connormckenz.bsky.social
@connormckenz.bsky.social
Reposted
About time.
Universities will be asked to explain how they spend millions of pounds received in quality-related funding from the Research Excellence Framework as part of a pilot study designed to provide greater transparency on institutional spending, reports
@jgro-the.bsky.social
#REF #academicsky
Explain how REF money is spent, universities told
Research England hopes transparency pilot could lead to more accountability but critics fear bureaucracy and government control
www.timeshighereducation.com
September 9, 2025 at 8:05 AM
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If you have not already bought @edconway.bsky.social Material world then do so today - one day kindle offer, £1.99 - a steal www.amazon.co.uk/Material-Wor...
Material World: A Substantial Story of Our Past and Future
Material World: A Substantial Story of Our Past and Future eBook : Conway, Ed: Amazon.co.uk: Kindle Store
www.amazon.co.uk
August 4, 2025 at 8:44 AM
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Full video and transcript available here: the Government Chief Scientific Adviser on the role of humanities and social sciences in policymaking
www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/events/in-co...
In Conversation with Professor Dame Angela McLean: The Humanities and Social Sciences in Policymaking
www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk
July 17, 2025 at 11:23 AM
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Really enjoyable launch event at the @britishacademy.bsky.social for our @bennettinstitute.cam.ac.uk report on measuring social and cultural infrastructure.

Glad that the work resonated with so many of those in attendance.
Value of social and cultural infrastructure ‘risks being neglected in decision-making' without new measurement framework - Bennett Institute for Public Policy
New framework for measuring the value of social and cultural infrastructure will more effectively highlight its crucial role in improving wellbeing and economic growth.
www.bennettinstitute.cam.ac.uk
April 30, 2025 at 8:20 PM
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New report from @britishacademy.bsky.social on language skills & capabilities in the UK research base

Multilingual capabilities are integral to research excellence, impact and integrity

www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/publications...
Multilingualism in UK academic research
This report evidences the recognition, role and use of multilingualism in UK academic research fields outside Modern Languages.
www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk
April 9, 2025 at 7:20 AM
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Our inaugural SHAPE conference is today! The morning is bright: our limited edition yellow conference tote bags are brighter. We’ll be sharing live updates on discussions over on the Academy’s page throughout the day - do follow along!
Our new annual conference in support of the humanities and social sciences is on Wednesday 2 April. Book your place at the conversation with leading voices in the education and research sector, in person at The British Academy, London: www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/news/british...
April 2, 2025 at 6:57 AM
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First annual conference at the British Academy today (Wednesday), exploring the state of play in research, culture and higher education across the 4 nations. Live posting throughout the day from the BA's Bluesky account.
Our new annual conference in support of the humanities and social sciences is on Wednesday 2 April. Book your place at the conversation with leading voices in the education and research sector, in person at The British Academy, London: www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/news/british...
April 2, 2025 at 7:15 AM
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From the #BritishAcademy, a report on the teaching of Politics and International Relations in the UK. Very interesting findings, and useful if engaging in curriculum review - full report direct download: www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/documents/55... - PSA summary: www.psa.ac.uk/psa/news/new...
March 3, 2025 at 10:36 PM
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Hear, hear, Paul Johnson www.thetimes.com/business-mon...
February 17, 2025 at 3:35 PM
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'Brady explained how QR was “the envy of our international competitors...it gives UK scientists the stability and flexibility they need to take risks, to try new things and test new ideas, and it gives universities the funding to make strategic investments in new technologies and facilities”.' 1/2
‘Recommit’ to QR research funding, Imperial president urges UK
Hugh Brady warns 16 per cent fall in real-terms value of recurrent grant funding ‘threatens the very foundations of British science’
www.timeshighereducation.com
February 6, 2025 at 2:52 PM
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Demographers make #DemographyDay. We’re proud to be working with our funders and partners to support the next generation of demographers https://buff.ly/3P0Uz2Q

@leverhulme.bsky.social @annavignoles.bsky.social @oxpop.bsky.social @nuffieldcollege.bsky.social @cpc-cg.bsky.social
February 4, 2025 at 2:05 PM
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Manchester have posted 14 more postdoc positions in 'SHAPE' disciplines - 4x simon fellowships and 10(!) hallsworth fellowships. Simon eligibility is 'within 4 years of PhD award', except career breaks
www.humanities.manchester.ac.uk/research/fun...
Happy to discuss these via email
Simon and Hallsworth Fellowships | Faculty of Humanities | The University of Manchester
Find out the Simon and Hallsworth Fellowships at Manchester, our Faculty of Humanities funding scheme for early career researchers with a doctoral degree.
www.humanities.manchester.ac.uk
February 4, 2025 at 2:21 PM
This thread is an excellent critique and done v respectfully. FWIW I v much agree with Paul. There is no way to make significant inroads without increasing supply. Many other things may also need fixing of course, but that doesn't change the bottom line.
GM is normally an interesting writer. But this is dismal.

