Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

UK HE News @ukhenews.bsky.social · 1h

It certainly could not be worse.

Frances Jones @francesjones.bsky.social · 3h

Generative AI ‘better than citation data’ for judging research quality, finds ESRC–funded project.

Project lead Mike Thelwall tells me that these initial findings suggest a potential use for AI in the REF, eliciting typically polarised reactions.

Robin Bisson @robinbisson.bsky.social · 5h

Intriguing result in the 'should AI be used in the REF' debate: GenAI tools outperform citation data on matching expert quality assessments

@mikethelwall.bsky.social says his research gets “very strongly positive reactions and also a very strong negative reaction”

Quelle suprise!

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UK HE News @ukhenews.bsky.social · 4h

Now we only must find a way to do this *before* irreparable damage is done to the uni!

QM_UCU @qmucu.bsky.social · 5h

Good morning. It turns out that heads of universities can still be changed.

QM_UCU @qmucu.bsky.social · 16h

Goldsmiths's VC is booted out??? GOLDSMITHS'S FRANCES CORNER IS OUT???

The 'with immediate effect' and these three sentences being the full extent of the webpage is quite revealing of just how much drama we're not being told about: www.gold.ac.uk/news/2025/vc...

👀 @goldsmithsucu.bsky.social #UKHE

UK HE News @ukhenews.bsky.social · 4h

Now how can we be assured that she did not and can not cash in on her failure?

The fact the VCs win in all scenarios is one of the main reasons these posts attract such corrupt and incompetent individuals.

QM_UCU @qmucu.bsky.social · 16h

Goldsmiths's VC is booted out??? GOLDSMITHS'S FRANCES CORNER IS OUT???

The 'with immediate effect' and these three sentences being the full extent of the webpage is quite revealing of just how much drama we're not being told about: www.gold.ac.uk/news/2025/vc...

👀 @goldsmithsucu.bsky.social #UKHE

screenshot from Goldsmith's webpage.
title: Professor Frances Corner OBE has stepped down with immediate effect as Vice-Chancellor of Goldsmiths.
text: Professor Corner will begin a period of research leave and will undertake existing commitments including her support of the University of London.

Professor David Oswell has been appointed as Interim Vice-Chancellor while a permanent leader of the university is recruited.
that's the full extent of the entire webpage, which is raising way more questions than it answers.

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UK HE News @ukhenews.bsky.social · 4h

It's fitting for UCEA to appoint an infamously corrupt and incompetent VC as its leader.

It also confirms, if there was any doubt, that UCEA remains a bad faith actor happy to watch the sector burn.

QM_UCU @qmucu.bsky.social · 3d

The VC of Leicester has been announced as the new Chair of UCEA.

He's been VC of Leicester since 2019. He's the one responsible for forcing out scholars in ways that employment tribunals showed was not permitted.

The the kind of guy UCEA values.
www.collectiveinkbooks.com/zer0-books/o... #UKHE

book cover of 'shaping for mediocrity': The cancellation of critical thinking at our universities.

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UK HE News @ukhenews.bsky.social · 8h

If a university is concerned about its international rankings, that's arguably better than being concerned about NSS and even REF.

But it only matters if they understand that improving rankings means recruiting and retaining world renowned academics.

Often they want to skip that part.

UK HE News @ukhenews.bsky.social · 8h

If any HEI wants to survive under current constraints, replace every strategic mention of "preserving student experience" with "restoring degrees associated with academic credibility."

UK HE News @ukhenews.bsky.social · 8h

Although we've been conditioned to see this as normal, no credible university would do this.

Universities without credibility do not attract students.

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Reposted by UK HE News

UK HE News @ukhenews.bsky.social · 23h

A good indicator of whether your university is in serious trouble is whether an academic department's 2025 recruitment performance is being used as a significant factor in determining restructuring plans.

If so, the death spiral has probably passed the point of no return.

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Reposted by UK HE News

Ronald Hartz @ronaldhartz.bsky.social · 20h

Staff on strike for several weeks. VC away in India. UK HE in a nutshell, I presume.

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UK HE News @ukhenews.bsky.social · 19h

Oh good, public discourse in the UK is about to become marginally more in touch with reality!?

Best for Britain @bestforbritain.org · 1d

💷 With over £140 billion lost from the economy, more than 2 billion pieces of paperwork, and tens of thousands of business stopping trading with our largest economic partner - is it any surprise?

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/brexit-wes-streeting-european-union-b2844451.html

I’m glad we can now talk about Brexit damage, says Wes Streeting

The prime minister is gearing up to blame Nigel Farage and Brexit for Britain’s expected downturn in productivity at the November Budget

www.independent.co.uk

UK HE News @ukhenews.bsky.social · 19h

The reason this is so is because there is now a nationwide consensus that the ONLY reason to attend a university is to get a higher-paying job immediately upon graduation. Otherwise, degrees are 'not worth it'.

Who has perpetuated this idea and profited from it?

Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 1d

'A “challenging” graduate labour market in the UK could further erode trust in the higher education sector, with the “bad times” showing little sign of ending.'

All the more reason to have a serious, nationwide discussion of what universities do and what they are for.

