Very sharp @quinnslobodian.com piece on the limitations of the data/digital/AI/tech "empire" analogy www.theideasletter.org/essay/digita...

Digital Bandung

The recent turn to the language of “digital empire” and “data colonialism” captures aspects of the concentration of technological power, but often mistakes polemic for analysis. Slobodian revisits the...

theideasletter.org

The H-Diplo Roundtable on Age of Emergency is out with a dream team of a reviewing lineup: Amanda Behm, Susan Carruthers, David Clayton, and Karuna Mantena, plus an introduction from Brian Drohan and a response from me. Extremely grateful to them and to Lindsay Acqui and Diane Labrosse as well.

The H-Diplo Roundtable on Age of Emergency is out with a dream team of a reviewing lineup: Amanda Behm, Susan Carruthers, David Clayton, and Karuna Mantena, plus an introduction from Brian Drohan and a response from me. Extremely grateful to them and to Lindsay Acqui and Diane Labrosse as well.

Ravi d'avoir contribué un chapitre à cet ouvrage monumental de 1 404 pages! Félicitations Nicolas Beaupré et Florian Louis

An all-star lineup plus me talking about decolonization at Harvard next Thursday history.fas.harvard.edu/event/decolo...

Grateful to the Guggenheim Foundation and looking forward to to the year ahead #guggfellows2026 www.gf.org/stories/anno...

Something of mine forthcoming in Histoire mondiale des impérialismes, ed. Nicolas Beaupré and Florian Louis

inquiring minds want to know more about this "Nuremberg 2.0"

Senator Ron Wyden@wyden.senate.gov · 5mo ago

Turns out lawlessness is not a winning strategy. See you at Nuremberg 2.0

the kind of thing that gets played at a war crimes trial

Aaron Rupar@atrupar.com · 5mo ago

Hegseth: "Death & destruction from the sky all day. We're playing for keeps. Our warfighters have maximum authorities granted personally by POTUS & yours truly. Our rules of engagement are bold, precise designed to unleash American power, not shackle it ... we are punching them while they are down"

For Literary Review, I wrote about Asante gold, Victorian-era colonial war, and complications with the restitution of loot literaryreview.co.uk/gilded-rage

Erik Linstrum - Gilded Rage

Erik Linstrum: Gilded Rage - The African Kingdom of Gold: Britain and the Asante Treasure by Barnaby Phillips

literaryreview.co.uk

Can’t believe a professional, apolitical, and unhurried search process didn’t catch this

Matthew Gillikin@mtgillikin.bsky.social · 5mo ago

Upon further review by experts, it turns out Scott Beardsley’s doctorate is basically a drive through diploma, which isn’t the sort of thing that gives a top tier university credibility or stability. augustafreepress.com/news/james-f...

Upon further review by experts, it turns out Scott Beardsley’s doctorate is basically a drive through diploma, which isn’t the sort of thing that gives a top tier university credibility or stability. augustafreepress.com/news/james-f...

The president's doctorate doesn't match the institution's mission

Scott Beardsley became the 10th president at the University of Virginia in January. He is, by all accounts, a man of accomplishment.

augustafreepress.com

Masterful Troll, TCM.

The timeless elegance of a CUP proof

BLEAK. Bleak. I’d been paying attention to Columbia selling out its governance to the Trump admin, not so much its stance on AI. www.columbiaspectator.com/opinion/2026...

Something is awry in higher education. Indiana University agrees to pay the football coach more than $100 million, shortly after cutting hundreds of academic programs. www.espn.com/college-foot...

Source: Cignetti's salary now averages $13.2M through 2033

After leading Indiana to the national title, coach Curt Cignetti has finalized a contract with the school that will pay him an average of $13.2 million through the 2033 season, a source confirmed to E...

espn.com

✊

"We seem to be entering an age of state control armed only with the delusional hope that if universities hide and say nothing about all of the obvious ways in which the nation is slouching toward the demise of democracy, they will avoid political retribution."

Opinion | Where’s the Outrage? Universities Need to Speak Up.

The lack of response to the killing of Renee Nicole Good is shameful.

chronicle.com

I love teaching this course

The AHA rightly condemned the Iraq war in 2007 and the Ukraine invasion in 2022. Blocking a resolution, overwhelmingly supported by members, to express solidarity with Gaza is cowardly at best and special pleading at worst.

Can’t believe the deliberative and professional search for a new president at UVA didn’t catch a CV loaded with misrepresentations augustafreepress.com/news/vanishi...

How UVA’s presidential search missed what took us an hour to find

Inside Higher Ed frames the controversy surrounding Scott C. Beardsley's appointment as the University of Virginia's president.

augustafreepress.com

Can’t believe the deliberative and professional search for a new president at UVA didn’t catch a CV loaded with misrepresentations augustafreepress.com/news/vanishi...

How UVA’s presidential search missed what took us an hour to find

Inside Higher Ed frames the controversy surrounding Scott C. Beardsley's appointment as the University of Virginia's president.

augustafreepress.com

This seems to strongly suggest that the incoming president of UVA doctored his CV to the edge of outright dishonesty, and that the most recent changes came months before Jim Ryan was forced, as if they were made in anticipation in Ryan’s removal. augustafreepress.com/news/vanishi...

How UVA’s presidential search missed what took us an hour to find

Inside Higher Ed frames the controversy surrounding Scott C. Beardsley's appointment as the University of Virginia's president.

augustafreepress.com

I've written a chapter, "Hearts of Darkness: The Varieties of Imperial Violence," for a volume on modern imperialism edited by Nicolas Beaupré and Florian Louis. French publication forthcoming. I'm sharing the English version here in the meantime papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....

I've written a chapter, "Hearts of Darkness: The Varieties of Imperial Violence," for a volume on modern imperialism edited by Nicolas Beaupré and Florian Louis. French publication forthcoming. I'm sharing the English version here in the meantime papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....

If you take the job under these circumstances, I am afraid, you are unfit for the job.

Erik Linstrum@eriklinstrum.bsky.social · 8mo ago

A last-ditch power grab by a rogue and illegitimate board that has long since lost the confidence of faculty, students, staff, and alumni. Also, a choice that perfectly illustrates this board’s contempt for the scholarly enterprise and those who practice it.

A last-ditch power grab by a rogue and illegitimate board that has long since lost the confidence of faculty, students, staff, and alumni. Also, a choice that perfectly illustrates this board’s contempt for the scholarly enterprise and those who practice it.

We are delighted to be co-sponsoring this event alongside @ihr.bsky.social and @royalhistsoc.org. Details and sign-up information is below!

Journal of British Studies@jbritishstudies.bsky.social · 8mo ago

📢Upcoming Event! 💻JBS Listening Session for UK-based Scholars 📅January 8 ⏰4pm GMT/ 11am EST/ 9am MST/ 8am PST Info and RSVP here: www.nacbs.org/event-detail...

Peasants and popes, free speech and fashion, sentimentality and special forces: the first 10 of 20 historians choose their favourite new #history books of 2025. www.historytoday.com/archive/revi...

Books of the Year 2025: Part 1

historytoday.com