NIMBYISM - at its worst.

Intergenerational economic mugging of a younger generation. A massive wealth transfer from poor to rich.
Labour's simplemindedness will be its downfall - and ours. You can't build and bulldoze your way out of the housing crisis. Unless you also change the system, you'll still leave millions without decent homes. My column today explains why.
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
January 27, 2025 at 3:41 PM
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NEW on Wonkhe: Connor McKenzie presents British Academy research showing how the field of politics and international relations is navigating expansion
Politics and international relations has grown over the last decade – but unevenly
Connor McKenzie presents British Academy research showing how the field of politics and international relations is navigating expansion Connor McKenzie presents British Academy research showing how…
wonkhe.com
January 23, 2025 at 9:05 AM
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Our latest ‘state of the discipline’ report has lots of interesting findings on politics and international relations subjects in HE.

In 2018/19, female students surpassed their male counterparts to become the majority among first degree students

www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/news/new-rep...
New report uncovers popularity of Politics and International Relations degrees, with graduates outearning national averages
A new British Academy report on Politics and International Relations (PIR) provision in UK higher education shows a 20 per cent increase in first degree enrolments and a 41 per cent rise in postgradua...
www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk
January 22, 2025 at 8:31 AM
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And if you don't have time this week/month to read the @britishacademy.bsky.social 's 72 report on the discipline of Politics & International Relations in the UK, this @wonkhe.bsky.social piece by Connor McKenzie offers a succinct summary of the key findings.
Politics and international relations has grown over the last decade – but unevenly
Connor McKenzie presents British Academy research showing how the field of politics and international relations is navigating expansion Connor McKenzie presents British Academy research showing how th...
wonkhe.com
January 22, 2025 at 8:23 AM
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The AI Opportunities Action Plan (Matt Clifford report), trailed in today’s morning news is now out in full. I’ve read it, and here’s a few observations 1/10

Link to full report

assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6784eb...
assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
January 13, 2025 at 11:27 AM
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A week ago, I had dinner with a key author of the AI consultation. Not just dinner: I berated them for about 7 hours. In return, they gave me a horrid cough. Which is a fair revenge. Anyway, here's a thread about what I took away from the conversation. These are my inferences, not quotes.
January 13, 2025 at 7:41 PM
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Has anyone done a scatter plot of fees to average A-level grade by school? Perhaps controlling for selectivity.
A lot of rich parents are very upset at the government for charging VAT on private school fees. Maybe they should instead ask why private schools have put up fees so far above inflation over the past 15 years. www.ft.com/content/852b...
December 30, 2024 at 10:49 AM
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Why Netflix is so boring
Back in 2019: was told while making Lower Decks that “too much happens in each episode, what if someone watching is making spaghetti and only half paying attention?”
December 28, 2024 at 9:21 AM
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December 21, 2024 at 6:23 AM
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The arts now contribute more to our GDP than either mining or agriculture....
Can someone correct me if I'm being innumerate here but is this story suggesting that 1/1600th of the entire UK economy is ABBA Voyage-related? (And I'll be honest given the state of the economy, maybe it is!)
ABBA Voyage is proving to be more than just a show—it's an economic powerhouse, bringing millions to Stratford and boosting jobs. A shining example of how our support for culture and creativity drives growth across London.
December 9, 2024 at 2:04 PM
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'When Notre-Dame reopened on 7 December, it was thanks, in part, to the efforts of 175 researchers with expertise across a range of disciplines: acoustics, art, data, history, archaeology, anthropology.' Example of why blue-skies research matters for 'real-life' problems we've not yet imagined. 1/2
The academics who helped breathe new life into Notre-Dame
Five years after a devastating fire, the Paris cathedral has finally reopened, with the help of a vast team of researchers
www.timeshighereducation.com
December 9, 2024 at 8:06 AM
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It was students who led mass protests fearlessly even though they knew that brutal consequences were following under the martial law in the 1970s and 80s in South Korea. Like in 2016, in 2024, students in SK still don't hesitate to raise their voices for justice. This is why education is important.
December 5, 2024 at 9:19 PM