BB
@briandavidberry.bsky.social
Researcher on Japanese Higher Ed and Internationalization of universities. Posting on Japan, HE, Internationalization and random nerdy stuff.
Reposted by BB
white house has joined bluesky
click here to block all official us government accounts instantly
bsky.app/profile/did:...
click here to block all official us government accounts instantly
bsky.app/profile/did:...
October 17, 2025 at 10:08 PM
white house has joined bluesky
click here to block all official us government accounts instantly
bsky.app/profile/did:...
click here to block all official us government accounts instantly
bsky.app/profile/did:...
Reposted by BB
MIT refuses to accept White House terms for funding, other schools still mulling reut.rs/471tkNZ
MIT refuses to accept White House terms for funding, other schools still mulling
Massachusetts Institute of Technology President Sally Kornbluth on Friday said she "cannot support" a memo that the White House sent to nine elite U.S. universities last week detailing policies they should follow to get preferential consideration for federal funding.
reut.rs
October 10, 2025 at 9:35 PM
MIT refuses to accept White House terms for funding, other schools still mulling reut.rs/471tkNZ
This isn’t a warning, it’s the collapse of academic research fields in Japan. Lack of funding, hostile environments, 5-year contracts, exclusion of international faculty members, and much more. Everyone has been aware of such issues for over a decade. Nothing was done.
www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/...
www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/...
NHK survey: Most researchers see decline in Japan scientific research capability | NHK WORLD-JAPAN News
An NHK survey of researchers in Japan shows that nearly 90 percent feel the country's scientific research capability is declining.
www3.nhk.or.jp
October 3, 2025 at 6:36 AM
This isn’t a warning, it’s the collapse of academic research fields in Japan. Lack of funding, hostile environments, 5-year contracts, exclusion of international faculty members, and much more. Everyone has been aware of such issues for over a decade. Nothing was done.
www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/...
www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/...
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Education researchers warn budget proposals from the White House and House Republicans would impose steep cuts on some of the nation's most vulnerable students and disadvantaged school communities.
What schools stand to lose in the battle over the next federal education budget
Education researchers warn budget proposals from the White House and House Republicans would impose steep cuts on some of the nation's most vulnerable students and disadvantaged school communities.
n.pr
September 26, 2025 at 12:04 PM
Education researchers warn budget proposals from the White House and House Republicans would impose steep cuts on some of the nation's most vulnerable students and disadvantaged school communities.
Reposted by BB
Honestly cannot repost enough, though. If enacted, this will be a devastating blow to many industries, but especially to academia (humanities and sciences alike), and upend innumerable lives.
September 20, 2025 at 12:59 AM
Honestly cannot repost enough, though. If enacted, this will be a devastating blow to many industries, but especially to academia (humanities and sciences alike), and upend innumerable lives.
Reposted by BB
Now is the time to contact your employers and rally to protect vulnerable colleagues. The administration is demanding that any valid H1-B visa holders outside the U.S. (or their employers) pay $100,000 for them to reenter the country, as of Sunday. www.whitehouse.gov/presidential...
September 20, 2025 at 12:56 AM
Now is the time to contact your employers and rally to protect vulnerable colleagues. The administration is demanding that any valid H1-B visa holders outside the U.S. (or their employers) pay $100,000 for them to reenter the country, as of Sunday. www.whitehouse.gov/presidential...
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UC Berkeley told 160 faculty, staff and students that their names were included in files shared with the federal government related to "alleged antisemitic incidents." We hear from one of them.
UC Berkeley professor warns of 'unprecedented crackdown' on academic freedom
UC Berkeley told 160 faculty, staff and students that their names were included in files shared with the federal government related to "alleged antisemitic incidents." We hear from one of them.
n.pr
September 19, 2025 at 1:34 AM
UC Berkeley told 160 faculty, staff and students that their names were included in files shared with the federal government related to "alleged antisemitic incidents." We hear from one of them.
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How not to run a university. Auckland, in this case. A brilliant essay by Dr Quentin Atkinson.
"Universities are a good thing. They improve our lives. If you were going to design a society from scratch, you would make sure it had universities and you would make sure that they were in good shape."
"Universities are a good thing. They improve our lives. If you were going to design a society from scratch, you would make sure it had universities and you would make sure that they were in good shape."
Preface and Contents
Why I wrote this essay, plus a table of contents
quentinatkinson.substack.com
September 19, 2025 at 5:30 AM
How not to run a university. Auckland, in this case. A brilliant essay by Dr Quentin Atkinson.
"Universities are a good thing. They improve our lives. If you were going to design a society from scratch, you would make sure it had universities and you would make sure that they were in good shape."
"Universities are a good thing. They improve our lives. If you were going to design a society from scratch, you would make sure it had universities and you would make sure that they were in good shape."