Faith in universities ‘at new low’ as graduate jobs dry up

Challenging economic conditions may have led to bump in student recruitment numbers this year but experts fear long-term damage after institutions pegged futures to employability agenda

www.timeshighereducation.com

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UK HE News @ukhenews.bsky.social · 20h

Mergers are just another example of an idea that might make sense ... *IF* university leadership were competent, transparent, and accountable.

Until this is seriously addressed, all other 'solutions' will be mostly pointless and compound existing problems.

Times Higher Education (THE) @timeshighered.bsky.social · 1d

Will superuniversities save UK HE?: The quasi-merger of the universities of Kent and Greenwich has raised questions about how many other institutions might see an opportunity – or necessity – to team up as financial pressures bite ever harder. Six experts share their views
https://ow.ly/P2Cy50X9MOP

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UK HE News @ukhenews.bsky.social · 21h

If two disastrously mismanaged entities merge, what does this accomplish exactly?

Sure, it is a way for senior managers to further blur responsibility for their failures.

But will the new entities use these pooled resources to further research reputations and/or degree value?

Doubtful.

Times Higher Education (THE) @timeshighered.bsky.social · 6d

Without oversight of university mergers, the UK risks “sleepwalking” into a homogenised and “disconnected” higher education sector, it has been warned. Helen Packer reports
https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/universities-risk-creeping-death-unsupervised-mergers

UK HE News @ukhenews.bsky.social · 23h

A good indicator of whether your university is in serious trouble is whether an academic department's 2025 recruitment performance is being used as a significant factor in determining restructuring plans.

If so, the death spiral has probably passed the point of no return.

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UK HE News @ukhenews.bsky.social · 1d

There are two assumptions that individual and collective strategic planning in UK HE should make:

First, the Government is happy to see most universities out of the business of research.

Second, uni senior managers are concerned about their own careers, not their universities.

UK HE News @ukhenews.bsky.social · 1d

How long does the anglosphere have left in credible HE leadership on its current trajectory?

UK HE News @ukhenews.bsky.social · 1d

US HE is the new UK HE

Ted McCormick @tedmccormick.bsky.social · 2d

University leaders: [terminate programs, close campuses, cave in to political pressure from demagogues]

Faculty, students, staff: you’re killing the university

Management consultants: looks like you got a real comms challenge here

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UK HE News @ukhenews.bsky.social · 1d

It is true that the signalling value of degrees has declined.

And, management deliberately contributed to this in exchange for short term income.

So 'unis' (against the will of staff) did contribute to graduates' loss of advantage in a shrinking job market.

William Carruthers @williamcarruthers.bsky.social · 1d

And, fwiw, how is the labour market universities’ fault? It isn’t, and it would be very useful if people understood this.

Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 1d

'A “challenging” graduate labour market in the UK could further erode trust in the higher education sector, with the “bad times” showing little sign of ending.'

All the more reason to have a serious, nationwide discussion of what universities do and what they are for.

UK HE News @ukhenews.bsky.social · 1d

What's noteworthy about the UK HE model of successive cash grab schemes that they never seem to grab much cash.

Managers capitalise on the mere idea of such initiatives, not the results.

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Reposted by UK HE News

21 Group @21group.bsky.social · 1d

Lancaster University is “tremendously excited” to expand into India — while back home it’s cutting staff & “restructuring” to survive

It's chasing global prestige & new markets while hollowing out the academic community that built its reputation in the first place

www.bbc.com/news/article...

Lancaster University 'excited' over Indian campus plan

The announcement was made during Prime Minister Keir Starmer's first trade mission to India.

www.bbc.com

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UK HE News @ukhenews.bsky.social · 1d

If you work in UK HE and were to resign, would your role be filled with a permanent staff member at the same or higher pay level?

This is a good indicator of whether managers see your role as important to uni operations.

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UK HE News @ukhenews.bsky.social · 1d

In fairness, UK HE was dismantled so rapidly, new PhDs can hardly be blamed for assuming universities would still exist as academic research institutions in the near future.

Times Higher Education (THE) @timeshighered.bsky.social · 1d

The tighter researchers’ identities are bound to the university, the less prepared they often feel for life beyond it. Embracing both depth and outbound modes of working can help bridge the employability gap, says Alys Kay: www.timeshighereducation.com/campus/why-e... #EduSky #HigherEd #AcademicSky

Why employability gaps widen as academic identity deepens

The more tightly researchers’ identities bind to the university, the less ready they often feel for life beyond it. Naming two modes of working, depth and outbound, can help universities close the emp...

www.timeshighereducation.com

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UK HE News @ukhenews.bsky.social · 1d

Yes, but we can't talk about that!

Alexandra Wilson @amwilson.bsky.social · 1d

Most administrators (barring those focusing specifically on research admin and impact) are so disconnected from research that they couldn't care less about it and probably don't even know what it is.

UK HE News @ukhenews.bsky.social · 1d

On one hand, the notion that UK HE leadership needs even less academic influence seems comically out of touch.

On the other hand could they do any worse than the the current lot of buffoons?

(The answer is yes, they could)

share.google/jofpP6X498ll...

Universities must become more open to non-academic talent

Both within management and the professoriate, the need for a wider range of experience and skills is only getting stronger, says Marcus Munafò

share.google

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UK HE News @ukhenews.bsky.social · 1d

Rinse, repeat, and laugh all the way to the bank.