Susan J. Smith
LightNews LightNews
banner
sjs1869.bsky.social
Susan J. Smith
@sjs1869.bsky.social
1.3K followers 160 following 360 posts

President,The British Academy.
Writes about housing and economic inequality.
Life Fellow at Girton College, Emerita Honorary Professor in the Dept of Geography, Cambridge University, UK.
(Views my own).

Videos

Susan Jane Smith is a British geographer and academic. She became President of the British Academy in July 2025. She was mistress of Girton College, Cambridge from 2009 to 2022. Smith previously held the Ogilvie Chair of Geography at the University of Edinburgh from 1990 to 2004 and until 2009 was a professor of geography at Durham University, where she played a key role in establishing the Institute of Advanced Study. On 1 October 2011, she was conferred the title of Honorary Professor of Social and Economic Geography in the Department of Geography at the University of Cambridge for five years, which was renewed until 2021. .. more

Economics 50%
Medicine 9%
Posts Replies Media Videos

sjs1869.bsky.social
Susan J. Smith @sjs1869.bsky.social · 5h
There is still so much to gain from a comprehensive, joined up, review of higher education funding.

www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/news/british...
The British Academy's response to the Autumn Budget
The British Academy has responded to the Autumn Budget (26 November 2025)
www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk

sjs1869.bsky.social
Susan J. Smith @sjs1869.bsky.social · 2d
Also international student fees already work hard for the sector… we need a more sustainable way to square the higher education funding circle www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/news/respons...

sjs1869.bsky.social
Susan J. Smith @sjs1869.bsky.social · 2d
Hitting the nail on the head…
timeshighered.bsky.social Times Higher Education (THE) @timeshighered.bsky.social · 2d
Universities in England are receiving over £6 billion less each year for teaching students than they did a decade ago, new analysis shows. Helen Packer reports
https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/university-teaching-income-ps64-billon-less-10-years-ago

Reposted by Susan J. Smith

timeshighered.bsky.social
Times Higher Education (THE) @timeshighered.bsky.social · 2d
Universities in England are receiving over £6 billion less each year for teaching students than they did a decade ago, new analysis shows. Helen Packer reports
https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/university-teaching-income-ps64-billon-less-10-years-ago

sjs1869.bsky.social
Susan J. Smith @sjs1869.bsky.social · 2d
Less than 10 per cent of properties are in these bands, yet the whole Council Tax system is regressive to incomes, by region and by property value. Surely the time has come?
www.thetimes.com/article/b43b...
Rachel Reeves to hit 100,000 properties with mansion tax to balance books
Rachel Reeves will attempt to raise £400-£450 million from the mansion tax charge, which will come from revaluing properties across bands F, G and H
www.thetimes.com

sjs1869.bsky.social
Susan J. Smith @sjs1869.bsky.social · 6d
Finally… www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
The Guardian view on falling net migration: political debate is now detached from the facts
A fixation on reducing numbers leaves no room for rational discussion of what that means for the economy and society
www.theguardian.com

sjs1869.bsky.social
Susan J. Smith @sjs1869.bsky.social · 7d
The rise and rise of ‘stackable’ ‘micro-credentials’; the decline and fall of… (am I worried or excited?)

Reposted by Susan J. Smith

timeshighered.bsky.social
Times Higher Education (THE) @timeshighered.bsky.social · 7d
Countries face a “growing mismatch” between what education provides and “what the world really needs”, says OECD director

#AcademicSky #EduSky
Global education ‘not aligned with real needs’ – OECD chief
Students struggling to find good jobs while employers say they cannot address skills shortages, Andreas Schleicher highlights
www.timeshighereducation.com

sjs1869.bsky.social
Susan J. Smith @sjs1869.bsky.social · 10d
Great round up of key problems and possible solutions. Hope you managed to get it on front of the ‘fair funding review’ (www.gov.uk/government/c...)

sjs1869.bsky.social
Susan J. Smith @sjs1869.bsky.social · 10d
Shocking news from my home town, caught by ongoing disparities in income and wealth, with housing generally, and council tax in particular, adding to the mix. Time to grasp the (tax reform) nettle?

