Aditya Balasubramanian
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abalasub.bsky.social
Aditya Balasubramanian
@abalasub.bsky.social
1.1K followers 350 following 74 posts
Senior Lecturer at ANU School of History
Working on Roads
Book: Toward a Free Economy @princetonupress.bsky.social
Order: http://tinyurl.com/5andt77x (USA/UK) http://tinyurl.com/2p88pvmv (India)
Posts Replies Media Videos
Reposted by Aditya Balasubramanian
britishacademy.bsky.social
Bringing together stories of environment and Empire, genocide and ecocide, war and peace – Sunil Amrith's The Burning Earth is a razor-sharp study of accountability for the climate crisis.

The Burning Earth is shortlisted for the British Academy Book Prize. Learn more here https://bit.ly/3WsTunW
October 10, 2025 at 3:47 PM
Reposted by Aditya Balasubramanian
sophieloywilson.bsky.social
Australia explained for Americans courtesy Arun Chandran
October 11, 2025 at 1:46 AM
Reposted by Aditya Balasubramanian
melindacooper.bsky.social
September 21, 2025 at 11:51 PM
abalasub.bsky.social
Beyond ridiculous decision

www.thecrimson.com/article/2025...
A Surprise Tenure Denial in Harvard’s Gender Studies Program Leaves Some Faculty Shaken | News | The Harvard Crimson
Durba Mitra’s colleagues thought she was a near-perfect tenure candidate. When her bid was shot down in June, they were left questioning the process.
www.thecrimson.com
September 22, 2025 at 3:00 PM
Reposted by Aditya Balasubramanian
mmuscolino.bsky.social
On modern China, see
press.princeton.edu/books/hardco...
Making It Count
A history of how Chinese officials used statistics to define a new society in the early years of the People’s Republic of China
press.princeton.edu
September 20, 2025 at 6:23 PM
abalasub.bsky.social
Found Rule of Experts overrated but @adamtooze.bsky.social’s Statistics and the German State is outstanding and so worthy of being retaught and re-read. Prob my favorite of his books after Wages
samwetherell.bsky.social Sam Wetherell @samwetherell.bsky.social · Sep 20
Thinking about Trump's latest postponement of inflation stats. Maybe just as "the economy" was a necessary socio-technical construct of early 20th century imperial statecraft conjured into being by statistical measurement, it can also be un-made in a similar way at the beginning of the 21st...
September 20, 2025 at 6:02 PM
Reposted by Aditya Balasubramanian
timmclellan.bsky.social
Private consultants are taking control of how public universities are evaluated and run.

My submission to the Senate university governance inquiry raises concerns about the impact of Nous Group and their dodgy UniForum data on our universities.

www.aph.gov.au/DocumentStor...

A thread
Image shows a screenshot of the conclusion of the linked Senate inquiry submission. This text can be found on page 10. The text is too long for alt text, but here is the first three quarters of the text: Conclusion Over the past decade, Nous Group’s UniForum data has quietly taken on the status of authoritative benchmark for the quality of a range of professional and academic services performed by public universities in Australia and across the world. This authoritative status is performed through scientific-looking graphs and scientific-sounding jargon designed to imply UniForum data is generated through rigorous methods and backed by expert consensus. This performance of authority is significant: it lends UniForum data an air of credibility and facticity that makes acting upon its results irresistible. When one begins to open the black box and examine how UniForum data is actually produced, however, it becomes difficult to justify the degree to which Australian university executives are relying upon it in their decision-making. My analysis is based on a review of publicly available documents, and it is therefore possible that Nous or its clients would point to things not in the public domain that address some of the conceptual and methodological flaws that I have highlighted in UniForum. But the fact that the underlying UniForum data and methodology is not in the public domain is itself one of the key causes for concerns. When the stakes are so high, it cannot be acceptable for Nous Group and its clients to simply tell university staff and governing councils, ‘trust us, these numbers are based on rigorous methods and analysis.’ The lack of rigor, external scrutiny, and transparency in UniForum’s underlying data and methodology would be a cause for concern in any public institution, but it is especially concerning in the context of universities where rigorous, transparent, and accountable knowledge production is a core part of what we do. ...
September 17, 2025 at 5:54 AM
Reposted by Aditya Balasubramanian
gabriellehecht.bsky.social
And let me take this opportunity to say again:

WHITE PPL ARE NOT OPPRESSED IN SOUTH AFRICA
September 16, 2025 at 3:13 PM
Reposted by Aditya Balasubramanian
chowleen.bsky.social
Celebrating my beloved, brilliant colleague Prasenjit Duara on the occasion of his 75th and his retirement. “Colleague” doesn’t quite encompass my fondness and gratitude. Prasenjit has been mentor, teacher, friend, and teammate. I am so happy we will be toasting and roasting him for two whole days!
photo of Professor Prasenjit Duara at the Duke conference on Global China - profile and medium shot of Prasenjit, in glasses and light suit jacket, other conference participants in background.
August 29, 2025 at 2:48 PM
Reposted by Aditya Balasubramanian
durba.bsky.social
thank u to @itihaasnaama.bsky.social for recommending my new book The Future That Was alongside these amazing authors @kalramnath.bsky.social @abalasub.bsky.social 🥰💕 youtube.com/shorts/S99MW...
ये किताबें पढ़कर इतिहास के सारे बवाल समझ आ जाएंगे| Book Recommendations
YouTube video by The Lallantop
youtube.com
August 24, 2025 at 6:34 PM
Reposted by Aditya Balasubramanian
historymatterssyd.bsky.social
All cuts, at all Unis, should be stopped until the rot at the top of every single one of them has been thoroughly examined.