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This has got absolutely ridiculous. I have just deleted my account
If you’re on academia dot edu, let me suggest that you strongly consider deleting your account.
September 18, 2025 at 9:30 AM
This has got absolutely ridiculous. I have just deleted my account
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JOB ALERT FOR #SOCIOLOGIST: Come work with me. We have FOUR Assistant Professor positions in the Sociology Department at the University of Calgary.
careers.ucalgary.ca/jobs/1672106...
careers.ucalgary.ca/jobs/1672106...
Assistant Professors - Sociology, Faculty of Arts in
Calgary,
AB,
...
Assistant Professors - Sociology, Faculty of Arts in
Calgary,
AB,
...
careers.ucalgary.ca
September 10, 2025 at 12:35 AM
JOB ALERT FOR #SOCIOLOGIST: Come work with me. We have FOUR Assistant Professor positions in the Sociology Department at the University of Calgary.
careers.ucalgary.ca/jobs/1672106...
careers.ucalgary.ca/jobs/1672106...
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Statement tonight from Alan Garber, 31st president of Harvard.
Good for him. Good for Harvard. Good for standing up to defend "core values of American higher education."
And (again) what about all those "Harvard about to cave" stories?
Main point: Worth reading what Garber says.
Good for him. Good for Harvard. Good for standing up to defend "core values of American higher education."
And (again) what about all those "Harvard about to cave" stories?
Main point: Worth reading what Garber says.
September 4, 2025 at 1:24 AM
Statement tonight from Alan Garber, 31st president of Harvard.
Good for him. Good for Harvard. Good for standing up to defend "core values of American higher education."
And (again) what about all those "Harvard about to cave" stories?
Main point: Worth reading what Garber says.
Good for him. Good for Harvard. Good for standing up to defend "core values of American higher education."
And (again) what about all those "Harvard about to cave" stories?
Main point: Worth reading what Garber says.
Thank you to @hankgreen.bsky.social for this video. As faculty at a university abroad, it is terrifying to see the path ahead for universities in the US. The damage is immeasurable and will bleed internationally. youtu.be/FQwhGOhZRyE?...
What Trump is Doing to Universities
YouTube video by vlogbrothers
youtu.be
August 16, 2025 at 10:24 AM
Thank you to @hankgreen.bsky.social for this video. As faculty at a university abroad, it is terrifying to see the path ahead for universities in the US. The damage is immeasurable and will bleed internationally. youtu.be/FQwhGOhZRyE?...
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Full-time faculty position available at Doshisha U. in Kyoto, application deadline September 1. jrecin.jst.go.jp/seek/SeekJor...
JREC-IN | One Full-time Faculty Position at the Institute for the Liberal Arts, Doshisha University
イノベーション創出を担う研究人材のためのキャリア支援ポータルサイト
jrecin.jst.go.jp
August 10, 2025 at 3:15 AM
Full-time faculty position available at Doshisha U. in Kyoto, application deadline September 1. jrecin.jst.go.jp/seek/SeekJor...
Reposted by BB
This.
When OpenAI claims "PhD level model boosts", this just means that they trained their stuff on all our papers without asking or paying us, we all agree on that, right? Also, the bullshitting - when will it end?
August 8, 2025 at 9:35 AM
This.
Worrying
Thursday's move would compel colleges to report more data about the students they enroll and those who apply, including applicants' race and standardized test scores.
Trump orders colleges to share admissions data, with an eye on affirmative action
Thursday's move would compel colleges to report more data about the students they enroll and those who apply, including applicants' race and standardized test scores.
n.pr
August 8, 2025 at 1:40 AM
Worrying
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"The tonkori is emblematic as a musical instrument that allows its practitioners to convey a distinct Ainu indigeneity within Japanese society, a notion that challenges accepted beliefs in Japan of a homogeneous ethnic identity."
escholarship.org/uc/item/1600...
escholarship.org/uc/item/1600...
The Journey of the Tonkori: A Multicultural Transmission
Author(s): Uyeda, Kumiko | Advisor(s): Merchant, Tanya | Abstract: This dissertation addresses the ways in which the Ainu tonkori, a fretless zither, has come to represent the resurgence of Ainu perfo...
escholarship.org
August 5, 2025 at 1:58 AM
"The tonkori is emblematic as a musical instrument that allows its practitioners to convey a distinct Ainu indigeneity within Japanese society, a notion that challenges accepted beliefs in Japan of a homogeneous ethnic identity."
escholarship.org/uc/item/1600...
escholarship.org/uc/item/1600...
A growing issue indeed.
Everyone is Cheating (Even the Professors)
YouTube video by Jared Henderson
youtu.be
July 31, 2025 at 4:02 AM
A growing issue indeed.
Reposted by BB
@gtconway.bsky.social So much for holding firm.