Reposted by Susan J. Smith, Margot C. Finn

theguardian.com
The Guardian @theguardian.com · 10d
‘I think the city is falling apart’: Leicester braces for a make-or-break budget
‘I think the city is falling apart’: Leicester braces for a make-or-break budget
In the local authority where people have the least spare cash there are hopes the chancellor will instil change
www.theguardian.com

sjs1869.bsky.social
Susan J. Smith @sjs1869.bsky.social · 10d
Excellent result, with a couple of great new pieces by Lucy Pankhurst www.4barsrest.com/news/62974/r...
Result: 2025 Brass in Concert Championship
Katrina Marzella Wheeler inspires the cooperation band a premiere Brass in Concert title success.
www.4barsrest.com

sjs1869.bsky.social
Susan J. Smith @sjs1869.bsky.social · 11d
Fantastic day at the Glasshouse. Brass (and Youth Brass) in Concert. Sold out. First rate performers, early, mid and late career, challenging classics, impressive new works, the stuff of life itself theglasshouseicm.org/seasons/bras...
Brass in Concert Championships 2025 | The Glasshouse
theglasshouseicm.org

sjs1869.bsky.social
Susan J. Smith @sjs1869.bsky.social · 12d
If it’s all eyes on property tax, surely the time has come for a thorough overhaul of Council tax, which is grossly unfair. Split out the service charge, fairly tax the value of residential property, the majority win or break even… www.economicsobservatory.com/what-future-...
What future for residential property taxation in Britain? - Economics Observatory
Council tax is unpopular, unfair and overdue for reform. An alternative would be to fund statutory services through central government, introduce a modest local service charge, and absorb stamp duty a...
www.economicsobservatory.com

sjs1869.bsky.social
Susan J. Smith @sjs1869.bsky.social · 12d
The strong spot though is UK success in ‘curiosity’-driven (aka nimble, horizon-scanning, front foot, future-shaping) scholarship. All to play for!

sjs1869.bsky.social
Susan J. Smith @sjs1869.bsky.social · 12d
Absolutely going to this! Cutting edge stuff on #housing problems and prospects from Ifigeneia Dimitrakou (University of Zurich) and @timwhite100.bsky.social (Queen Mary University of London, UK)

Reposted by Susan J. Smith

rgsibg.bsky.social
Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) @rgsibg.bsky.social · 12d
Join the Society's Economic Geography Research Group for an upcoming webinar:

'Emerging voices in economic geography: housing' will take place on Thursday 20 November.

Register here: https://www.rgs.org/events/upcoming-events/emerging-voices-in-economic-geography-session-one
Emerging voices in economic geography: housing
A new webinar series showcasing fresh perspectives from early career researchers. This webinar's theme: housing.
www.rgs.org

Reposted by Susan J. Smith, Margot C. Finn

resprofnews.bsky.social
Research Professional News @resprofnews.bsky.social · 12d
UK weak spots in Horizon Europe ‘likely to feature in FP10 talks’.

Science committee chair Chi Onwurah blames Brexit for underperformance in elements of EU research and innovation programme.

www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-p...
UK weak spots in Horizon Europe ‘likely to feature in FP10 talks’ - Research Professional News
Science committee chair blames Brexit for underperformance in elements of EU research and innovation programme
www.researchprofessionalnews.com

sjs1869.bsky.social
Susan J. Smith @sjs1869.bsky.social · 16d
Fantastic programme!
ukri.org UK Research and Innovation @ukri.org · 16d
Applications open: New Generation Thinkers 2026

AHRC is partnering with BBC Radio 4 to offer five early-career researchers the opportunity to work with programme makers, appear on air, and gain first-hand experience of how ideas make it to broadcast.

Apply by Jan 2026
AHRC and BBC New Generation Thinkers 2026
This scheme offers five early career researchers the opportunity to work with programme makers at BBC Radio 4. They will appear on a number of episodes and shadow the production process to understand ...
www.ukri.org

sjs1869.bsky.social
Susan J. Smith @sjs1869.bsky.social · 16d
I think the key is in the brackets… (a trend by no means limited to students…)
julesbirch.bsky.social Jules Birch @julesbirch.bsky.social · Feb 12
Not sure I understand how there can be a student housing boom in midst of general higher education gloom (though packing as many rooms as possible into a building and charging the highest rents for them you can is obviously part of it)

www.ft.com/content/8903...
Real estate developers pile into UK student housing sector
Record number of deals in 2024 comes despite sharp fall in international student numbers
www.ft.com

sjs1869.bsky.social
Susan J. Smith @sjs1869.bsky.social · 16d
Good for publishing, good for housing, good for… hang on, perhaps #not-for-profit is good for (nearly) everyone?
eicathomefinn.bsky.social Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 16d
'The global scientific community has been urged to adopt and support non-profit scholarly publishing models to help solve the problems caused by today’s predominant systems—described as “arguably the largest science crisis of all time”.' 1/3
resprofnews.bsky.social Research Professional News @resprofnews.bsky.social · 16d
‘Embrace non-profit publishing to tackle largest science crisis’.

