Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Hasnain Kazim @hasnainkazim.bsky.social · 1d

Bei allen Hoffnungen sollten wir das nicht vergessen:

Hubert Zimmermann @hubzimm.bsky.social · 9d

And by the way: the peer-reviewed journal model is also dead. A good part of the articles I read in IR journals could be composed easily by AI

Hubert Zimmermann @hubzimm.bsky.social · 9d

It’s back to university education
of the 14th to early 20th century, as this NYT article argues: …moving away from take-home assignments and toward in-class blue book essays, oral exams, required office hrs..for students to demonstrate knowledge in real time. www.nytimes.com/2025/08/26/o...

Opinion | Students Hate Them. Universities Need Them. The Only Real Solution to the A.I. Cheating Crisis.

www.nytimes.com

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Hubert Zimmermann @hubzimm.bsky.social · 9d

Accordingly, the future of teaching will ‚mark a return to the original purpose of universities as spaces for cultivating gifted minds, rather than institutions designed to accommodate the masses.‘

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Hubert Zimmermann @hubzimm.bsky.social · 9d

Preparing the next semester teaching IR and polisci, I can not overcome the feeling that due to AI much of our work has become obsolete. As this blog post calls it, a ‚Ponzi scheme’ in which most of what we do is ‚fake’. junotane.com/posts/ai-red...

AI redefines international relations teaching - Junotane

How many International Relations (IR) professors have used Google’s new AI tool NotebookkLM? Just wondering, because it basically makes what you do everyday, absolutely pointless!

junotane.com

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Fabrizio Coticchia @fabrizio-coticchia.bsky.social · Sep 3

ops..."US Pushes Back on Italy Counting Sicily Bridge as NATO Asset" (yet, still not clear how Italy had mysteriously reached the 2%...) www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

US Frowns on Italy’s Idea of Making Sicily Bridge a NATO Asset

The US said it disapproves of any creative accounting by European allies to reach a new NATO spending target, putting Italy on the spot as the government weighs whether to count the construction of th...

www.bloomberg.com

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Nico Lange @nicolange.bsky.social · Aug 24

Es ist peinlich, dass so viele politische Akteure in Deutschland immer wieder 1:1 die Position des Kreml nachsingen. Das ist im Grunde ein Verrat an den deutschen Interessen von so manchem, der so tut, als sei er ein ganz besonders guter Deutscher.

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Armin Schaefer @arminschaefer.bsky.social · Aug 7

I am looking for a PhD student in Comparative Politics @powimz.bsky.social. My research focuses on political (in-)equality, representation, and responsiveness. I would be grateful if you could help to spread the word.
stellenboerse.uni-mainz.de#/jgu/job/49637

stellenboerse.uni-mainz.de

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Anika Oettler @anikaoettler.bsky.social · Jul 10

Two new interdisciplinary English-taught MA programs at the University of Marburg on research in political and social science!🧐 Discover more about these innovative programs and how to apply here: www.uni-marburg.de/en/fb03/stud...

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Hubert Zimmermann @hubzimm.bsky.social · Jun 26

What a silly headline. With a threatening Russia and an erratic US, a rise in defense spending would have happened any way. and the 5% or 2% numbers are meaningless as burden sharing research has demonstrated often enough www.nytimes.com/2025/06/25/w...

In a Win for Trump, NATO Agrees to a Big Increase in Military Spending

www.nytimes.com

Maximilian Mayer @maximilianiras.bsky.social · Jun 25

Scholz and his designated successor agree that something historic happened that day in Washington. The Americans are threatening not only to abandon Ukraine but also all their allies“

Fascinating background reporting on how German Leaders realized that US support of NATO is no longer reliable.

