Had the great privilege to serve as External Examiner for a PhD today. It really is one of the most rewarding experiences getting to spend time with another's work, asking them to think through their arguments, evidence, and analysis, and to come out the other side with an advanced degree.

This study found a salary premium for PhD over Master's (all occupations), but it's pretty rough and ready. blogs.lse.ac.uk/impactofsoci...

What counts for more in the UK job market – a PhD or a Master’s? - LSE Impact

Giulio Marini and Golo Henseke analyse a decade of UK Labour Force Survey data to assess the different liftetime economic benefits of Master's and PhD degrees.

blogs.lse.ac.uk

will pooley@willpooley.bsky.social · 10h ago

does anyone know of any work that’s been done on career trajectories of (UK humanities) academics who have been made redundant? eg information about how many go into school teaching, early retirement, independent research? appreciate this is complex, sensitive and much data is too recent

The president's media company is offering investors early access to his Truth Social feed for up to $100,000 a month. Experts say the service may violate insider trading laws.

For sale: early access to Trump's Truth Social posts

The president's media company is offering investors early access to his Truth Social feed for up to $100,000 a month. Experts say the service may violate insider trading laws.

n.pr

Just to make the point abundantly clear, Chris Wallace is now a paid advisor to an investment firm that has a large stake in Paramount and a vested interest in getting the Warner Bros. merger over the line. www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/bus...

Chris Wallace: States Are Playing Politics With the Law to Block Paramount’s Warner Bros. Deal

"I don’t believe government should use its powers to determine who owns a news platform or to control how that outlet reports the news," writes the former Fox and CNN anchor, who is now a paid advisor...

hollywoodreporter.com

March 2027: Oxford World's Classics edition of Pierce Egan's "Life in London" (1821) will be published. First modern, annotated edition of a novel that defined the age. In this plate by the Cruikshank brothers, the chums get in a fight & Egan has his notebook nicked. global.oup.com/academic/pro...

Over the last 5 years, the Dan David Prize has been awarded to 45 outstanding researchers based in 18 countries 🌍 Do you know a brilliant scholar or practitioner working on the human past? Nominations for the 2027 Prize are open: dandavidprize.org/nominate/

4 August 1877 - 7 July 1970 Laura Knight, British (1877-1970), Madonna of the Cotton Fields (Mighty Like a Rose), 1927, oil on canvas, 91.4 x 71.8 cm, private collection

"it's not the crime, it's the cover-up" Who set Carter-Ruck & the Metropolitan Police on Jack Grove of Times Higher Education? If Arday, he's no innocent If Cambridge University, it's worse It's corruption -- use of public money to hush up a scandal www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/08...

@indyhistnetwork.bsky.social The Modern British Studies Association is seeking a representative for independent scholars on our Steering Committee - please do consider joining us. Further details via this link: modbritstud.org.uk/join/

Lucy Delap@lucydelap.bsky.social · yesterday

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

I wonder what Raj Chetty makes of this use of administrative data to *limit* students' opportunities.

The New Republic@newrepublic.com · 2d ago

President Trump is banning students majoring in degrees that don’t make enough money from taking out college loans. Degrees for social work, art, religious studies, teaching aides, and music will be hit the hardest. trib.al/aaAEu6v

Price change in Tesco school uniforms after 46 years: Trousers: ⬇️ £1 Shirts: ⬇️ 49p Jumpers: ⬆️ 25p And that's *nominal*. Loss leaders and all that, but that's still incredible.

Old UK Print Ads@oldukprintads.bsky.social · 2d ago

Aug 1980: Schoolwear ad from Tesco (+Grey Polyester/Viscose Trousers; Polyester/Viscose Trousers; Sanforised cotton Denim Jeans; Acrylic Zippers; Acrylic V-neck Pullovers; Polyester/Cotton Shirts; Ribbed Polo Neck Jumpers; White lace-to-toe Sports Shoes; Black Plimsolls, and more)

It seems that independent schools in the UK are being scooped up by private equity and squeezed for profit much as veterinary clinics have been - odd that we are not seeing media outrage about this.

Why do so many progressives want this? I just don't get it.

Al@btown85.bsky.social · 2d ago

The pressure on kids too! In Berlin they get divided after the 6th class (12). My eldest already under so much pressure (despite us trying to remove it) to do well in exams etc to ensure she’s at the gymnasium. Parents going nuts in regards to it. They’re 9!

A remarkable life. Buried at Rusthall in Kent.

During the Siege of Münster, the mad tyrant of the city appointed children as judges. But at least the mad tyrant himself was an adult.

