Francois Soyer
@fsoyer.bsky.social
Associate Prof of European History, the Inquisition, Antisemitism and Gender/Sexuality at the University of New England in Australia. Hispanophile and Lusophile.
Reposted by Francois Soyer
DECRA success rate is the lowest in 14 years, since 2012 (1st year the scheme ran).
What a pathetic system we have for supporting new ideas, new people…
DE26: 13.1%
25: 17.9
24: 19.6
23: 15.0
22: 19.7
21: 17.1
20: 16.0
19: 17.2
18: 16.3
17: 16.7
16: 16.4
15: 14.3
14: 13.6
13: 15.6
12: 12.8
What a pathetic system we have for supporting new ideas, new people…
DE26: 13.1%
25: 17.9
24: 19.6
23: 15.0
22: 19.7
21: 17.1
20: 16.0
19: 17.2
18: 16.3
17: 16.7
16: 16.4
15: 14.3
14: 13.6
13: 15.6
12: 12.8
🚨 #DECRA #DE26 announcement:
❗️Outcomes announced publicly for Discovery Early Career Researcher Award 2026❗️
See ARC's RMS for list ➡️ https://rms.arc.gov.au/RMS/Report/Download/Report/a3f6be6e-33f7-4fb5-98a6-7526aaa184cf/285
/bot
❗️Outcomes announced publicly for Discovery Early Career Researcher Award 2026❗️
See ARC's RMS for list ➡️ https://rms.arc.gov.au/RMS/Report/Download/Report/a3f6be6e-33f7-4fb5-98a6-7526aaa184cf/285
/bot
November 25, 2025 at 12:34 AM
DECRA success rate is the lowest in 14 years, since 2012 (1st year the scheme ran).
What a pathetic system we have for supporting new ideas, new people…
DE26: 13.1%
25: 17.9
24: 19.6
23: 15.0
22: 19.7
21: 17.1
20: 16.0
19: 17.2
18: 16.3
17: 16.7
16: 16.4
15: 14.3
14: 13.6
13: 15.6
12: 12.8
What a pathetic system we have for supporting new ideas, new people…
DE26: 13.1%
25: 17.9
24: 19.6
23: 15.0
22: 19.7
21: 17.1
20: 16.0
19: 17.2
18: 16.3
17: 16.7
16: 16.4
15: 14.3
14: 13.6
13: 15.6
12: 12.8
Reposted by Francois Soyer
It's been brewing for months: @inriaparisnlp.bsky.social releases CoMMA (Corpus of Multilingual Medieval Archives) !
📚 2.5bn tokens of mostly Latin and French texts
🕰️ 800→1600 CE
📜 23k manuscripts
🖥️ 18k on the reading interface: comma.inria.fr
🔍 Paper: inria.hal.science/hal-05299220v1
(1/🧵)
📚 2.5bn tokens of mostly Latin and French texts
🕰️ 800→1600 CE
📜 23k manuscripts
🖥️ 18k on the reading interface: comma.inria.fr
🔍 Paper: inria.hal.science/hal-05299220v1
(1/🧵)
CoMMA
comma.inria.fr
October 15, 2025 at 2:51 PM
It's been brewing for months: @inriaparisnlp.bsky.social releases CoMMA (Corpus of Multilingual Medieval Archives) !
📚 2.5bn tokens of mostly Latin and French texts
🕰️ 800→1600 CE
📜 23k manuscripts
🖥️ 18k on the reading interface: comma.inria.fr
🔍 Paper: inria.hal.science/hal-05299220v1
(1/🧵)
📚 2.5bn tokens of mostly Latin and French texts
🕰️ 800→1600 CE
📜 23k manuscripts
🖥️ 18k on the reading interface: comma.inria.fr
🔍 Paper: inria.hal.science/hal-05299220v1
(1/🧵)
The perils of an Australian university campus in the springtime.
October 14, 2025 at 11:36 PM
The perils of an Australian university campus in the springtime.
Birdlife in Australia is never dull: a discussion in progress at the feeder.
October 9, 2025 at 10:02 AM
Birdlife in Australia is never dull: a discussion in progress at the feeder.
Reposted by Francois Soyer
Ouch: why pay $440,000 for AI work ("including three nonexistent academic references and a made-up quote from a Federal Court judgement.")? Then again, why pay $440,000 for a single report anyway? Universities should take note. www.afr.com/companies/pr...
Deloitte to refund government, admits using AI in $440k report
Deloitte will issue a partial refund to the government after admitting that artificial intelligence had been used in the creation of a report littered with errors.
www.afr.com
October 6, 2025 at 12:11 AM
Ouch: why pay $440,000 for AI work ("including three nonexistent academic references and a made-up quote from a Federal Court judgement.")? Then again, why pay $440,000 for a single report anyway? Universities should take note. www.afr.com/companies/pr...
Ouch: why pay $440,000 for AI work ("including three nonexistent academic references and a made-up quote from a Federal Court judgement.")? Then again, why pay $440,000 for a single report anyway? Universities should take note. www.afr.com/companies/pr...
Deloitte to refund government, admits using AI in $440k report
Deloitte will issue a partial refund to the government after admitting that artificial intelligence had been used in the creation of a report littered with errors.
www.afr.com
October 6, 2025 at 12:11 AM
Ouch: why pay $440,000 for AI work ("including three nonexistent academic references and a made-up quote from a Federal Court judgement.")? Then again, why pay $440,000 for a single report anyway? Universities should take note. www.afr.com/companies/pr...