The Night Chancellor Merz Changed His Mind About Donald Trump

The incoming German chancellor campaigned as a debt hawk. Then a source told him about Trump’s plans for NATO.

www.politico.com

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Claas Gefroi @claasgefroi.bsky.social · Jun 14

Die Polizei in Washington hat einen 80-jährigen Veteranen festgenommen, der gegen Trumps Militärparade protestierte. Man bleibt sprachlos zurück.
Video via Republicans against Trump.

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Hubert Zimmermann @hubzimm.bsky.social · Jun 11

This interpretation (in German) suggests that’Sloop John B’ is a strong contender songlexikon.de/songs/sloopj...

Sloop John B. - Songlexikon. Encyclopedia of Songs

SLOOP JOHN B. ist ein 1966 veröffentlichter Song der kalifornischen Rockband The Beach Boys. Die Umdichtung eines karibischen Volksliedes wurde zu einem ihrer größten Erfolge. I. Entstehungsgeschichte...

songlexikon.de

Neil Renic @ncrenic.bsky.social · Jun 5

This is an insane chart

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Anja Menzel @anjamenzel.bsky.social · May 27

Ein herzlicher Dank geht an @andrealiese.bsky.social, @hubzimm.bsky.social, Andreas Hasenclever, Thomas Gehring, Maike Messerschmidt, Manuel Becker und Mathies Kempken, die mit ihren hochkarätigen Beiträgen das Buch möglich gemacht haben.

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Hubert Zimmermann @hubzimm.bsky.social · May 25

A depressing experiment: what happens when the most powerful country is put in the service of the bottomless greed of a small oligarchy www.nytimes.com/2025/05/25/w...

Why Vietnam Ignored Its Own Laws to Fast-Track a Trump Family Golf Complex

www.nytimes.com

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Vassili Golod @golod.bsky.social · May 24

Kyjiw heute Nacht. Eine der schlimmsten Nächte, die ich erlebt habe. Russland hat die Ukraine nach Informationen der Luftwaffe mit 14 ballistischen Raketen und 250 Drohnen angegriffen.

Wenn dieser Terror nach 1186 Tagen möglich ist, reicht der Druck auf den Aggressor nicht aus.

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Hubert Zimmermann @hubzimm.bsky.social · May 13

And what a coincidence: Strengthening this team is a world class player in terms of suspected corruption, the FIFA President

The New York Times @nytimes.com · May 13

Joining President Trump and top U.S. and Saudi officials for lunch in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday are dozens of business executives from some of the largest U.S. companies, including Stephen Schwarzman of Blackstone, Larry Fink of BlackRock and Jane Fraser of Citigroup.

Here's what to know.

Elon Musk, Sam Altman and Other C.E.O.s Join Trump at U.S.-Saudi Lunch

www.nytimes.com

The New York Times @nytimes.com · May 13

Joining President Trump and top U.S. and Saudi officials for lunch in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday are dozens of business executives from some of the largest U.S. companies, including Stephen Schwarzman of Blackstone, Larry Fink of BlackRock and Jane Fraser of Citigroup.

Here's what to know.

Elon Musk, Sam Altman and Other C.E.O.s Join Trump at U.S.-Saudi Lunch

www.nytimes.com

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Hubert Zimmermann @hubzimm.bsky.social · May 13

Ernst Fraenkel über den Dual State: wieder ein lesenswerter Artikel des Atlantic

Ulrike Franke @rikefranke.bsky.social · May 6

This is an excellent article explaining what is happening in the US.

www.theatlantic.com/magazine/arc...

America Is Watching the Rise of a Dual State

For most people, the courts will continue to operate as usual—until they don’t.

www.theatlantic.com

Jelena Subotic @jelenasubotic.bsky.social · May 7

It's impossible and irresponsible to assign takehome papers any more. It's either writing, by hand, in class, or oral exams, or some other type of active project (I had students go to the library archive, conduct interviews, document their archival research etc). No papers, no reading reports. Hell.