www.abc.net.au/news/2025-08...
How one of the world's most prestigious universities fell from grace
The prestige of the Australian National University is fast fading. It must now respond to explosive allegations.
www.abc.net.au
August 14, 2025 at 10:11 AM
Reposted by Aditya Balasubramanian
global-ih.bsky.social
8/8 The issue ends with a second regular review by Raheel Bashir (Jawaharlal Nehru University) on "Toward a Free Economy: Swatantra and Opposition Politics in Democratic India" (@princetonupress.bsky.social, 2023) by @abalasub.bsky.social www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
The book cover
August 12, 2025 at 9:16 AM
Reposted by Aditya Balasubramanian
atrupar.com
ELIZABETH WARREN: What Zohran is saying is 'I want people to be able to afford to live in NYC'

FABER: But raising taxes in order to do it?

WARREN: Oh my goodness! Oh dear! Are you worried that billionaires are going to go hungry?
August 4, 2025 at 2:42 PM
Reposted by Aditya Balasubramanian
amandajsummers.bsky.social
I’m sorry what? I was not aware anyone taught grad students how to read 😭
Both my schools just threw us into the theory fire.
“Here’s Chakrabarty. Good luck” 😘

Make this a great thread plz.
carlygoodman.bsky.social Carly Goodman @carlygoodman.bsky.social · Jul 27
Historians! What are your favorite things to give grad students on how to read?
July 28, 2025 at 11:20 AM
Reposted by Aditya Balasubramanian
xruiztru.bsky.social
This map shows how unevenly Nobel Prizes have been distributed across the world.
July 26, 2025 at 2:38 PM
Reposted by Aditya Balasubramanian
benrothenberg.bsky.social
Taylor Fritz is getting clowned by players like Shelton and Tiafoe about a video in which he couldn't do basic multiplication, but there's a bigger story about how tennis players are being set up to succeed—and fail—on social media videos.

Read it at Bounces:

www.benrothenberg.com/p/taylor-fri...
Tennis, Under the Influencers
Taylor Fritz's wins are adding up in Washington, but maybe don't ask him to multiply.
www.benrothenberg.com
July 25, 2025 at 3:38 AM
abalasub.bsky.social
There is a special place in hell for T&F
July 15, 2025 at 12:14 PM
Reposted by Aditya Balasubramanian
timmclellan.bsky.social
This is based on an interview I did last week. For days, I’ve been anxious about repercussions for speaking to media. I was totally overwhelmed to discover today that my colleagues have all stuck their necks out with me.

I have the best colleagues!

www.canberratimes.com.au/story/901572...
'Hunger Games scenario': four ANU lecturers and only three jobs
Four lecturers going for three jobs speak out about the stress and the cost.
www.canberratimes.com.au
July 15, 2025 at 5:37 AM
Reposted by Aditya Balasubramanian
ouranu.bsky.social
Honours student, Pippa, spoke about her thesis on the history of higher education in Australia which was about “universities and governments putting profits over people.”

She said she would like to see Vice Chancellor Bell, “demanding more public funding.”

www.canberratimes.com.au/story/901699...
Staff hope to find a way through ANU trouble, say cuts aren't the answer
'Education funding has been under attack for decades.'
www.canberratimes.com.au
July 15, 2025 at 10:35 AM
Reposted by Aditya Balasubramanian
whitehouse.senate.gov
What's up with Justice Jackson? She started making her mark and speaking out early, and some of her dissents are so pointed Kagan and Sotomayor don’t even join them. The far right is out for her, and even Republican justices are getting snarky.

So what's up? Here’s my take 🧵
July 9, 2025 at 3:49 PM
abalasub.bsky.social
I just texted a friend that celebrity culture in academia should die but every rule has exceptions. Friends, Romans, the woman who gave us Life as Surplus, Family Values, Counterrevolution and more has joined and made this platform worth it.
Welcome, Melinda! Follow her!!
@melindacooper.bsky.social
melindacooper.bsky.social
melindacooper.bsky.social
July 8, 2025 at 1:25 PM
Reposted by Aditya Balasubramanian
ntinatzouvala.bsky.social
Comrades! Friends! Nemeses! The CfP for the annual meeting of Australian Progressive Legal Studies is open until next Friday, 11th of July. Send us your abstracts on all things law, political economy and modern authoritarianism.

The one and only Melinda Cooper (!!!) will deliver the keynote.
July 4, 2025 at 3:05 AM