Aaron Rupar@atrupar.com · 3d ago

Trump: “The Winning Shot in the Bedminster Club Championship! Thank you very much to all of those who participated. I won with a 70, & am so honored in that, unlike the rest of the field, I’m given very little time to practice, bc I’m focused on many other things. It’s called TALENT, and I have it”

If you're arriving at uni this autumn, or maybe dropping your kids, remember that there could be a ghostly phalanx of absent redundant staff, lost modules and degraded degrees making it a very unhappy place. It may *look* the same, but it won't *be* the same. www.ft.com/content/e5b0...

Several UK universities nearly ran out of cash last year, says report

Almost a quarter of higher education institutions were left with less than 70 days of cash to cover costs

ft.com

For those interested in this case, in light of recent developments, up to 20 further apparent cases of plagiarism have been reported to the university, and although there appear to be ‘investigations’ they have been proceeding for two and a half years now.

Charles West@pseudo-isidore.bsky.social · 4d ago

www.ft.com/content/ae7f...

🤷🏼

Here is Cambridge's policy on academic misconduct and plagiarism. If students breach it they are subject to severe penalties, up to and including expulsion from the University. www.educationalpolicy.admin.cam.ac.uk/plagiarism-a...

Allowing mayors to keep a share of local income tax is unashamedly pro-growth and will remove anchors that have held back the UK’s cities for decades. It will be the most significant and welcome transfer of fiscal powers since the foundation of the modern welfare state.

very interesting from @jburnmurdoch.ft.com - cross-over in graph on left coincides precisely with Global Financial Crisis www.ft.com/content/6a35...

This piece I wrote for 'Transactions' is really about how I write history - by creating an argument through the amassing of details that 'brim with undiluted life'.

Royal Historical Society@royalhistsoc.org · 5d ago

"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

I'd argue that Haldene is pretty much dead in the water re UKRI grants & it's increasingly on life support in many universities. This is what worries me. Focusing funding on whatever a 5-year government thinks is important is not a viable timescale for important & original work. 3/

Gladstone et al (2026): "biographies of female scientists disproportionately emphasized effort even after adjusting for the obstacles they faced, consistent with stereotypes attributing women’s success to hard work over talent." 🧪 #psychscisky

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences@pnas.org · 6d ago

One of the most-viewed PNAS articles in the last week is ”Children’s books about scientists convey demotivating messages.” Explore the article here: https://ow.ly/oTon50ZuLj3 For more trending articles, visit https://ow.ly/TsjY50ZuLj2.

Cundhill History Prize long list 🗃️ publishingperspectives.com/2026/07/long...

Longlist Announced for the 2026 Cundill History Prize - Publishing Perspectives

The world’s leading prize for a work of history written or translated into English, the Cundill History Prize today announced its 2026 longlist of 15 books, chosen from almost 400 submissions from acr...

publishingperspectives.com

Creative & performing arts subjects received £16.8 million SPG 2024-25; £12.9 million in 2025-26; £ O million in 2026-27. The University of Creative Arts will thus lose half of its government funding this year; Art University Bournmouth 40.7%, Norwich U of Arts 40.4% and Leeds Arts U 30.3%. 1/2

Arts institutions hit hard as OfS details teaching grant cuts

University for the Creative Arts loses more than half of its funding after support for creative subjects reduced to zero

timeshighereducation.com

I've been seeing a lot of people responding to this with "there ought to be a law," but importantly, we haven't needed a law for this sort of thing because no prior president wanted to be known as a leader who would literally kill people in their hour of need for not voting for him

Seth Masket@smotus.bsky.social · 7d ago

This is honestly one of the most shocking images coming out of this administration and that’s saying something

The first truly global biography of a revolutionary thinker. How well do you know Eric Hobsbawm? Discover our conversation with biographer and historian Emile Chabal: bit.ly/3RZrUjK Coming August 18.

Instead of death by a thousand cuts, focused initially on Humanities but radiating out through Social Sciences to STEM and Medicine, we need a systematic conversation and assessment of what is at risk. From closed university museums and galleries to Jodrell Bank, what's at stake if we don't? 2/2

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

The value we place on the arts (our civilisational achievements, if that's yr framing) is judged more by the salaries of those who sustain our collective achievements than by the follower count of those who post noxious, quarter-literate cliches on socials abt Greece or the Enlightenment or whatever

Will Jennings@willjennings.bsky.social · last wk.

I know Tate are skint. But it's one thing not competing on salary with Louvre Abu Dhabi or the Met, and another not competing with a delivery gig at Papa John's pizza.