William B. Fuckley @opinionhaver.bsky.social · May 7

I respect the perspective that faculty are not just degree gatekeepers, but at a certain point if you do not change your pedagogy to be less conducive to this you are actively doing a disservice to the students who do try, because their degree is externally identical to those who are doing this

Hypervisible @hypervisible.blacksky.app · May 7

“Massive numbers of students are going to emerge from university with degrees, and into the workforce, who are essentially illiterate…Both in the literal sense and in the sense of being historically illiterate and having no knowledge of their own culture, much less anyone else’s.”

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William B. Fuckley @opinionhaver.bsky.social · May 7

I respect the perspective that faculty are not just degree gatekeepers, but at a certain point if you do not change your pedagogy to be less conducive to this you are actively doing a disservice to the students who do try, because their degree is externally identical to those who are doing this

Hypervisible @hypervisible.blacksky.app · May 7

“Massive numbers of students are going to emerge from university with degrees, and into the workforce, who are essentially illiterate…Both in the literal sense and in the sense of being historically illiterate and having no knowledge of their own culture, much less anyone else’s.”

Everyone Is Cheating Their Way Through College

ChatGPT has unraveled the entire academic project.

nymag.com

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Ulrike Franke @rikefranke.bsky.social · May 6

This is an excellent article explaining what is happening in the US.

www.theatlantic.com/magazine/arc...

America Is Watching the Rise of a Dual State

For most people, the courts will continue to operate as usual—until they don’t.

www.theatlantic.com

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Abe Newman @abenewman.bsky.social · Apr 30

1/ US tariff omnishambles part 2: If the US hoped that tariffs could help create an anti-China bloc, they look to be having the opposite effect. The end result has been to create uncertainty amongst or closest allies and push many third countries closer to China.

Exclusive | U.S. Plans to Use Tariff Negotiations to Isolate China

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent wants trading partners to limit China’s involvement in their economies in exchange for concessions on reciprocal tariffs.

www.wsj.com

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Hubert Zimmermann @hubzimm.bsky.social · Apr 21

Pope‘s last order to his subordinates: ‚You couldn’t keep them away? So go down to the piazza and check if they have some leftover chocolate eggs at the kiosk, but not the expensive ones.‘
RIP

Hubert Zimmermann @hubzimm.bsky.social · Apr 20

Besser: das wir waren

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Jenny Günther @jennyguenther.bsky.social · Apr 14

In unsicheren Zeiten sprechen Politiker von Krieg und ich dafür mit Ole Nymeon warum junge Menschen auch "Gegen die #Kriegstüchtigkeit" @rowohlt.bsky.social sein können. Mit @hubzimm.bsky.social geht es zudem um die Hintergründe von "Militärische Missionen"

podcaste97de5.podigee.io/312-militari...

Militärische Missionen, Kriegstüchtigkeit und Friedensverhandlungen

Woop! Woop! In unsicheren Zeiten sprechen Politiker von "Kriegstüchtigkeit" und ich dafür mit Ole Nymeon warum junge Menschen auch "Gegen die Kriegstüchtigkeit" (Rowohlt) sein können. Mit Hubert Zimme...

podcaste97de5.podigee.io

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Franz-Stefan Gady @hoanssolo.bsky.social · Apr 13

Whether a deliberate missile strike or a reckless, misguided attack, today’s heinous Russian assault on Sumy follows a familiar pattern.

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Hubert Zimmermann @hubzimm.bsky.social · Apr 12

BSky Community: Has anybody (besides me) put a moratorium to conference attendances in the US or research stays there, as long as the current anti-academic policy continues? Asking for a media request just to get a general idea

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Thomas Wiegold @wiegold.de · Apr 9

missed this one last night: "Japan expressed interest Tuesday in participating in the NATO command for its Ukrainian mission based in Germany in what would be a major boost in ties with the largely European alliance."

Japan says it wants to join a NATO command for the support of Ukraine

Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani says Japan wants to participate in a NATO command for its Ukrainian mission as Japan increasingly steps up military ties with the largely European security organ...

apnews.com

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