Harvard Is Said to Be Open to Spending Up to $500 Million to Resolve Trump Dispute
www.nytimes.com
July 29, 2025 at 5:11 AM
@gtconway.bsky.social So much for holding firm.
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After Sanseito said they want to force schoolchildren to respect the pre-war "Imperial Rescript on Education", which calls for limited personal rights and piety to the emperor and state, MEXT Minister Abe hits back, saying such a move is in violation of the constitution and must not be accepted.
参政党の教育勅語尊重 文科相「憲法に反して用いるのは許されない」 | 毎日新聞
20日に投開票された参院選で議席を伸ばした参政党が教育勅語の尊重を掲げていることについて、阿部俊子文部科学相は22日の閣議後記者会見で「憲法や教育基本法に反する形で教育勅語を用いることは許されない」と述べた。
mainichi.jp
July 22, 2025 at 4:21 AM
After Sanseito said they want to force schoolchildren to respect the pre-war "Imperial Rescript on Education", which calls for limited personal rights and piety to the emperor and state, MEXT Minister Abe hits back, saying such a move is in violation of the constitution and must not be accepted.
Reposted by BB
"The Japanese government's plan to end financial support for foreign doctoral students has drawn criticism from students and academics who have labeled the step unjust and counterproductive to fostering a diverse, inclusive and thriving academic environment."
Cut to foreign PhD student support deals blow to Japanese academia - The Mainichi
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- The Japanese government's plan to end financial support for foreign doctoral students has drawn criticism from students and academics
mainichi.jp
July 15, 2025 at 10:04 PM
"The Japanese government's plan to end financial support for foreign doctoral students has drawn criticism from students and academics who have labeled the step unjust and counterproductive to fostering a diverse, inclusive and thriving academic environment."
Reposted by BB
Maya Angelou:
“Prejudice is a burden that confuses the past, threatens the future and renders the present inaccessible.”
“Prejudice is a burden that confuses the past, threatens the future and renders the present inaccessible.”
July 4, 2025 at 12:45 PM
Maya Angelou:
“Prejudice is a burden that confuses the past, threatens the future and renders the present inaccessible.”
“Prejudice is a burden that confuses the past, threatens the future and renders the present inaccessible.”
Reposted by BB
The Japanese government is going to spend about about 23 million dollars to lure talented researchers to Japan "amid an exodus of talent from the United States" caused by President Trump's "belt-tightening policies." www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/...
www3.nhk.or.jp
July 2, 2025 at 11:41 PM
The Japanese government is going to spend about about 23 million dollars to lure talented researchers to Japan "amid an exodus of talent from the United States" caused by President Trump's "belt-tightening policies." www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/...
Reposted by BB
Though we’re all discovering this garbage at different paces, it’s reassuring that the majority of academics have said “fuck this” and deleted accounts promptly.
If you're getting notifications from Academia(.)edu about AI versions of your papers now being podcasts, that's because the (predatory) platform has opted you into AI-enhanced outputs, which you can turn off in your Account Settings here.
July 2, 2025 at 3:59 PM
Though we’re all discovering this garbage at different paces, it’s reassuring that the majority of academics have said “fuck this” and deleted accounts promptly.
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"The goal of academic training is not to solve problems as efficiently and quickly as possible, but to develop skills for identifying and dealing with novel problems, which have never been solved before"
<- this open letter should be read by everyone in #HigherEd
openletter.earth/open-letter-...
<- this open letter should be read by everyone in #HigherEd
openletter.earth/open-letter-...
Open Letter: Stop the Uncritical Adoption of AI Technologies in Academia
openletter.earth
June 29, 2025 at 10:19 AM
"The goal of academic training is not to solve problems as efficiently and quickly as possible, but to develop skills for identifying and dealing with novel problems, which have never been solved before"
<- this open letter should be read by everyone in #HigherEd
openletter.earth/open-letter-...
<- this open letter should be read by everyone in #HigherEd
openletter.earth/open-letter-...
Reposted by BB
Mukogawa Women's University, which says it's the largest comprehensive women's university in Japan, is going co-ed in 2027. The school says it's a necessary response to the country's population decline. Some current students, however, aren't happy.
buff.ly/gw6UqqK
buff.ly/gw6UqqK
Japanese Women's University Says It'll Admit Men, Draws Mixed Reactions - Unseen Japan
The shift reflects the change in women's education over the past century as well as the impact of population decline on enrollment.
unseen-japan.com
June 21, 2025 at 10:41 PM
Mukogawa Women's University, which says it's the largest comprehensive women's university in Japan, is going co-ed in 2027. The school says it's a necessary response to the country's population decline. Some current students, however, aren't happy.
buff.ly/gw6UqqK
buff.ly/gw6UqqK