Stockholm Declaration promotes shift to models encouraging high quality and restoration of trust.

www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-worl...

Reposted by Susan J. Smith, Malcolm MacLean

eicathomefinn.bsky.social
Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 16d
'The global scientific community has been urged to adopt and support non-profit scholarly publishing models to help solve the problems caused by today’s predominant systems—described as “arguably the largest science crisis of all time”.' 1/3

Reposted by Diane Coyle, Susan J. Smith

ukri.org
UK Research and Innovation @ukri.org · 16d
Applications open: New Generation Thinkers 2026

AHRC is partnering with BBC Radio 4 to offer five early-career researchers the opportunity to work with programme makers, appear on air, and gain first-hand experience of how ideas make it to broadcast.

Apply by Jan 2026
AHRC and BBC New Generation Thinkers 2026
This scheme offers five early career researchers the opportunity to work with programme makers at BBC Radio 4. They will appear on a number of episodes and shadow the production process to understand ...
www.ukri.org

sjs1869.bsky.social
Susan J. Smith @sjs1869.bsky.social · 23d
Iconic moment at the start of a long period of middle/ lower income wage stagnation and a marked to to economic inequality… so, an ongoing struggle and a complex story.
carlquintanilla.bsky.social Carl Quintanilla @carlquintanilla.bsky.social · 23d
Dolly Parton releases “9 to 5” 45 yrs ago today.

“I knew what it was like to be a working woman trying to make a decent living, trying to be taken seriously. .. I wanted a song that sounded playful on the surface but spoke to that frustration .. A song about women .. saying, ‘We deserve better.’”

Reposted by Susan J. Smith, Robert B. Reich

carlquintanilla.bsky.social
Carl Quintanilla @carlquintanilla.bsky.social · 23d
Dolly Parton releases “9 to 5” 45 yrs ago today.

“I knew what it was like to be a working woman trying to make a decent living, trying to be taken seriously. .. I wanted a song that sounded playful on the surface but spoke to that frustration .. A song about women .. saying, ‘We deserve better.’”

sjs1869.bsky.social
Susan J. Smith @sjs1869.bsky.social · 24d
Thousands of amateur brass enthusiasts have been limbering up for a flurry of local brass band association contests. It’s not about whether you win or lose… but, well, winning is ok! 😎
This is the results list for the Durham league brass band contest. Bearpark and Esh Colliery Band won

sjs1869.bsky.social
Susan J. Smith @sjs1869.bsky.social · 25d
Surely the caché needed to push through a change of this kind would be best spent reforming land/property tax across the board? Hasn’t there been enough tinkering with Council tax to warrant a change of approach?

www.thetimes.com/article/5ac9...
Rachel Reeves considers ‘supercharged’ council tax on expensive homes
The chancellor could impose new bands for high-value properties, a possible alternative to a ‘mansion tax’, as she tries to plug a financial hole in her budget
www.thetimes.com

sjs1869.bsky.social
Susan J. Smith @sjs1869.bsky.social · 26d
Excellent. Fitting tribute to a brilliant scholar.
econsocjournal.bsky.social Economy & Society @econsocjournal.bsky.social · 26d
Pull up for a bumper issue, nine articles, from ecologization as a mode of economization to the prompting of generative AI models in UK government, with stops in Brazil, Venezuela, Kenya and the US along the way!

www.tandfonline.com/toc/reso20/c...
Economy and Society
Dedicated to Michel Callon, 1945–2025. Volume 54, Issue 3 of Economy and Society
www.tandfonline.com

Reposted by Susan J. Smith, Paul Langley

econsocjournal.bsky.social
Economy & Society @econsocjournal.bsky.social · 26d
Pull up for a bumper issue, nine articles, from ecologization as a mode of economization to the prompting of generative AI models in UK government, with stops in Brazil, Venezuela, Kenya and the US along the way!

www.tandfonline.com/toc/reso20/c...
Economy and Society
Dedicated to Michel Callon, 1945–2025. Volume 54, Issue 3 of Economy and Society
www.tandfonline.com

sjs1869.bsky.social
Susan J. Smith @sjs1869.bsky.social · 26d
Honestly it makes me so cross when you want to download or print out a copy of your own article and find ‘your license does not permit this’. Grrrrr.