geographer and academic. She became President of the British Academy in July 2025. She was mistress of Girton College, Cambridge from 2009 to 2022. Smith previously held the Ogilvie Chair of Geography at the University of Edinburgh from 1990 to 2004 and until 2009 was a professor of geography at Durham University, where she played a key role in establishing the Institute of Advanced Study. On 1 October 2011, she was conferred the title of Honorary Professor of Social and Economic Geography in the Department of Geography at the University of Cambridge for five years, which was renewed until 2021. .. more

Economics 50%
Medicine 9%
Posts Replies Media Videos

sjs1869.bsky.social
Susan J. Smith @sjs1869.bsky.social · 17h
Fantastic programme!
ukri.org UK Research and Innovation @ukri.org · 20h
Applications open: New Generation Thinkers 2026

AHRC is partnering with BBC Radio 4 to offer five early-career researchers the opportunity to work with programme makers, appear on air, and gain first-hand experience of how ideas make it to broadcast.

Apply by Jan 2026
AHRC and BBC New Generation Thinkers 2026
This scheme offers five early career researchers the opportunity to work with programme makers at BBC Radio 4. They will appear on a number of episodes and shadow the production process to understand ...
www.ukri.org

sjs1869.bsky.social
Susan J. Smith @sjs1869.bsky.social · 17h
I think the key is in the brackets… (a trend by no means limited to students…)
julesbirch.bsky.social Jules Birch @julesbirch.bsky.social · Feb 12
Not sure I understand how there can be a student housing boom in midst of general higher education gloom (though packing as many rooms as possible into a building and charging the highest rents for them you can is obviously part of it)

www.ft.com/content/8903...
Real estate developers pile into UK student housing sector
Record number of deals in 2024 comes despite sharp fall in international student numbers
www.ft.com

sjs1869.bsky.social
Susan J. Smith @sjs1869.bsky.social · 17h
Good for publishing, good for housing, good for… hang on, perhaps #not-for-profit is good for (nearly) everyone?
eicathomefinn.bsky.social Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 20h
'The global scientific community has been urged to adopt and support non-profit scholarly publishing models to help solve the problems caused by today’s predominant systems—described as “arguably the largest science crisis of all time”.' 1/3
resprofnews.bsky.social Research Professional News @resprofnews.bsky.social · 22h
‘Embrace non-profit publishing to tackle largest science crisis’.

Stockholm Declaration promotes shift to models encouraging high quality and restoration of trust.

www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-worl...

Reposted by Susan J. Smith, Malcolm MacLean

eicathomefinn.bsky.social
Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 20h
'The global scientific community has been urged to adopt and support non-profit scholarly publishing models to help solve the problems caused by today’s predominant systems—described as “arguably the largest science crisis of all time”.' 1/3

Reposted by Diane Coyle, Susan J. Smith

ukri.org
UK Research and Innovation @ukri.org · 20h
Applications open: New Generation Thinkers 2026

AHRC is partnering with BBC Radio 4 to offer five early-career researchers the opportunity to work with programme makers, appear on air, and gain first-hand experience of how ideas make it to broadcast.

Apply by Jan 2026
AHRC and BBC New Generation Thinkers 2026
This scheme offers five early career researchers the opportunity to work with programme makers at BBC Radio 4. They will appear on a number of episodes and shadow the production process to understand ...
www.ukri.org

sjs1869.bsky.social
Susan J. Smith @sjs1869.bsky.social · 7d
Iconic moment at the start of a long period of middle/ lower income wage stagnation and a marked to to economic inequality… so, an ongoing struggle and a complex story.
carlquintanilla.bsky.social Carl Quintanilla @carlquintanilla.bsky.social · 7d
Dolly Parton releases “9 to 5” 45 yrs ago today.

“I knew what it was like to be a working woman trying to make a decent living, trying to be taken seriously. .. I wanted a song that sounded playful on the surface but spoke to that frustration .. A song about women .. saying, ‘We deserve better.’”

Reposted by Susan J. Smith, Robert B. Reich

carlquintanilla.bsky.social
Carl Quintanilla @carlquintanilla.bsky.social · 7d
Dolly Parton releases “9 to 5” 45 yrs ago today.

“I knew what it was like to be a working woman trying to make a decent living, trying to be taken seriously. .. I wanted a song that sounded playful on the surface but spoke to that frustration .. A song about women .. saying, ‘We deserve better.’”

sjs1869.bsky.social
Susan J. Smith @sjs1869.bsky.social · 8d
Thousands of amateur brass enthusiasts have been limbering up for a flurry of local brass band association contests. It’s not about whether you win or lose… but, well, winning is ok! 😎
This is the results list for the Durham league brass band contest. Bearpark and Esh Colliery Band won

sjs1869.bsky.social
Susan J. Smith @sjs1869.bsky.social · 9d
Surely the caché needed to push through a change of this kind would be best spent reforming land/property tax across the board? Hasn’t there been enough tinkering with Council tax to warrant a change of approach?