Reposted by Francois Soyer
1/At Macquarie Uni we are losing 50% of our units in my faculty. This is on top of cuts in 2020. We estimate by next year my faculty will be teaching 80% fewer subjects than pre Covid. Disciplines being cut do not have declining enrolments. @jennaprice.bsky.social @michaelwestbiz.bsky.social
September 20, 2025 at 1:10 AM
1/At Macquarie Uni we are losing 50% of our units in my faculty. This is on top of cuts in 2020. We estimate by next year my faculty will be teaching 80% fewer subjects than pre Covid. Disciplines being cut do not have declining enrolments. @jennaprice.bsky.social @michaelwestbiz.bsky.social
Reposted by Francois Soyer
I am not quite sure how this works, but here's a free open source editable historical map that's pretty decent on medieval Europe.
September 18, 2025 at 11:02 AM
I am not quite sure how this works, but here's a free open source editable historical map that's pretty decent on medieval Europe.
I was sitting at my desk and had a feeling that someone was watching me.
September 12, 2025 at 4:15 AM
I was sitting at my desk and had a feeling that someone was watching me.
Springtime in Australia.
September 10, 2025 at 2:43 AM
Springtime in Australia.
Reposted by Francois Soyer
Portugal's foremost twentieth-century poet, Fernando Pessoa, opining on Australia (Portuguese: É-se feliz na Austrália, desde que lá se não vá).
September 2, 2025 at 7:11 AM
Portugal's foremost twentieth-century poet, Fernando Pessoa, opining on Australia (Portuguese: É-se feliz na Austrália, desde que lá se não vá).
Portugal's foremost twentieth-century poet, Fernando Pessoa, opining on Australia (Portuguese: É-se feliz na Austrália, desde que lá se não vá).
September 2, 2025 at 7:11 AM
Portugal's foremost twentieth-century poet, Fernando Pessoa, opining on Australia (Portuguese: É-se feliz na Austrália, desde que lá se não vá).
Receiving my author’s copies of my latest book: always a wonderful feeling but this time also a bittersweet one.
August 18, 2025 at 3:02 AM
Receiving my author’s copies of my latest book: always a wonderful feeling but this time also a bittersweet one.
Beware swooping trees.
August 10, 2025 at 11:41 PM
Beware swooping trees.
Just found the longest word in the English language.
August 5, 2025 at 9:41 AM
Just found the longest word in the English language.
Saw some of my fellow inhabitants of Armidale using surfboards as makeshift sleds this morning! #Australia #Armidale
August 3, 2025 at 12:15 AM
Saw some of my fellow inhabitants of Armidale using surfboards as makeshift sleds this morning! #Australia #Armidale
Siberia Down Under. #Australia #Armidale
August 2, 2025 at 7:41 AM
Siberia Down Under. #Australia #Armidale
Snow in Australia will always feel strange to me
August 2, 2025 at 3:58 AM
Snow in Australia will always feel strange to me
Snow Down Under... and it's only getting heavier! #Australia #Armidale
August 2, 2025 at 1:56 AM
Snow Down Under... and it's only getting heavier! #Australia #Armidale
History falling apart: early 17th century Inquisition trial dossier. digitarq.arquivos.pt/documentDeta...
July 31, 2025 at 8:15 AM
History falling apart: early 17th century Inquisition trial dossier. digitarq.arquivos.pt/documentDeta...
Reposted by Francois Soyer
4. Every other discipline thinks they can do history but they often cannot
July 28, 2025 at 12:06 AM
4. Every other discipline thinks they can do history but they often cannot
Reposted by Francois Soyer
A question for Lusophones. Here is a blasphemous sentence from a inquisitorial trial: “que era puta mui grande e aleivosa farta de cães, gatos e negros." The official meaning of "fartar" is to be "satiated [with food].". Could it have a different (and ruder) meaning?
July 25, 2025 at 3:52 AM
A question for Lusophones. Here is a blasphemous sentence from a inquisitorial trial: “que era puta mui grande e aleivosa farta de cães, gatos e negros." The official meaning of "fartar" is to be "satiated [with food].". Could it have a different (and ruder) meaning?
A question for Lusophones. Here is a blasphemous sentence from a inquisitorial trial: “que era puta mui grande e aleivosa farta de cães, gatos e negros." The official meaning of "fartar" is to be "satiated [with food].". Could it have a different (and ruder) meaning?
July 25, 2025 at 3:52 AM
A question for Lusophones. Here is a blasphemous sentence from a inquisitorial trial: “que era puta mui grande e aleivosa farta de cães, gatos e negros." The official meaning of "fartar" is to be "satiated [with food].". Could it have a different (and ruder) meaning?
Another frosty Antipodean winter morning and another colorful visitor in the garden (Armidale, NSW).
July 20, 2025 at 4:10 AM
Another frosty Antipodean winter morning and another colorful visitor in the garden (Armidale, NSW).
It's winter here in Australia but we still get these colourful visitors on frosty mornings in the NSW northern tablelands.
July 18, 2025 at 11:49 AM
It's winter here in Australia but we still get these colourful visitors on frosty mornings in the NSW northern tablelands.