For the record, the proportion of professors at Cambridge who are Black is 0.4%. The number of Black people in the UK population is 4%. So the number of Black professors at Cambridge is ONE TENTH of what you would expect in a meritocracy.

Margot Finn@eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 3w ago

Paddy O'Connell, asked on the programme to estimate what % of professors at Cambridge are black, estimated it at 30%. Seriously, 30%.

Historian looking for freelance work. I’m a very experienced RA, I’m looking for anything really that might help me pay my bills, because in general my profession does not, and no one will let me try doing anything else…

"Details, in their singularity and idiosyncrasy, point to the capaciousness of human experience." New today in the Society's journal 'Transactions': Joe Moran 'On Detail in Historical Writing': bit.ly/44UMi8C Now available OA @joemoransblog.bsky.social @massobsarchive.bsky.social #Skystorians 1/2

Thinking through the unedifying, un-evidence-based rush to an undefined, apparently unmodelled paradigm of 'specialisation, what's being lost/threatened? Herts History was an excellent example of performing to a top standard in REF, but also much more than that. Questions to think with include: 1/4

Glen O'Hara@gsoh31.bsky.social · last mo.

So it's farewell to the History subject area at the University of Hertfordshire, not the first nor the last to go. One of the best departments in the country, just extinguished like a snap of the fingers. Think of the waste. (1/2)

CALLING ALL INDEPENDENT HISTORIANS!! Come and join IHN for socials, networking, support, advice, newsletters, and promotion of your work! The number of members is going up all the time which is very, very exciting. Join the fun for a bargain £10 per year. membermojo.co.uk/independenth...

So it's farewell to the History subject area at the University of Hertfordshire, not the first nor the last to go. One of the best departments in the country, just extinguished like a snap of the fingers. Think of the waste. (1/2)

In late 2023, the Society spent a day with Hertfordshire’s historians. We saw the quality, creativity and distinctiveness of teaching, research and engagement. We were told by a (now departed) senior manager that History was ‘a portfolio the university will guard very carefully’. bit.ly/4hLediN

Glen O'Hara@gsoh31.bsky.social · last mo.

So it's farewell to the History subject area at the University of Hertfordshire, not the first nor the last to go. One of the best departments in the country, just extinguished like a snap of the fingers. Think of the waste. (1/2)

Great discussion at the 'crisis in UK history' meeting hosted by @ihr.bsky.social, @royalhistsoc.org, @histassoc.bsky.social and History UK. Horror stories of closures and redundancies, balanced by new resources. Check out for ex. the new Independent Historians Network independenthistorians.org

Independent Historians Network

The place for independent and freelance historians to connect

independenthistorians.org

Very short notice (deadline 18 August) but we're advertising a 0.5fte lectureship in public history for next year. Covers my 3rd year undergraduate course on public history of Rome (ancient to modern) plus some MA public history teaching.

Another round of voluntary severance, this time with an explicit message that if this doesn’t cut the budgets enough, compulsory redundancies might be on the table. And to think at the weekend I was telling people that we seemed to have escaped this cycle…

British Academy Chief Executive Hetan Shah makes the case in the Times for language skills and how they will help the UK "make our way in an increasingly volatile world". Read the full piece here➡️ https://bit.ly/4vNilCn

Britain risks losing language skills to understand its enemies

Experts have warned Britain’s defence drive is overlooking the language and regional expertise needed to understand adversaries including Russia, China and Iran

bit.ly

It’s 25 years since we lost Douglas Adams. I am happy to have been able to get a reference to him into this piece in the FT about why the humanities are essential www.ft.com/content/fbde...

A new resource from @britishacademy.bsky.social, out today, maps changes in UK academic staff numbers and contract types between 2012/13 & 2024/25 for the arts, humanities & social sciences bit.ly/4w47SmP You can search by subject (incl history), provider, region & forms of employment #Skystorians

'There has been a 12 percentage point leap in the number of UK universities reporting cutbacks to research, according to a survey carried out this year by Universities UK.' Being a global research power when you're reducing research by 12% in a year may prove a wee bit of a challenge.

Proportion of universities cutting research increases - Research Professional News

Universities UK survey shows worsening picture but more optimism about future backing for research

researchprofessionalnews.com

In addition to today's data on staffing in UK HE, @britishacademy.bsky.social has produced several briefings, including one on the very significant decline in early career academics, 2012-24: bit.ly/4wGBTcl History has seen a 32% decline in early career staff numbers since 2012/13 #Skystorians 1/2

The Society will write up a summary for History for next week. Key points at this stage include: > 11% decline (-440 FPE) across all History staff between 2018/19 and 2024/25, compared with a 7% decline across all humanities > loss of 140 FPE History roles 2022/23 to 2024/25 #Skystorians 1/3

'"This is pure mentality," he said.' Actually, as cultural historians will instantly have picked up, Thomas Tuchel was making a sophisticated reference here to the concept of mentalité. If England wants to beat Argentina, the coaching team needs to be augmented with a cultural historian pronto.