www.thetimes.com/article/5ac9...
Rachel Reeves considers ‘supercharged’ council tax on expensive homes
The chancellor could impose new bands for high-value properties, a possible alternative to a ‘mansion tax’, as she tries to plug a financial hole in her budget
www.thetimes.com

sjs1869.bsky.social
Susan J. Smith @sjs1869.bsky.social · 10d
Excellent. Fitting tribute to a brilliant scholar.
econsocjournal.bsky.social Economy & Society @econsocjournal.bsky.social · 10d
Pull up for a bumper issue, nine articles, from ecologization as a mode of economization to the prompting of generative AI models in UK government, with stops in Brazil, Venezuela, Kenya and the US along the way!

www.tandfonline.com/toc/reso20/c...
Economy and Society
Dedicated to Michel Callon, 1945–2025. Volume 54, Issue 3 of Economy and Society
www.tandfonline.com

Reposted by Susan J. Smith, Paul Langley

econsocjournal.bsky.social
Economy & Society @econsocjournal.bsky.social · 10d
Pull up for a bumper issue, nine articles, from ecologization as a mode of economization to the prompting of generative AI models in UK government, with stops in Brazil, Venezuela, Kenya and the US along the way!

www.tandfonline.com/toc/reso20/c...
Economy and Society
Dedicated to Michel Callon, 1945–2025. Volume 54, Issue 3 of Economy and Society
www.tandfonline.com

sjs1869.bsky.social
Susan J. Smith @sjs1869.bsky.social · 10d
Honestly it makes me so cross when you want to download or print out a copy of your own article and find ‘your license does not permit this’. Grrrrr.

sjs1869.bsky.social
Susan J. Smith @sjs1869.bsky.social · 10d
And still the top 10% take away over a quarter of the total (post tax UK income, according to WID…)
benbraun.bsky.social Benjamin Braun @benbraun.bsky.social · 11d
On the one hand: Interesting just how long post-imperial Britain could cling on to its relative economic position. On the other hand: Yikes.

www.ft.com/content/d70c...
Top incomes in the UK are no longer among the highest in the rich world Rank among developed countries for average post-tax income of top 10%

sjs1869.bsky.social
Susan J. Smith @sjs1869.bsky.social · 10d
On the subject of workable solutions to intractable problems (the chaos of residential property taxation, an increasingly dysfunctional #housing market), check out this unmissable @britishacademy.bsky.social lecture by John Muellbauer (online + in person) www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/events/lectu...
Land, Housing and the British Economy Lecture
The UK’s housing market suffers from deep structural dysfunction, with the cost of land accounting for a far greater share of house prices than in most other developed economies. This lecture explore...
www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk

Reposted by Susan J. Smith, Brett Christophers

benbraun.bsky.social
Benjamin Braun @benbraun.bsky.social · 11d
On the one hand: Interesting just how long post-imperial Britain could cling on to its relative economic position. On the other hand: Yikes.

www.ft.com/content/d70c...
Top incomes in the UK are no longer among the highest in the rich world Rank among developed countries for average post-tax income of top 10%

sjs1869.bsky.social
Susan J. Smith @sjs1869.bsky.social · 11d
A lot of us have plenty of evidence-informed ideas around this challenge. Will any of them make the cut?
theifs.bsky.social The Institute for Fiscal Studies @theifs.bsky.social · 11d
NEW PODCAST: How to fix property taxes

@helenmiller.bsky.social, Stuart Adam and @benzaranko.bsky.social explore how council tax, stamp duty and other property taxes work in the UK, what’s gone wrong, and how they could be made fairer and more efficient.

🎧 Listen here: ifs.org.uk/articles/how...

Reposted by Susan J. Smith

theifs.bsky.social
The Institute for Fiscal Studies @theifs.bsky.social · 11d
NEW PODCAST: How to fix property taxes

@helenmiller.bsky.social, Stuart Adam and @benzaranko.bsky.social explore how council tax, stamp duty and other property taxes work in the UK, what’s gone wrong, and how they could be made fairer and more efficient.

🎧 Listen here: ifs.org.uk/articles/how...

sjs1869.bsky.social
Susan J. Smith @sjs1869.bsky.social · 12d
Fine opportunity!
sarahknott.bsky.social Sarah Knott @sarahknott.bsky.social · 13d
ARCHIVAL FUNDING: Ann Ball Bodley Visiting Fellowship in Women’s History, to use Bodleian Libraries collections to advance scholarship in women’s history, of any geographical area and historical period. Deadline 28th Nov. www.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/csb/fellowsh...
Bodleian Visiting Fellowships in Special Collections
www.bodleian.ox.ac.uk

Reposted by Christopher Smith

sjs1869.bsky.social
Susan J. Smith @sjs1869.bsky.social · 13d
Which is why, amid all this talk of economic growth, it is the TYPE of growth - its sustainability, its resilience, and above all its distribution - that matters.