World Cup 2026: Tuchel fumes at 'lucky' and 'sloppy' England - but Jude Bellingham defends players

England head coach Thomas Tuchel is praised by former England players for saying his players "got lucky" in World Cup quarter-final win over Norway - but match-winner Jude Bellingham disagrees.

bbc.co.uk

EThOS platform restored! 'Following restoration work, all metadata records previously available on EThOS have now been restored, along with an additional 14,000 records added since the service was taken offline' - more to come www.bl.uk/stories/news...

EThOS records restored

We are pleased to share that EThOS (E-Theses Online Service) is now available again following restoration work after the cyber-attack.

bl.uk

🚨 PLEASE SHARE WIDELY 🚨 If you are an Exeter alumnus, and wish to express your horror at the proposed cuts to the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, please sign the Google Doc petition below. Not an alumnus? You can still help by signing the Exeter UCU petition at c.org/msXfsb2g5b 🗃️

Alumni petition against the cuts to the Faculty of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences

Any Exeter alumni who wish for their names to be added to the petition below should please complete the form at this link: https://forms.gle/SpdYvmmsCaJbmZft6. If you are not an alumnus, but still wis...

docs.google.com

Or, as Minister Jacqui Smith calls it, stabilising the university sector. Stabilising, as in slamming the stable door shut as you exit the premises, after the horse has limped through the door toward the lorry-laden roadside.

Times Higher Education (THE)@timeshighered.bsky.social · 2mo ago

The Department for Education has confirmed that universities will receive £50.9 million less in teaching grants next academic year. Bridget Phillipson, the education minister has defended the reduction in light of tuition fee rises. https://ow.ly/6UWJ50ZkLlf

First they came for the languages. In the hope that no one would have the words to say what was happening. 1/9🧵

University of Aberdeen's plans to cut modern language degrees were 'rushed' - review

The University of Aberdeen says it accepts there were "missteps" in its process in 2023.

bbc.co.uk

‘We urge the Government to prioritise this issue. Should this situation continue unchecked, the damage to the health of higher education, research and innovation will be profound and have long-lasting consequences.’ www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/news/stateme...

British Academy President: UK higher education crisis risks irreversible damage

As course closures, shrinking provision and widening regional inequalities threaten the future of UK higher education and research, President of the British Academy, Susan J Smith calls for an immedia...

thebritishacademy.ac.uk

Many congratulations to Charlotte Gauthier, @faraiunvers.bsky.social winner of the @ihr.bsky.social @royalhistsoc.org and @chalkefestival.bsky.social ‘Pitch My Project’ competition for an outstanding talk at Chalke last night! @lucynoakes1.bsky.social

Wonderful time at Chalke yesterday. Thanks to our fabulous panel and the Chalke team. @royalhistsoc.org @ihr.bsky.social showing the value- and popularity- of history.

Claire Langhamer@clairelanghamer.bsky.social · 3mo ago

Had a fabulous time at @chalkefestival.bsky.social last night chairing an @ihr.bsky.social and @royalhistsoc.org @lucynoakes1.social sponsored panel on USA250. Thanks to our wonderful panellists @sarahchurchwell.bsky.social @nicholasguyatt.bsky.social @anneapplebaum.wsocial.eu and Jim Naughtie.

A statement from Exeter UCU branch @ucu.org.uk - please share far and wide.

Some excellent stuff here for your Sunday reading including the always-excellent @nichecanada.bsky.social and some great #EarlyModern posts. (Plus lovely tributes to the father of @americanstudier.bsky.social-- when the history and the personal intersect.)

Ben Railton@americanstudier.bsky.social · 3mo ago

+ So here it is, my 281st #ScholarSunday thread of great public scholarly writing & work, podcast episodes, new & forthcoming books from the past week. Add more below, please share as widely as possible, & enjoy, all! 🗃️ + blackwhiteandread.com/scholarsunda...

'The last decade has been an enormous success story for Manchester and it has been in no small part powered by the constellation of research assets, university led capital investment, a growing labour force, and inward investment, that the universities have brought.' 1/2

There is no growth without universities

Andy Burnham PM cannot save the economy unless he tackles university reform. James Coe heads North with some advice

wonkhe.com

Over the next 10 days, we feature the 8 articles shortlisted for the Society's 2026 Early Career Article Prize. Today: 'Colonial world-making and global knowledges at the early modern Cape of Good Hope' by Gianamar Giovannetti-Singh bit.ly/4b5wx1V, published in 'Past & Present' #Skystorians 1/2

Over the next two weeks, we feature the 8 articles shortlisted for the Society's 2026 Early Career Article Prize. Today: 'The Absence of the Ackee Tree: Jamaican botanical resistance and Kew’s colonial archive', by Heather Craddock bit.ly/4vWNeor, published in 'Plant Perspectives' #Skystorians 1/2

If you are a policy interested researcher we have opened a fantastic call for our Innovation Fellowships. Spend a year working with a policy partner on themes of resilient communities or digital society. We offer up to £120k. More detail below in this 🧵 www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/funding/sche...