Reposted by Thomas Piketty, Stephen P. Jenkins, Susan J. Smith , and 1 more

wid.world
World Inequality Lab @wid.world · 13d
🚨NEW REPORT: The Climate Inequality Report 2025 reveals how wealth inequality and the climate crisis drive each other.

What's new in the report? — A thread🧵

Download the report▶️ wid.world/news-article...
#cop30 #climatejustice #inequality
Climate inequality report 2025 | Climate Change: A Capital Challenge - Why Climate Policy Must Tackle Ownership - WID - World Inequality Database
This new report reveals how wealth drive the climate crisis, and proposes new policy options to address it.
wid.world

Reposted by Roger Burrows, Brett Christophers, Katherine Brickell

sjs1869.bsky.social
Susan J. Smith @sjs1869.bsky.social · 13d
Reply to some great comments on mine and Gavin Wood’s piece on #housing, the asset economy and a resurgence of rentier capitalism www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
Reply to Comments on the Edges of Owner Occupation versus Rentier Capitalism
This piece replies to some fine scholarship from the six commentators who have taken up the pen in response to our focus article. We hope our reply does them justice and invites others to join the ...
www.tandfonline.com

Reposted by Susan J. Smith, Lesley A. Hall, Elaine Treharne , and 7 more

sarahknott.bsky.social
Sarah Knott @sarahknott.bsky.social · 13d
ARCHIVAL FUNDING: Ann Ball Bodley Visiting Fellowship in Women’s History, to use Bodleian Libraries collections to advance scholarship in women’s history, of any geographical area and historical period. Deadline 28th Nov. www.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/csb/fellowsh...
Bodleian Visiting Fellowships in Special Collections
www.bodleian.ox.ac.uk

sjs1869.bsky.social
Susan J. Smith @sjs1869.bsky.social · 13d
Err… top marginal tax rates in the U.K. (as in many other countries) have plummeted since the 1970s… meanwhile middle incomes have stagnated and tax thresholds have frozen. So…
georgeeaton.bsky.social George Eaton @georgeeaton.bsky.social · 13d
Britain has become a country of high taxes for the few and low taxes for the many and that settlement is now breaking down. www.newstatesman.com/politics/mor...
Is Britain a high-tax country?
Even as overall taxes have risen, most have been paying less
www.newstatesman.com

Reposted by Ben H. Ansell, Susan J. Smith

georgeeaton.bsky.social
George Eaton @georgeeaton.bsky.social · 13d
Britain has become a country of high taxes for the few and low taxes for the many and that settlement is now breaking down. www.newstatesman.com/politics/mor...
Is Britain a high-tax country?
Even as overall taxes have risen, most have been paying less
www.newstatesman.com

sjs1869.bsky.social
Susan J. Smith @sjs1869.bsky.social · 14d
Sounds like a fantastic opportunity to work with a game changing organisation…
theifs.bsky.social The Institute for Fiscal Studies @theifs.bsky.social · 14d
Applications are now open to join the IFS in summer 2026 as part of our paid Summer Student programme!

➡️ Find out more and apply here by 11pm, Friday 16 Jan 2026: app.beapplied.com/apply/xkr9pu...

Reposted by Susan J. Smith

theifs.bsky.social
The Institute for Fiscal Studies @theifs.bsky.social · 14d
Applications are now open to join the IFS in summer 2026 as part of our paid Summer Student programme!

➡️ Find out more and apply here by 11pm, Friday 16 Jan 2026: app.beapplied.com/apply/xkr9pu...

sjs1869.bsky.social
Susan J. Smith @sjs1869.bsky.social · 15d
Sunil Amrith’s mindblowing journey through time: an imperative to revisit ‘the paths not taken’ observer.co.uk/news/nationa...
The prizewinning author who almost lost his nerve
This week the prestigious British Academy book prize went to The Burning Earth, a ‘magisterial’ study of mankind and its relationship with nature. Its au...
observer.co.uk

sjs1869.bsky.social
Susan J. Smith @sjs1869.bsky.social · 15d
Spot on. Don’t tinker. Get key people round a table and reform the whole lot…

www.thetimes.com/article/e895...
Mansion tax idea is incoherent, ex-Bank governor tells Reeves
Lord King says ‘fag-packet’ tax proposals before the budget do not address long-term economic problems
www.thetimes.com

sjs1869.bsky.social
Susan J. Smith @sjs1869.bsky.social · 17d
Excellent interventions! Reply follows. Great to feel part of an engaging conversation…

Reposted by Susan J. Smith

housingtheory.bsky.social
Housing, Theory and Society @housingtheory.bsky.social · 17d
See all six commentaries on @sjs1869.bsky.social and Gavin A Woods focus article
”The Edges of Owner-Occupation versus Rentier Capitalism”
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
The Edges of Owner-Occupation versus Rentier Capitalism
Over the past half century, housing systems have been reconfigured through processes variously labelled financialization, assetization and rentierization. Unevenly advanced by successive rounds of ...
www.tandfonline.com